3 Things to Try Before Counting Calories

If you have been trying to count calories to lose weight for a while now, but you haven’t really seen any long term results, then this list of ideas may be perfect for you.

Most people are trying to count calories in order to lose weight or improve their self image.

The problem with this is two- fold.

Firstly, most people don’t have the grounded skills to achieve their calorie goals.

Secondly, weight loss without practising self acceptance is futile. No amount of weight lost will ever overcome body image issues.

So let’s start there.

Practice Self Acceptance

There is a saying along the lines of “If you don’t love who you are now, then you won’t love who you become in the future.”

The power of self acceptance is that it is an acknowledgement of who we are currently- including all of our flaws.

Starting a weight loss journey with radical self acceptance is critical, so that we don’t attach our happiness and self worth to a number on a scale.

Your worth is more than that.

To begin practicing self acceptance- make a list of all the things you love about your body; the things it can do, how it operates, the challenges it navigates on a daily basis etc.

Eat Mostly Whole Foods

The Holy Grail of weight loss is to diet without feeling like you’re starving or restricting yourself.

The key to feeling fuller for longer is to eat whole foods at every meal. This means building a plate that consists mostly of protein and veg, along with some organic carbohydrates (potatoes, rice etc).

The benefit of this is that you limit snacking throughout the day and drastically reduces the strength of your cravings throughout the day.

Listen to your hunger signals

People eat for a number of different reasons, unfortunately, it’s not often due to hunger.

In modern society, there’s almost never a situation where you can reach true hunger.

You can stop into a shop, order food from your phone etc. There is an abundance of food wherever we look- and unfortunately, it’s rarely the healthiest options that are so readily available.

The key here is to understand when you’re actually hungry, and when you are receiving hunger cues that are caused by emotions, stress or boredom.

The first step in any behaviour change is practising awareness.

So, the next time that you find yourself eating something you didn’t want to, or isn’t in line with your diet goals, stop and notice.

Ask yourself; how was I feeling before this? What was I doing before this? Do I need this to feel satisfied, or am I replacing an emotional need with food? Did I eat enough before this snack?

Asking yourself questions like these can shed light on certain situations or events or locations that cause you to consume more or consume out of line with your goals.

When you can identify the causes of your issues, then you can begin to address them, whenever you feel necessary to do so.

We hope that you found this blog useful.

If you’re looking for more guidance and support with improving your relationship with food, click here for a FREE 30 min clarity call with one of our coaches.