This post was sparked by talking to some clients about their eating habits AND by Jillian Michaels podcasts. I’ve basically been raving about the JM podcasts since I started listening to them. I find them to be very informative, inspirational and give nice insight to Jillian Michaels. Jillian is a HUGE advocate for calorie counting. She stands by the notion that everyone can lose weight by calorie counting and paying attention to calories in verses calories burned.
I have been a calorie counter before… when I did weight watchers after my freshman 20 in 2007. It wasn’t so much calorie counting but point counting. And those points stayed with me for awhile. I was able to point count almost anything for awhile. Eventually I stopped counting points/calories and fell into a place of intuitive eating. Eat when I’m hungry, stop when I’m full. Eat basically what I want (although what I want is generally healthy!)
So what’s the difference and where do you fit in?
Calorie Counting: You keep track of calories in (food intake) verse calories out (calories burned in a day). If you burn more than you eat, you will lose weight.
Pros:
- Can help you lose weight by tracking calories you take in.
- There are many different websites and apps to help you, like My Fitness Pal.
- Keeps you accountable.
- You can make choices based on calories and make substitutions (IE: one less bag of chips, more veggies)
- You can see exactly what and where your eating too much, or falling short by tracking.
Cons:
- It can be hard to calculate calories if you go out to eat a lot or if you don’t portion out your foods. You may be seriously underestimating your food intake.
- It can get addictive. Don’t ever, ever, ever go below 1,200 calories (which is already low.)
- You have to take it upon yourself to balance out your meals, eating enough veggies, protein, etc.
Tips:
- Make sure your meals are balanced and you’re eating enough of the good stuff! Don’t worry so much about counting greens.
- When you go out to eat, order smart. Order foods that are grilled, baked or steamed.
- Portion your food out so you know how much you are eating.
- Move daily. Go for a walk, take a lap around the office, ride a bike. It’s getting warm, keep it moving!
- Use a website like My Fitness Pal or get a Fit Bit!
Intuitive Eating: “Intuitive eating is an approach that teaches you how to create a healthy relationship with your food, mind, and body–where you ultimately become the expert of your own body. You learn how to distinguish between physical and emotional feelings, and gain a sense of body wisdom. ” (source)
Pros:
- You learn about your body and it’s emotional and physical needs.
- No more “dieting”.
- You can eat what you want and not feel guilty about it. Eat what you want, when you want. Stop when your full.
- Helps you honor your health and your body.
- The better you eat, the better you’ll want to eat.
Cons:
- It’s a very loose system (or not a system at all). It takes time to adjust to this and figure out what’s hunger and what’s emotion.
- There is little accountability.
- Although you can eat what you want, you have to find a healthy balance.
Tips:
- Do some reading about intuitive reading and decide if it’s for you. It’s not a bad idea to hire someone (like a health counselor) to help walk you through this process.
- It’s all about listening to your body and honoring what it wants…which most likely under everything is real, whole foods.
- It will take awhile to get used to your body’s cues but if you’re commited to it, keep at it! It gets easier as you get used to it!
- I think many of us think we “intuitively eat” by just eating whatever we want, whenever we want. That’s not really honoring your body if you are eating emotionally and not giving your body what it really needs (NUTRITION!)
In my opinion (which clearly this ALL is my opinion) if you are trying to lose weight, it’s probably best to do a combination of both of these things (in the sense that if you want a certain food, go for it, but stay accountable as well). I find calorie counting to be helpful to do at least for a little while to help you realize what is actually going into your body.
The most important thing you can do for yourself is to eat WHOLE foods that are not processed, no matter what diet system you are using. Get rid of the Weight Watchers bread and focus on whole grains (brown rice, millet, quinoa), veggies, healthy fats and lean proteins. Eating those types of foods will help you lose weight. Then find a mix of what works for you. You can still intuitively eat and keep yourself accountable. And remember, those drinks have calories too!
This was just my two sense after a week of reflecting on my experiences. Get to know your body and what it really wants. After you start to make the switch to REAL, WHOLE foods, you’ll be surprised how much you crave those REAL foods.
What are your thoughts? What works for you? Please share your experiences!
Tagged as:
calorie counting,
health,
healthy,
intuitive eating,
jillian michaels,
losing weight
{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
i really enjoy this post friend. It is a balance of both. I think intuitive eating is great, once we find our hunger cues, but then again it’s hard to reconnect to those cues when you’ve been eating by the clock. Totally worth it though. and keep those whole foods coming!
I recently purchased a couple of books on mindful eating as it has caught my interest. I’m looking forward to getting them and learning more about it.
Thanks for sharing this post, it was very insightful
Kierston recently posted..Feeling Hot, Hot, HOT!
I’m a big believer in both as well. I calorie counted when losing my baby weight until I felt comfortable again with eyeballing portions. I would never set myself into a rigid plan and gave myself the freedom to switch things out based on my cravings/preferences for the day but the overall calories helped hold me accountable to better choices too. Great post!
Tina @ Best Body Fitness recently posted..Me, Myself, and I
Interesting topic! I am definitely an intuitive eater. It’s just my personality type–I hate getting too detailed with things, whether it’s tracking my running mileage or my caloric intake. My focus is always on healthy, whole foods and I try to pay close attention to when I am hungry/when I am not, and only eat when I truly am.
misszippy recently posted..I need a 2nd mortgage
I have counted calories in the past, and lost weight with it. But it does get really easy to get obsessive over it. I do need to go back to counting calories though, b/c it makes you pay attention to how much you’re eating during the day.
Lori Lynn recently posted..Dangerous Slippery Slope
Very interesting post! I used to be VERY focused on calorie counting, but as you mentioned as a “con” it can (and did) lead to somewhat of an addiction. I was literally obsessed with every single calorie that went in my mouth. Ended up going down a not-so-healthy road. In recent years, I am definitely more of an intuitive eater. But I have to be careful b/c so often I pop in my mouth whatever AJ doesn’t eat – and I sometimes I am not even hungry. LOL. It’s tough…There are times when I think I am hungry, but in reality I am either tired or bored (my two pitfalls when it comes to eating healthy).
Michele @ nycrunningmama recently posted..ING NYC Marathon Opening Day
I agree that you need a little bit of both. When I was losing weight I did calorie counting until I became obsessed and decided this wasn’t healthy because I was eating by “how many calories I had left” vs. if I was really hungry. It really is all about balance and you learn that little by little!
I definitely shy away from calorie counting. I know it can be really helpful for people but for me it’s always felt like a jail. I get really miserable when I feel like I CAN’T have this or I CAN’T eat that. And on top of it I usually feel hungry most of the time. Over the past two years I’ve really gotten to a place where I’m conscious of what I’m eating and what I have eaten. If I’ve already indulged in something not super great for me I’ll eat good for the rest of the day. It may take me way longer than the average person to drop weight on the intuitive/moderation path but I’ve found I’m way more likely to keep it off and it saves my sanity too.
Lauren recently posted..It’s Time to Go to the Mattresses – How Can Movie Lovers Take Back Theaters?
I really enjoyed this post! I used to be a calorie counter but it turned very obsessive and I ultimately developed a slight eating disorder. I would “save” all my calories by starving myself during the day and then binge on dinner. It was so unhealthy and of course, I ended up gaining weight because of it. I know calorie counting can be done effectively, but I just know it is NOT for me or for people who think they might be prone to ED’s. I actually just picked up the book on Intuitive Eating and I’m really excited to dive in! I’m already eating a fairly healthy diet, but I still suffer from emotional binge eating. Thank you for this post! I’m going to pass it on to some friends who have been asking me about different ways to lose weight.
I agree, it’s a balance of both. When you are trying to lose weight, you really need to count calories. This helps you make sure that you are burning more than you’re consuming. I think once you’ve gotten to your happy place then you can move into intuitive eating, but still in your mind you have to be aware of the balance in calories. I am definitely all about the whole foods and baking for yourself to make sure you’re not eating tons of preservatives. Great post Nicole!
Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen) recently posted..Chicken Parmesan Promises…
I am more of a calorie counter but I think whatever works for the individual is the way to go.
Kelly recently posted..life update
1. congrats on the pregnancy!! I didn’t know! I’ve been detached from the blog world this year!
2. I completely agree that both calorie counting and intuitive eating should be learned in tandem. I would have never lost weight without calorie counting and being preggo myself, counting has helped me stay accountable when all that calls my name is chocolate! On the flip side, learning about intuitive eating and getting back in touch with my hunger/fullness has helped me with just eating in general. If I’m not hungry, I just can’t eat anymore and it’s been a natural way for me to keep my weight in a healthy range. Sure, we all have our moments but when you really listen to your body, it tells you what it needs!
Great post!
thehealthyapron recently posted..What I’ve Learned Through Pregnancy.
this is a great post….I’ve done calorie counting and just recently I felt that it was getting nearly obsessive, I was frustrated/annoyed by having to add up every little thing I ate and every workout I did, and it was starting to make me stress out about all the numbers. I realized I was unhappy with it and for about a month now I’ve been trying to just simply eat whole/healthy/fueling foods and eat when I’m hungry. Counting calories worked for me for a while, and I’ll probably do it again at some point, but it definitely got too much in my head. It can be so hard to find the balance! I definitely enjoy treats, but I know that at least 80% of the time I eat whole foods that are not processed and truly good for my body…It’s a long process!
Danica @ It’s Progression recently posted..Holy Cookies.
Really thought-provoking post, thank you! I’m currently a calorie counter, have been for the past year and it’s been an awesome learning experience, and has helped me to get my body to its happiest weight its ever been at. I’m currently counting but also learning to be intuitive and trying to wean myself from counting EVERY day. By now, my body has adjusted to my caloric number and knows when its full or not so now it’s about me learning to trust that fact so eventually, I can get away from counting daily. Right now, I’m still figuring out what will work long-term. But bottom line – the focus on whole, real, unprocessed nutritious eats is where I focus my time, and it’s very tasty indeed.
Jess recently posted..A return to badass status: interval-style!
I do best when I do a combination of both. I counted calories for so many years that I know about how many calories are in everything that I eat. If I am traveling or during the holidays, I calorie count.
Calee (@chimes) recently posted..Humpday Blog Love: Better with Veggies + Chobani Giveaway
I love intuitive eating. And its my cup of tea. But only works when you are eat healthy & clean already. Because eating unhealthy and then trying to be intuitive doesn’t work – as ‘junk’ food – aka sugar – works with an addicting behavior. So you will just crave more junk. And then intuitive eating doesn’t work.
I use intuitive eating a lot with working out. My body know what it needs to refuel. It says spinach – spinach it is. Turkey – turkey it is. And I usually end up making really delicious combinations via intuition.
Christine @ Oatmeal Bowl recently posted..Have Recipe, Will Pin: Recipes that Must Be Made
I always *wish* that I could be a calorie counter– I know it’s a great way to really lose a few (or a lot of) pounds. But whenever I try, I always give up after a day or two– my brain just isn’t good at tracking things in that way! Oh well
Anna @ On Anna’s Plate recently posted..Figuring Things Out?
GREAT post!!! I agree that a mix of the two, and a particular focus on eating real foods from the earth rather than processed, packaged items, is best. It’s ideal to simply “know your body” and feed it what and when it wants, but food tracking and calorie counting is useful to do every so often to check in, so you become aware of how much you are actually eating.
Meredith @ DareYouTo recently posted..WIAW: Healthy fats and Frozen treats
Awesome post! I would probably prefer to go with intuitive eating, but I definitely know that I need to be more in-tune with my hunger. I’ve done calorie counting and find that I just become way too obsessive!
Lindsay @ In Sweetness and In Health recently posted..Exercise Comparisons
I love the idea behind intuitive eating and have been doing it for years, but going on that alone actually made me fall below healthy BMI! So right now I’m calorie counting to make sure I get what I need. Turns out that my apetite is just small and eating on intuition alone leads to me not getting enough calories! I hope to be able to go back to intuitive eating once I’ve reached my healthy weight.
Lauren @ Lawfully Wedded Wife recently posted..Beginner’s Fitness: Workout Fuel
I could go on and on and on but intuitive or mindful eating changed my entire life.
Miz recently posted..Seeing the world through the Tornado’s eyes.
I generally roll with intuitive eating. As long as I’m eating well, I realize the calories are irrelevant. However, sometimes my intuition gets twisted by stress, so I can go overboard. It’s then when calorie counting comes in handy until I get more in tune again.
I cannot for the life of me get into calorie counting. I failed at Weight Watchers too because of the points system.
I’ve learned recently to really pay attention to bodily queues, eat whole/un-processed foods, and not over-indulge in the junk and it’s already making a difference!
Samantha recently posted..Food, Food, and More Food
Wow, interesting to hear all the reader feedback on calorie counting vs. intuitive eating. I haven’t calorie counted in a while but it definitely focuses my attention and helps me lose weight. I think intuitive eating can work well once you are already in a healthy eating groove. Keeping a food diary could be a good compromise middle path for being aware of what you eat without becoming obsessive or feeling so restricted. People tend to eat significantly less just from the act of keeping a food diary.
Mary@FitandFed recently posted..Chocolate Orange Jalapeno Sorbet
Nicole, I’m seriously grappling with this issue at the moment and have started on an intuitive eating regime, but… it’s scary as I have a fair bit more weight to lose and don’t exactly trust myself yet.
So… jury’s still out for me!
Deb
Deb recently posted..“How’s life?”
I guess intuitive eating suites me because I don’t have the luxury of time to read through the calorie contents and all. What works better for you? Thanks for plotting the pros & cons. Really informative.
-Priscilla
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