Each month, we host a group coaching session within our Facebook Group and post the notes here for your reference. You can check out the video here.
This is something that I discuss with clients all the time and for some, it is really difficult to change their mindset around calories because they have focused on them for such a long time.
So I really want to talk about why you don’t always needing to be thinking about the lowest calorie options when eating or always aiming to have lower calories in your diet each day.
The diet industry has drilled it into us (women in particular) that we need to eat less, weigh less, be less in general. The concept of having to eat a 1200 calorie diet is just so far from reality for most people. We want to be eating so we can thrive each day, perform well in our everyday life or training and just generally feel great. You won’t feel like that if you are always hungry.
Here some reasons why you don’t always need to be choosing the lowest calorie option:
Higher calorie foods leave you feeling more satisfied
I want you to feel satisfied after you have eaten! There is nothing worse than having a meal and thinking that you could probably eat another whole meal afterwards. If you finish your meal and you are not feeling satisfied (the majority of the time), it is likely that you will end up eating more in the long run by either snacking later in the day or picking off your kids plates etc
Higher calorie doesn’t always equal less nutritious
I think this is a really important concept to understand – just because something is higher in calories doesn’t automatically make it any less nutritious. Take avocado or nuts for example. Both are very energy dense (high in calories) however they are really nutrient dense as well. They contain healthy fats as well as lots of micronutrients that are great for our health.
A really nice shift in perspective for people who struggle with thinking only about calories can be thinking about giving themselves more nutrition rather than focusing on more calories.
Focus on the foods you enjoy
I always encourage people to focus on eating things that they really enjoy or feel like eating at the time. Of course, considering nutrition is important but picking food solely based on calories is probably completely ignoring what you actually feel like most of the time.
For some people, an awareness and some education around calories can be great. But it can’t be the only thing that you focus on to improve your nutrition. There is so much more to food than just the calories in it.
I hope this has helped you to feel the same.
If you need help shifting your focus with nutrition, get in touch today and see how we can help you.