Have you ever felt like you needed to count your calories?

If so, you’re not alone.  We talk to people all the time who feel compelled to track and count calories.  And this was us before our REAL FOOD journey.

We really didn’t know exactly how many calories we should be eating.  Some people said 3,500 per day is OK.  Yet every food we picked up had a nutritional label that said, “2,000 calories a day is used for general nutritional advice.”   This is still on the Nutritional Facts labels by the way.  Then, we constantly heard the experts say, “it’s all about calories in and calories out.  As long as the calories you take in are less than the calories you burn, you can lose weight – it doesn’t matter what you eat.”

We bought into this advice for years.  We counted calories.  And we hit the gym.  If we burn more calories, we should lose weight and get healthier, right?!  At least for us, this didn’t work.  We made no distinction between the foods we were eating.  After all, we heard the drumbeat of “a calorie is a calorie.”  A Wendy’s cheeseburger?  Perfectly fine, as long as we get our workout in and stay within our calorie range.  A bag of Doritos for an afternoon pick-me up?  That’s only 150 calories – no problem!

FINDING FREEDOM

As we progressed on our REAL FOOD journey, we discovered that calories really DO MATTER.  The funny thing is we started to discover that we really didn’t need to focus on the number of calories we were eating.  As long as we were eating mostly REAL FOOD, including a lot of vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds, we could eat until we were full and naturally achieve the right balance of “calories in, calories out.”  NO MORE COUNTING!  Talk about freedom!

Believe it or not, we actually found ourselves eating more food.  My husband, Scott, likes to tell people, “I eat way more food now than I did before.”  Of course, his meals had become focused on REAL food and incredibly veggie-forward – he was eating MUCH differently than he did before.

WHY IS THIS?

Nutrient dense, not calorie dense.  REAL FOODS are packed with nutrients and relatively low in calories compared to processed foods.  Take this simple example:

• 3 Oreos have about 160 calories
• Spinach (or arugula or spring mix) has less than 10 calories per cup.

To match the calories of 3 Oreos, you would need to eat more than 16 cups of greens!  This is because Oreos are calorie dense, with most of their calories coming from sugar and fat.  In contrast, spinach and other dark leafy greens are nutrient dense, providing vitamins, minerals, and fiber without significant calories.  This is why Dr. Joel Fuhrman says, “Greens are so nutrient-dense and low in calories that you can eat as much as you want without gaining weight.”

Of course, we know that no one would sit down to a meal of just 16 cups of greens!  And we do not recommend loading up on 16 cups of spinach at once – remember, it’s all about variety.  If you had a couple of cups of greens, some almonds, apple slices and a simple homemade balsamic vinaigrette, you would have a very nutrient dense meal that is obviously significantly healthier than the calorie dense cookies.  Even though they both have a similar number of calories.

Fills you up.  REAL FOODS are naturally high in fiber, which slows digestion, keeps blood sugar levels steady, and promotes a feeling of fullness.  This is why eating an apple leaves you feeling fuller for longer than drinking a glass of apple juice, even if both contain a similar number of calories.  The fiber is working to slow the absorption of sugar and help you feel satiated.  In our coaching tip about the Fed Up documentary, Dr. Mark Hyman says, “When you eat food with a lot of nutrients and fiber…it’s going to make you full before it will make you fat.”

In addition to fiber, REAL FOODS have a natural makeup of protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs.  This combination of macronutrients signals satiety hormones (reducing hunger), slows digestion, and curbs cravings.  This balance prevents the overconsumption often driven by ultra-processed foods, which are designed to put your appetite center into overdrive.

Natural fullness signals.  Your body is equipped with powerful appetite-regulating hormones like leptin (the “satiety hormone”) and ghrelin (the “hunger hormone”).  When you eat REAL FOODS, these hormones function properly, signaling when you’re full and should stop eating.  Processed foods, however, are engineered to override these signals.  High levels of sugar, salt, and fat in ultra-processed foods can trick your brain into craving more, even when your body doesn’t need more calories.  Now you know the real meaning behind the slogan, “betcha can’t eat just one.”

Volume matters.  Because REAL FOODS have a higher water and fiber content, they are naturally lower in calories while taking up more space in your stomach.  Think about how you would feel after eating those 16 cups of spinach vs. the 3 Oreos.  You probably wouldn’t even be able to finish the 16 cups of dark leafy greens.  The Oreos, on the other hand, would probably find you seeking out another snack soon after.  Take another example…a small bag of Doritos has 150 calories, the same amount as about five cups of air-popped popcorn.  The popcorn provides more volume, helping you feel full and less likely to grab another snack later.

Dr. B says…

All of this is part of why Dr. Will Bulsiewicz (“Dr. B”) says you can eat WITHOUT RESTRICTION in his book Fiber Fueled.  Here is an excerpt from the book:

Let me make this incredibly simple:  When you reach for whole plant foods, you can eat WITHOUT RESTRICTION.  No exaggeration, you have my green light to eat as much as you want.  I’m going to say it again.  Eat as much as you want.  You’ll still lose weight and get all the health benefits. 

Here’s why this works.  Thank the fiber and resistant starch.  Whole plant foods are by definition high nutrient, low calorie.  There is the requirement to actually chew them; you can’t just inhale them.  We know that chewing takes time.  When we eat a salad, it takes longer than eating a hot dog.  Fiber and resistant starches produce SCFAs (short chain fatty acids) that trigger the release of satiety hormones.  By taking our time to chew fiber-rich food, we are allowing our body to use its natural mechanisms to tell us when we’ve had enough.  No need to count calories.  Mother Nature is counting them for you.  You’ll feel full and satisfied, and know that it’s been enough.  And it will be a meal jam-packed with nutrients and fiber.    

HOW MANY CALORIES?

There is no “one size fits all” answer to this question.  Everyone will have their own optimal calorie need based on factors such as your height and weight, your activity level, your metabolism and makeup of your gut microbiome, among other factors.  I can safely say that Scott eats more calories than I do.  But this isn’t based on some calculation we have done.   We simply eat until we are comfortably full and know that we are naturally consuming what we need to give our bodies the energy we need and to function at our best.

GLP-1 TO THE RESCUE?

Obviously, there is a lot of buzz right now about medications like Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy, Trulicity and Zepbound.  Through a variety of mechanisms, these medications help promote a feeling of fullness, aiding in weight loss.  You may be wondering how these medications differ from just eating a wide variety of REAL FOOD.  If you are interested, Zonya is doing a 4-part livestream program from January 23 through March 13th, 2025.  To learn more, check out this link and use the code BEYOND15 to get a 15% discount when you sign up (this offer expires January 22, 2025).

One more BIG DISCOVERY we have had on this REAL food journey is that this is all about finding health, not just losing weight.  When you eat a variety of REAL FOODS, your body’s natural hunger and fullness signals will guide you. You’ll feel satisfied, energized, and nourished without needing to count every calorie.  And you can enjoy the FREEDOM that comes from being able to enjoy the abundance of REAL FOOD without feeling stressed about how many calories you are consuming.  When you embrace this, it’s like magic!

Has this calorie counting madness ever been a challenge for you?  

Has changing to REAL food made a difference for you?  Please share with us!