Here is something to really think about. Is calorie counting just a waste of time or is it a useful means of weight management?
Obviously calories are not a completely useless measurement, they give us a rough idea of how much food we require each day and going into a surplus will eventually lead to weight gain.
However, many of the foods that we eat today are highly concentrated forms of energy. Many foods are easy to over consume in their processed state and make it easier for us to consume more food and calories than our body requires.
If we go back to basics and consume a diet high in vegetables, lean animal or vegetable proteins, healthy fats, and whole food carbohydrates, we are usually consuming a bulkier diet that helps to fill us up and regulate our hunger and satiety mechanisms better.
Breakfast cereals, bread products, snack bars, crisps, biscuits, cakes, confectionery, processed pizzas and ready meals are often lower in fibre, lower in protein and richer in simple carbohydrates, sugars and fats. Not only do they drive cravings, but they can encourage a higher calorie intake in one sitting.
Some restaurant meals have an incredibly high calorie intake per plate. From my experience, when I develop a recipe at home and work out the calorie contents per serving, they very rarely come out above 500-600 kcal per serve. However, some restaurant meals show meals in excess of 1000 cal per serving, before we have had any starters, drinks, or tempting desserts.
I think my point here is that when we go back to nature and eat natural foods, cook from scratch and eat sufficient fibre, our hunger and satiety mechanisms tend to work better making it harder to overeat.
So if your were to consume a diet rich in processed food (remember the average UK adult receive 60% of the calories from processed and ultra processed foods) then calorie counting might be more beneficial to help mitigate over consumption.
If we eat a natural diet, this requirement becomes far less useful and can even be detrimental to our overall well-being and mental health, as well as wasting an awful lot of head space. Just a thought.
Dominique Ludwig is an accomplished Nutritionist with over 30 years’ experience as a qualified nutritionist and almost 20 years as a nutritional therapist. The secret weapon of many high-profile clients and A-list celebrities, Dominique has been voted one of the top 15 nutritionists in the UK. Dominique has won 3 Nutrition Awards and is the founder of the Nutrition and Lifestyle Programme Renew Reset Recharge®. This is a pioneering nutrition, weight management and lifestyle programme all rolled into one.
Working out of her busy practice, Dominique Ludwig Nutrition and Meyer Clinic, she has helped well over a thousand clients, globally, live healthier lives. She is a regular contributor to The Times, The Sunday Times and Times 2.
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DISCLAIMER: Videos published by Dominique Ludwig are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. Always seek the advice of your GP or another qualified healthcare provider for any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise or other health-related programme.