Eat Healthy without Counting Calories

I stopped counting calories years ago. The biggest reason for this positive change was years of restrictive dieting and food journaling that became stressful and burdensome. However, there is nothing wrong with counting macros or calories if that works for you. Walking away from calorie counting was important for me to improve my relationship with food.

 

Now I have a healthy relationship with food keeping it simple and nutritious. I don’t feel the need to track calories because I eat primarily plant-based foods loaded with nutrients and antioxidants. Listening to body cues of hunger and satiety also helps me eat slower and for enjoyment.

 

The food I eat keeps me strong, healthy, and feeling good and that’s what matters. When your food is nutritious and appropriate portion size, it promotes healthiness and ideal body weight.

 

 

I keep my refrigerator and pantry stocked with plenty of organic vegetables, fruits, yogurts, raw nuts, grains, and lean meats. Because I have food readily available, I graze throughout the day and eat small healthy meals every three hours. This keeps me satisfied and well-fueled for work and physical training.

 

Maintaining a healthy body is about living a quality life. This means being mindful of the quality of food consumed. There’s a big difference in choosing to eat a fast food meal compared to an organic chicken breast with mixed greens. Healthy food is nutrient-dense, has fewer calories, and provides health benefits. It even looks like you’re eating more when eating healthy because you are.

 

This is a great example of why I don’t bother counting calories. As long as I am eating lots of veggies, fruits, grains, and lean protein, the need and stress behind counting calories are pointless. I eat for health and listen to the cues of my body that tell me to fuel up.

 

Applying a strategy when buying groceries is important. For example, I shop the perimeter of the store and avoid the center aisles full of processed foods. Most grocery store setups are the same, produce to the right or left, dairy to the back, and the meat counter on the opposite side.

 

Part of my food shopping means sticking to a grocery list. This allows me to stay on track and stay on budget. I also enjoy the local farmer’s markets and shop for organic produce as much as possible. The organics at Costco are pretty good as well.

 

My food intake is simple and healthy. Unfortunately, eating healthy gets a slam for being complicated. Contrarily, there is nothing complicated about eating vegetables and chicken breast. The problem is not with the food but how we feel about making changes to our lifestyle. Diet culture has done a great disservice to society making us feel bad for fulfilling a basic need in life – eating.

 

Eating an organic apple with peanut or almond butter is healthy food at its simple best. Not complicated at all and something we can all manage. Grilling or baking a chicken breast is another basic way to eat healthily. Nothing difficult in the process. Again, the issue is believing healthy eating is some sort of restrictive diet that is a burden and doesn’t taste good.

 

If we could get back to the basics of eating real food without stressing about it, getting healthy would be an easier process. This includes staying away from restrictive diets and simply enjoying wholesome foods.

 

Think about our ancestors, what they ate, and how the food was provided and prepared. They worked hard physically growing crops, and raising cattle and dairy from their land. It was freshly picked, cooked, and consumed throughout the day. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner as they should be.

 

I realize many of us don’t live on farms or even grow our food. However, I do try to eat as close to farm-to-fork as possible. What I do count is quality nutrients when it comes to my calories and that’s good enough for me.

 

As a personal trainer and coach for over 30 years, I share videos and posts specific to the importance of aging well through proper fitness and nutrition on my Instagram page. I look forward to having you as a follower.

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