The most amazing part of the calorie-restricted diet is that you can keep eating all the foods you love and not feel guilty about it. It attracts so many people because we all have our weaknesses and we like to get rewards when we need them. Some foods are just really comforting and can give us a needed boost in happiness in seconds.

I had a bad day at work – here you go, grab a doughnut to help you deal with the pain. I’ve been going to the gym every day for a week – here you go, order your favourite pizza. I split up with my boyfriend – here you go, have some ice cream and cookies! Just don’t eat too much of it as you have to stay in your daily calorie range. It all sounds really appealing. If we work hard in the gym, we feel like we earned a doughnut or a piece of cake, because what happens when you do a great job – you get rewarded. It becomes like a game. Ups, I ate too much today, I’ll better spend an extra half an hour on the treadmill! Or eat less tomorrow!

Summary

You don’t have to think twice before putting something in your mouth, which creates a stress-free environment.

So is lowering calories enough, does it really work? Can I eat what I want?

If we eat everything we want but consume fewer calories than we take in, we should be able to lose weight. That’s what the food industry, nutritionists, doctors, personal trainers and everyone else is telling us. But is that always the case? Many of us have asked this question at least once, can I eat whatever I want and still lose weight if I expend more calories than I take in through the diet? Can you really eat junk food and lose weight? Or at least not gain any. That’s the question of the century.

When it comes to weight loss, there are two types of people. Some can lose weight easily by lowering their calories and eating whatever they want, and some people are not responsive to this method and need to lower their carbs and get rid of the junk instead. It all depends on your Glucose Metabolism. You see, some of us are insulin resistant and some are not. If you’re overweight or obese like 60% of the population in the UK and USA, you are most likely insulin resistant. The more insulin resistant you are, the more lowering the calories and eating whatever you want won’t work for you.

It sounds like a fairytale to eat what you love and lose weight at the same time, but saying NO to certain foods can tremendously improve your weight loss results and your health. You see, even people who manage to eat whatever they want and lose weight by lowering their calories don’t manage to maintain it.

Lowering calories helps you to achieve temporary weight loss. As you go for an easy option, not creating a lifestyle change and improving the quality of your diet, it results in your body pushing you to bring the caloric intake and your weight back to where it was before. Eating less and exercising more, without making a long-term lifestyle change is unsustainable. It makes you eat more and regain what you’ve lost in the long term.

So while we’re all obsessed about lowering calories, we have clear evidence that by doing so 95% of people fail and regain all the lost weight back within 1 to 5 years (if not sooner).

1. Con of counting calories and eating what you want – Not fixing your unhealthy lifestyle makes you regain weight in the long-term

Just look back at all of your weight loss attempts until now. Most people had many of these and they still keep counting their calories and not looking at the bigger picture. Focusing on the number of calories rather than the quality of the foods we eat, we end up failing each time. Being in a caloric deficit (even the slightest) results in increased hunger and cravings. This then leads to binge eating until you regain the weight back. Then you start all over again.

Some people keep insisting and repeating this their whole lives and still disagree to admit that that doesn’t work. And I don’t blame them. As I mentioned earlier, it’s in our biology. We go with what’s easy, we go with the flow. The flow brings us to unhealthy food choices as bad food is way more abundant and way more satisfying to eat. We seek instant pleasure, the next sugar spike, rather than making a lifestyle change. It just requires too much effort to change your diet. Until we address the root cause of our weight gain, we can’t lose weight permanently.

Summary

Endless dieting is a result of calorie focused thinking. Lowering your calories without correcting the diet does not address the root cause of your weight gain. If you don’t address the root cause – you only get short term weight loss results.

2. Con of counting calories and eating what you want – Lowering your calories and not fixing your diet will cost you an endless amount of money

I don’t want to upset you but eating whatever you want sounds too good to be true. Eat what you want and still lose weight won’t bring you anywhere. It’s a trap. This health claim was created by the weight loss gurus to rip off people. Just think about how profitable is this business model. People are desperate about losing weight. They struggle, they don’t feel good about themselves, they very often miss out on activities and opportunities in life because they don’t feel confident enough.

Some companies take advantage of vulnerable people and give them the wrong solution. The solution that won’t last for long. People are told to focus only on lowering their calories which will not give them permanent weight loss results. Then they have to keep coming back and pay money for weight loss programs and products for the rest of their lives as they regain it all over again and need to start at square one.

Let’s look at the most popular weight loss programs in the world, Weight Watchers, Slimming World, Herbalife, Slimfast just to name a few. What do they all have in common? Well, they all promote calorie focused thinking. They tell you that count calories and still lose weight, even if you eat only gummy bears. Because that’s what people want – a hustle free life. Tell people – let’s change your lifestyle and they will all run away! That’s the truth. What else do these programs have in common? All people who lose weight using them regain it back! And that’s not advertised anywhere.

Summary

Bad weight loss advice is driven by money.

 The promise, that we can eat everything in moderation, even if it’s total junk, and still lose weight…

Imagine sitting on the couch, eating a large slice of your favorite pizza, having a big mac on the side, drinking diet coke, having tons of munchies in front of the TV, and losing weight at the same time. That’s the weight loss advice that they sell. We’ve been told many times that only calories matter and that we can eat everything in moderation. Even if it’s total junk. We justified that by saying that everything is ok in moderation and that there is no bad food.

Even people who we would assume are well-educated and knowledgeable in the health and weight loss field such as dietitians, nutritionists, health coaches, and personal trainers, very often tell you that you can eat whatever you want and still lose weight. And you listen to them, you go and try it. If everyone says and does that, it must be right. You keep rewarding yourself, having all those delicious innocent treats, have cheat meals or cheat days here and there, until you lose boundaries and your whole diet turns into a big cheat life.

The truth about eating everything in moderation and focusing on calories for weight loss

When it comes to moderation in food, it is critical to be aware of the distinction between fake, ultra-processed, chemical-rich, nutrient-poor “non-food”, and real food as it is found in its natural form. The two are very separate things. The first shouldn’t be called food at all as it does not even meet the definition of food. Food is supposed to nourish your body, provide you with nutrients – junk food does not nourish your body. When people talk about “everything in moderation”, it just gives them a handy excuse to justify their choices to eat junk food instead of real food. However, eating non-food in moderation is a real health hazard.

Who would want to eat moderate amounts of sugar, trans-fats, refined grains, preservatives, colours, flavours, MSG, aspartame, GMO soy, wheat and corn, deep-fried junk food, high fructose corn syrup, hormone and antibiotic laden meat, dairy products that contain pus from infected animals, and eggs from battery hens? Eat what you want, don’t worry about anything else.

Mix all that with a bit of fresh fruit and vegetables and you have moderation, right? Wrong. You have a chronic illness, malnutrition, and toxicity. Ultra-processed foods will speed up aging, reduce your lifespan, increase your risk of cancer, dementia, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, you name it. And it is well hidden from us as they don’t want to put off their customers. Well, you might be thinking – “it’s not relevant for me, I’m young, I’m an exception, I will not get any of these conditions”. All of us think this, and then most of us still get it.

The food industry dictates food trends, fund nutritional studies, and create dietary guidelines. You think eating 7 to 11 servings of grains, as recommended by the dietary guidelines, has something to do with health or staying in a healthy weight range? These recommendations are based on nothing else than the influence of crop growers paying money to the government. And in fact, these guidelines are making us fat and sick. Eat what you want and count calories to lose weight advice helps to grow profits for these businesses, nothing more…

The take-home message – can I eat what I want, count calories, and still lose weight – NO, get healthy instead

I encourage you to take action now, start to make a lifetime change instead of counting calories. The answer to the question – count calories and still lose weight is NO. Eat real foods, focus on getting nutrients into your diet, say no to junk food and you will thank yourself later. Take control over your health now and start eliminating these toxic substances from your diet.

So next time you hear other nutritionists and health coaches saying “everything in moderation”, “only calories matter”, “eat what you want”, “eat what you want and count calories”, know that it is merely an excuse that demonstrates a lack of awareness about what real food is and how what you eat can play a tremendous role in the quality of your life and your health. Health is about nourishing your body, being active, being surrounded by good people, having a positive mindset. Health is not about eating everything in moderation, and counting calories.

How do you lose weight then?

You can watch my YouTube video, How To Lose Belly Fat Without Counting Calories or Exercising – 5 WEIGHT LOSS TIPS that WORK! where I talk about how our hormones affect weight loss.

Also, read my article on How to start a keto diet!

https://advanced-nutrition-and-health.com/keto-diet-plan/