Slight Weight Loss Success: My May Results From Calorie Counting
Since January, I’ve been focusing on my health, and my main goal was just to feel better. It took me a while to realize that feeling better doesn’t always mean losing weight. I guess I had this idea that if I started eating healthier, the pounds would just magically fall off. Spoiler alert: that didn’t happen, and I found myself feeling pretty frustrated! But then my amazing health coach helped me see things more clearly. I took a moment to recognize all the progress I’ve made!
For one, I really do feel better overall. My GI symptoms have improved so much, and I’m now actually using all the tools I’ve learned to keep track of my health. Plus, I’ve lost some inches, which feels like a huge win! Now that I’ve got those skills in my back pocket and I’m feeling good, I’m ready to switch gears and focus on losing a bit of weight.
Weight Loss - Next Steps
I meet with a dietitian monthly, and he gave me some really helpful tips! Since I'm not keen on getting caught up in calorie counting, we decided to start with some small changes. I usually have pretty big dinners, so the plan was to serve myself a little less—like a 1/4 cup less—or even try to leave a bit of food on my plate, which is tough for me since I have a habit of cleaning my plate!
That approach worked for a while, but then I encountered a little bump in the road during a family visit, which got me a bit upset. So, I thought it might be a good idea to try calorie counting after all. It’s all about finding what works best for me!
Calorie Counting
I had a great start for the first two and a half weeks and managed to lose 5 pounds—yay me! But then, life threw me some curveballs with family events, and I decided to enjoy the moments. It was surprising to see that all that hard work led to gaining those pounds back! I picked up a lot about calorie counting during that time, and even though I’m not counting calories anymore, it really helped me understand what I was eating. I’m excited to share that I've lost those 5 pounds again without the counting, and now I’m more mindful about my portion sizes and reading nutrition labels. It feels good to be more aware while still enjoying the food I love!
That being said, there’s nothing wrong with calorie counting. I’ve learned a lot from calorie counting, and here are my pros and cons of calorie counting.
Pros of Calorie Counting
Helps you understand how much you’re eating.
Teaches portion sizes and the calorie density of different foods.
Tracking can help you stay focused and mindful about your choices.
Highlights eating habits, triggers, and areas for improvement (e.g. high-calorie snacks, liquid calories).
Allows you to fit in a variety of foods as long as they fit your calorie budget — no food is "off-limits."
Cons of Calorie Counting
Logging every meal/snack can feel tedious and overwhelming.
Can lead to unhealthy fixation on numbers, disordered eating, or anxiety around food.
Labels and apps can have inaccuracies; estimating portions can be difficult.
You can hit calorie goals while still missing key nutrients or eating mostly processed foods.
Can interfere with social eating, celebrations, and intuitive eating.
Take Away
Do what makes you happy! I've found that MyFitnessPal can be really helpful for me. While I don’t count calories every single day, I do it when I need to because tracking helps me stay focused on those days when I feel triggered. As someone who tends to be an emotional eater, I try to be mindful of the food and drinks I consume.