Rediscovering Body Trust Beyond Calorie Counting Apps & Protocols

Your body is not a scientific equation... so why do you treat it like one?

Calorie and Macro Counting Apps are all the rage in the health and weight loss industry. If you want to lose weight, you NEED to be tracking your calories in some way, shape or form. Otherwise, you just won't see results […or so they tell you.]

When I was studying for my Nutrition Coaching Certification, tracking macros was the gold standard. The vibe was: if your client didn't want to track, then they didn't care about their body enough and you (both coach + client) were in for an uphill battle.

Through my own experience of tracking macros [with a coach who I paid to tell me what my weekly macros should be] I quickly realized how much brain capacity went to figuring out my macros every single day. I was never able to hit my macro ratios perfect, or anywhere near perfect. This lead to me obsessing over numbers, making weird food combos so it would 'fit my macros' most often lacking in enough tasty fat...which lead to me feeling frustrated and dreading meal time.

Each day, I had to weigh myself and record it. Then, depending on how much lbs I'd lost (or not lost, or gained) over the week, dictated my macros for the coming week. Essentially, my weight loss/or lack of, determined my calories... (side note: no wonder I was ALWAYS hungry!)

Looking back, I can see how I was always in my head and completely disconnected from my body. I had no idea what my body was telling me. I was a pro at ignoring my hunger/satiated cues, and literally trusted a set of numbers to tell me how much food I had permission to eat (instead of allowing my body to.)

All the while, I was living under an illusion that I could control my body/my weight. The best lesson I've learned is that I 100% can't. Mother Nature always wins (and thank GOODNESS for her!)

I was miserable, exhausted but losing my period was my final straw. It was from that moment, when I realized I was the furthest from real health I’d ever been. After a year of diligent tracking, I graciously gave it completely up. Giving it up meant that I was able to gain so much freedom back.

Freedom in my mind.

Freedom in my body.

Freedom in my workouts.

Freedom in my relationships.

It's wild to recognize how connected our bodies are to everything. I am now on a mission to help others realize that you always have a choice and that tracking doesn't have to be the 'gold standard' if it doesn't' work for you. The bridge from counting/tracking to food freedom is not an easy one to cross, but keep reading to learn how it's [most definitely] possible.

To be blunt: calorie counting is a glorified attempt to restrict calories and manipulate the body for fat loss.

But deeper than that, counting calories is really just the diet industry's attempt to dish you a false sense of control that doesn't exist (but which you're hardwired to crave.)

And deeper than that, using an App to track your calories/macros is really just an illusion which you grip onto, making you *think* you can control your body...

When you can't [sustainably.]

And the icing on the cake - calorie/macro/point counting protocols exclude one vital element to our existence:

Human emotion.

Your body is one smart mechanism. It's hardwired for your safety and survival.

If I've learned anything in my last 15 years experimenting, researching and learning about nutrition, is that you don't need to fight against your body, you need to learn to work with it.

Counting calories/macros/points [or insert whatever diet plan you're trying] ISN'T working for you if you need to keep coming back to it, or you want to "try it again" next month when you have more willpower...

In fact, calorie counting does the opposite of what you're trying to achieve, because all of a sudden, eating becomes a math equation. It removes the joy from food. And it overcomplicates your nutrition game which leads to frustration, burn out and takes a mental toll.

How to simplify?

Let your body be YOUR guide.

Stop blaming food. Food is not inherently the problem.

Your thoughts and feelings (aka the stories we tell ourselves) lead to your actions around and toward food. If it's negative, then here lies the ACTUAL problem.

Shift your mindset from restrictive to inclusive and watch the magic unfold. This is how you get out of your head and into your body.

Here's to un-dieting so you can [re]learn how to listen to your body, understand the power of the your mind, and fuel yourself in a way that supports YOU and your needs.

Curious to learn how to ditch counting calories for body & food freedom? Email “food freedom” at hello@afterglowlifestyle.com and I’ll personally send you more info - as always, no strings attached!