There’s a lot of confusing messaging when it comes to health, nutrition, andweight loss.
As a thirtysomething woman, I really wondered if the wellness industry was trying to tell me something.
Yes, I have a literal armoire.
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Who needs a list of libido boosters anyway?)
When you think of calories, think of them like that: as energy.
The stuff that keeps you going.
Calories come from three main macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and fats.
Everything you eat is somecombination of macronutrients(except maybe mushrooms…and whatever Gwyneth Paltrow lives on).
The macronutrients all have very different chemical structures and complex sets of jobs in your body.
Let’s take a look at each one.
Remember eating Cocoa Pebbles before big exams?
Fine, maybe that was just me, but it actually was based on sound science.
If youre active, carbs are a great source of energy.
Really, when was the last time someone sold their possessions for a cronut?
So enjoy carbohydrates in the right amount for your activity level.
An extreme lowfat diet can impede any one of these.
Like carbohydrates, protein has 4 calories per gram.
Yes, but your body can also convert protein and fat into sugar.
When needed, there are pathways for each calorie source to be converted to a usable form of fuel.
Busting a related myth, you do not convert fat into muscle when you lose weight.
Theres no morality with food or calories.
Moderation, but get the veggies first!
A lot of that comes down to personal preference.
Nobody is great at tracking caloriesnot even registered dietitiansbecause we all tend toincorrectly estimate our intake.
So how do we manage this?
Find what works for you.
For every story likeSupersize Me, theres a guy wholoses 56 pounds eating nothing but McDonald’swhile meticulously counting calories.
Truly, the best diet plan is one that you could stick to.
But that’s another story.)
Fruits and vegetables are mainly carbohydrate, fiber, and water.
Lentils are protein and carbs.
Meats are protein and fat.
And processed foods, well, read the labels and find out.
But theres nothing intrinsically wrong with any of them, not even candy.
Theyre all just combinations of calories.
If you want to enjoy something thats a dense source of calories, enjoy it.
If youre trying to lose or maintain your weight, just keep track of it.
And never let an online list tell you that there are caloriesor anythingthat youre too old to enjoy.
You might also like: 5 Signs You’re Not Eating Enough Calories
