A Holistic Nutritionist/Fitness Coach's take on Calorie & Macro Counting

Understanding what macronutrients and micronutrients are is important knowledge to have because you want to have a sense of what foods fuel your body properly and how to incorporate them when you are creating your plate. But the idea of counting calories or macros isn’t necessary at all for living a healthy lifestyle. This is what I’ve gathered through my last decade working in this space.

Counting is not sustainable and often can lead to an unhealthy mindset and can cause you to feel guilty when you don’t hit your goal.
It does not account for what type of foods you are consuming which is a key component of a healthy diet.
It is also unrealistic for you to calculate everything you eat if your lifestyle includes going out to eat, traveling, having work-catered lunches, last-minute gatherings, etc.

Just like many of us, I've done my share of counting every bite of food that goes into my body and was in fear of whether or not I would meet my numbers daily. It was a miserable way to live and to be honest, I didn't feel healthy, both mentally and physically. When I started to reframe my mindset and unlearn what was taught to us by the media, I began to live the life I wanted. I am proud to say that I haven’t tracked my macros/calories or been on a diet since almost a decade ago. My social calendar is always full - I travel and try new cuisines, I love eating out, and I indulge in tasty treats when I want them - I enjoy my life with the knowledge of what is nourishing for my body and the freedom of stressing about what I can eat or not based on some numbers.

WHY I DON’T GIVE MEAL PLANS

The number one thing I get asked as a nutritionist and fitness coach is to create a meal plan that consists of calorie and/or macro counting. Here is the issue with that and why I try to stir clients away from it:

You can follow a generic diet plan but I doubt you will do it or want to do it forever. YOU ARE NOT EVERYONE. So for me to figure out what is good for your specific body type and lifestyle, it will take time and also your willingness to work on yourself.
Not all calories are equal. Your body processes food differently from another person's. A 100-calorie bag of broccoli has different nutrients than a 100-calorie bag of chips. Meal plans and diet plans (e.g. no carb, keto, paleo, low fat, Atkins, whole30) are restrictive and unrealistic. Macro and calorie counting does not take in the consideration of your daily hunger, activities, hormones, your lifestyle preference, etc.
I want you to enjoy what you are eating, especially when it comes to your own culture's food. I cannot quit eating Asian cuisines, so I make it my top priority to help clients find the healthiest way to fit their wants into their preferred lifestyle.

Clients that have worked with me now,

has the knowledge to pick out foods that are nourishing for their bodies
are skilled at creating a balanced meal without counting
are mindful when eating and able to listen to what it needs
easily shed weight off without having to track every little thing they do
enjoy life without being tied to a number that they need to hit daily

Remember this, you are here to live your best life so you should not be trying to fit your life into any meal plans. The only time I would recommend a structured plan is when you are training for an athletic event that would need it to optimize performance (e.g. F1 racers, MMA fighters, marathoners, or other professional athletes) or recovering from an illness. If you still insist on a structured meal plan, I highly recommend using it as a guideline or starting with the basics of learning what each macronutrient does for the body.

Apply for my 1-1 custom (w)holistic coaching program here to take control of your health :)

xo,

Maggie