A few months ago, I wrote a blogpost about the calories in vs calories out myth where I outlined the drawbacks of that theory as well as the risks of calorie restriction. Head HERE to read that!
But a natural follow up question is HOW. In this previous blogpost I talked about why you don’t need to track, but what if you already have or are? How do you stop doing it? Because that’s a different question entirely. It’s HARD to stop, and you probably already know that. In fact, most people who have or are tracking wish they’d never started in the first place. It’s disconnecting and makes you second-guess your own natural and healthy inclinations with food. That can be hard to rebuild, but take it from me… it’s not impossible! I’ve done it, and I’ve helped lots of other people do it too. You can learn how to not rely on external measurements and connect back with your body.
Here are 4 things to help you:
Reframe calories to be a positive thing
It will help to reframe calories (or grams, points, etc) as a positive thing, because they are. Your body needs energy from food. That energy comes in the form of calories and macronutrients. That’s how your brain and your body get fed, fueled, and nourished. Low calorie = low energy and low nutrition. That’s a good positive reframe because you’ve been led to believe that low calorie is healthy, but it’s not. You’ve been taught that a certain macronutrient distribution is healthy, but there’s much more to it than that. You’ve been taught that you need to keep your grams or points in a certain range, but nutrition isn’t so black and white.
Counting and tracking won’t just go away on it’s own – you need to intentionally challenge and reframe the way you are currently thinking about what you are tracking so you don’t fear it and it has less power over you. In fact, you could even think of something exciting you are going to do because you have the energy to do it – using your brain on a project, playing a game with your family or friends, engaging in some physical activity you love, etc.
Go out of your way to avoid seeing nutrition labels.
You may feel like it’s irresponsible not to check labels or menus for nutrition facts. But if you are struggling with food, it’s irresponsible to put your focus back on numbers which only keeps you stuck in disordered eating. Cut out the labels on packages when you get them home, have someone else read you the menu, develop the resolve to not flip the package over or pull up an app to tell you, cover the calorie counters on gym equipment, etc.
While this may feel time intensive, it’s actually just a different way to spend your time. It’s highly likely that you are expending a lot of time and energy tracking your food, and now you’ll just make it work in a different direction that helps you quit tracking. In the long-run, it will save you time when you are no longer preoccupied with numbers and can eat freely and without obsession.
If you do feel the urge to track or count, take it as an opportunity to connect with your body.
It’s quite possible that you need a reminder to pause and check-in, so if the urge to track is coming often, USE IT. Let it remind you to connect with your body instead of trying to control your food. Do a body scan and identify what your body is communicating to you. Are you hungry? Neutral? Full? Do you need to take some deep breaths and relax? Need to get to bed? Need to identify and feel your feelings? Needing some connection?
In particular, if you are trying to make a food decision and feeling the urge to track or count, switch to what would FEEL best. Would what you are about to eat leave you feeling well fueled and satisfied? Are you going to be able to eat and move on with life without feeling preoccupied with food? Allow yourself to use satisfaction and feeling good to be the primary data you use for making food decisions rather than calorie counts or the like.
Delete your calorie counting apps
I hope it goes without saying, but you need to delete the calorie counting app and throw away your macro meal plan. I’m actually a big fan of a just-do-it-mentality… it’s my personality. But I know there’s wisdom in this – make a decision you feel good about and commit to it. If you have chosen to practice Intuitive Eating, commit! Throw yourself into it. I know I don’t like how it feels to do things halfway, and it doesn’t really get you anywhere. If you want to be an Intuitive Eater, do what Intuitive Eaters do. They don’t track, they don’t count – they listen to and respect their bodies.