In this post I will share my thoughts on intuitive eating vs calorie counting and how to go towards finding what suits you best. Which is better for efficient and healthy weight loss and weight management?
As you may have noticed I have a lot of weight loss meal plans on here and they all have caloric values added to them. There is a reason behind this and it is not to keep you counting calories for the rest of your life. It is to aid you in your weight loss journey, showing you how much food equals how much calories and nutrients.
On a nutrient dense meal plan you start to lose weight, learn about portion sizes, learn how to build a balanced meal and about nutritious ingredients. Over time you will be able to shift gradually to a more intuitive type of eating and keep losing or maintain your weight.
A healthy weight is not only about our outside appearance. Being overweight, whether it comes from vegan, junk or a standard or any diet is associated with increased risk of disease and all-cause mortality.
For many who come from a “normal” way of eating and want to lose weight while working on their health, adequate amounts and the right food choices are not obvious.
Why Calorie Counting Can Help and be a good starting point
Calorie counting offers structure and awareness. By knowing what you’re consuming, you can start to identify portion sizes and how much food your body actually needs. It can be a great tool to help you transition into healthier eating habits, especially if you’re retraining yourself to recognize hunger and fullness cues.
Also, calorie in versus calorie out is a thing. To lose weight we need to eat a little less than we actually need, but enough to keep our metabolism and systems running smoothly.
Counting calories works, it is just something most of us don’t want to be doing for the rest of your life. Tracking our weight loss journey, not only what we eat but also the feelings surrounding meals and foods provides us with great feedback so we can correct course if needed.
Weight loss does not always equals fat loss. Read HERE more about how to increase your metabolism and the importance of building muscle for women.
And yes, the goal is to not have to count calories. The goal is that we make healthy choices for the most of our meals and when we indulge we don’t beat ourselves up about it. But that is a learned skill for most, especially when overweight or coming from an eating disorder background.
Intuitive eating may sound like the ultimate solution. Eat what you want when you want it because your intuition says so while you reach your desired weight and health goals. Hmmm…
My thoughts on intuitive eating
Intuitive eating promotes a healthy attitude toward food and body image, on board with that. The idea is that while you follow your intuition you will learn to understand your body’s hunger and fullness signals and only eat when hungry and stop when full. We all need some of that in our lives.
There are some obvious limitations to this way of eating. Food choices do matter, not only for our weight but also very much for our health. No restrictions or guidelines leave the dieter in a challenging place.
Hunger and fullness cues and healthy food choices are not something that come naturally to most. If you try to eat intuitively your body will ask for the foods it is used to. Intuitive eating as a weight loss protocol is questionable.
Yes, there are people who succeed with this way of eating but keep in mind intuitive eating is not about losing weight although that is how it is often portrait. It is about your relationship with food. A great goal to work towards with basic food and nutrition knowledge in your pocket.
This way of eating is not for everyone and not for every fase of a weight loss journey. Someone who has emotional eating issues, is stressed, tired from work, sad or needs to lose weight is not going to crave and chose foods intuitively that support weight loss and health. It’s as simple as that.
Intuitive eating is for most people a skill that needs practice and knowledge. Calorie density, portion sizes, meal ideas etc are the basics you need to know otherwise your weight will be going up instead of down when eating everything you want. You just can’t eat chocolate cake all day and expect to lose weight. The same applies to “healthy” foods like avocado and nut butters, amounts matter.
Download HERE my FREE Guide ‘4 Reasons Why You Might Be Overeating’, to start figuring out why you eat more than you need.
This “free” way of eating can be successful for seasoned dieters or the few people who are at a healthy weight and already mostly eat what they want. They could switch to healthier choices to up their health game. Intuitive eating works better for maintenance. But even for this fase a balanced versatile meal plan can provide inspiration.
How to lose weight and keep it off
Many weight loss plans don’t pay attention to the amounts of micro nutrients needed to keep the body running and functioning optimally. You can lose weight eating rice cakes all day while depleting your body.
Kick starting a weight loss journey by following healthy balanced meal plan and implementing important lifestyle changes is a good way to start for long term benefits.
Mastering Eating Habits: The Middle Ground
True weight loss and health come from mastering eating habits—going beyond either method. Here’s how to approach it:
Recognize Hunger and Fullness: Calorie counting can help you learn portion sizes, but intuitive eating is the next step in trusting your body. Finding that balance takes practice.
Focus on Whole Foods: Eating plant-based, nutrient-dense foods is key to success. Processed foods will only derail your progress.
Build a Better Relationship with Food: It’s not just about restricting calories or listening to your body—it’s about making mindful choices that nourish your body.
If you want to learn to master your eating habits and stop eating more than you need … more food than you need, more junk than your body needs, more often than it’s good for you,
my new guide/workbook “Interrupt Your Overeating” might be just what you need!
Read HERE what it can do for you.
Conclusion,
finding the middle ground is for the most of us the challenge. Learning to master our eating habits and free ourselves from the stronghold that food and the action of eating has on us.
Food has become the therapy, the friend, the fun, the relaxation, the pass-time for many.
Yes, a whole foods plant based diet can be the way to achieve and maintain a healthy weight without counting. But even then, a basic knowledge of nutrients and meal compositions is needed.
Intuitive eating can be introduced slowly after the knowledge of calories and portion sizes comes naturally.
Intuitive eating in combination with mastering your eating habits and knowledge of food choices is the way to be free.
If you need a plan that will help you to find the middle ground, to break free from the stronghold of food, to start mastering your eating habits my new guide/workbook ‘Interrupt Overeating’ can be exactly what you need!
I hope you found this post on intuitive eating vs calorie counting interesting and now see why I support keeping track of calories when appropriate, but my goal is always the middle ground,
Tina x
