Calorie-Counting: A Disordered Behaviour
Calorie-counting has become so normalised that it may seem like a harmless or even helpful way to manage your health. But for many people calorie-counting is far from neutral. It can actually be a symptom of an eating disorder, maintaining preoccupation with food and body size whilst fuelling anxiety about what you eat.
Let’s talk about the problems with calorie-counting, and how to let go of this unhelpful behaviour.
Calorie-Counting: An Eating Disorder Behaviour in Disguise
Often people first begin calorie-counting as a way to feel more “in control” of their eating. However, this behaviour can quickly spiral into something obsessive, leading to rigid food rules, anxiety around meals, and an unhealthy relationship with food. Calorie-counting becomes an eating disorder behaviour when it’s used to restrict or control food intake in a way that compromises physical and mental health.
Instead of listening to your body’s needs, calorie-counting encourages you to rely on numbers, treating food as something to be calculated and managed rather than enjoyed. This fixation on numbers can turn meals into a source of stress and make you feel guilty for eating more than a pre-set amount.
Why Calorie-Counting Doesn’t Work
Despite its popularity, calorie-counting doesn’t lead to long-term health or weight management. Here’s why:
It’s Inaccurate: The calorie counts on food labels aren’t always correct, and even if they were, your body doesn’t process food in a simple, predictable way. Factors like digestion, metabolism, and genetics all affect how many calories your body actually absorbs.
It Ignores Your Body’s Set Point: Your body will fight to maintain or return to a weight that it is biologically most comfortable for it. With calorie-counting, the majority of people experience short-term weight loss following by long-term weight regain, as the body activates mechanisms to return to where it feels comfortable.
It Ignores Nutritional Quality: Not all calories are created equal. A diet focused on counting calories often prioritises low-calorie foods, which might leave out important nutrients. Just because something is low in calories doesn’t mean it’s nourishing for your body.
It Fuels Disordered Eating: When your focus is on the number of calories rather than the joy of eating or how food makes you feel, you miss out on building a healthy relationship with food. This can maintain unhealthy dieting cycles and cause preoccupation with food, weight, and body image.
How Calorie-Counting Keeps You Stuck in Fad Dieting
Calorie-counting feeds into the idea that food is something to be controlled, which is a cornerstone of fad dieting. When you’re counting calories, it’s easy to fall into patterns of restricting certain foods or eating below your body’s needs, which then fuels binge eating or overeating later on. This cycle keeps you stuck in a dieting mindset. It keeps you disconnected from your body’s needs, reinforcing the false idea that you can only trust numbers, not your own hunger and fullness cues.
Tips for Stopping Calorie-Counting
If you’ve been relying on calorie-counting as a way to control your eating, breaking free from it can feel scary. Here are some steps to help you stop:
Ditch the Apps and Tools: Delete any calorie-counting apps or websites that encourage you to track your intake. The more you distance yourself from these tools, the easier it becomes to shift your focus away from numbers.
Work with a Professional: Breaking free from calorie-counting can be tough to do on your own, especially if it’s tied to disordered eating patterns. Working with a therapist or dietitian who specialises in eating disorder recovery can provide you with the tools and support you need.
Challenge Food Rules: If you have certain “rules” about how many calories you can eat or when you’re allowed to eat certain foods, start challenging those rules. Ask yourself whether they’re really serving your health or just keeping you stuck in a dieting mindset.
Prioritise Balance Over Numbers: Instead of focusing on calorie totals, shift your attention to creating balanced meals that include protein, fats, and carbs - plus the inclusion of fun foods!. Think about how food makes you feel - energised, satisfied, and nourished - rather than how many calories it contains.
Letting Go of the Numbers
Stepping away from calorie-counting can be one of the most freeing things you do to improve your relationship with food. It allows you to reconnect with your body, enjoy food without guilt, and move toward a more balanced, intuitive way of eating. Whilst it might feel scary at first, know that this shift is essential for true recovery and for living a life that’s no longer ruled by numbers.