Not All Calories Are Treated Equal
“You just have to be at a calorie deficit to lose weight.”
We’ve heard this statement time and time again and although being in a calorie deficit does help to lose weight, the type of calories you are taking in are what TRULY matters!
Recently I had a friend of mine say “Why can’t I just limit myself to 1400 calories a day but eat whatever I want as long as I stay in those 1400 calories?” While this could be an approach some people take, it is not my recommended approach. Not all calories are the same. There are many food items that have a higher caloric count but are a much healthier option for you and conversely, there are many low calorie foods that provide you no real nutritional benefit.
Let’s take a second to look at what a 1400 calorie day could look like:
Example 1:
1400 Calories
Breakfast: Broccoli and Cheese Omelet (2 eggs and 2 egg whites) ~407 calories
Snack: Medium Apple (95 calories)
Lunch: Taco Zucchini Boat (~390 calories)
Snack: 1 cup of raspberries (64 calories)
Dinner: Top Sirloin Steak, quinoa, and green beans (~383 Calories)
Dessert: Greek yogurt (90 calories)
Total: 1,429 calories
Example 2:
1400 calories
Breakfast: 1 Chocolate Donut ~313 calories
Snack: Apple (95 calories)
Lunch: 6” Turkey sandwich with Doritos and coke (702 calories)
Dinner: 1 slice of pepperoni pizza (300 calories)
Total Calories: 1410
Right off the bat, in example 1, you can see that you are getting to eat a lot more food. Example 2 does have slightly less calories then the first example but the first example yields you far more nutrients which is in turn going to keep you feeling satisfied longer but also your body will not go through the sugar crashes. The food options in example 2 do not provide you with as much nutrients (vitamins, minerals) as the options in example 2. Also the foods in example 2 are more processed. Processed foods are much higher in sugar (nutritional poison) and are hard on our digestive system.
At the end of the day, you want to choose foods that align with your wellness goals. For the most part, we all want to feel healthy, strong and lower our risk for illness and disease. Decreasing the amount of processed foods and replacing it with natural, whole foods will not only get you the results you are looking for, but have you feeling AMAZING!
And NO, we aren’t on the counting calories band wagon. In fact, we don’t preach that at all! The examples are merely to show how you can be in a calorie deficit while eating a ton of healthy food that are going to fuel you throughout the day.
If you are interested in learning more about our nutritional approach, consider schedule a full consultation where we will dive deep in to YOUR needs and goals. YOU get to choose if we are the right fit! Learn more about our nutritional services on our nutrition coaching page. It’s time to make the SHIFT!
Written by: Jackie Giese, Fitness Nutrition Specialist
