The look of relief that washes over people's faces when I announce that they needn't continue counting calories is absolutely priceless!  Truly there is no reason for continuing this practice that has proven ineffective. However, despite my protests, I find that many of my clients and readers revert back to calorie counting, as if staying below some magic number will cause their weight to melt away!  If only it were that easy. But wait! It isn't easy at all; and it doesn't work! So, why are you still doing it?  Probably because it's been so deeply ingrained that you automatically check the little "Nutrition Facts" chart the second you lift the box of donuts off the shelf. (There's an oxymoron-Nutrition Facts on a box of donuts!) Personally, I do look at the little chart on the back of some boxes to check the salt content, and admittedly, since I have the box in my hand, I might as well look at the calorie content. I'm trying to stop, and you should too! I digress.  

 
I know you have heard that you should limit yourself to a certain number of calories per day if you wish to lose weight, but what number is that? 1200? Not enough? 2000? Perfect? 3000? Too much? How do you know? Really, how do you know?  Doing the math involved to arrive at a relevant number would be impossible. Seriously. You might be thinking, "Here she goes again, saying silly things off the top of her head!"  Well, no and no! 
 
What is a calorie?  It is a measure of energy, and energy is exerted to burn off fat. What? How does energy get measured? How do you know how much energy I am exerting at any give time?  How much do you exert? Is it the same amount as your neighbor exerts? How many calories do I, Berta, exert when I go for a walk? Who can possibly tell me how much I exert from day to day, so how could anyone tell me how many calories I need to take in to lose weight? I know a calorie can be measured, but I certainly can't measure the energy entering and leaving my body!  The math and science behind this question make it impossible for a layman to use calorie counting as a reliable means of planning a weight loss program!
 
The other problem with ineffective calorie counting is that it keeps the counter from consuming high-calorie healthy foods-particularly those containing essential omega 3 fatty acids that are vital to good health. Avocados, bananas, olive oil, and salmon all have a comparatively higher caloric value, but restricting your intake of these healthy foods is nothing short of ridiculous. I want to scream when I hear of women compromising their health because they refuse to eat foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids. They are NOT too fattening, for goodness sake!
 
I wonder if you might consider the possibility that there is plenty of information out there that is not based on sound reasoning, scientific fact, or common sense.  My advice? Listen to your body, people! Listen carefully.  It will tell you when you have consumed too many calories. It's not a game; it's your health and it's up to you to monitor it.  You have completely lost the ability to interpret your body's signals to the point that some of you sit down to a huge meal and can't even determine when you are satisfied! You allow the size of the portion you are served to determine how much you will eat! And then you rely on the back of a box to tell you what is healthy. You omit fruit because it's fattening, of course you don't know exactly how fattening because it doesn't carry a government required chart telling you what it has inside of it. It's a grape, for goodness sake!  Eat it!  Please make the commitment to eat delicious, healthy foods; stop before you are full, or just before you are truly satisfied; eat healthy fats; go to bed feeling a little bit hungry every night. I know what I am saying here might throw you, but it is the truth.  Take back your power to determine what is good and what is not.  How many calories did you take in today? Who cares?  Are you a little bit hungry before you go to sleep? Well then you did not eat enough to sustain your current weight.  Good job.  

 Count losses... not calories!