“An unpopular and untrendy truth is that you do not need to count calories and meticulously track your macros to lose weight and optimize body composition. I do not think it is comfortable to control your plate through a calorie counter for your entire life, constantly balancing on the edge of calorie-counting neurosis and the fear of finding yourself in an unfamiliar food environment. Our body has the physiological ability to independently control energy metabolism without a calculator in hand. There are many mechanisms for this, and for their optimal functioning you only need to supply quality, natural food that is minimally processed, move enough, maintain a daily routine and good sleep quality, and pay attention to stress management.
What is a calorie?
It is a unit of heat measurement that raises the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius.
But in the human body, everything is far from being so straightforward and subject to the laws of physics. Nothing inside us burns in an open flame; during metabolic reactions, food energy is converted into the energy of ATP molecules, and only a portion of this energy is released as heat that dissipates.
Every person has biochemical individuality, meaning a quantitatively and qualitatively unique set of enzymes, hormones, their receptors, and other biologically important factors that influence the speed and quality of metabolic processes. As a result of these differences, the same food yields different energy output in different people. Therefore, attempts to feed genetically different people food with the same tabular macro values will lead to different dynamics in terms of weight, body composition, and health quality, even if these people have the same age, sex, weight characteristics, and the same physical activity level.
To maintain a body composition that is optimal for health (weight is secondary here), it is recommended to follow simple dietary control rules:
food should be as diverse, natural, and minimally processed as possible;
eat according to a feeling of sustained hunger until comfortable satiety is reached (this determines the individual frequency of meals per day);
eat without distracting influences (TV, gadgets, etc.), focusing on thorough chewing;
sources of dietary protein of high biological value (from animal products);
include protein in every meal in the portion size of your own palm;
every meal should contain vegetables and greens in a 1:1 ratio, with maximum
representation in raw form;
fats should be represented only in their natural forms without a pronounced lean toward animal or plant sources;
dishes and foods rich in digestible carbohydrates (grain products, legumes, starchy vegetables, fruits) should be consumed at the time of day when you are most active, especially physically;
in a single meal, as well as throughout the day, avoid having large amounts of digestible carbohydrates and fats simultaneously;
strive to minimize added sugar and fructose intake to less than 10% of all carbohydrates in your diet;
increase daily physical activity, even in the form of walking; schedule moderate-intensity physical workouts and/or short high-intensity training sessions with adequate recovery periods (at least 2–3 days);
sleep at least 7 hours a day, going to bed no later than midnight, in complete darkness, in a cool, well-humidified room;
whenever possible, minimize stress factors or look for gentle methods of dealing with stress.”
If these simple recommendations do not lead to positive changes, do not neglect the opportunity to work with a specialist in a personalized setting.