Taylor-LeighTrigger Warning: Mention of eating disorders.
I’m taking a walk into the gray area by saying that counting calories is not the same as understanding calorie density.
Anti-diet gurus may come for me, chronic dieters may come for me. But exploring the gray area has been a huge part of healing my relationship with food.
And for those who are stuck in a continuous cycle of not liking how they look or feel, it is OKAY to want to change. It is OKAY to want to look a certain way, as long as it is not at the expense of your health.
As someone who has counted calories profusely, to someone who has eaten as little as possible, to someone who used to binge, purge, and also go to the other end of the spectrum and eat anything and everything desired, I’ve been around the block. And I’m here to share a main component of what has allowed be to get to, and maintain, my most happy body composition while not having to obsess over food, exercise, or my body.
Enter: Understanding Calorie Density
The Secret Sauce
I truly believe that if people all over the world understood the principles of calorie density, then the world, namely the Western hemisphere, more particularly the United States, would not be so obsessed with dieting, torturing themselves in the gym, burning out, giving up, and restarting a new program for the cycle to continue over and over. It is the reason why we have a billion dollar “wellness” industry with experts selling us contradicting advice. Meanwhile, as a population, we are getting sicker and sicker.
First, I’ll walk through calorie density in a nutshell. Then, I’ll explain in more detail.
Calorie Density: Simplified
First of all, what even is a calorie? Dieters tell us to eat less and less in order to lose weight. Bodybuilders tell us to eat more to “bulk up” and put on mass. But what does it mean?
A calorie is a unit of measure of energy. Putting it into context, I think we are all familiar with the three macronutrients: carbohydrates, fat, and protein, and if you’re reading this, you’ve probably calculated them at some point. IIFYM anyone? (an ode to my bodybuilding days). I digress.
Carbs and protein have the same level of energy at 4 calories per gram each of carbs and protein. However, they aren’t exactly “equal” as they have different functions in the body.
Fat on the other hand, is more calorically, or energetically dense, at 9 calories per gram of fat.
This is why something like oil or butter is so high in calories, because it is fat extracted from a whole source. Whereas you may not sit down and eat 240 calories worth of olives (almost 2 cups), you may easily drizzle 240 calories worth of olive oil on your salad. The oil is more calorically dense than the olive.
Let’s take a look at some more examples:
130 calories = 1 pack of fun size M&M’s
also = 3/4 cup cooked rice
1 pound of cooked potatoes = 350 calories
1 pound of cooked ground beef = 1500 calories
1 cup of broccoli = 30 calories
1 cup of nuts = 815 calories
1 cup of cooked beans = 225 calories
2 Tablespoons of oil = 240 calories
1 cup of cooked pasta = ~170 calories
260 calories = 2 scrambled eggs & 2 strips of bacon
also = 1 cup of oatmeal & 1.5 cups of blueberries
100 calories = 1 Tablespoon of butter
also = almost 1.5 cups of salsa
1 cup of cheese = ~450 calories
1 cup of tomato sauce = 70 calories
1 medium avocado = 240 calories. 1 medium apple = 95 calories. 1 medium Chick-Fil-A fries =420 cal.
Annnnnd I think you are starting to get the point.
Does any of this surprise you? When I first saw a comparison list like this, things started to click into place for me. In the times when I was seemingly always trying to reach my most comfy happy weight, it felt like I was restricting my food intake, but really I was overeating my share of calories while undereating my level of satisfaction and satiation from food. For example, I would not each much during the day, but at night, eat past fullness at dinner and still be scrounging around for snacks afterwards. While I thought I was restricting during the day, the nighttime face-stuffing put me over the threshold, keeping me stuck, and making me feel guilty.
So after seeing some comparisons, what do you notice to be the most calorically dense foods?
If you guessed processed fats (oils, nut butters) and animal products, you are correct.
The least calorically dense are whole plant foods – fruit, veggies, grains, legumes, & starches.
This is because plant foods are majorly made up of carbohydrates (only 4 grams per calorie), along with water, fiber (keeps things moving), and micronutrients (vitamins & minerals). Plant foods have very small percentages of fat and protein. Ex: 1 cup broccoli = 0.3 g/fat and 2.6 g/protein.
Due to the fiber and water content, plant foods are satisfying from a volume perspective. They take up more space in your stomach, whereas animal foods may be more calorically dense, they take up less space in your stomach, making you feel less full.
Exhibit the diagram:
Why are animal foods so calorically dense if they are made of protein, the same density (4 cal. per gram) as carbohydrates?
This is because animal foods are actually high in fat content as well. One pound of cooked chicken breast has about 750 calories, with about 16 grams of that being fat, 140 grams of protein, 0 carbohydrates (& thus no fiber to keep things moving).
Sugar vs Oil?
To present another way of looking at it, 2 Tablespoons of sugar is about 100 calories. 2 Tablespoons of oil is 240 calories, over double that of sugar. So while society wants to blame sugar for keeping us fat, I come in peace to protect sugar. Do food manufacturers still unnecessarily add sugar to too many foods? Absolutely. But oil is to fat, as sugar is to carbohydrates – a processed extraction of an originally whole food.
After working numerous restaurant jobs, I can attest that oil is in fact added to everything – globs and drizzles and squirts more than the typical 2 Tablespoons worth. While you may think you’re out ordering a 30 calorie cup of sauteed veggies, it’s most likely 250 calories on top of that, unless they are steamed. This may be in addition to your 1220 calorie, 1 pound of “lean” steak.
Enough of my nerdy nuance.
So what do we do about this?
In no way am I advising you to consume the least amount of calories possible – trust me, you will not be satisfied on steamed vegetables all day. Plus, it’s boring, and on it’s way to becoming an eating disorder.
But if you are curious about how many calories you are actually eating (it’s usually way more than you think), try jotting down what you eat for a few days, simply observing without changing anything yet. Then, look up the calorie content later. It can be kind of annoying to measure and record your food, but it gives you a good indication of calorie density. Do you have a heaping spoonful of peanut butter before bed? Record it. Have a glass or two of wine with dinner? Record it. Did you slather a glob of butter, sour cream, and cheese on your baked potato? Record it, because these are the little things that add up to make a big difference.
After you have a general idea, stop calculating! Remember, you NEED calories to function. The goal is not ‘the less the better.’ Then, you can go to one of those free online calculators to see approximately how many calories you need to be consuming daily to maintain your current weight with your average activity level. Compare it to your daily average that you recorded of observations.
Assess:
Chances are, if you are reading this, there’s something you want to change about your relationship with food or body image. You may be consuming more calories than is needed to maintain.
Here comes the fun part. Let’s think of small tweaks we can incorporate into your eating habits that shave off those extra calories that are keeping you from where you want to be.
Say my calculator says that 2300 calories is an ideal weight maintenance level for my lifestyle. But I observe I’m eating about 2700 calories a day. What can I alter?
Instead of thinking of smaller portions or cutting out satisfying foods like carbohydrates, why don’t we look at the most calorically dense food we are intaking.
- I can start to sauté my veggies in water or broth instead of oil, saving a couple hundred calories.
- Additionally, I notice I mindlessly snack on nuts because they are crunchy and salty, but I feel sluggish afterwards. I also remember that there’s over 200 calories in just a handful of mixed nuts. Instead, I can have a crunchy apple for a snack, or eat a few more scoops of rice during lunch to keep me satisfied for longer.
- I just remember that I have a habit of grabbing an order of fries at the fast food chain on the way home from Tuesday night kickball. Instead of consuming 500 calories (contrary to popular belief, majority of the density is coming from oil, not potatoes), I can start to batch cook potato slices in my air fryer to take them on the go, saving hundreds of calories again.
- Or let’s say I have bacon and eggs for breakfast. The portion is small, but it’s calorically dense, and I’m hungry again an hour later. I can instead try having a bowl of oatmeal with colorful fruit and cinnamon on top to stick with me longer (and to help move things along thanks to the fiber).
These little habit shifts can make a huge difference in the long term. Just like the weight doesn’t pile on in one day, it’s a gradual process, and it’s not going to leave in a day either.
When you start to feel better and become genuinely interested in adopting healthier habits for yourSELF, results can start to appear in a few short weeks, turning into sustainable results.
Make the body image a result of wanting to improve your health, instead of losing your health because you’re so focused on the weight.
Photos courtesy of UnSplash.
