How to become your healthiest self (without calorie counting!)
For many years, we’ve been bombarded with conflicting information about how to be our healthiest. For a long time, the media (and now social media!) has actively promoted restrictive diets and low calorie lifestyles.
Now I’m not going to lie: I’ve tried countless diets in my life. I mean, I work in fashion, so I’m sure you can imagine! If you weren’t on some sort of diet, you were a loser.
Calories have often had a negative connotation. The media have made us mistakenly think that the less calories we consume, the more weight we’ll lose.
But is that actually true? Let’s dive deep into it.
What are calories?
Calories are the amount of energy released when your body breaks down (digests and absorbs) food. They’re a way to measure the fuel capacity of your body.
Even though they indicate the amount of energy we can spend through each food, a diet high in calories isn’t actually the main reason we gain weight.
If we cut calories and we end up burning more at the gym, at some point we will consequently lose weight living in a calorie deficit. But is that the healthiest way to drop kilos?
The moment we stop calorie counting and embrace a holistic approach to food, we immediately realise that it’s actually about quality over quantity.
Quality over quantity
The avocado is one of the most caloric fruits you can eat. However, it contains plentiful good fats that promote the function of our skin, brain and metabolism. On the other hand, many low calorie snacks actually contain a high amount of sugar to compensate for the poor taste of the snack itself.
These two contrasting examples are perfect to describe that what is important for our body isn’t the quantity of calories, but the quality of the food we eat. A diet high in fibre and good fats helps to keep sugar levels under control, and gives you the ability to control the level of your hormones.
So yep– gaining weight isn’t a matter of calories, but can in fact be down to a combination of sugars, stress level and lifestyle.
Stress, sugar and lifestyle
A diet high in sugars increases inflammation in our body, and sends our bodies into a subconscious state of emergency. This situation leads our system to activate our ‘fight or flight’ response, which typically happens when we’re in survival mode after a stressful event.
Every time we restrict calories, our body switches on a survival mechanism that defends against starvation. The result is that we slow our metabolism down, and we’re more hungry because of the lack of nutrients.
Stress and inflammation are linked to one another– and they are one of the main reasons our system doesn’t work properly.
The secret to having a functional and healthy body is eating fresh and vibrant food. If our food contains the right amount of nutrients it doesn’t matter how many calories a meal contains, because you’re eating something that will nourish your body.
If you practice mindful eating and you opt for vibrant foods, your body will naturally know when it’s time to stop.
I don’t know about you, my dear friends, but the calorie restriction model has never worked for me! I have never found an extreme diet that was sustainable, not only for our body, but for our mental health too.
So… what do we need to do in order to have a healthy and fit body?
1. Eat vibrant foods
I’m talking whole foods, veggies, protein and good fats. Choose a diet that is high in fibre, veggies and good fats to keep your body nourished. Try to consume fresh food and less processed food where possible (all the stuff you buy at the supermarket like biscuits, snacks etc…)
2. Move your body
Find a fun workout or a daily exercise you like, and set yourself a regular workout routine. It’s important to find an activity that you actually like, no matter whether it’s high intensity or gentle. (I personally love boxing!)
3. Manage your stress
Stress is one of the main causes of weight gain. Sometimes we get used to feeling tired and stressed all the time, and we don’t even notice it anymore. Shifting our mindset can completely transform our health.
When you have free time, I highly recommend spending time outdoors immersing yourself in nature. Nature can work like free medicine for our bodies.
Meditation is another practice that has the power to clear and calm your mind if you’re feeling stressed. It doesn’t have to be long– take your time and select a practice you like.
Last but not least: check your exterior environment. Is your house messy? Are you surrounded by toxic people that make you feel anxious? Are you satisfied with your life?
4. Get some sleep!
If you want to lose weight, you need to give your body the chance to rest.
When I was in Milan in 2014, I was really into diets and heavy workouts. I ate very small portions of food, and I was training like crazy. But as I was studying everyday for at least 8 hours, I couldn’t get enough sleep at night.
The result was that I didn’t lose any kilos at all, despite the calorie deficit and training. Once I came back home for the summer holidays, my body just relaxed… and guess what?
My system started to function properly again!
To have the best night’s sleep possible, I highly recommend switching off your digital devices 2 hours before you go to bed, and use aromatherapy to relax your mind. (Stay tuned for an upcoming blog article about sleep!)
5. Focus on being happy
It sounds so cheesy, but it’s true. Being happy does genuinely help your body to function properly.
Think: what makes you happy? Is there something that you can do to improve your general happiness?
After reading about how your lifestyle can affect your health, how do you feel? Can you relate, or have you ever experienced restricted diets? How do you feel about your body now?
If you wanna know more about this topic and start your positive transformation, feel free to book a first consultation with me where we can chat further. I’m here to support you in your health journey, and help you feel like the best version of yourself!
Be the best version of you, for you!
For info and appointments, here’s my website. Feel free to connect!
Good Vibes Only,
Coach Viky 🙂
