Before I decided to trust God to jump start and sustain my fitness journey, I was vehemently opposed to any form of dieting and exercise. I mean, why do it if it makes you sad, feeling deprived, and exhausted. Who wants to be hungry and tired? No one! This thinking made absolute sense in my head.
There were just too many things that hindered me from even wanting to begin to live healthily, and for many years I stayed where I was, fitness-wise. That was my 20–30-year-old self, talking.
I used to say that my happiness is most important. Trying to get fit, but then you become lonely in the process, just wasn’t worth it.
One of the many things that I despised about dieting is counting calories. For me, it was taking the fun out of eating. A huge part of the reason why I enjoy food is that I get to eat what I want to eat when I want to eat it. Enforcing even the slightest control over this does not bid well for me.
So, how did I get to where I am now? I want to share with you how the mind shift happened for me because it was such a huge surprise, but a truly pleasant one at that, like everything else in my fitness journey.
What are calories and macros?
Just so we understand each other as I relay my story, let me give a brief definition of calories and macros in the simplest way I, so far, understand them.
A calorie is a measurement of the energy we need to fuel our bodies1. As some of us may have likely surmised when we tried to cut calories or do a calorie deficit diet, the way to lose weight is to simply burn more calories than we consume. It’s quite straightforward, right?
In reality, though, it’s not as easy, and it’s where macros come in. The truth is, there is more to our bodies than energy in and energy out, and calories come in various types and forms, both good and bad. In other words, it matters which calories you put in your body and tracking these is of paramount importance!
So, what are macros? Macros, short for macronutrients, are what make up calories. They are fats, proteins and carbohydrates and each of them serve a vital role in the development of our bodies. Without delving too much into the science behind these, let me just give you a quick rundown of how they help us.
Protein in our food uses up the most energy to fully digest. It helps in our resolve to lose fat mass and build muscles at the same time as it keeps the repair and renewal process in our bodies constantly going.
Carbs, on the other hand, is our body’s favorite source of energy. As they always say, carbs are the gas in our fuel tanks and what adds fuel to our fire! Especially when we are working out, carbs should be readily available in our bodies.
Last but certainly not the least, are the fats. Now, it doesn’t take much to get us to eat fats, right? They are, simply, yum! Since they provide the best caloric bang for our buck, it’s quite tempting to simply take in more and more of it. But a gentle reminder though that it’s always best to keep everything in moderation. Also, fats help in making us feel fuller longer because they slow down food digestion.
These macros, when consumed in right proportions, according to the diet recommended to you by your doctor, are the ones we need to monitor if we want to hit our health targets.
Why count calories and track macros?
Now you might say, “Why will I go through all the trouble doing this tedious task?” or maybe, “You said it’s going to be fun, where is the fun in this task?” Hang on a second and give me a chance to complete my story. I guess it’s better told by sharing with you what used to be my mindset and the birth of my current one.
Then and Now
Manual vs Digital
I used to think that I would have to check every label to know how many calories a certain food provides and the corresponding macros. I then must jot everything down for monitoring purposes. Should there be some that have no label, I will have to take my best guess. It seemed like a gruelling task to me and one that is not even accurate since sometimes I am left to approximate.
Today, however, I learned that everything may be done on a digital platform and in just one app! Also, there is an existing database of almost every food available on the planet so you can take the guesswork out of the task. Your calorie counting can be both quick and exact.
Boring vs Fun
Before, I felt that tracking calories is a chore, and a dull one at that. I’m a frequent snacker so it’s hard to imagine having to record everything I eat! I tried a few apps to help me out but to no avail. I just start and fail to continue because boredom gets the better of me and I simply forget to do it.
I learned from a book by James Clear entitled, “Atomic Habits” the principle of “temptation bundling.” If there is a habit in your life that you want to develop but it’s one that you have no desire to do, couple it with something that you truly want to do to give you the much-needed push.
In my case, it worked to get me started on my exercise journey. Because I love clothes, I bought activewear clothing which got me excited and gave me the necessary motivation to work out.
I admit that there were times when I put them on, only to take them off again at the end of the day because I did not have enough drive in me to move a muscle and exercise but hey, I still celebrate the effort!
Of course, after months of training myself to look the part (of a fitness enthusiast), the push came and today I can say that my mindset towards exercising changed.
I share this because the same “system” worked for me with tracking calories. I realised that the previous apps I used did not make the cut because I didn’t like them. There’s no feature that gets me excited. However, when I browsed through others in the app store, I found one that I truly liked and there began my journey of calorie counting that is both fun and easy to sustain!
The bottom line is, find your brand of “FUN” to help you out in whatever it is you resolve to do.
Tedious vs Educational
Like I said earlier, how can a difficult task become fun? Well, it turns out that aside from clothes, I love learning, too! The app which awakened my desire to learn more and more about calorie counting is MyNetDiary, because it provides so many articles, knowledge tidbits, fitness tips and trivia, amongst other things.
I enjoy logging my food because everything I eat is on the list, with their corresponding macros, nutrients and even food grade/rating. I love the user interface with all its widgets and colors, so it made calorie counting less of a humdrum activity for me!
Every time I log my food, I get to browse through all the articles included in my subscription should I have any question on anything related to my resolve to get fit.
Nuggets of wisdom gleaned from calorie counting
I never saw myself as somebody who will enjoy counting calories, monitoring macros, and that I will be motivated to do it every day. It has never truly crossed my mind. The truth is, I just didn’t know then what I have so far learned now.
What are these things?
Calorie counting puts back control in your hands
Before, I likened calorie counting to checking prices at the grocery store and then deciding which to buy based on the information. It’s limiting. I didn’t want to exercise control over my spending as much as I didn’t want to take my food choices seriously. I want to be free! I realise now how foolish this thinking is. God sets boundaries for our own protection and guidance.
I once heard a preaching on the importance of buoys in oceans. They are meant to set a specific area where we can swim around without being subject to dangerous waters. But, given our sinful nature, we see this as impinging on our freedom and we want to go outside the borderlines and swim farther, not knowing the harm that might befall us on the other side of the buoy.
Now I know God wants me to take control of what I eat not because He is restricting me, but because He wants to set me free from slavery to my unhealthy cravings and emotional eating.
Calorie counting turns you into a teachable student
When I started logging my food intake, I learned so much about so many things and I feel that there’s still a long way to go! It doesn’t cripple me to realize that I have been blind and lost for a huge chunk of my life when it comes to what food does for my body.
On the contrary, I get excited about the long road ahead. God emptied me of my preconceived notions, helped me let go of my long-held beliefs about food and prepared me to receive everything that He has in store for me as far as healthy living is concerned.
Though I can’t really say that calorie counting is giving me 100% resolve to only eat foods that will help my body, the thought that I have finally been brought on the right path and I am walking on it, albeit very slowly, is enough to give me hope.
Calorie counting opens your eyes to your strengths and areas of improvement
In this journey, my eyes were opened to the things that drive me crazy (yes, it’s that bad) as far as food goes. To give you an idea, I can have a nasty argument with my husband over donuts, especially that he’s a fantastic accountability partner, not allowing me to eat to my heart’s content, more so with junk food.
It was very hard at the beginning to fight over what I have gotten used to doing for many years, but it’s also freeing to be able to take back control and make the healthy decision when it comes to food.
I don’t deprive myself of anything. I still have not-so healthy food occasionally, but cravings come less and less and far between, as I learn to manage them. I know where I am weak, and as the Bible tells us, we must flee from temptation rather than go to them and assume we can always overcome.
My pantry is yet to become filled with better snacks and food options, but I will get there as I slowly learn more and more about healthy eating.
Calorie counting motivates you to intentionally choose healthy over harmful
As I learned about calories and macros, I realised as well that my food preferences are hardly healthy. So, I am now faced with the choice to keep eating those that do nothing for my body or find better options.
Knowing bears its corresponding responsibility. Will I still pick donuts, pizza, pastries, and other sweet treats, over protein-rich snacks, meat, fruits and vegetables?
Like I said, I still give in to my cravings once in a while, but I have come so far from that person whose diet revolves around food choices that tickle my fancy. I crave, then I eat, no health issues considered, that was the vicious pattern.
Today, I am thankful even for the new mindset that God gave me to acknowledge the craving, stop and think, pray, and then make better choices. Calorie counting is just a tool He uses to educate me about my food decisions.
Wrapping up
There are days when I do get frustrated because I overshoot my calorie targets or fail to reach my protein goal. At times, I’m even discouraged to the point of giving up, when I feel that a long time has passed, and my efforts did nothing for me. But I know this is a lie because nothing is ever wasted in God’s economy. So, I forgive myself, move on and try better the next day.
I believe that everything in life has its unique learning curve, and it may be different for every person. It’s important to be gracious to yourself and know that if you have set out on a path which God put you on, it matters not how long it will take you, only that God is with you, and He is the one who will sustain you and see you through.
It also helps to know your WHY, your very personal agreement with the Lord. If only I listened to the voice of God early on in my life, I would have started on this journey long before, not when I already had health issues.
Calorie counting may be something that you don’t see yourself doing, or you feel you really don’t have time for, like exercising and dieting. But I know that if you give it a try, it will grow on you and will truly help you in your holistic fitness journey.
References
1) Workingagainstgravity.com
The Fit Stewards 