The Low Cal Myth
Morgana Lakatos-Hayward is a health coach and business owner of This Isn't a Diet, where the primary focus is to help women lose weight without dieting and balance their hormones, blood sugar, and gut health. She is the host of Listen to This When You're Done Dieting on Spotify, with her new book, Read This When You're Done Dieting on the way.
How many calories do you have left in your day? Are you dangerously getting lower in your calorie-counting app and still need to find space for dinner? Well, what if I told you, it’s all a myth?
Yes, it’s true. Calorie counting is a fad that lures people into it through’s short-term weight loss effects and enticing people to eat whatever they want, within a certain calorie range. This article will upset a great deal of people, particularly trainers and practitioners who have built their whole practice around this ideology. But enough is enough. It’s time to give people the facts.
The truth about calorie counting
Calorie counting refers to the practice of counting/logging the number of calories you are eating in a day, presumably in a calorie deficit to achieve weight loss. There is no doubt that one will see a few pounds drop off the scale with this fad diet. However, in my opinion, this practice falls under just that category, a fad diet.
The reason is simple. The results don’t last. Restricting calories slows down a person’s metabolism, so that if they ever eat more (which typically happens after 3-6 months on most diets- see my book “Read This When You’re Done Dieting” to learn all about this), they put on more weight at an alarming rate.
Furthermore, people are left with a damaged relationship with food, scared to eat more in fear of putting on weight, and seeing food purely as numbers rather than satisfaction and a source of fuel. The reality of weight loss is that it is the quality of the foods that matters over the quantity.
Take this example I use in my book: One banana is roughly 100 calories, and 2 pieces of chocolate are roughly 100 calories. In the calorie-counting perspective, I could eat the chocolate every single day for a year and be the same weight as if I had eaten the banana. Here’s the kicker: the chocolate does nothing to satisfy my hunger, leading me to find more food sources to fuel my day, not to mention it also directly goes to my fat stores (depending on what type of chocolate we’re talking about). The banana, on the other hand, while also high in sugar, is high in fiber, which keeps a person full and helps in the digestive process of stool formation (not to mention all the potassium and other minerals and vitamins you receive from eating it).
Lastly, if you want to lose even more weight following this methodology, you would have to continuously cut calories until you are practically eating nothing. And we all know this is not sustainable in the short and long term. So here are 6 ways you can achieve your weight loss goals without partaking in any fad diets:
1. Build muscle
Muscle is the most metabolically active tissue and when you build more of it, it boosts your metabolism so that you burn more calories at rest!
2. Eat more healthy foods
Eating more quality foods rich in protein, fibre, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates boosts your metabolism to speed up your weight loss goals, keeps you full longer, heals your relationship with food, increases energy, wards off disease, and maintains optimal gut and hormone health, to name a few benefits.
3. Optimize weight loss in the first part of your cycle
Ladies, we can accelerate weight loss within our follicular and ovulation phases through proper hormone maintenance, nutrition, fitness and fasting cycles. In our second phase, we require more rest and proper nourishment to keep those results. Remember, we are built differently than men and revolve around a 28-day cycle rather than 24hrs!
4. Opt for low-impact movements over a quick calorie burn
Another facet of the calorie myth is that burning more calories leads to greater weight loss (like running). While cardio has its place, walking and other low-impact movements have been proven to target fat burning rather than merely working off carbohydrates (calories).
5. Prioritize rest & recovery just as much as your workouts
Recovery is a vital part of the weight loss equation as it helps results come through, accelerates muscle recovery, calms cortisol spikes, and reduces inflammation.
6. Join the 60-day shed
If you’re serious about your weight loss goals and want to reach your dream body in 60 days or less without dieting, but rather through body hacking, then you need the 60-Day Shed! Receive my Fat Burn Protocol™, the Hack Your Body Method™ and Your Unique System™ along with customized meal, fitness and life stressors plans and weekly coaching! (Spaces limited)
Reserve your free call by clicking here.
Read more from Morgana Lakatos-Hayward
Morgana Lakatos-Hayward, Health Coach, Podcaster, Author
Morgana is a former world champion Latin dancer turned health coach. From making under $25k per year to now owning a thriving health coaching practice called: "This Isn't a Diet", a podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts "Listen to This When You're Done Dieting", and a book on the way entitled "Read This When You're Done Dieting", she has turned her financial situation around to become financially independent and open 6 different income streams. She is currently working on developing two more income streams and claims that her financial shift started with a simple mindset change.
