We have all heard this on our journey. Eat whole, healthy foods “intuitively” and you will lose weight. Intuitive eating is when you eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full. The idea is to honour your hunger, and eat foods that make you feel good. I have practiced intuitive eating myself. It is a great idea when you are taking a break from counting calories – which we all need (please don’t expect to count calories forever, it’s okay to take breaks!). However, I always find myself gaining weight after months of intuitive eating.
Chances are if you are here, you have tried that and have gained weight as well. The bottom line is if you want to lose weight intuitive eating is (most likely) not for you.
Here I will explain the argument for and against intuitive eating for weight loss.
Not all calories are created equal.
Some calories are more nutrient-dense and more filling. Think vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, and lean meats. These foods are rich in nutrients compared to their calorie counts. It would make sense to add these types of foods into our diets, as they keep us satiated for longer. And if you are strictly eating these types of food, you are less likely to go over your maintenance calories because your hunger is satisfied.
However, it is possible to unknowingly eat over your calories while “eating whole foods”. Almonds for example. Almonds are full of nutrients that are great for you, but 10 almonds are 70 calories. Can you stop at 10 almonds? If you can – great you have amazing self-control and probably do not need to be here. But if you are like me and had no clue how quickly munching on almonds can rack up the calories, you probably will not stop at just 10.
And that is where the problem lies. “Whole foods” are amazingly nutritious, but to be successful with weight loss, counting the calories in whole foods will lead you to more achievable success. Eating “whole foods” intuitively & blindly can easily put you over your calorie deficit if you are not careful.
Here are some examples:
- 1 Avocado – 321 calories
- 1 cup of walnuts – 653 calories
- 1 Mango – 289 calories
- 6 oz of Salmon – 350 calories
- 1 can of Chickpeas – 211 Calories
All these foods are nutrient-dense, but they are also high in calories. Eating intuitively and eating whole healthy foods puts us in the mindset that if we JUST eat healthily, we can lose weight. However, if we ate whole, healthy foods over our maintenance calories every day, weight gain is guaranteed.
Now, packing your calorie deficit with sugars and refined carbohydrates is no way to succeed either. When people learn about 1200 calories or counting calories, they tend to think that it means they can fit pizza, burgers and ice cream in their diet and lose weight. While yes that is technically true, you are more likely to feel hungrier and burn out.
For example:
One Big Mac Combo is 1080 calories
You can fit 3 sweet potatoes 2 chicken breasts, 3 apples, and 20 almonds in that one meal.
What would you rather spend your calories on, a Big Mac and be hungry for the rest of the day, or all those whole foods?
Eating whole, healthy, foods is the obvious choice.
So, what do you do, if intuitive eating is not giving you the results you want? Eat healthy, whole foods in a calorie deficit. This is the only way.
If you are like me, and like you cannot say no to the odd Big Mac here and there, then you find ways to incorporate these foods into your calorie deficit.
This means, making most of your meals filling, healthy and nutritious, and having a couple of meals a week that satisfy your food cravings. Doing this helps you with weight loss, managing binge eating, and managing cravings.