Why CALORIES Are Not the Common Denominator & How to Eat Intuitively Using the Hunger Scale

A calorie, in its most basic form, is a unit of ENERGY supplied by food. Regardless of the food source, a calorie is a calorie, and ALL foods are made up of a combination of three macronutrient building blocks: fat, carbohydrates and protein. The caloric breakdown of each macronutrient remains constant, enabling you to calculate how many calories, or rather, how much ENERGY is included in each gram.

+ FATS = 9 calories per gram (the most calorie-dense macronutrient)

+ CARBOHYDRATES = 4 calories per gram

+ PROTEIN = 4 calories per gram

Caloric need varies tremendously between individuals, therefore, it is of vital importance for each one of us to take a BIO-INDIVIDUAL approach towards meeting our particular needs. Estimated calorie needs have been established for difference gender and age groups, however, they can only serve as a GENERAL GUIDE and often change day-to-day as other lifestyle factors ebb and flow.

For women (18+) the recommendation of estimated total calories needed ranges between 1,800-2,400 per day, while men (18+) have an estimated range of 2,400-3,200 per day. Obviously, the number of calories that a person needs each day depends on many different aspects, including but definitely not limited to the following items:

+ AGE

+ GENDER

+ HEIGHT

+ WEIGHT

+ ACTIVITY LEVEL

+ CURRENT STATE OF HEALTH

Ultimately, though, it is up to YOU to determine whether or not you are consistently lacking, meeting or exceeding estimated needs. In order to do so, you must asses yourself from a truly honest, open-minded and self-aware place, using a lens of objectivity.

Considering that each person and every BODY is unique, understanding, respecting and HONORING your bio-individuality is required given that:

+ the average height and weight calculation does NOT represent each individual

+ there is a BROAD and LIMITED interpretation of physical activity levels, ranging from sedentary, to moderately active or active

+ the DESIRE or NEED to lose, maintain or gain weight affects calorie requirements

+ general estimates DO NOT include women who are pregnant or breastfeeding

+ people METABOLIZE food differently with some people metabolizing food quickly and needing more calories, and others metabolizing food at a slower pace and requiring less calories to meet daily needs

+ they DON’T reflect an individual’s OVERALL state of health, for example, individuals that are ill may need more calories

All in all, a BALANCED, HEALTHY DIET coupled with REGULAR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY is the key behind good health, energy balance, vitality and sustainable wellness. There is NO DIET that will do what INTUITIVE EATING does. Skip the diet and just. eat. mindfully.

Instead of focusing on counting calories or adopting the next fad diet, take a BIG PICTURE APPROACH and focus your energy on increasing dietary QUALITY, managing STRESS, and incorporating ENJOYABLE physical activity into your daily routine. After all, calorie counting and yo-yo dieting teaches you absolutely NOTHING about nutrition, tuning in to your body’s hunger and fullness cues or listening to your own intuition.

So what, then, is INTUITIVE EATING?

Intuitive eating is a NON-DIET approach to wellness; a self-care eating framework that helps you BREAK the cycle of chronic dieting and HEAL your relationship with food. Intuitive eating is listening to your body’s signals on WHAT to eat, WHEN to each and HOW MUCH to eat; it is eating that is centered around YOU and learning how to trust your gut, literally and figuratively.

INTUITIVE EATING PRINCIPLES:

+ REJECT FAD DIET CULTURE & ADOPT A HOLISTIC APPROACH - get rid of programs that promise you will "lose 10 pounds in two weeks" and "keep it off for good,” as they are not sustainable

+ HONOR YOUR HUNGER - listen to your body or you might trigger a primal reaction to food and wind up overeating to the point of excessive fullness

+ COPE WITH EMOTIONS WITHOUT USING FOOD - find kind, loving and supportive ways to comfort, nurture and resolve your issues because, at the end of the day, food will not solve them

+ MAKE PEACE WITH FOOD - if you keep telling yourself that you can’t have a certain food you will begin to feel deprived and end up eating it later on regardless of willpower

+ ACCEPT YOUR BODY - your body knows exactly where it is meant to be and will always do what it can to return to your ideal weight, or your “set-point,” which is the weight that you effortlessly maintain WITHOUT micromanaging your food or exercise

If you are looking for a way to accurately assess and honor your natural hunger and fullness cues the HUNGER SCALE can be a useful TOOL in doing so. Hunger is a completely natural sensation and not something to be feared. The hunger scale is a way to DESCRIBE your level of hunger and help you to RECOGNIZE when the best times to START and STOP eating occur during your day. It encourages you to pay careful attention to your body and what it is telling you.

By using a hunger scale you will likely find that you eat LESS for comfort or out of boredom, and begin to listen to what your BODY is telling you, not your mind. It empowers you to tune in to your PHYSICAL need for food and learn to trust your intuitive sense; your ability to understand and KNOW that something is true WITHOUT any direct evidence or reasoning behind it.

HOW TO USE THE HUNGER SCALE:

+ AIM TO START EATING WHEN YOU REACH A HUNGER LEVEL OF 3 OR 4 - by not waiting too long, it may make it easier to thoughtfully choose what you’d like to eat and eat until you are satisfied, rather than overly stuffed + STOP EATING ONCE YOU REACH A HUNGER LEVEL OF 6 - when you reach level 6 hunger, you should be just about satisfied, and likely, within 15-20 minutes, you will be at a hunger level of 7; full but not uncomfortable

+ KEEP FLUID LEVELS UP - making sure that you are hydrated allows you to recognize and feel real hunger, rather than confusing it for thirst

+ CHECK IN WITH YOUR HUNGER CUES OFTEN - determine what level of hunger you are at before, during and after your meals or snacks

+ TAKE YOUR TIME - practice slowing down by engaging all of your senses and being mindful of chewing your food thoroughly

Your IDEAL body weight is NOT a number in your head or on the scale. It is the weight you are at when you are living your HEALTHIEST, HAPPIEST LIFE.

At the end of the day, however, keep in mind that RESULTS TAKES TIME and, like most worthwhile things in life, change is a process that calls for commitment, patience, and the willingness to try again, time and time again.

Just as your environment and circumstances ebb and flow, so, too, will your needs and your ability to tap into your intuition. Some days will be easy and effortless, while others are sure to present obstacles and pose as a challenge. Whatever happens, rest in the fact that YOU know your body best. Release judgment, guilt and any expectations that may exist and recognize that each day is a new opportunity and YOU are in CONTROL.

Xx, Leah Kutsch

P.S. Keeping IIN Touch