Dietitian Habit #1

loving this

I love being a dietitian, it is my passion and I love it. Being a food and nutrition expert is amazing and I wouldn't trade it for the world, but man is it annoying to see all the "advice" out there of what to eat and what not to eat - every time you look at a magazines, TV, blogs! I'm sure people have good intentions, but a lot of it is encouraging people to do crazy things. Drink cayenne pepper and lemon juice every day, all day! Add cinnamon to everything! Don't eat after 5pm! I would like to look at the habits and behaviors that I see in the healthiest people I know who have fantastic relationships with food. Not saying that all dietitians have the best relationships with food, I know some who have very disordered eating habits. But I am lucky enough with my job to see many people on a day-to-day basis who are nutrition experts and have very positive relationships with food. 

Ok, so RD food habit #1:

Don't Count Calories. 

No RD I know counts calories. You know that everyone says that a pound is 3500 calories? Yea, that's a lie. It came from 1 scientific paper awhile back, and efforts to duplicate it have not shown that it is true. It depends on a ton of factors within your body, and it certainly isn't the same for everyone. Even if it is 3500 calories for you right now, once you lose a pound it will change. A study was done where people ate the same exact thing every week (in a controlled, monitored environment = no cheating) and they lost dramatically different amounts of weight. 

Therefore: A calorie isn't a calorie isn't a calorie. What matters is the type of food you put into your body and the amount - not the numbers. Can also lead to obsession and disorder. Delete the app from your phone. Listen to your body, not a number. Your body is fueled with nutrients - not simply numbers. You can eat your calorie requirement with cookies and soda. ORRR you can eat it with whole grains, fruit, veggies, lean proteins.