Another useless lecture on “calories in, calories out”
I did the dumb thing at the doctor this week. Let's talk about it.
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I went to the doctor this week and I did what I normally don’t do: I asked about my weight.
Now typically after I get weighed my doctor we move onto other matters. But the number on the scale this week made me pause. It’s much higher than normal, and to be completely frank with all of you, it scared me. So I asked her about it.
And ended up with getting another lecture about calories in, calories out.
I should have saw this coming. Obviously when it comes to weight gain this is the answer doctors bring up, which has only frustrated me in the past. If it truly is all calories in, calories out, then why am I gaining weight when I’m “doing all the right things” nutritionally? Make it make sense, y’all.
I tried to explain to her a little bit about what I do: I’m not a dietitian but I am a nutrition journalist with a certification from Stanford Medicine, so I do know quite a bit about the science of how this works. And even though I practice everything I preach, I’m still slowly gaining weight year after year. I’ve had my thyroid tested three times but nothing has come of it. My blood sugar levels are steady, and my hormone are perfectly normal. So my doctors just land in the same spot: It’s just what you’re eating, sweetheart.
Why did I do this to myself this week? I don’t know. I was hoping maybe the answer would be different, that somehow I would miraculously find a solution that would make me feel better. I should have known, and deep down, I’m ashamed for even going down that road this week. But I wanted to be authentic and write this because…well, we’re all here for a reason. We’re all struggling with this same mindset that dieting and restriction is the solution, even though it has never worked long term. It’s extremely unhealthy, and the size of our bodies can’t be controlled.
Yet, we do the late night Google searches or ask those questions in whispers, hoping that maybe there is a better solution out there. That maybe there is a magic pill that could solve all of our problems.
If you do this, too, you’re in good company. Yes, we broke up with our diets, but sometimes break ups are hard, and sometimes we can’t help but run back to the thing that gave us comfort and hope. Even if we know it’s bad for us in the end.
So how did I handle this? What am I doing differently?
After that appointment, I had a serious sit down with myself and journaled out all of my frustrating thoughts. When I came up for air, I found myself with one very clear goal for myself: I need to be honest about how I truly feel.
You see, I’ve been following a particular way of eating for a long time, because I know nutritionally it’s healthy. I aim for a certain number of grams of protein and fiber to feel full and satisfied. I try to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables for my gut health. I work on my stress levels by taking breaks and practicing yoga and getting good sleep. I exercise regularly with a mixture of jogging, yoga, and strength training.
But…what if those specific daily recommendations (set for an “average” body which, let’s be real, is much bigger than my five-foot build) don’t actually work for my body?
Instead of following all of my comfortable ways of going about my day, I’ve started my mornings the rest of this week a little differently. I wake up and ask myself: what does my body actually need? Am I hungry, or do I feel like I need to eat because I need to get in my daily recommended nutrients? Does my body feel like it needs to move and stretch, or does it actually need to sleep in?
Turns out, I haven’t been listening to my body at all, and I find that a lot of my routines are shifting. For the better? I don’t know. But I’m willing to take the chance and learn about what my body needs. Because god knows the doctor isn’t giving me any solutions!
I think this is the whole point of life, right? To let yourself change, to learn and grow, to be willing to let your body be what it is? Just because I lived a certain way ten or even five years ago doesn’t meant that’s what my body needs now, and it’s okay to let it be different in this season of life.
Listening to my body now, I find that I’m actually not hungry in the morning, which feels shocking to me. There are so many mixed studies out there about whether you actually need breakfast or not. But you know what? Those studies aren’t focusing on my body, and the only one who knows my body is me. So I’ll lean into this new way of life and make myself some scrambled eggs when I finally feel hungry. Which tends to be when it’s time for lunch.
Nutrition science is still so new…and we unfortunately have to do the hard work of learning about our bodies ourselves.
There are a lot of great researchers out there doing the work of learning about this very new branch of science, but there’s still so much we don’t know.
Nutrition science isn’t even a century old yet. We have yet to truly discover and learn about all the mechanisms of our body and their reactions to what we eat. Studies are contradicting themselves all the time (Is coffee good? Is it killing us?) yet we take this research as gospel and develop diets and sell products thinking it’s the golden ticket solution.
Also, many of the studies we see also aren’t long term, and many work with small controlled groups that don’t represent the entire human population. A dietitian once told me 12 weeks is definitely not enough time to make any real health claims on something, yet we see this all the time.
So what’s the real solution? We have to, unfortunately, do the work ourselves.
It’s frustrating, I know. It’s not easy having to take the initiative to learn about the bodies that we live in every day. These bodies are our most important asset, yet we’re still not entirely sure how they work! How terrifying!
I wish I could end today’s newsletter on a positive note, I do. But sometimes, this sh** just feels bleak. And I wanted to hang with you and let you know that if this frustrates you, if those conversations about calories in and calories never go anywhere, you’re not alone. That’s why I write this newsletter, because I want to understand and learn about it all, and give myself the best chance of taking care of a body that I’m going to be living in for (hopefully!) decades to come.
You know…I am fully aware that Jennifer Aniston probably made this recipe to be a “healthier” carbonara, and usually I’m the kind of person that would say mean things and just make the real carbonara. But…this recipe was actually pretty good, and I plan on making it again. If you’re looking for a cream-less carbonara made with turkey bacon, it’s an easy weeknight meal. I enjoyed testing this one out for The Kitchn.
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Photo by Melissa Walker Horn on Unsplash