Diet-culture and body image are hot topics not only in health care, but widely discussed and (rightly or wrongly) promoted on social media. There are so many opinions, and so much information out there and accessible to us, that it can be hard to know what to do.
Fat, carbohydrates and protein (collectively known as macronutrients or macros) all provide our bodies with energy (measured in kilocalories or kcal) but contain different amounts. Fat has a bad reputation because in its pure form, it contains more than double the number of calories compared to protein and carbohydrate. It is much more energy dense and so we need smaller amounts – think of arctic explorers and their high-energy, low volume provisions like chocolate!
The average adult needs between 2000–2500kcal daily to maintain their weight, assuming that they are metabolically healthy and meeting the physical activity recommendations of the Chief Medical Officers. In order to lose weight, NHS guidelines suggest that you should aim for 500-600kcal less.
That said, we eat food, not calories, so what does this really mean? Counting can help us work out portion sizes for our meals, decide what snacks or food-on-the-run to choose by comparing labels and help us stay accountable for our choices. However, this does not tell us exactly how much of the energy in the food we eat our body actually uses, nor does it ensure a nutritious and varied diet. It could arguably also fuel anxiety around healthy, but high calorie foods like oily fish, avocadoes or nuts or even indulgences like cake or a takeaway meal.
Considering this, it may be more constructive to focus on developing habits that help us sustain a healthy balance. The portion plate is a simple and effective tool that ensures we eat the right amount of different food groups, without having to count every calorie.
Reducing your daily intake by 600kcal doesn’t need to be complicated – for example, switching all your drinks to water and sugar-free drinks could do the trick – a latte with breakfast, a cola at lunch and a glass or two of wine at dinner can easily add up to 500kcal. Can you think of two or three items you regularly eat or drink that you could swap or replace?
Making changes to your lifestyle is not about a single strategy – it is about paying attention to your choices, how they affect you and learning to respond in ways that will help you feel your best.
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