But how can I track how much I’ve eaten?

But what if I eat too many?

But how will I know if I’m allowed more?

But how will I lose weight?

In a world where slimming clubs, diets, scales and calorie-counting are part of the majority of people’s psyches, we only need to look around us for evidence these are not improving the obesity epidemic. Some might say they are only making things worse.

If one of the above questions immediately pops into your mind (as was the case with many new Bootcampers) this article may be useful to you. I sure wish I’d read it years ago, when my days of trying to lose weight were ruled by calories, points and side helpings of guilt.

Let’s start with the facts:

1) Calories are not created equally

Food’s calorie contents are measured in labs: they are burnt and the energy required to break them down is recorded. Our stomachs do not ‘burn’ foods the same way! Various chemical reactions take place during digestion, to absorb nutrients. Nutrients should therefore be our primary focus: the QUALITY of calories, not quantity.

100 calories from a kale salad for example, is not the same as a 100 calorie cereal bar. High quality nutrient dense foods don’t need labels, so your best starting point is replacing labelled foods with label-free ones.

2) Eating less calories does not lead to weight loss

Our bodies don’t recognise the difference between eating less and exercising more. Again it depends on nutrients. When starved of these, the body clings to fat stores to protect us from ‘impending famine’. Muscle is burned instead of fat, so yes the scales might go down, but your size certainly will not. And which is more important to you?

3) We’re all different but all require balance

We need to remember government guidelines for daily calorie consumption are very outdated. No two individuals require the same amount, but everyone requires correct nutrients in order for the body to be slim, fit, strong and balanced.

If your diet is dictated by a points system, where no foods are off limits as long as your daily allowance isn’t exceeded; ask yourself how is potentially using it all up in one (not necessarily nutritious) meal, a healthy and balanced way to live?

We created our boot camp menus with this in mind: to provide the body with the correct nutrients needed to function and thrive; empowering everybody to make healthier choices. To try them for yourself, book your taster session today and see how much you too could achieve, by not counting calories.

Faster Boot Camp at The Ageas Bowl Southampton