Home / Learn / 5 science-backed alternatives to calorie counting

5 science-backed alternatives to calorie counting

5 August 2024

By The Gut Health Doctor Team

Dr Megan Rossi in a lab looking through a microscope

How often have you heard the phrase “calories in vs calories out”? Probably a lot, particularly when calorie counting is often touted as the go-to solution for those looking to lose weight. Not only does this approach feature heavily on social media, but some healthcare professionals are still advocating for it, leaving many feeling the pressure to follow the practice.

Despite growing evidence to oppose playing the numbers game, calories are now present on restaurant menus in the UK. This has fuelled the inescapable fixation on caloric density rather than the nutritional quality of food and this is where the millions of people undertaking a weight loss programme every year can become unstuck.

So, let’s look at exactly why the calorie counting approach often fails to deliver and, importantly, what you can do instead to achieve your weight and wider health goals.

What is a calorie?

A calorie is a measure of energy determined in a lab. For those who love the science, one calorie equates to the energy it takes to raise the temperature of one gram of water to one degree Celsius. If you did chemistry at school, think back to your Bunsen burner experiments, where you would burn a food of choice, and the released energy would be used to heat a known quantity of water. The temperature change of the water would then determine the amount of energy (or calories) in the food. While this is a very small-scale example, it demonstrates how calories are calculated for food labels in a scientific environment. But here is the thing, the way your body extracts calories from food is very different – more on this below.

The calorie equation

Your body actually burns calories while eating, digesting and absorbing your food in a process known as Thermogenesis. The structure of the foods you eat (whether they’re whole or have been processed – think of a whole apple versus apple juice) can impact how efficiently calories are absorbed in your intestines versus how many are burned. Whole foods such as fruits, nuts, and wholegrains (e.g., barley) require more chewing and energy to break down. Take almonds, for example; they’ve been shown to provide 25% fewer calories than what the labels say for this very reason. Some elements may escape digestion too, meaning some calories are ‘lost’ in your stool – and there’s no better example of this than sweetcorn.

But how do ultra-processed foods (UPF) compare? One study found that the calories burned after digesting a meal consisting of UPFs were around 50% lower than those burned after a whole food meal, despite both being matched for total calories and macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats and proteins). This is because when it comes to UPF, a lot of the ‘digesting’ has already been done for you by machines, meaning your body has to expend less energy to digest them, resulting in a greater net gain in calories.

While this isn’t a green light for gorging on whole plant-based foods, it does explain that there is more to the calorie equation than just calories in.

Calories may not be nutritionally equal

A calorie-counting app might view a banana and a KitKat similarly because of their comparable calories, but there is much more to the banana than meets the eye. It is a good source of different types of dietary fibres, which your microbes can convert into messenger molecules needed to help regulate your hunger hormones. In turn, you’re more likely to feel satisfied with just one piece of that fruit. While the KitKat contains the perfect mix of added sugar and fat without that gut-loving fibre, making it more likely that you’ll reach for seconds. No, that doesn’t mean you lack willpower – your body is just hard-wired to crave this combination. So, although calories may look the same, you need to consider other nutritional elements to keep you (and your microbes) satisfied.

Results aren’t long-term

Does calorie counting ever work? As you may have witnessed – or even experienced yourself- the truth is that it can in the short term. However, what many advocates fail to explain is that maintaining weight loss with a calorie-focused mindset is difficult to sustain. In fact, one study from the American Psychologist Journal found that between one and two-thirds of those on calorie-restricted diets regained more weight over time than they initially lost. There are a few reasons for this. One is that restrictive diets can lower your metabolic rate, meaning your body burns less energy than it did before you started the diet. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that even after just one year of reduced calorie intake, ghrelin levels (the hunger hormone) remained elevated compared to starting levels. Essentially, this means that your body burns fewer calories while crying out for more food. Another more recently appreciated factor is the negative impact that calorie counting can have on your gut microbiome (GM), with many gut-loving foods like olive oil, oily fish, nuts and seeds being restricted or excluded entirely because of their high-calorie content.

So, you may be wondering, if calorie counting isn’t the answer to achieving and maintaining your happy weight, then what is? Here are five results-driven principles to apply instead:

1. Feed your microbes

By reducing food to a mathematical equation, you risk missing out on the essential nutrients your gut microbes feed on. Why does that matter? Well, it turns out that those trillions of bacteria that make up your GM play an integral role in regulating your blood sugar, appetite, and metabolism. Fibre is their favourite food, yet 90% of adults in the Western world aren’t meeting the recommended 30g a day. Now knowing the role your GM plays in terms of weight management, it’s perhaps not surprising that a higher fibre intake has repeatedly been shown to lead to a healthier weight, regardless of total calories or diet type (i.e. vegan or flexitarian). The science is clear, filling up on fibre is a foolproof way to support both your short and longer-term health goals, and if you still find it helpful to focus on numbers, ditch the calories and count your plants instead.

Actionable tip:

Aim to include something from the Super Six plant groups every day.
Add legumes (a great source of fibre) to your evening meals—whether it’s Bolognese, pizza, stir fry, or stew—they’re super versatile and affordable.

2. Make the switch

Have you ever felt stuffed after eating a fast-food meal only to find yourself reaching for the snack drawer only an hour or two later? Can you say the same after a whole food meal packed with fibre? Probably not. This is explained by the fact that for many UPF, the fibre and the food’s diversity matrix – which includes hundreds of beneficial plant chemicals – have been destroyed. If you want to feel more satisfied with fewer hangry moments, aim for more whole plants that have been less ‘tampered’ with to fuel your body for longer. But remember, you don’t need to cut out UPF completely to feel the benefits – an INclusion versus Exclusion approach will work best long-term.

Actionable tip:

When you’re next craving an UPF, try these 5 high-fibre switches instead.
Or if you’re looking for a quick lunchtime alternative to your regular meal deal, check out my go-to sandwich hack.

3. Set new targets

Lifestyle factors like sleep, stress, and activity levels can all impact how your GM responds to and digests food, as well as the quality and quantity of the food you choose. Studies have shown that when you’re sleep-deprived, you’re more likely to reach for foods higher in processed fat and added sugar. This is partly explained by your sensory response to food (e.g. how tempting a food smells). So, if you’re struggling with weight management, you may need to start addressing some of these factors too. Can you prioritise sleep hygiene or go to bed 30 minutes earlier to get a better night’s rest? Can you find a relaxation technique that helps you to manage your stress levels? Can you aim for 7k steps a day? Of course, not all of this might be within your control right now, but focusing on one strategy at a time can lead to measurable benefits.

Actionable tip:

Identify which lifestyle factor you struggle with most: sleep, de-stressing, exercise etc. Spend the next two weeks prioritising it using the targets above.

4. Make meals a ‘moment’

How often do you find yourself eating food on the go, having lunch at your desk while you answer cortisol-inducing emails, snacking on the sofa while watching Netflix or scrolling through your phone? These are all examples of distracted or mindless eating. Although they are common habits, they have been associated with increased overeating, weight gain, and generally feeling less satisfied with your meals. This is because the signalling process whereby the hormones in your gut tell your brain you’ve eaten enough requires both time and awareness to be effective. Therefore slowing down your meals and being fully present in the moment, although it sounds so simple, can lead to some impressive results.

Actionable tip:

Put all electronic devices away when eating. Instead, focus on chewing each mouthful 20-30 times, depending on how hard the food is, and tune into your body’s natural fullness cues.

5. Check your timings

Your meal timings may have more of an impact than you think. One study randomised participants to either an ‘early’ meal schedule or a ‘late’ meal schedule before switching them to the alternate one. This meant that each person was their own point of comparison (or control), which is a strong study design. Interestingly, researchers found that when following the late meal schedule (eating their last meal 2.5 hours before bedtime compared to 6.75 hours in the early schedule) participants were more prone to weight gain. More specifically they reported feeling hungrier and had lower leptin levels (the clever hormone that lets your brain know when you are full). They also tended to move less during the day, and their fat-storing genes were ‘turned-on’, making them more likely to retain fat.

Actionable tip:

Start by bringing your dinner time forward by 1 hour and avoid snacking after 7pm. If this works for you, over time you might like to continue to push your evening meal forward. If your meal timings are not in your full control right now (e.g. shift patterns, personal or work commitments, parenting), don’t stress – focus on what you can control like more whole foods.

Illustration of a woman picking out a grain out of a tapestry of different types of plants to show plant diversity

Takeaway

While having some understanding of calories in the context of your overall diet can be helpful, counting and fixating on them doesn’t provide the full picture of health (nor take into account how your metabolism works). This explains why, when followed religiously, the long-term results tend to be disappointing, leading to feelings of failure and too often resulting in a vicious dieting cycle, if not disordered eating. If you’ve experienced this, you’re not alone. But moving forward, instead of thinking of just calories, try to look at food with a 360 view. Focus on the quality of your diet first by integrating the Super Six – including 5 portions of veg, 3 wholegrains, 2 fruit, and 1-2 portions of legumes, nuts and seeds – each day. Not only does the research demonstrate that this can help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight, but it will leave you feeling more satiated throughout the day. It has also been shown to benefit other systems in your body, such as your mind, skin, immune system, and much more thanks to the gut’s clever connections.

If you have personalised health goals or are struggling with weight management, our team of specialist dietitians in The Gut Health Clinic can support your individual needs and develop a plan that fits into your life. Find out more or send an enquiry here.

Illustration of gut with micro bacteria and a quiz sheet

Is your gut healthy?

Take our quick quiz to give you helpful insight into the current state of your gut health. By assessing your symptoms, family history, immunity, mood and other lifestyle factors, you can be informed on the most effective areas to kickstart your own gut health transformation.

Take our gut health quiz