Hey there. Let’s talk about “earning” your calories. If you’ve seen one of those Halloween graphics floating around social media this week, you know exactly what I’m talking about. The ones that list how many burpees or minutes on a treadmill it takes to burn off a fun-size candy bar. Yeah... that nonsense.
This mindset is everywhere, and I get why it seems logical. We’ve been conditioned to believe that food is something we need to punish ourselves for. But here’s the deal. If you’re eating a piece of candy and immediately calculating what you need to do to burn it off, you’re not enjoying your food. You’re not living your life. You’re playing a mental game that will drive you absolutely nuts.
I’ve done it. I’ve logged every bite in MyFitnessPal. I’ve obsessed over calorie burn estimates. I’ve tried to “offset” food choices with workouts. And even though I was technically doing the right things to lose weight, it felt exhausting. I wasn’t building something sustainable. I was stuck in a loop.
So what do I recommend instead? Start with your foundation. Eat more produce because it’s nutrient dense. Drink water. Add in protein. Slow down when you eat. Try to stop at around 80 percent full. That’s it. This is what builds a sustainable way of eating.
If you love tracking calories and it works for you, awesome. Keep doing it. But if you’re tired of the start-and-stop cycle, tired of thinking about food like it’s a math equation, there’s a better way. You do not have to earn your food. You do not need to punish yourself with workouts. You just need to find habits that you can repeat over time.
And if you’ve been trying to lose weight for years and you’re frustrated, this might be the shift you need. You can eat for weight loss without obsessing over every calorie. You can be consistent without being extreme.
If this post hit home for you and you're ready to try something different, join The YLF Experience. Let’s stop the nonsense and build something that works.