To count or not to count, that is the question. So many of my patients believe that the only way to lose weight is to count calories. They come into my office able to rattle off the number of calories in a vast number of different foods—they know far more than I even know—and yet they haven’t been able to budge the scale.
A recent study released by Harvard University reveals one reason why this may be true: The researchers concluded that the kind of calories eaten matters more than the number. In other words, 1,500 calories worth of your favorite dessert might not help your weight loss efforts in the same way as 1,500 calories worth of fruits, veggies, or whole grains.
Surprised? I’m not! When you stop fretting over the exact number of calories in the foods you eat, and focus instead on creating healthy, balanced meals and learning what reasonable portion sizes are, it’s likely the pounds will start to drop off. Better yet, your meals will leave you more satisfied. That 100-calorie pack of Oreos is not going to keep you fueled for as long as a serving of low-fat Greek yogurt and a banana, which together have roughly the same number of calories as the cookies.
