Hi friends! I hope that your Saturday has been a beautiful one thus far 🙂 I’ve got a bit of a ramble today, so I’m also hoping that you have a few minutes to spare. Grab yourselves a drink (cinnamon spiced latte for me) and a cookie (or some cookie dough), and please sit back for a while.
Please keep in mind that I’m not a nutritionist, nor do I have any formal nutritional training. I’m simply speaking from personal experience and my own research that I’ve collected over the years…
. – . – . – .
So I was browsing through the latest issue of Shape that I picked up the other day, when I came across the magazine’s interview with Jillian Michaels. Now, I can’t say that I’m the woman’s biggest fan – I’ve never tried any of her workouts and I think that her approach in The Biggest Loser can sometimes be a little unhealthy – but I have to admit that did like some of what she had to say…
First off, homegirl eats…
Jillian Michaels Eats 2,000 Calories a Day!
Hoo-ray! *sarcasm off*
Wonderful, but I hate how the article makes such a big deal out of it. They make it sound like eating 2,000 calories a day is some crazy feat. It’s not. It’s actually pretty standard, or at least it should be.
Banana bread and coconut butter. I don’t mind meeting my daily caloric needs with foods like this…
I don’t know about you, but I’m SO sick of hearing health and fitness gurus advocate a vigorous training schedule and a diet consisting of less than 1,500 calories a day. To me, that’s nothing short of sabotage. Sure, the weight might come off a bit quicker, but will it stay off? Is that kind of lifestyle a maintainable one? To me, it seems like we’re only setting ourselves up for failure in the long run. By increasing our output and restricting our intake to a level far below what we need to support that output, we’re only teaching our bodies to do what?
HOLD ON to calories and STORE fat.
Our bodies are smart; they’ve got the whole survival thing figured out, and if they think they’re in danger of starvation, they start becoming a lot more efficient at storing any calories they get. As a result, our metabolisms slow down and our bodies stop operating at an optimal level, as energy is taken away from “less important” functions, and put towards keeping our brain and heart going.
Sound good to you? Yeah, me neither.
Pizza, on the other hand, sounds very good…
… and, oh, it WAS.
But I digress. The point is, we teach our bodies to maintain on less than they should through the very act of dieting and restriction. Believe me. When I was in the depths of my eating disorder, I got to a point where I was maintaining on a ridiculously low amount of calories. Like, people in comas were probably maintaining on a lot more than me. Now, I’m able to eat at least 4 or 5 times that while maintaining my weight. Why? Because, by providing it with a constant supply of the right amount of energy, I’ve finally convinced my body that it’s not going to starve so it doesn’t need to cling to every calorie I give it.
As a result, my metabolism, energy, mood, and health have skyrocketed, and I’m a happy, hungry Energizer Bunny who will gladly eat everything in sight. Mmmm…Â Err. Where was I? Oh yeah, Jillian…
Another thing I liked was that she admitted to not eating clean 100% of the time.
“I give food a number on a scale from one to 10. Ones are superfoods and will practically cure cancer, like organic spinach. Tens are crap that could kill you tomorrow, like a prepackaged cupcake. The highest I’ll go is a five or six. For example, I adore Popchips. They’re 100 calories a bag—no preservatives, no trans fats, and no artificial sweeteners. Is it a superfood? No. But will it kill me? No!”
Personally, I’d go all the way up to a 10 on occasion, but to each their own. The point is that we shouldn’t be afraid of enjoying the occasional unhealthy foods that we love because:
a. they’re not going to kill us (I ate cupcakes and lived to tell the tale), and
b. they’re good for our mental health (which is just as important as our physical health)
I can’t go a day without dessert in some form, nor would I ever want to. I spent years depriving myself of the foods I loved only to become a cranky and bitter mess. No chocolate? No cookies?
No thank you.
I love clean foods, I really do, but I love sweet treats as well, and in my opinion, a truly healthy diet includes a balanced amount of both. I mean, how can you say no to a face like this?
I can’t, that’s for sure. And have my “indulgences” sabotaged my body? No. Have they made me a happier person? Hell yes. Win? win. So I guess what I’m trying to say here is don’t buy into those low calorie, high activity lifestyles. Don’t be afraid to eat up and eat well.
*steps off soapbox*
I would love to hear your thoughts on calories and clean eating. Do you count calories? Do you stay within a daily limit, or listen to your hunger? And how about indulgences? Do you let yourself have treats when you crave them? I know everyone has a different opinion on these issues, and I’m really curious to hear what you guys think.
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I love this. I know it’s years old… but I just found your blog last night and I’ve read tons of your posts since then. This is such a fantastic rant. I, too, fell victim to the stupid 12-1500 calorie diets and battled weight gain. I eat 2200-2600ish (don’t always count, but have a general idea to make sure I get ENOUGH) and I don’t gain a thing! Plus I’m crazy energetic and happy and sleep soooo much better. So glad there’s more people coming out against the low cal bull!
Thanks so much for sharing your experiences, Amanda! It’s always so valuable for people to see that YES, it DOES work when we nourish our bodies properly and give them what they need.
Thank you for this post. I did clean eating and got very strict with it to the point it was almost scary. I couldnt go out and enjoy a hamburger with friends without my stomach getting upset. Now that I have gained alot of my weight back, I’m trying to search out a “happy medium” to where I can go out and eat with my family and also eat healthy too. Our favorite desert is a local frozen yogurt place and it would be very difficult for us to give that up.
I am a bit late to join the party… but am backreading and had to say…
THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU. I relate to every word of this. I am reaching the next phase of my an recovery and it is involving an increase in my intake and reaching a new weight which is so uncomfortable and leads to that road with two paths… but it is thanks to amazing posts like this (and most of your blog tbh) that encourages me to just keep on going forward and not to think about retreating backwards. Thankyou. Hearing info like this from the mouth of someone who’s been there makes it so much more believable, you know?
I am a bit late to join the party… but am backreading and had to say…
THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU. I relate to every word of this. I am reaching the next phase of my an recovery and it is involving an increase in my intake and reaching a new weight which is so uncomfortable and leads to that road with two paths… but it is thanks to amazing posts like this (and most of your blog tbh) that encourages me to just keep on going forward and not to think about retreating backwards. Thankyou. Hearing info like this from the mouth of someone who’s been there makes it so much more believable, you know?
I really loved this post! I don’t count calories anymore, but I used to be a little too obsessive and convinced myself that 2,000 calories was all I needed for a day…and that just doesn’t work for a growing teenage girl who’s super active! I personally would eat absolutely any food on a scale of 10 (ben and jerrys, helllo!) but it doesn’t mean you have to overindulge everyday! Great post though for real, It really put things into perspective.
Love, love, LOVE this post! I can’t express how much this post hits close to home and how awesome it is to see someone speaking up about it in the blogging community.
As much as I love and adore healthy living/food blogs, reading them is sometimes a potential trigger for my old eating disorder ways because it seems like no one ever indulges or skips a beat with a workout. It would be disheartening to read posts like “Oh, I worked out for about 2 hours then didn’t have much of an appetite so I downed a small salad and some cottage cheese” on my personal rest days. Well, there go my warm-fuzzy feelings about giving my body a day off, and damn, did I really just eat twice what they did?
Thankfully though, thinking like that is a thing of the past. I used to think eating over 1,200 calories was AWFUL and should never be allowed. Then I woke up. I learned about BMR’s and got into strength training. Now I happily eat well over 1,500 a day and I feel so much better. I have more energy, my skin is better, I feel stronger, etc.
Now I only count calories to make sure I’m not eating too little for my activity levels of the day. And okay, maybe I do tend to shy away from certain foods like white breads or pasta, but not too an excessive point. I definitely still mack down on chocolate, almond butter, etc. — whatever my body’s craving. Balance is key. :]
Anyway, this comment ended up being way longer than I intended! I really only wanted to comment and tell you how amazing it is that you brought this subject up and that I’m really glad you’re blogging again! I definitely missed your insightful posts during your hiatus.
Looking forward to reading more great posts!
-Kelsey
Love, love, LOVE this post! I can’t express how much this post hits close to home and how awesome it is to see someone speaking up about it in the blogging community.
As much as I love and adore healthy living/food blogs, reading them is sometimes a potential trigger for my old eating disorder ways because it seems like no one ever indulges or skips a beat with a workout. It would be disheartening to read posts like “Oh, I worked out for about 2 hours then didn’t have much of an appetite so I downed a small salad and some cottage cheese” on my personal rest days. Well, there go my warm-fuzzy feelings about giving my body a day off, and damn, did I really just eat twice what they did?
Thankfully though, thinking like that is a thing of the past. I used to think eating over 1,200 calories was AWFUL and should never be allowed. Then I woke up. I learned about BMR’s and got into strength training. Now I happily eat well over 1,500 a day and I feel so much better. I have more energy, my skin is better, I feel stronger, etc.
Now I only count calories to make sure I’m not eating too little for my activity levels of the day. And okay, maybe I do tend to shy away from certain foods like white breads or pasta, but not too an excessive point. I definitely still mack down on chocolate, almond butter, etc. — whatever my body’s craving. Balance is key. :]
Anyway, this comment ended up being way longer than I intended! I really only wanted to comment and tell you how amazing it is that you brought this subject up and that I’m really glad you’re blogging again! I definitely missed your insightful posts during your hiatus.
Looking forward to reading more great posts!
-Kelsey
On a scale to 1 to 10, I’d give this post a 100 000 000 000 000 000!
YOU, my dear, are officially my FAVORITE blogger. I love the effort you put behind all your post, and I agree completly with everything you say!
Lol at your rely ”Do they think they deserve a medal for eating white bread or what??”. I think the exact same thing, when people talk about their half-assed recovery/challenges, like: ”I ate an unknown calorie meal made by mommy today!”, well aware that they barely ate 1200cals total.
I used to be a blogger, and I admit I ate way more ”unclean” (is that a word?) foods than I showed on my blog, because I was a bit (ok, very) self-concious of what people might think of me.
I stumbled across your blog via your old blog (used to be a reader), I’m glad I found you again :p
Hi Amanda! love this post, I didn’t allow myself those treats that ranked a “10” on Jillian’s odd scale! Almost a year later, I’m just starting to allow myself to have those 10’s on the occasional basis. How do you not let these articles and all the media around losing weight get to you anymore? Still struggling through recovery…
Hi Amanda! love this post, I didn’t allow myself those treats that ranked a “10” on Jillian’s odd scale! Almost a year later, I’m just starting to allow myself to have those 10’s on the occasional basis. How do you not let these articles and all the media around losing weight get to you anymore? Still struggling through recovery…
I totally agree with your opinion on clean eating. Eating, in my mind, shouldn’t be clean, it should be balanced. Ya, good food is good for us, but there are foods that are good for us mentally as well!
I totally agree with your opinion on clean eating. Eating, in my mind, shouldn’t be clean, it should be balanced. Ya, good food is good for us, but there are foods that are good for us mentally as well!
Our bodies need fuel!
I’m trying to listen to my body more and give it what it craves. I think we crave things because our body needs them in some way, no matter what that might be!
Our bodies need fuel!
I’m trying to listen to my body more and give it what it craves. I think we crave things because our body needs them in some way, no matter what that might be!
ahhh thank you thank you thank you for this post.
i’ve been eating “clean” for the past year now, always thinking about the foods, i “used to eat” and how i never indulge on anything like sweets or carby things anymore, but now i’m glad i read this to take the right approach to being healthy.
i’m glad i’ve gotten the chance to be enlightened before i continued on this route!
ahhh thank you thank you thank you for this post.
i’ve been eating “clean” for the past year now, always thinking about the foods, i “used to eat” and how i never indulge on anything like sweets or carby things anymore, but now i’m glad i read this to take the right approach to being healthy.
i’m glad i’ve gotten the chance to be enlightened before i continued on this route!
What a great post! Thank you for this. I just happened to stumble upon your blog today because we have some mutual bloggy friends. 🙂 I am so happy to have found you! As a first time reader, I couldn’t have picked a better post to read as an introduction to your blog. It’s really resonating with me. I don’t count calories, I listen to my body and I definitely indulge in plenty of treats. Thank you for the reminder that it’s ok and HEALTHY! You’re awesome 🙂
What a great post! Thank you for this. I just happened to stumble upon your blog today because we have some mutual bloggy friends. 🙂 I am so happy to have found you! As a first time reader, I couldn’t have picked a better post to read as an introduction to your blog. It’s really resonating with me. I don’t count calories, I listen to my body and I definitely indulge in plenty of treats. Thank you for the reminder that it’s ok and HEALTHY! You’re awesome 🙂
THIS is a fabulous post. 🙂 really really really. I think I’ve been eating more and I kind of was freaking out because I did gain some weight (which I did need to) but I realized I gained a LOT less than I thought and I’m still eating a fair amount… so apparently my body knows what it’s doing 😉 lol.
I’m a little out of it (just tired) so I’m fairly incoherent but I LOVE THIS. 🙂 You are a rockstar!
<3
n
THIS is a fabulous post. 🙂 really really really. I think I’ve been eating more and I kind of was freaking out because I did gain some weight (which I did need to) but I realized I gained a LOT less than I thought and I’m still eating a fair amount… so apparently my body knows what it’s doing 😉 lol.
I’m a little out of it (just tired) so I’m fairly incoherent but I LOVE THIS. 🙂 You are a rockstar!
<3
n
I love 100% of this post. I am a fan of Jillian, but really. 2,000 calories a day? Give her a medal, ladies and gentlemen! Gag me. I’ve never counted calories, so I couldn’t even begin to guess where I fall on any certain day – but I DO know that some days I eat towards the 2 and 4 end on the Jillian Michael scale, but God knows I can swing to a 10 if I’m on my period and no force of man or nature could stand between me and Wendy’s. Moderation is key!!
how have i not read your blog before?! this post is so great and you’re spot on! after suffering from anorexia for the best part of ten years, i came to realise that you can actually eat to stay slim!
how have i not read your blog before?! this post is so great and you’re spot on! after suffering from anorexia for the best part of ten years, i came to realise that you can actually eat to stay slim!
Ah man, the calorie intake vs. activity thing bums me out.
Especially considering I’m recovering from a period of ‘deprivation’ [shall we say]. All I wanna do is test the waters & see how I’d feel if I upped my calories & maintained the same activity level, but I’m too scared to experiment with it at the moment.
& you’re right, people don’t seem to take into account how the metabolism adjusts. They seem to think that just because they’re maintaining a weight, their intake must be healthy. Nu-uh.
I’m hoping that some day soon I can amp up to 2000 & feel energised & more fulfilled 🙂 x
Ah man, the calorie intake vs. activity thing bums me out.
Especially considering I’m recovering from a period of ‘deprivation’ [shall we say]. All I wanna do is test the waters & see how I’d feel if I upped my calories & maintained the same activity level, but I’m too scared to experiment with it at the moment.
& you’re right, people don’t seem to take into account how the metabolism adjusts. They seem to think that just because they’re maintaining a weight, their intake must be healthy. Nu-uh.
I’m hoping that some day soon I can amp up to 2000 & feel energised & more fulfilled 🙂 x
Food should not be labeled good or bad. I eat what I want! sometimes that’s involved veggie plates and sometimes that’s two big bowls of coconut milk ice cream. BIG deal.
“OHMYGOD jillian michaels eats 2,000 calories a day!” That IS just stupid. My health teacher in school said “nobody should be eating over 2,500 calories.” and was like HUH? agh it’s just frustrating. Why society thinks it’s normal to eat 1,400 or 1,200 calories is good i will never understand.
This is such a huge topic! Thanks for posting 🙂
ahhhhhh-gree! 10s are essential for mental health here and there! How awful would it be to celebrate a bday with a best friend and REFUSE a cupcake! umm… ppl would probably be insulted and im sure the craptalking that would ensue behind my back would be worse than eating a cupcake and *gasp* actually enjoying it! haha 😉 totally understand where you’re coming from. and 2000 is pretty standard, but i’m actually not supposed to eat that many for my super short height and frame. *sigh* thank you genetics!
great post girl!
ahhhhhh-gree! 10s are essential for mental health here and there! How awful would it be to celebrate a bday with a best friend and REFUSE a cupcake! umm… ppl would probably be insulted and im sure the craptalking that would ensue behind my back would be worse than eating a cupcake and *gasp* actually enjoying it! haha 😉 totally understand where you’re coming from. and 2000 is pretty standard, but i’m actually not supposed to eat that many for my super short height and frame. *sigh* thank you genetics!
great post girl!
I love this post! I think Jillian takes things to the extreme. One cupcake, one burger and fries, isn’t going to kill you. I follow the 90/10 rule. Eat nutrient dense foods 90% of the time and the rest fill up with what I want. Mental sanity means more to me than just looking good. One cookie isn’t going to make you fat. I do count calories but I don’t deprive myself, I eat more than 2000 calories that’s for sure 😉
I love this post! I think Jillian takes things to the extreme. One cupcake, one burger and fries, isn’t going to kill you. I follow the 90/10 rule. Eat nutrient dense foods 90% of the time and the rest fill up with what I want. Mental sanity means more to me than just looking good. One cookie isn’t going to make you fat. I do count calories but I don’t deprive myself, I eat more than 2000 calories that’s for sure 😉
You will! At the end of the day, a calorie is a calorie…
Such a great post! I’m glad carrie tweeted it!! I definitely feel more energized and happier when I eat enough, not to mention healthier!
Such a great post! I’m glad carrie tweeted it!! I definitely feel more energized and happier when I eat enough, not to mention healthier!
Hey 🙂 I used to quietly read your other blog, and it’s good to see you back.
I clicked on the article, and honestly it left a bad feeling with me. Admittedly it’s been a while since I’ve read something like Shape, and I clicked through a few things and found it…well. I really like Hedda’s comment above^.
I don’t know too much about Jillian directly, only bits and pieces that come up. I’ve never watched her, or looked into any of her plans/regimes, but even so I’m not sure I’m comfortable with her approaches.
The article you linked to kind of came across as quite black and white and almost… sensationalist (?) to me; or at least as some form of ‘marketing’ the ‘perfection’ that apparently is Jillian. It all seems like a ploy.
Whilst, on one hand, I do think it is a good thing that they highlight the fact she eats 2000 rather that 1200 calories, it also makes me worry that people (and active people) will read it and think “Crap! I eat more than that, I really need to cut back” when they really don’t. I realise that Jillian seems to have a lot of power, but I just hope that readers realise she’s also a business woman, and is not the gospel truth of how to be happy and healthy. (Can I just add how much that comment about her ‘single crater of cellulite’ on her arse p*ssed me of? Really?? Is that ‘confession’ meant to make her more relatable to?? *shakes head*)
Personally, I do still struggle with calorie counting, but these days I’m also more open to giving my body what it needs/wants rather than what I *think* it needs. And yes, sometimes that involves biscuits (cookies: I’m British) for breakfast ;). I used to be quite strict with myself, and feared a lot of things, and while I do generally eat ‘clean’ – as that’s what my cravings gravitate towards (really, if you don’t give me vegetables I get cranky)- I don’t really see things as ‘indulgences’ or ‘treats’: they’re just food in another form, and there is plenty space for them to be incorporated :).
Hey 🙂 I used to quietly read your other blog, and it’s good to see you back.
I clicked on the article, and honestly it left a bad feeling with me. Admittedly it’s been a while since I’ve read something like Shape, and I clicked through a few things and found it…well. I really like Hedda’s comment above^.
I don’t know too much about Jillian directly, only bits and pieces that come up. I’ve never watched her, or looked into any of her plans/regimes, but even so I’m not sure I’m comfortable with her approaches.
The article you linked to kind of came across as quite black and white and almost… sensationalist (?) to me; or at least as some form of ‘marketing’ the ‘perfection’ that apparently is Jillian. It all seems like a ploy.
Whilst, on one hand, I do think it is a good thing that they highlight the fact she eats 2000 rather that 1200 calories, it also makes me worry that people (and active people) will read it and think “Crap! I eat more than that, I really need to cut back” when they really don’t. I realise that Jillian seems to have a lot of power, but I just hope that readers realise she’s also a business woman, and is not the gospel truth of how to be happy and healthy. (Can I just add how much that comment about her ‘single crater of cellulite’ on her arse p*ssed me of? Really?? Is that ‘confession’ meant to make her more relatable to?? *shakes head*)
Personally, I do still struggle with calorie counting, but these days I’m also more open to giving my body what it needs/wants rather than what I *think* it needs. And yes, sometimes that involves biscuits (cookies: I’m British) for breakfast ;). I used to be quite strict with myself, and feared a lot of things, and while I do generally eat ‘clean’ – as that’s what my cravings gravitate towards (really, if you don’t give me vegetables I get cranky)- I don’t really see things as ‘indulgences’ or ‘treats’: they’re just food in another form, and there is plenty space for them to be incorporated :).
Great post. I do count calories and its something I have been struggling to stop for the last 4 years or so. I no longer record them, but I haven’t been able to break the adding up the calories in my head just yet.I try to stay below a certain upper limit but lately I have tried to listen to what my body needs especially since I started exercising more.If I feel hungry then I am trying to listen that instead of saying well I can’t have anything else because it would put me over my calorie limit. Indulgences are something I am still struggling with, I feel extremely guilty if I indulge but I think depriving myself when I am really craving something is having a negative impact, especially when I think of all the amazing things I have missed out of, so finding the balance is something I am trying to work on.
Life’s too short to deprive yourself of treats! And you shouldn’t feel guilty for enjoying them at all, because everyone deserves to enjoy a treat every day. If a chocolate chip cookie can brighten up your day, then why say no?