No.3 REASON DIETS DON’T WORK: You’re Obsessed With Calorie Counting - All Calories Are NOT equal!

For decades, dieting has been reduced to a simple formula:

👉 Burn more calories than you eat, and you’ll lose weight.

It makes sense and seems logical, doesn’t it? The trouble is, it’s not the whole story.

Why “Calories In, Calories Out” Is Misleading

Yes, energy balance matters. But your body isn’t a calculator — it’s a living, breathing system with hormones, cravings, energy needs, and complex biochemistry.

When you obsess over calorie counting, you ignore the fact that not all calories are equal.

Avocado vs French Fries: The Same Calories, Different Results

Let’s say you eat 200 calories of avocado and 200 calories of French fries.

🥑 Avocado: packed with fibre, healthy fats, protein, carbs, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Contains It keeps you fuller for longer, supports heart health, and helps your body absorb nutrients.

🍟 French fries: (chips in the UK), largely refined carbs and cheap, poor-quality fats. They spike your blood sugar, crash your energy, and leave you craving more soon after… and thats before you dip them into sugary dips

On paper, the calories are identical. But in your body, they behave completely differently.

Why Micronutrients Matter

It’s not just about how much you eat — it’s about what’s inside the food you eat.

Take 100 calories of olive oil versus 100 calories of low-fat spread:

🌿 Olive oil provides vital antioxidants and healthy fats that support your brain, heart, and hormone health.

🧴 Low-fat (buttery) spread is ultra-processed, full of additives, and gives you none of the same nourishment.

Your body knows the difference. It recognises wholesome food and uses it efficiently. With processed foods, it often ends up storing them as fat ( starvation mode), leaving you undernourished.

A Quick Look Back: The Birth of Calorie Counting

Calorie counting diets became hugely popular in the mid 20th century, when food was less processed, meals were simpler, and portion sizes were smaller. Back then, focusing only on numbers seemed to work for some.

Fast forward to today — supermarket aisles are dominated by ultra-processed foods, created in science labs and engineered for taste and convenience.

Today - We eat with our tastebuds, not with our long-term health in mind and when the quality of food drops, pure calorie counting fails us.

The Dark Side of Calorie Counting

Constantly tracking, weighing, and logging food can tip into obsession.

For some, calorie counting becomes a gateway to disordered eating, food guilt, or even OCD-like behaviours around eating.

Every single anorexic client I have worked with has been OBSESSED with calorie counting, weighing portions, (weighing and body-checking themselves), to the point that 1 gram extra can send them into a tail spin!

Food and life become numbers instead of nourishment and joy. Is that any way to live?

💬 Have you ever found yourself obsessing over calorie numbers instead of enjoying your food?

What Works Instead

Here’s the truth: when you eat a wide variety of wholesome, unprocessed foods — fruits, vegetables, whole grains, quality proteins, and healthy fats — several things happen:

✅ You feel fuller for longer.

✅ Your body recognises it as “food” and utilises the nutrients properly.

✅ You’re less likely to overeat or store excess fat.

✅ You’re much less likely to develop Type II diabetes and other diet related diseases

The Takeaway

Diets that obsess over calorie counting miss the bigger picture. Your body needs real food, not just fewer numbers.

If you want lasting change, shift the focus away from restriction and towards nourishment. Because when your body feels fed, your mind feels free.

This blog is Part 3 of my series: Reasons Why Diets Don’t Work (and What You Can Do Instead).

👉 To read Part 2 click on the link, (bottom right page)

👉 Stay tuned for Part 4, where we’ll explore another hidden reason diets fail.