I’m starting to feel like a broken record. Skipping to the same few lines, over and over until you move the needle. Calories are energy.

I say, or post, that at least once a day. Whether it’s a story on instagram or a tweet. I spend a few minutes each day reminding people that they are live, and so they require calories.

I still remember sitting my medical nutrition therapy class fall of senior year and my professor making us do a call and response: “Calories.” “Energy.”

It was that simple. But it still gets lost on so many of us. We’re afraid of getting too much energy. Somewhere, some how calories have gotten confused for nutrients.

Nutrition 101

Nutrients include both macro- and micronutrients. Macronutrients, being carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Macronutrients are named so because you need larger quantities. Micronutrients, and small but mighty. These a nutrients like calcium, iron, and magnesium. You need them in small amounts, but they are very necessary.

Calories are energy. It is an approximation of the amount of energy available in food. 1 calorie raises 1 gram of water 1 degree centigrade. Have you ever watched a pot boil? We could also calculate the amount of calories in toilet paper or tree bark. They are both flammable, they are a source of fuel. Not for humans, but do you see where I’m headed.

You are alive. Meaning that you need energy for your heart to beat, for you ears to hear, and for your eyes to see. Constantly seeking to avoiding getting an adequate amount of energy does not lead to a full life.

Every human alive has a basal metabolic rate. This is the bare minimum amount of energy you need to lay in the bed motionless. Once we factor in daily activities of life (think work, school, cleaning your room), we need more energy. If you are engaging in joyful movement that gets your heart pumping, like running, swimming, briskly walking the dog, you need even more energy.

What They Say About Calories

But we’ve demonized energy. “Low cal breakfast ideas”, “low cal lunch/dinner ideas”, “guilt free dessert”. Unless you stole your food you don’t need to feel guilt for having dessert. What you’re eating does not make you a bad person. What you don’t eat doesn’t make you a good person.

Not getting enough energy each day has negative consequences on your health, both physical and mental. Chronic deprivation often leads to preoccupation with food. You deserve to have a clear head that’s not constantly thinking about what you ate for breakfast yesterday, and if you’ve burned it off yet.

Know that I understand and have so much compassion. There was a point in my life, where I actively avoided getting enough energy each day. Opting for the lowest calorie option, the smallest portion size. On the outside, I looked like a regular teenage girl. Internally, I was miserable. I had constant thoughts about food and my body, all while feeling incredibly numb to the world.

A New Path

I look back to that girl, and have so much compassion for her. She wanted to fit into a world that didn’t value her individuality. She wanted to fit in when she was meant to stand out.

If you count calories, or macros, track using an app, measure your food, or whatever. I understand. It feels so normal. Everyone is “watching what they eat.” But I want to offer you another solution, one that trusts your body to know best. Your body is fine tuned machine that knows what it needs, when it needs it. It’s waiting for you to listen.

It may sound like you’re giving up control, but you’re not. You’re putting food back in it’s place. You’re getting control back.

Today is the best day to change your life!