Why I’ll Never Calorie Count Again And What I Do Instead

Why calorie counting keeps you stuck, discover what really works for weight loss, energy, and blood sugar balance.

Have you ever looked at your plate, calculated the calories, ticked off your workout and still felt like nothing’s changing?

The scales barely move. Your jeans still feel tight. You feel tired, stressed, and maybe even a bit resentful that you’re doing “everything right” and still getting nowhere.

I get it. Truly. For years, we’ve been sold the idea that weight and energy are simply a matter of “eat less, move more.” And when it doesn’t work, we assume we’ve failed.

But what if the method is broken, not you?

What if that relentless focus on calorie counting is actually keeping you stuck?

Let me explain.

The Problem with Calorie Counting After 40

We’ve been conditioned to believe that creating a calorie deficit is the key to better health and weight loss. And yes, calories do matter to a degree. But what that model fails to consider is how your body processes those calories and how stress, hormones, and nutrient levels all influence the outcome.

Here’s what I see all the time in my clinic: women who are eating very little, exercising as much as they can manage (often while juggling work, family, and other responsibilities), and yet still feel bloated, inflamed, wired-but-tired, and deeply frustrated.

When I dig deeper, we often find:

Blood sugar levels that are all over the place
Constant sugar or caffeine cravings
Disrupted sleep and poor recovery from exercise
Low mood or anxiety
And a metabolism that’s been unintentionally slowed down by years of under-eating

So let me say this clearly: cutting more calories isn’t the answer.

Especially not if your energy, mood, hormones, or digestion are already out of balance.

How Calorie Restriction Impacts Your Metabolism and Mood

When you drastically reduce your calorie intake, a few things happen:

Blood sugar drops. This can lead to mood swings, cravings, fatigue, and that “hangry” feeling that’s all too familiar.
Insulin spikes. Frequent dips and spikes in blood sugar push your body to produce more insulin, our fat-storage hormone. Over time, this can make weight loss even harder.
Cortisol rises. Your body perceives calorie restriction as a stressor, triggering your adrenal glands to release cortisol, which can lead to muscle breakdown, belly fat storage, and disrupted sleep.
Nutrient intake plummets. Less food means fewer nutrients, particularly those like magnesium, B vitamins, and amino acids that support energy, mood, and hormone balance.

In short, it’s a recipe for burnout.

And if you’re already juggling the demands of work, family, and emotional stress, your body is likely already under pressure. Restriction only adds fuel to the fire.

I’ve been working with Sarah for the last two months. She came to me wanting to increase her energy levels and lose weight. Her clothes felt tighter, and she was starting to feel uncomfortable in her skin, something so many women relate to, but rarely talk about out loud.

Rather than putting her on a restrictive eating plan or counting every bite, we took a different route.

We mapped out her current diet, identified areas where her blood sugar balance needed support, and ran a full blood panel to understand what was really going on beneath the surface. We found low magnesium, some signs of inflammation, and a few imbalances in her B vitamins that could have been contributing to both her energy dips and cravings.

Together, we focused on stabilising her meals, creating simple routines, and supporting her stress levels with some manageable daily practices.

Eight weeks later, she told me: “I’m feeling so much better in myself. My energy levels are steadily improving, and I’ve started noticing my clothes are fitting better, even though I’m not on a ‘diet’.”

This is what happens when you work with your body, not against it.

What to Do Instead: Focus on Blood Sugar Balance

Instead of trying to force your body into submission with ever-lower calorie targets, what if you started working with it?

One of the most powerful places to begin is with blood sugar balance.

This doesn’t mean going low-carb or eliminating everything you enjoy. It means learning how to build meals that keep your energy steady, reduce cravings, and allow your body to burn fat efficiently, without feeling deprived or depleted.

What Balanced Blood Sugar Looks Like

Balanced blood sugar is when your glucose levels remain fairly stable throughout the day, without big spikes or crashes. This happens when you include:

Protein with every meal (e.g. eggs, chicken, lentils, tofu)
Healthy fats (e.g. avocado, nuts, olive oil)
Fibre-rich carbohydrates (e.g. oats, root veg, quinoa, beans)
Plenty of colourful vegetables for added antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals

This kind of plate slows the release of glucose into your bloodstream, reduces the need for large insulin spikes, and helps your body switch from storing fat to burning it for energy.

But here’s what I love most about this approach: it’s about nourishment, not punishment.

You don’t have to count calories, obsess over the scales, or feel guilty for eating. You just have to give your body the right building blocks, in the right balance, at the right time.

Stress, Cortisol and Weight Gain in Women

Now, let’s talk about stress, because this is a huge, often-missing piece of the puzzle.

Chronic stress affects your blood sugar levels just as much as food does.

When you’re constantly rushing, worrying, overthinking, or simply doing too much, your cortisol levels rise. Over time, high cortisol can:

Trigger blood sugar imbalances (yes, even without food)
Increase insulin resistance
Make it harder to sleep, recover, and digest food properly
Lead to cravings, especially for sugar and caffeine
Encourage fat storage, particularly around your middle

Yet many women tell me they “don’t have time” to rest, that slowing down feels lazy, and that they’ll take care of themselves when things calm down.

But here’s the truth: you can’t out-supplement or out-diet chronic stress. It needs addressing.

Even 5–10 minutes of mindful breathing, prayer, journaling, or simply stepping away from your screen each day can start to shift things.

And when your nervous system starts to feel safe again, your body responds. Digestion improves. Cravings ease. Hormones begin to recalibrate. And yes, your energy levels increase.

Are You Ready for More?

If you’re reading this and thinking, This sounds like me, but I don’t even know where to start, you’re not alone.

That’s exactly why I created my Wellbeing Kickstart: to empower women like you to get clear on what’s really going on and start rebuilding from the inside out.

Together, we look at your symptoms, your stress load, your nutrition, and (where needed) your blood test results to understand what your body truly needs. From there, we create a plan that’s realistic, personalised, and supportive, not punishing.

You don’t need to count calories to see results.

You need to nourish your body, balance your blood sugar, reduce your stress load, and give yourself permission to feel good again.

Let’s create a plan that works for your body, so you can do more of what you love.

Find out more here.

About Claire
Claire Thomas is a Nutritional Therapist, NLP Practitioner, and Phlebotomist with a background in Children’s Nursing. She specialises in supporting ambitious women who feel exhausted, burnt out, or stuck in survival mode. Through personalised nutrition, mindset coaching, and functional testing, Claire helps her clients increase their energy levels, find clarity, and feel like themselves again. Based in Tiverton, Devon, she works both in-person and online through her clinic, Nourish to Soar.

Learn more at www.nourishtosoar.co.uk

Categories: : boost your energy, eating well, weight loss