The Calorie Myth

The Calorie Myth

November 05, 20253 min read

Stop Counting Calories — Start Working With Your Hormones

For decades, we’ve been told that “calories in vs. calories out” is the golden rule of weight loss. But here’s the truth: your body isn’t a calculator — it’s a chemistry lab.

Cutting calories doesn’t make you lean. It makes your body panic. And once your hormones start reacting, everything changes.


⚠️ What Really Happens When You Cut Calories

Let’s walk through what actually happens inside your body when you start restricting calories.

When you eat less, your body burns less.
Your metabolism slows down because your brain thinks, “We’re starving — better conserve energy.”

Your hormones shift into survival mode.

  • Leptin drops. That’s your fullness hormone. With less leptin, your brain thinks you’re starving — so it drives hunger up.

  • Ghrelin spikes. This is your hunger hormone. It starts screaming for food, making cravings unbearable.

  • Cortisol rises. That’s your stress hormone. High cortisol tells your body to hold onto fat for protection.

  • GLP-1 falls. You feel less full, your blood sugar becomes unstable, and the craving cycle intensifies.

So instead of losing fat, your body’s clinging to it — and you feel miserable while it does.


🏃‍♀️ Exercise Can’t Outrun Hormones

You might think, “I’ll just work it off at the gym.”
But your body’s smarter than that.

Those 300 calories you burned on the treadmill?
Your hormones will compensate — by either:

  • Making you hungrier later (you’ll subconsciously eat more), or

  • Making you tired, slowing you down the rest of the day.

Because the real driver isn’t calories — it’s hormonal balance.


🔥 Fat Is Just Stored Energy — But Access Is Hormonal

Body fat isn’t the enemy. It’s just stored fuel.

Your body can burn glucose (sugar) or fat (stored energy) — and which one it burns depends entirely on your hormones.

Two hormones run the show:

  • Insulin — stores glucose and locks fat away.

  • Glucagonunlocks fat and burns it for energy.

If insulin is constantly high (from constant eating, carbs, or stress), your body never unlocks fat.
You could be eating fewer calories and still store more fat.


🍳 Food Quality Beats Calorie Quantity

Here’s the real game changer:
The type of food you eat affects these hormones far more than the amount.

You can eat 1,500 calories of junk and stay insulin-resistant, hungry, and exhausted.
Or you can eat 1,500 calories of real, nutrient-dense food — and trigger fat-burning, stable energy, and clear focus.

Same calories.
Completely different hormonal outcome.


🧠 The Shift That Changes Everything

Once you stop fighting your body with a calculator and start working with your hormones, the results finally stick.

You stop starving yourself.
You stop fighting cravings.
You start burning fat naturally, because your body wants to — not because you forced it to.


✅ The Bottom Line

  • Calories don’t control your weight — hormones do.

  • Cutting calories makes your body resist you.

  • Balancing insulin and glucagon makes your body work with you.

  • Real food regulates hormones — processed food destroys them.

Stop counting. Start nourishing.
Because lasting fat loss isn’t math — it’s metabolism.

Get the book and find out the whole truth https://bestbodyhealthcoach.com/product-details/product/6867acd5360ca1cb0c8b9a5d

Nick Howarth, founder of Best Body Health Coach (BBHC) and published author on health and wellness, has been transforming lives since 2013 through his innovative and personalized health coaching programs. With over a decade of experience, Nick has empowered thousands to achieve their health goals, including sustainable weight loss and the management of chronic medical conditions, by focusing on nutrition and holistic wellness.

Nick Howarth

Nick Howarth, founder of Best Body Health Coach (BBHC) and published author on health and wellness, has been transforming lives since 2013 through his innovative and personalized health coaching programs. With over a decade of experience, Nick has empowered thousands to achieve their health goals, including sustainable weight loss and the management of chronic medical conditions, by focusing on nutrition and holistic wellness.

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