Why Counting Calories May Lead to Adding Pounds This Holiday Season

G'day Mate!

Last weekend was monumental—I finally did a reverse lunge (with a ring in hand) and proposed to Milena. The love and support from you all have been overwhelming, and I can’t thank you enough. My WHOOP might not have loved the celebrations, but my happiness is through the roof.

During the festivities, I chatted with a mate who reminded me of my early fitness days. They’d take a bite of food, calculate the calories, and then plan the next day’s workout to "burn it off." I used to do the same—avoiding meals out because I couldn’t track calories and punishing myself in the gym for indulgences.

But here’s what we’ve learned from the science: fixating on calories doesn’t just create stress—it alters your body’s chemistry. This obsession elevates cortisol (your stress hormone) and suppresses dopamine (your pleasure neurotransmitter), making it harder to enjoy and digest food. I also cover a lot of these principles in my book Eat Like a Legend, if you are thinking of Christmas presents :)

In today’s newsletter:

• ➕ The impact of calorie-counting stress on your health

• 🛑 Signs of calorie-counting becoming a mild eating disorder

• 📝 A guide to navigating the holidays without counting

These signs I displayed 15 years ago are seen as a very early stage of an eating disorder and it is much more prevalent than we think. It is something i have chatted extensively with mates on my Podcast with such as Nick Bare. So if you have a mate who is showing signs you can send them this link HERE or DM me I am happy to chat it through! I want more of you legends eating for performance and not aesthetics

The Science of Calorie-Counting and Mental Health

After studying hormones and the endocrine system during my Masters Degree, I was shocked to see how much our mind connected to our messenger systems internally. Simply looking at a meal in a certain way has an impact on how our body functions internally

1. Elevated Stress Levels

   • Cortisol Spikes: Constantly stressing over calories increases cortisol, disrupting digestion, promoting fat storage, and interfering with sleep and recovery. When cortisol is elevated it directly blocks fat metabolism

2. Disrupted Neurotransmitters

   • Dopamine Suppression: Viewing food as numbers suppresses dopamine, which not only diminishes the joy of eating but also affects your motivation, performance, and ability to keep pushing through the day.

   • Serotonin Reduction: Chronic stress lowers serotonin, increasing anxiety and unhappiness.

3. Unhealthy Eating Patterns

   • Obsessive Behaviors: Calorie-monitoring can lead to disordered eating, turning food into a source of stress instead of nourishment.

Signs of Calorie-Counting as a Mild Eating Disorder

While one or two signs don’t mean you have an issue, consistent patterns can signal a problem. Here’s what to watch for:

• Obsessive tracking: Feeling anxious if you can’t log meals.

• Avoidance of social meals: Skipping events or bringing "safe" foods.

• Exercise as punishment: Training to "burn off" calories eaten.

• Food fear: Labeling foods as "good" or "bad" and feeling guilt for indulging.

• Body image fixation: Frequently weighing yourself or mirror-checking.

• Isolation and irritability: Stressing over food choices and withdrawing socially.

• Physical fatigue: Overtraining, poor performance, or unintentional weight loss.1. So what does the alcohol actually do to our hydration?

The Guide to eating without counting

Here’s how to shift away from calorie-counting and embrace a healthier relationship with food:

1. Quality Over Quantity

   • Focus on nutrient-dense foods before holiday festivities. Your body will naturally signal when it’s had enough, no need for calorie tracking.

2. 80/20 Rule

   • Balance indulgence with healthy choices. Enjoy Grandma’s cookies guilt-free while making nutrient-packed choices most of the time.

3. Think Ahead to the New Year

   • The new year is a natural reset. Enjoy the holidays without guilt, knowing you’ll have the opportunity to refocus your habits come January.

All these principles are found further in my cookbook Eat Like A Legend, and ultimately if you are eating to look good, if you eat for performance it will in turn help you push harder and then a by product is look and feel the way you want too!

Quick Notes

• 🎥 We filmed a Youtube Ep with Nick Bare, check it out on the channel HERE and subscribe for more of a visual representation of my programming

• 🏃🏻‍♂️ We are heading into winter and need to make sure we are getting that Vitamin D3… if you subscribe to AG1 HERE ill send you the Vitamin D3 for free for a year (ill even throw in 5 travel packs)

• I looked back at my WHOOP during the time of my proposal and my stress monitor was at a 2.9/3.0 talk about not being cool under pressure.

Keep crushing it legends

DC

#EatGoodFeelGood