Ah, counting calories—feels like a safety net, right? It was for me, anyway. The one thing that made me feel like I had control. But here’s the kicker: even though I was counting every last calorie, I was still bingeing. So, was I really in control? Not. At. All. Psychologically, I thought I had it, but in reality? I was a mess—binging left and right, obsessing over food, fearing food, thinking about food. All. The. Time.

SO MUCH ENERGY spent trying to control my food… and yet, I was the most out of control I’d ever been.

And then came the moment my therapist suggested I stop tracking calories. “STOP TRACKING?!” I thought. “If I stop tracking, I’ll gain 10,000 pounds, my life will implode, and that’ll be the end of me.” I was convinced she’d lost her mind.

But fast forward 10 years, and guess what? I haven’t tracked a single calorie since I went to treatment in 2014. How did I get here? It definitely didn’t happen overnight, and it wasn’t easy. But I had this wake-up call: if I didn’t learn how to eat without tracking, I’d be doing it for the rest of my life. And that is not how I wanted to live.

I’m betting you don’t either—otherwise, you wouldn’t be here reading this blog. So, let’s dive into why it’s so dang hard to stop calorie counting and how you can actually make it happen!

Why It’s So Hard To Stop Counting Calories

The biggest reason is the false sense of control it provides. We’ve all felt it. Despite a ton of clinical ehe biggest reason? It’s that illusion of control. You know what I mean. Despite all the research out there showing that dieting doesn’t work long-term, letting go of that sense of control is tough. And let’s be real, it’s not just about controlling food—it’s about controlling our lives. Diet culture loves to sell us this fantasy that our dream life is just a few pounds away. Get that perfect body, and suddenly, everything’s amazing, right?

Except… that’s not how it works. If it were, everyone with that ‘ideal’ body would be living their best life. And we know that’s just not true. Counting calories feels like the answer, but it’s really not. Honestly, just recognizing that your attachment to counting is really about wanting to control something bigger can be a game changer. Because if you see that, you’re open to trying something new. Yay!

Reasons To Stop Counting Calories

Just to ensure you’re really on board with this—it sounds wild, I know. NOT COUNTING? Can I really do this? You can. But just to get you 100% on board, let’s explore a few other reasons why it might benefit you to say goodbye to counting.

Bye-bye unnecessary stress!

Tracking every single thing you eat increases stress.¹ How could it not? It’s stressful to ensure you’re tracking everything, to see the numbers you’ve consumed, and to realize how little food you’re restricted to. By no longer tracking, you eliminate extra stress you don’t need in your day.

Hellooo stronger mind-body connection 👋

What are you doing when you’re tracking everything? You’re literally telling your body, “I don’t trust you. I don’t trust your ability to tell me when to eat and when not to eat.” Which is WILD because that’s literally what our body is designed to do. My 7-month-old daughter doesn’t track calories, I don’t track her calories—so how does she know that she’s getting the appropriate amount of food? By listening to and honoring her hunger and fullness. By no longer tracking, you’re tapping back into that body connection you innately have.

Healthier relationship with food? Say no more!

Research shows calorie counting is associated with eating disorder symptoms due to the unrealistic expectations for our body to need the same amount of calories every day (which is not true) and for our body to function at a lower number of calories than we actually need. By learning how to stop counting calories, you can reduce the risk of developing disordered eating or an eating disorder by cultivating a healthy relationship with food—not only for yourself but for your current or future kiddos too!

Yum yum yummmm, more pleasure 😋

Counting calories immediately takes the joy out of eating because you begin to see food as numbers. And when those numbers are higher than you’re comfortable with, cue immediate stress, anxiety, obsession. Is that pleasurable? I don’t think so. By no longer tracking calories, you’re able to enjoy a variety of foods without guilt, making meals more satisfying and enjoyable.

No more fighting your body!

Because of the diet/binge cycle that is so closely connected to calorie counting, counting calories can actually be associated with weight cycling. By no longer counting calories and trusting your body, you’re able to allow your body to settle at a weight that is best for you, your lifestyle, and your health.

But what about weight gain?!

The most common question I get when it comes to this is, is it possible to stop counting calories without gaining weight? Ehhh, it depends. It depends on how much healing around your relationship with food you need to do, how much restricting you’re currently doing, and if the current weight you’re at is the best weight for you. What we do know from study after study is dieting is associated with a slowed metabolism, increased risk of weight regain, and an increased risk of settling upon a higher set point weight in the long run.

How to Stop Counting Calories

Alright, here’s what you’ve been waiting for: “I hear ya, Ryann, now how do I stop when I feel like these numbers have been literally burned into my brain?” It will take time. But if you’re willing to put in the effort to eliminate the counting, eventually you will be able to see food as food without seeing the numbers, too. Here’s where to start:

1. Make it Harder to Track

Before you delete the app off your phone (because if it were that easy, you would have already done it), make it harder to get to. Put the app on the last page of your phone, in a folder—anywhere that takes you a few steps to get to. Will this stop you from using it? No. But that’s not really the point yet. Will it make it just a tad more difficult to use? Yes, and that is what we want.

You can also use an app blocker (LOVE THIS! I use it to block my social media from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m.) to make it harder to log by blocking the times you can open the app.

2. Challenge Yourself to Skip a Day

The next step is to challenge yourself to skip a day here and there of tracking. Again, if it were as easy as just deleting the app, you would have already done it. So let’s build up to that by showing yourself you can go days without the app and be okay.

Choose a day that you’re not going to track. Yep. The entire day. Which leads us to the next very important step 👇

3. Interrupt Mental Tracking

Despite not using the app, your brain will likely still track. This defeats the purpose if you’re trying to stop. So what do you do? Whenever you notice your brain mentally tallying, interrupt it before you get to a total.

Honestly, expect yourself to go into mental tracking. This way, when it happens, you’re ready for it. When that voice in your head starts tallying, NOPPPEEE NOT DOING THAT TODAY!! You interrupt. You don’t let that voice get its satisfaction of reaching the total. Because that’s what you’re after, right? The total. To get that sense of safety. By not allowing yourself to get to the total, you are leaning into sitting with the discomfort of uncertainty!! (This is where change happens!!)

4. Give Yourself Time

This will take time. Think about how long you’ve been tracking. Think of this no differently than learning a new skill—it takes time. This won’t go away in a day, in a week, or possibly even a month. That’s okay. Remind yourself what’s on the other side of this: a life without tracking!

The Stages of Giving Up Calorie Counting

What is it going to be like when you start this process? Let’s discuss it so you know exactly what to expect, so when it happens, you can think, “Oh yeah, Ryann said this would happen.” Expect these stages, and you’ll know how to handle them.

The Panic (Stage One): Yep, cue panic, stress, anxiety—CAN I REALLY DO THIS?! Yes, you can. This is all normal. You’re doing something different, challenging yourself, moving out of your comfort zone. That typically comes with panic.

The Honeymoon (Stage Two): Once you stop counting calories, you may enter a period of “I want everything!!” This will likely be foods you didn’t allow yourself to have when you were tracking or foods you only allowed yourself to have in certain amounts.

The WTF Am I Doing? (Stage Three): As you continue, your pants might actually start getting tight—or mentally, you think they’re getting tight. Whether they are or aren’t, the fear of weight gain will creep in, and that panic will come back. You will likely think, “Why am I doing this?!” This is a great point to remember your why: Because I don’t want to track forever!!

The Pushing Through (Stage Four): After you push through the fear, you begin to tap into listening to your body, and it starts to feel good—exciting, dare I say, freeing? You’re learning how much food feels appropriate in your body. You’re learning how to listen to your hunger and fullness. You’re learning how to eat again, and it feels like you’re on the right path.

The Peace (Stage Five): As you continue, the numbers begin to fade, and you start to see food as food. The mental numbers might come up here and there, but it becomes easier to not engage. You’re able to trust yourself and your body around food. You have made it!

I think it can be really helpful to hear these different stages because they provide a loose framework of what to expect, so you know it’s coming. Obviously, everybody’s experience is unique, but it can be comforting to know this isn’t just you. Again, this takes time. Celebrate yourself along the way. This is hard, but not impossible!! Be kind to yourself throughout this journey.

Permission To Stop Calorie Counting

Last but not least, for me (as well as many of my clients in my group coaching program Binge Eating Unchained), there’s this need for permission to stop. It’s like you’re breaking some massive rule, and you need reassurance that you can do this. That it’s okay to do this. You don’t need permission, but if you’re looking for it, here it is 🙋‍♀️: You have permission to stop counting!!

Now, your action step? Practice what I mentioned above and start now!To scale our mountains, we actually have to do the deep internal work of excavating trauma, building resilience, and adjusting how we show up for the climb. In the end, it is not the mountain we master, but ourselves.

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20368473/ ↩︎