A calorie is a calorie.
A unit of energy.
A mile is a mile.

So is 500kcal of Broccoli the same as 500kcal of a Big Mac? Of course, it's not.

There are many factors that exist beyond a calorie is consumed, but that doesn't negoate the original concept (and/or law).

With similar confusing concepts aired, people want to now have 'rest day' calories and 'training day calories'.

I'm not sure of the agenda behind those looking to complicate these elements of nutrition. The intricacies of the thermic effect of food, nutrient uptake and macronutrient distribution are not the issues we face.

Management is between one pay slip and the next we must manage our money or face bankruptcy or an awkward phone call with the parents.

We must make even or save in an ideal world.

In the calorie world, to abuse this at the end of the month results in more body fat than we started the month with.

A year of mismanagement and no phone calls to the parents, if anything they're too self conscious to bring it up at the Christmas dinner.

Your father makes a remark on your size and your mother tells him
"Don't mention their weight at dinner table, please."

If anything, communication breaks down and you go shopping for larger clothes and your wardrobe darkens over time like the evenings in winter.

Before you know it you only wear black and spend half your life pulling your top down when you stand up.

Imagine if everyone was a financial advisor, jumping at the gun to be YOUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR.

They'd make up some pretty mad and crazy ways to manage your money, right?
They wouldn't just want to give you solid advice for a few months.

They want to be your right-hand man giving "advice" well forever, it's good for their portfolio.

Welcome to the Fitness & Diet Industry!

The reason I like to calorie count rather than compare a potato to the side of my hand is that it rewires my thought processes to a very deep level.

I'm hungry as I type this.

But I'm mindful of the fact that I have a quota for the day that I'd rather spend nearer to bedtime.

I'm also mindful that I wouldn't be hungry right now if I had managed my calories better in weeks before, which I didn't.

My cupboards contain what they need to, because I'm mindful.
I know what I'm going to have and when, because I'm mindful.

I've also started a new dialogue in my head.

I don't say things like 
"I'm currently on a diet I can't have that."

That is the mindset of someone who's overweight restricting food.

I say

"I don't eat those kinds of food , thanks."
I have become a new person, not a dieter.

A version of myself who takes more care, more control and more attention.  I did it overnight too.

I've even started to chew more and put the bowl down between mouthfuls.

Calorie counting.
Obsessive, no.
Bad for my mental health? The contrary.

Dieting is like transforming.

Becoming a person who eats differently, sees the gym, not as punishment and uses the counting of calories as a structure to work off.

As someone with a map in your hand, you can take any direction you like, the end point is the same.

Let's not get caught up about the map being perfectly accurate and knowing where true north is.

Let's just start the journey and instead of worrying about the maps accuracies, let's just be happy you're not lost.

Like you've been the entire way so far.
It's very simple to get started.