If you have gained weight since your endometriosis onslaught and are looking for answers, it’s obviously important to look at your diet! Here, there are 2 factors to consider

1) Overall Energy Intake (i.e. calories)

2) Blood Sugar Dysregulation issues (i.e. too many carbohydrates for YOUR body/activity levels)

Today, I’ll touch on energy intake alone.

What is Food Energy?

Calories. They are the technical measure of “energy” per gram of food. Carbs and Proteins have 4 calories per gram, and fat has 9 calories per gram. I personally don’t like to measure calories, nor have clients start this process since it can lead to diet culture (and radically restricting calories means you won’t be able to meet your nutrient needs!). Diet culture = bad.

Here’s a hard truth: I dealt with disordered eating for much of my life because my family, though lovely, had an eagle eye focus on calories. In middle school, I was already counting calories (like a good girl, right?), and it followed me until I was in my 20s and finally divorced that ugly, awful habit. Turns out, you don’t need to track your calories daily in order to eat what your body needs. Doing so can lead to disordered eating patterns that are as hard to lose as extra weight! Believe me, been there dont that.

Instead, I am a big fan of eating! As a nutritional therapist, I understand that food is the vehicle that delivers our essential nutrients, which combat inflammation, build strong bodies, regulate the immune system, and more. At a cultural level, food connects us with friends, mends broken hearts, and brings joy into our hearts.

However, some people may not understand just how many calories they consume daily (and without much movement to balance it out, per my post on endometriosis weight gain and lack of movement) and how that can lead to weight gain.

How Many Calories do I Need a Day?

endometriosis weight gain calories food fat — The average American eats nearly 4000 calories a day

The U.S Department of Health believes adult women need around 1,600-2,400 per day depending on your size and energy expenditures. So, a small woman doing very little activity may need more around the 1,600 mark, while a taller or more active woman would need around the 2,400 level.

But levels can really vary! When I was breastfeeding, I tracked my energy and nutrient intake for a day and saw I was consuming around 4,000 calories a day without weight gain, so obviously, you may be well above this number and still be healthy.

Still, most folks in the U.S. are pretty sedentary, and most women would NOT need 4,000 calories a day (I definitely don’t now that I’m done breastfeeding!). The problem is, many of us are eating at this same level. In fact, according to the USDA, the U.S. per capita calorie availability was among the highest worldwide at 3,864 calories per person per day.

Let’s just estimate here and say you need around 2k calories, and you’re eating 4k calories a day. That’s twice as much as you need.

What Happens When I Eat Too Many Calories for My Needs?

You store it! Welcome to the body, fat :) We’ve all had it happen after a relaxing vacation in Italy, over the holidays, or after a terrible break-up. But if you’re overeating calories all the time, you may find yourself gaining weight … and endometriosis isn’t necessarily to blame.

Am I Overeating Calories without realizing it?

It’s very possible if you live in the US or other Western Industrialized countries! Especially if you fall into any of these categories:

1) You eat restaurant food a lot: These foods are STUFFED with excess calories, even if you’re trying to eat healthy. Check out this list of 20 salads with over 1000 calories each! When I worked in a restaurant in college, I saw the cooks pour a heaping 1/4 cup of oil into the pan when making eggs (or just egg-whites for the calorie-conscious) and pour sugar into every dip and dressing. It tastes good! But wow, these foods energy rich to say the least.

Many Starbucks drinks are over 500 calories a piece!

2) You snack a lot: Snacking is an easy way to get more calories in your body than you realize. A handful of chips here, crackers there, maybe some office candy on the side. It never “feels” like a lot, but over the day you could easily add in 500-1000 calories just from c

3) You drink a lot of calorie-rich drinks: This is everything but water, sparkling water, plain tea, etc. If you hydrate with juices, dairy-rich beverages/coffees/teas, blended drinks, energy drinks, or others, you may be drinking a heck of a lot of nutrient-poor calories! Here, you can see many Starbucks drinks land over 500 calories each

4) You eat a lot of ultra-processed foods: If you buy it in a box or a bag, and it’s addictingly delicious, it’s probably ultra-processed.

5) You have high levels of stress: Stress often causes insatiable hunger. It’s why people with stressful jobs or lives end up overeating a lot. This can also include those living with chronic illness who are tired, stressed, and looking for a “boost.”

Ask anyone who doesn’t feel well, mentally and physically, what they crave. Chances are they won’t say “make a kale salad and do a home workout video.” No, you would probably hear something like snack, eat junk food, watch a movie with buttered popcorn, or bake cookies and eat them. It’s a comfort thing.

Solution: addressing this without orthorexia (or anorexia)

Tracking calories can be like buying a scale: good to measure every once in a while, especially if you have a goal in mind, but never to obsess over.

It’s hard to overeat when you have simple fare like this, which while packed with flavor from herbs, spices, and healthy fats, doesn’t have the same chemical concoction to keep you craving more.

So to understand how many calories you’re eating on average now, track your food consumption in a program like cronometer.com (it’s free!). It will tell you not only how many calories you ate, but also how many nutrients. So it’s really a great snapshot of what your diet looks like overall.

Now stop tracking!

From here, if you see that you’re overeating calories, start with the basics: Remove any of the 1 through 5 list from above. If you eat out a lot, make food at home. If you down calorie-rich drinks, swap for water. Eat a lot of ultra processed foods? Trade out for whole foods like protein, meat, and veggies. Have a lot of stress? Find a better outlet for comfort than comfort-eating.

When you cut out all the excess sugar and fats, your body will start to function better, crave less, and find equilibrium. Without a huge diet or nitpicking calorie consumption. This is how I and all of my friends here in the North Shore of Kauai eat without counting calories and still maintaining fitness. It is so freeing.

Wait, I’ve Tried Axing Calories, I’m Still Gaining Weight

Now, if you’re in the camp where your calorie intake is right on target for a woman your size and activity level, but you’re still gaining weight, continue to read on through this series! In fact, blood sugar dysregulation may be even more of a culprit for some of us than calories (why some overweight women can’t lose weight even when on a 500 calorie diet!). I will write that blog next, stay tuned!