It "Doesn't Work"

keithcw_the_first
keithcw_the_first Posts: 382 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
At least, according to these kind of suspicious infographics:

http://vitals.lifehacker.com/these-infographics-show-the-problems-with-calorie-count-1771540530

I suspect they're selling something, because a lot of people here would disagree.

skb35wbzspojobxo31sx.png
«1

Replies

  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    #2 reminds me of the people who ask how to calculate calories for food they vomit up after being sick.
  • johnjacoby180
    johnjacoby180 Posts: 1 Member
    edited April 2016
    Yes, they are selling their program. Www.precisionnutrition.com
    I'll continue to count my calories as best as I can.
  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
    Oh brother. It looks like a "diet coaching" web site. I tried to find out how much it costs to sign up but you have to email them and they email you back. LOL no thanks.
  • DrifterBear
    DrifterBear Posts: 265 Member
    I started pointing out all the BS, but why bother. Unfortunately a lot of people will buy whatever they're selling.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    edited April 2016
    This content has been removed.
  • junodog1
    junodog1 Posts: 4,792 Member
    edited April 2016
    Because using your hand as a measure is soooooo much more exact that using a cup measure.

    FFS.
    Here comes "Weigh everything." (I was trying not to say it but couldn't hold it in. )


  • chocolate_owl
    chocolate_owl Posts: 1,695 Member
    We know calories in are best estimates with possible error. So are calories out. If you stick with this long enough and make adjustments, you'll find a balance that works for you. And if you buy their coaching, you'll go through the same process, but with a lighter wallet.
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    How come I've lost weight while counting calories? According to this info graphic, i should have gained weight.
  • jaga13
    jaga13 Posts: 1,149 Member
    Calorie doesn't work, so let me sell you some other method to measure your portions....which is pretty much the same thing.
  • Maxematics
    Maxematics Posts: 2,287 Member
    edited April 2016
    They can file some of this under "No *kitten*, Sherlock". Other than that, there is a margin of error no matter what you do. I'm surprised, as others have stated, there was no mention of a food scale. No method of weight loss is going to be perfect and there are too many variables to the human body. That being said, calorie counting is probably the most precise method one could use for weight loss. The sad part is people who claim calorie counting "didn't work" for them would see something like this and run with it.
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
    Well they are kind of right. It may be misleading, but sizes of things do differ. ie: sweet potatoes
    But, if you are weighing your food, game over, because that is efficient and precise. It does come down to calories in, calories out. This method is trying to sell you something that you can do yourself.

    When it comes to each of us individually, you have to use guidelines as a basis, and find what actually works for you. We are all, at least slightly, different. What works for someone else, may, or may not work for you.
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
    Oh well.
  • eeejer
    eeejer Posts: 339 Member
    we accept it is not an exact science, because we know that in averaging things out it works. Some are higher, some are lower, it is the aggregate result we care about.
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
    Although, in a roundabout way that's a good example of why we should be weighing in grams.
  • celadontea
    celadontea Posts: 335 Member
    A lot of what the advertisement shows is true when it comes to guessing. The best bet is a food scale and I saw that I was also making the same mistakes. However, some people have a visual knack for already being able to see the portion size vs the actual weight. And once you get used to weighing it is a bit easier to guess when it comes to your own common foods.
  • HomeatWDW
    HomeatWDW Posts: 121 Member
    Not only do they sell their services, but they also sell "certification" so you can pay them to sell those services too. The infographic reminds me of infomercials that desperately try to create a need where none exists.
  • upoffthemat
    upoffthemat Posts: 679 Member
    edited April 2016
    The ad is exactly right in the fact that counting calories by eyeballing and using sizes like medium, small, etc can lead to wrong calorie count. It isn't actually saying CICO is wrong, it is saying people aren't accurate in what they log... something said about 100 times a day on these boards.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    DrifterBear wrote: »
    I started pointing out all the BS, but why bother. Unfortunately a lot of people will buy whatever they're selling.

    There's really only one phrase you have to point out to refute most of that whole thing.
    Law of large numbers.
  • blues4miles
    blues4miles Posts: 1,481 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    You don't need to be able to count perfectly for it to work. You just need to be consistent and learn to adjust.

    This!

    The infographic could just be a large advertisement for using a food scale. But concepts like some people digest more or less food than others is similar to that your metabolism isn't always what it's predicted to be at. Or a sedentary person who walks 1000 steps a day might have a different TDEE than someone who walks 3000 steps a day. At the end of the day, be as accurate you can be, and your numbers should tell you what your real TDEE is. If you are losing weight, it's probably working. If you aren't, try reducing how much you eat etc. You are an experiment of one, keep good records, stick with something for 4-6 weeks before making changes, and keep trying. It actually keeps weight loss more interesting to me. Rather than just "eat broccoli for the next year". Fiddling with my numbers gives me something to improve on.
  • raindawg
    raindawg Posts: 348 Member
    I just say "it works for me" And that's all I got to say about that....(run forest run....)
  • DoreenaV1975
    DoreenaV1975 Posts: 567 Member
    chnphillips wrote: »
    Mouse_Potato wrote: »
    Boiling an egg adds calories? Color me skeptical.

    Right? Since when do cooking utensils add calories? These fattening pots, pans, knives, and blenders gotta go.

    Fun fact: I notice that when I heat up my corn tortillas, they shrink...
    I've weighed before and after, and they weigh less after...

    But I still log the before weight.

Categories