Welcome to Debate Club! Please be aware that this is a space for respectful debate, and that your ideas will be challenged here. Please remember to critique the argument, not the author.

Calorie in calorie out method is outdated

Options
1101113151618

Replies

  • NerdyFlex
    NerdyFlex Posts: 1,672 Member
    Options
    J72FIT wrote: »
    BayouMoon wrote: »
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    BayouMoon wrote: »
    To wrap up my thoughts on this debate, I do still believe that the types of calories matter and that the CICO equation is outdated. I know, I know..."It's math!! It can't be outdated!!". If that is your rebuttal to the debate, then I don't think your understood the question. She wasn't asking a math question, she was asking about the effects of what you eat long term. The majority of the rebuttals to the initial ascertion seem to be along the lines of "that's included in the calculation". So if some calories burn faster, that's in the calculation, if some calories don't get metabolized, that's in the calculation, if the way your body metabolizes calories changes over time, that's included in the calculation. If certain foods trigger hormones and other reactions, that's in the calculation. Even if all these things are included in the calculation, they matter and updating and expanding the equation to include them will help in the long term.

    That is because it is included in the calculation. The recommended daily calorie intakes and the calculators that predict your calorie requirements and suggest how much you should eat take that into account because they are statistical models based on large studies of actual people eating actual food. Therefore they take into account what people derive from that food. Your examples of well what if someone eats nothing but kale or nothing but sugar or they eat wood are just irrelevant because that isn't a thing...no one does that. For people who eat normal food the calorie values are very close approximations and if you track your calories in terms of your intake and use the calculators to predict your calorie requirements you will find it is a fairly close approximation. It will be off, it will not be exact...but you can find that out only if you measure the calories and track them over time and then adjust accordingly.

    Crossing your arms and saying I don't believe it I think its inaccurate offers no alternative or no improvement to a model. Saying it is "outdated" suggests we should throw it out or change it. Okay, so you don't believe tracking calories is useful for weight management....what is your suggested alternative?

    Oh, quite the contrary, I count calories. I just think it matters if it's a 100 cal oreo or a 100 cal salad.

    Why always either or? Why not a little bit of both...?

    Makes a great point
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Options
    BayouMoon wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    BayouMoon wrote: »
    One last thought however, let's say it's 1500 calories of cookies vs. 1500 calories of kale. Saying the person survived a year, and all other things being equal, I think the net weight exchange would not be the same. Damn the studies!!! (that's a joke)

    Actually it would be. And both would likely be malnourished. Though, TBH, I think the one eating cookies would likely be in better shape, since they'd be getting some fat and likely some protein (thinking that cookies often contain eggs, dairy, nuts, flour, etc.)

    9.5 lb of kale actually has a good amount of protein: 125 g. Also 64 g of fat, and 190 g of carbs. Not terrible macros. The whopping 176 g of fiber would be something of a problem, among other things (not least 9.5 lb of kale -- LOL!). Other issues include no B12, no D, no EPA/DHA, perhaps an inadequate amino acid profile (didn't check that), etc.

    Monodiets are bad news, and you are right, of course, that the cookie diet is less of a monodiet.

    Right off, I don't know what "TBH" means....to be helpful?....to be healthy?..to be happy?...to be hangry? Yesterday was a fast day so I wasn't at my best thought wise. Also, I under estimated how personally people would take my thoughts. There is a reason people don't have the ability to read minds.

    That's true, the cookies are a complex food, so it really isn't a fair comparison. My wood example has already be disallowed. So how about this: 1500 calories of vodka vs. 1500 calories of kale? I think if we made it a 1 month challenge and offered compensation we could probably actually get some volunteers to try it. I still think there would be a difference in weight loss or gain, all other things being equal.

    You don't think the impact of having around 23 and a half ounces of vodka per day (assuming you're using 80 proof vodka) would completely confound whatever it is you think you're proving about calories?

    This has to be the best (which means worse) comparison yet.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited May 2018
    Options
    BayouMoon wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    BayouMoon wrote: »
    One last thought however, let's say it's 1500 calories of cookies vs. 1500 calories of kale. Saying the person survived a year, and all other things being equal, I think the net weight exchange would not be the same. Damn the studies!!! (that's a joke)

    Actually it would be. And both would likely be malnourished. Though, TBH, I think the one eating cookies would likely be in better shape, since they'd be getting some fat and likely some protein (thinking that cookies often contain eggs, dairy, nuts, flour, etc.)

    9.5 lb of kale actually has a good amount of protein: 125 g. Also 64 g of fat, and 190 g of carbs. Not terrible macros. The whopping 176 g of fiber would be something of a problem, among other things (not least 9.5 lb of kale -- LOL!). Other issues include no B12, no D, no EPA/DHA, perhaps an inadequate amino acid profile (didn't check that), etc.

    Monodiets are bad news, and you are right, of course, that the cookie diet is less of a monodiet.

    Right off, I don't know what "TBH" means....to be helpful?....to be healthy?..to be happy?...to be hangry? Yesterday was a fast day so I wasn't at my best thought wise. Also, I under estimated how personally people would take my thoughts. There is a reason people don't have the ability to read minds.

    That's true, the cookies are a complex food, so it really isn't a fair comparison. My wood example has already be disallowed. So how about this: 1500 calories of vodka vs. 1500 calories of kale? I think if we made it a 1 month challenge and offered compensation we could probably actually get some volunteers to try it. I still think there would be a difference in weight loss or gain, all other things being equal.

    estherdragonbat said "TBH," not me, but I think it means "to be honest."

    That's not the response I was talking about, so I'll quote it for your convenience and because I would be interested in a response.
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
    Options
    Correct. To Be Honest.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
    Options
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    BayouMoon wrote: »
    To wrap up my thoughts on this debate, I do still believe that the types of calories matter and that the CICO equation is outdated.

    Again, calories don't have "types." What do you think these types of calories are? Red ones and blue ones?

    I (again) believe you are mixing up calories and the source of the calories (foods). Calories are not different, but foods are different because they have many properties besides calories.

    Do you grasp this distinction?

    It's sad, because I see where she might be going, but I'm not even sure that's where she's actually going or trying to go.

    If you could have calories of pure macros
    Fat
    Carbs
    Protein
    Alcohol

    You can get close with oil, sugar/karo, and Alcohol. but I'm not sure for protein. Is there actually a readily available protein concentrate/isolate that's actually purified/concentrated/isolated?
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Options
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    BayouMoon wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    BayouMoon wrote: »
    One last thought however, let's say it's 1500 calories of cookies vs. 1500 calories of kale. Saying the person survived a year, and all other things being equal, I think the net weight exchange would not be the same. Damn the studies!!! (that's a joke)

    Actually it would be. And both would likely be malnourished. Though, TBH, I think the one eating cookies would likely be in better shape, since they'd be getting some fat and likely some protein (thinking that cookies often contain eggs, dairy, nuts, flour, etc.)

    9.5 lb of kale actually has a good amount of protein: 125 g. Also 64 g of fat, and 190 g of carbs. Not terrible macros. The whopping 176 g of fiber would be something of a problem, among other things (not least 9.5 lb of kale -- LOL!). Other issues include no B12, no D, no EPA/DHA, perhaps an inadequate amino acid profile (didn't check that), etc.

    Monodiets are bad news, and you are right, of course, that the cookie diet is less of a monodiet.

    Right off, I don't know what "TBH" means....to be helpful?....to be healthy?..to be happy?...to be hangry? Yesterday was a fast day so I wasn't at my best thought wise. Also, I under estimated how personally people would take my thoughts. There is a reason people don't have the ability to read minds.

    That's true, the cookies are a complex food, so it really isn't a fair comparison. My wood example has already be disallowed. So how about this: 1500 calories of vodka vs. 1500 calories of kale? I think if we made it a 1 month challenge and offered compensation we could probably actually get some volunteers to try it. I still think there would be a difference in weight loss or gain, all other things being equal.

    estherdragonbat said "TBH," not me, but I think it means "to be honest."

    That's not the response I was talking about, so I'll quote it for your convenience and because I would be interested in a response.

    Oh, it appears it may have been deleted (I will assume accidentally, as it wasn't mean or inappropriate at all, and was on topic) in the clean up. Sigh, I'll re-do it.
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    Options
    Oreo vs salad..

    I can run with an oreo in my stomach - can't say that works out so well with a salad. I can also easily eat said oreo in the minute before or during the group runs/rides after work I can barely make. --> oreo totally wins in my book. (in actuality, the even more easily digestible fruit snacks I keep in my car for said purpose usually get that task). ---> with time as a factor, the quickly eaten and digested oreo could mean higher TDEE.

    (By default, both options are pretty much protein-less. constant fat content in oreo while tailor-able in the salad. Extra volume and fiber in the salad is a boon sometimes, but a negative in other times).
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    Options
    ..and thank you for reminding me to put fruit snacks on my grocery list...the supply in my car is almost out.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    Options
    BayouMoon wrote: »
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    BayouMoon wrote: »
    To wrap up my thoughts on this debate, I do still believe that the types of calories matter and that the CICO equation is outdated. I know, I know..."It's math!! It can't be outdated!!". If that is your rebuttal to the debate, then I don't think your understood the question. She wasn't asking a math question, she was asking about the effects of what you eat long term. The majority of the rebuttals to the initial ascertion seem to be along the lines of "that's included in the calculation". So if some calories burn faster, that's in the calculation, if some calories don't get metabolized, that's in the calculation, if the way your body metabolizes calories changes over time, that's included in the calculation. If certain foods trigger hormones and other reactions, that's in the calculation. Even if all these things are included in the calculation, they matter and updating and expanding the equation to include them will help in the long term.

    That is because it is included in the calculation. The recommended daily calorie intakes and the calculators that predict your calorie requirements and suggest how much you should eat take that into account because they are statistical models based on large studies of actual people eating actual food. Therefore they take into account what people derive from that food. Your examples of well what if someone eats nothing but kale or nothing but sugar or they eat wood are just irrelevant because that isn't a thing...no one does that. For people who eat normal food the calorie values are very close approximations and if you track your calories in terms of your intake and use the calculators to predict your calorie requirements you will find it is a fairly close approximation. It will be off, it will not be exact...but you can find that out only if you measure the calories and track them over time and then adjust accordingly.

    Crossing your arms and saying I don't believe it I think its inaccurate offers no alternative or no improvement to a model. Saying it is "outdated" suggests we should throw it out or change it. Okay, so you don't believe tracking calories is useful for weight management....what is your suggested alternative?

    Oh, quite the contrary, I count calories. I just think it matters if it's a 100 cal oreo or a 100 cal salad.

    One I can digest (oreo)and one will send me to the ER in excruciating pain (salad).
  • annaskiski
    annaskiski Posts: 1,212 Member
    Options
    NerdyFlex wrote: »
    Fewer calories in than expended will lead to weight loss. That is true and not debatable, however that does not necessarily correlate to a loss of fat. Bodybuilders eat mostly lean meats and minimally processed foods. This ensures they have enough protein to support muscle growth and promote fat loss. If you’re consuming low amounts of protein, you could be actually losing muscle mass instead of fat. So in essence, what you eat determines your physique but how much you eat determines your weight.

    Protein does help to maintain muscle mass, but again, maybe not as much as many would like to believe.

    The thread below needs daily bumping.....

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10348650/cico-still-skeptical-come-inside-for-a-meticulous-log-that-proves-it/p1
This discussion has been closed.