Is it really just calories in calories out?

ladydark2018

Yo-yo dieter here and I am overwhelmed with Information on various diets. I have gained 40 pounds on an antidepressant, and can’t get off them due to anxiety issues. So I’m trying to figure out a way of eating and stick to it. I always self sabotage and jump from one diet to another and I decided I finally need to find something and stick with it. I have done keto (don’t last for more than a few days) ... fasting.... ONe meal a day.... but does it really only boil down to calories in calories out? Any help I can get will be appreciated

RandyInOklahaoma

Just takes motivation and will power. I have yoyoed for the past few years. Gotta stay active. I just bought a Samsung watch to track my steps. I did not know how inactive I was when I am in my office. It is motivating me to be active right now.

duichaser

Yes. It really is. Stop dieting and focus on balancing your calorie "check book." Calories are dollars, and you need to be on a fixed income. You earn extra dollars by exercising. Don't spend more than you earn. It's that simple.

blipsie

No it doesn't. Might be worth having a hormonal pannel done, especially your thyroid. But first be sure about the actual calories you consume.

And excercise frequently, weight lifting boosts metabolism quite a bit and cardio burns fat.

estherdragonbat

ladydark2018 wrote: »

Yo-yo dieter here and I am overwhelmed with Information on various diets. I have gained 40 pounds on an antidepressant, and can’t get off them due to anxiety issues. So I’m trying to figure out a way of eating and stick to it. I always self sabotage and jump from one diet to another and I decided I finally need to find something and stick with it. I have done keto (don’t last for more than a few days) ... fasting.... ONe meal a day.... but does it really only boil down to calories in calories out? Any help I can get will be appreciated

For weight loss? 100% calories in-calories out. Now, for nutrition, health, satiety, making the process feel as painless as possible, what you eat plays a role. But it's still calories in, calories out.

(Example: I personally don't find fat satiating, so keto would be wrong for me. I feel fullest on higher carbs, moderate protein. If I don't get enough protein, I'm constantly hungry. But macros for satiety vary from person to person. That being said, if I'm eating in a deficit, even if I'm not getting enough protein, I will lose weight. But I'll be hungry and miserable and probably lose more muscle tissue while I do.)

Cahgetsfit

yes and no. yes it's basically CICO. and fad diets - just don't go there.

some tips - work out your maintenance calories then drop by not too much - don't go gung ho for losing 2 kgs a week or whatever while you're starving because it's too hard to adhere to anything that is too uncomfortable.

Feeling a bit peckish is one thing - you can trick yourself to stop feeling peckish by drinking some herbal tea or eating some diet jelly or something. You can't trick yourself to stop feeling like there is a massive hole in your stomach and you're about to eat the couch.

slow and stead is the way to go.

Now, the no part of my answer is that as well as CICO, other things can help such as more exercise, looking at hormones and if they are out of whack taking the right supplements/eating the right foods to help fix that.

Also - making choices that will help you feel full - if you can get a massive volume meal in but it's only like 300 calories, it feels like you've eaten heaps but it's not much. For example, I always have a gigantic salad in a fruit bowl. it's always around 300 grams. some sort of meat and a bunch of stuff like carrots and whatever else is around. it takes me ages to eat becuase there is so much volume and therefore I think I ate heaps. if i'd had a sandwich for example, at the same calories, i'd think I was hungry again in 2 seconds. But that's just me - so it's a strategy i've come up to help me.

And everyone is different so you need to find what works for you. Lots of small meals? 3 big meals? fasting until a certain time and then eating?

At the end of the day the calories in vs calories out is the main player in your weight loss and you can make it work for you without too much pain or starvation.

And don't just settle on the 1200 that MFP seems to spit out for everyone. try something like https://tdeecalculator.net/

Good luck with your journey!!

estherdragonbat

Cahgetsfit wrote: »

yes and no. yes it's basically CICO. and fad diets - just don't go there.

some tips - work out your maintenance calories then drop by not too much - don't go gung ho for losing 2 kgs a week or whatever while you're starving because it's too hard to adhere to anything that is too uncomfortable.

Feeling a bit peckish is one thing - you can trick yourself to stop feeling peckish by drinking some herbal tea or eating some diet jelly or something. You can't trick yourself to stop feeling like there is a massive hole in your stomach and you're about to eat the couch.

slow and stead is the way to go.

Now, the no part of my answer is that as well as CICO, other things can help such as more exercise, looking at hormones and if they are out of whack taking the right supplements/eating the right foods to help fix that.

Also - making choices that will help you feel full - if you can get a massive volume meal in but it's only like 300 calories, it feels like you've eaten heaps but it's not much. For example, I always have a gigantic salad in a fruit bowl. it's always around 300 grams. some sort of meat and a bunch of stuff like carrots and whatever else is around. it takes me ages to eat becuase there is so much volume and therefore I think I ate heaps. if i'd had a sandwich for example, at the same calories, i'd think I was hungry again in 2 seconds. But that's just me - so it's a strategy i've come up to help me.

And everyone is different so you need to find what works for you. Lots of small meals? 3 big meals? fasting until a certain time and then eating?

At the end of the day the calories in vs calories out is the main player in your weight loss and you can make it work for you without too much pain or starvation.

And don't just settle on the 1200 that MFP seems to spit out for everyone. try something like https://tdeecalculator.net/

Good luck with your journey!!

That's actually part of CICO. Exercise increases the CO part of the equation. Hormones may increase or decrease it.

As far as the 1200, MFP generally spits that out for 1) people who are very short and close to goal or 2) people saying they want to lose 2lbs/week when that's too aggressive a target. It has me on 1360 to lose 1/2lb/week (I'm 5'3 and within 10lbs of a healthy BMI). When I started, 107lbs ago, I told MFP I wanted to lose 1lb/week and it gave me 1710.

Blythmag

Short answer ...yes

Try it

competeagain2x

Long answer....yesssssssssssssss

AnvilHead

Pretty well covered in this thread, exact same question a few days ago: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10705095/is-it-really-calories-in-vs-calories-out/p1

Machka9

Is it really just calories in calories out?

Yes.

mazdauk

Yes. yes it is. But you must weigh and measure accurately using grams/ml - never cups, average portion etc.

TavistockToad

AnvilHead wrote: »

Pretty well covered in this thread, exact same question a few days ago: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10705095/is-it-really-calories-in-vs-calories-out/p1

damn you, i was going to link that thread!!!

Deviette

Yes. But it requires you to stick with it.

There's no point doing something for a week, not seeing results that you want, and then changing to something else. Give it some time and trust the process. If you're truly eating in deficit the weight will come off.

And manage your expectations. Some days the scales will go up, some days they will go down. As long as the general trend is down that's all that matters. The scales going up does not always mean you're doing something wrong. It might just mean you're retaining fluid. You need weeks worth of data to be able to adequately assess how it's going. So whatever you do, just stick with it!

cheryldumais

Yes of course as others have said it is CICO. BUT... You have to find what you can stick with. Forget magic programs, forget losing 4 lbs. a week. Eat food you can live with for the rest of your life in reasonable amounts and track and log it. As others have said it isn't very interesting or sexy but it works. I'm another who lost 100+ pounds just reducing my intake and walking daily. I also changed some of my types of food to lower calorie versions but the main thing was learning I didn't need as much food as I thought. For years I ate quantities that would be appropriate for a burly male farmer instead of a 5'5" older woman. I did Atkins, I did Bernstein, I did Weight Watchers and I even had a lapband installed none of it worked. I just had to find a lifestyle I could live with for life.

lauracups3149

No. Hormones play a huge part and anyone who woes isn't struggling in menopause.

Beeingthin

Yes, it is about calories in and calories out. But also, yes, hormones play a part. I put weight on with Lexapro despite never eating fast food (vegetarian for 25 years), no soda, nothing fried - basically healthy eating AND training to run a full marathon. The only thing that took the weight off was switching to Wellbutrin. I’ve been taking it for a couple years now and it works for me. The Lexapro helped too but then added depression over gaining weight no matter what I did. So for me, I couldn’t lose weight on certain antidepressants, when I was breastfeeding, or before I ovulate and before I menstruated. It’s like that for a lot of people.

brandigyrl81

duichaser wrote: »

Yes. It really is. Stop dieting and focus on balancing your calorie "check book." Calories are dollars, and you need to be on a fixed income. You earn extra dollars by exercising. Don't spend more than you earn. It's that simple.

This is the best explanation EVER!!!!!

CindyJNC1963

estherdragonbat wrote: »

show previous quotes

Cahgetsfit wrote: »

yes and no. yes it's basically CICO. and fad diets - just don't go there.

some tips - work out your maintenance calories then drop by not too much - don't go gung ho for losing 2 kgs a week or whatever while you're starving because it's too hard to adhere to anything that is too uncomfortable.

Feeling a bit peckish is one thing - you can trick yourself to stop feeling peckish by drinking some herbal tea or eating some diet jelly or something. You can't trick yourself to stop feeling like there is a massive hole in your stomach and you're about to eat the couch.

slow and stead is the way to go.

Now, the no part of my answer is that as well as CICO, other things can help such as more exercise, looking at hormones and if they are out of whack taking the right supplements/eating the right foods to help fix that.

Also - making choices that will help you feel full - if you can get a massive volume meal in but it's only like 300 calories, it feels like you've eaten heaps but it's not much. For example, I always have a gigantic salad in a fruit bowl. it's always around 300 grams. some sort of meat and a bunch of stuff like carrots and whatever else is around. it takes me ages to eat becuase there is so much volume and therefore I think I ate heaps. if i'd had a sandwich for example, at the same calories, i'd think I was hungry again in 2 seconds. But that's just me - so it's a strategy i've come up to help me.

And everyone is different so you need to find what works for you. Lots of small meals? 3 big meals? fasting until a certain time and then eating?

At the end of the day the calories in vs calories out is the main player in your weight loss and you can make it work for you without too much pain or starvation.

And don't just settle on the 1200 that MFP seems to spit out for everyone. try something like https://tdeecalculator.net/

Good luck with your journey!!

That's actually part of CICO. Exercise increases the CO part of the equation. Hormones may increase or decrease it.

As far as the 1200, MFP generally spits that out for 1) people who are very short and close to goal or 2) people saying they want to lose 2lbs/week when that's too aggressive a target. It has me on 1360 to lose 1/2lb/week (I'm 5'3 and within 10lbs of a healthy BMI). When I started, 107lbs ago, I told MFP I wanted to lose 1lb/week and it gave me 1710.

MFP also gave me a suggestion of 1700 calories initially but I upgraded to Premier so that I could reset it down to 1350 calories, which is where my doctor wants me to be.

TavistockToad

CindyJNC1963 wrote: »

show previous quotes

estherdragonbat wrote: »

Cahgetsfit wrote: »

yes and no. yes it's basically CICO. and fad diets - just don't go there.

some tips - work out your maintenance calories then drop by not too much - don't go gung ho for losing 2 kgs a week or whatever while you're starving because it's too hard to adhere to anything that is too uncomfortable.

Feeling a bit peckish is one thing - you can trick yourself to stop feeling peckish by drinking some herbal tea or eating some diet jelly or something. You can't trick yourself to stop feeling like there is a massive hole in your stomach and you're about to eat the couch.

slow and stead is the way to go.

Now, the no part of my answer is that as well as CICO, other things can help such as more exercise, looking at hormones and if they are out of whack taking the right supplements/eating the right foods to help fix that.

Also - making choices that will help you feel full - if you can get a massive volume meal in but it's only like 300 calories, it feels like you've eaten heaps but it's not much. For example, I always have a gigantic salad in a fruit bowl. it's always around 300 grams. some sort of meat and a bunch of stuff like carrots and whatever else is around. it takes me ages to eat becuase there is so much volume and therefore I think I ate heaps. if i'd had a sandwich for example, at the same calories, i'd think I was hungry again in 2 seconds. But that's just me - so it's a strategy i've come up to help me.

And everyone is different so you need to find what works for you. Lots of small meals? 3 big meals? fasting until a certain time and then eating?

At the end of the day the calories in vs calories out is the main player in your weight loss and you can make it work for you without too much pain or starvation.

And don't just settle on the 1200 that MFP seems to spit out for everyone. try something like https://tdeecalculator.net/

Good luck with your journey!!

That's actually part of CICO. Exercise increases the CO part of the equation. Hormones may increase or decrease it.

As far as the 1200, MFP generally spits that out for 1) people who are very short and close to goal or 2) people saying they want to lose 2lbs/week when that's too aggressive a target. It has me on 1360 to lose 1/2lb/week (I'm 5'3 and within 10lbs of a healthy BMI). When I started, 107lbs ago, I told MFP I wanted to lose 1lb/week and it gave me 1710.

MFP also gave me a suggestion of 1700 calories initially but I upgraded to Premier so that I could reset it down to 1350 calories, which is where my doctor wants me to be.

You didn't have to get premium to change your calorie goal, you can do that in the free version

janejellyroll

CindyJNC1963 wrote: »

show previous quotes

estherdragonbat wrote: »

Cahgetsfit wrote: »

yes and no. yes it's basically CICO. and fad diets - just don't go there.

some tips - work out your maintenance calories then drop by not too much - don't go gung ho for losing 2 kgs a week or whatever while you're starving because it's too hard to adhere to anything that is too uncomfortable.

Feeling a bit peckish is one thing - you can trick yourself to stop feeling peckish by drinking some herbal tea or eating some diet jelly or something. You can't trick yourself to stop feeling like there is a massive hole in your stomach and you're about to eat the couch.

slow and stead is the way to go.

Now, the no part of my answer is that as well as CICO, other things can help such as more exercise, looking at hormones and if they are out of whack taking the right supplements/eating the right foods to help fix that.

Also - making choices that will help you feel full - if you can get a massive volume meal in but it's only like 300 calories, it feels like you've eaten heaps but it's not much. For example, I always have a gigantic salad in a fruit bowl. it's always around 300 grams. some sort of meat and a bunch of stuff like carrots and whatever else is around. it takes me ages to eat becuase there is so much volume and therefore I think I ate heaps. if i'd had a sandwich for example, at the same calories, i'd think I was hungry again in 2 seconds. But that's just me - so it's a strategy i've come up to help me.

And everyone is different so you need to find what works for you. Lots of small meals? 3 big meals? fasting until a certain time and then eating?

At the end of the day the calories in vs calories out is the main player in your weight loss and you can make it work for you without too much pain or starvation.

And don't just settle on the 1200 that MFP seems to spit out for everyone. try something like https://tdeecalculator.net/

Good luck with your journey!!

That's actually part of CICO. Exercise increases the CO part of the equation. Hormones may increase or decrease it.

As far as the 1200, MFP generally spits that out for 1) people who are very short and close to goal or 2) people saying they want to lose 2lbs/week when that's too aggressive a target. It has me on 1360 to lose 1/2lb/week (I'm 5'3 and within 10lbs of a healthy BMI). When I started, 107lbs ago, I told MFP I wanted to lose 1lb/week and it gave me 1710.

MFP also gave me a suggestion of 1700 calories initially but I upgraded to Premier so that I could reset it down to 1350 calories, which is where my doctor wants me to be.

You don't need to upgrade to manually set your calorie goal, you can do it even with the free version.

nutmegoreo

CindyJNC1963 wrote: »

show previous quotes

estherdragonbat wrote: »

Cahgetsfit wrote: »

yes and no. yes it's basically CICO. and fad diets - just don't go there.

some tips - work out your maintenance calories then drop by not too much - don't go gung ho for losing 2 kgs a week or whatever while you're starving because it's too hard to adhere to anything that is too uncomfortable.

Feeling a bit peckish is one thing - you can trick yourself to stop feeling peckish by drinking some herbal tea or eating some diet jelly or something. You can't trick yourself to stop feeling like there is a massive hole in your stomach and you're about to eat the couch.

slow and stead is the way to go.

Now, the no part of my answer is that as well as CICO, other things can help such as more exercise, looking at hormones and if they are out of whack taking the right supplements/eating the right foods to help fix that.

Also - making choices that will help you feel full - if you can get a massive volume meal in but it's only like 300 calories, it feels like you've eaten heaps but it's not much. For example, I always have a gigantic salad in a fruit bowl. it's always around 300 grams. some sort of meat and a bunch of stuff like carrots and whatever else is around. it takes me ages to eat becuase there is so much volume and therefore I think I ate heaps. if i'd had a sandwich for example, at the same calories, i'd think I was hungry again in 2 seconds. But that's just me - so it's a strategy i've come up to help me.

And everyone is different so you need to find what works for you. Lots of small meals? 3 big meals? fasting until a certain time and then eating?

At the end of the day the calories in vs calories out is the main player in your weight loss and you can make it work for you without too much pain or starvation.

And don't just settle on the 1200 that MFP seems to spit out for everyone. try something like https://tdeecalculator.net/

Good luck with your journey!!

That's actually part of CICO. Exercise increases the CO part of the equation. Hormones may increase or decrease it.

As far as the 1200, MFP generally spits that out for 1) people who are very short and close to goal or 2) people saying they want to lose 2lbs/week when that's too aggressive a target. It has me on 1360 to lose 1/2lb/week (I'm 5'3 and within 10lbs of a healthy BMI). When I started, 107lbs ago, I told MFP I wanted to lose 1lb/week and it gave me 1710.

MFP also gave me a suggestion of 1700 calories initially but I upgraded to Premier so that I could reset it down to 1350 calories, which is where my doctor wants me to be.

The free version allows you to set your own daily target. The premium allows you to have different daily targets though, if you want to mix it up throughout the week, or are following a 5:2 intermittent fasting schedule.

fitoverfortymom

brandigyrl81 wrote: »

show previous quotes

duichaser wrote: »

Yes. It really is. Stop dieting and focus on balancing your calorie "check book." Calories are dollars, and you need to be on a fixed income. You earn extra dollars by exercising. Don't spend more than you earn. It's that simple.

This is the best explanation EVER!!!!!

Because it's so, so simple yet so many insist on making it so, so difficult.

cwolfman13

ladydark2018 wrote: »

Yo-yo dieter here and I am overwhelmed with Information on various diets. I have gained 40 pounds on an antidepressant, and can’t get off them due to anxiety issues. So I’m trying to figure out a way of eating and stick to it. I always self sabotage and jump from one diet to another and I decided I finally need to find something and stick with it. I have done keto (don’t last for more than a few days) ... fasting.... ONe meal a day.... but does it really only boil down to calories in calories out? Any help I can get will be appreciated

Yes...a calorie is a unit of energy...your body requires XXXX amount of energy to maintain the status quot. Energy (calories) consumed in excess get stored for later use. Your body fat is basically your body's backup generator for when energy coming in doesn't meet the body's requirements. So, when you consume energy that is insufficient to maintain the status quot, your backup generator kicks on and you burn body fat to make up for the difference.

cwolfman13

lauracups3149 wrote: »

No. Hormones play a huge part and anyone who woes isn't struggling in menopause.

It's still CICO though...things like hormones just change the equation.

danigirl1011

Nope. Calories are not all created equal. And people will argue and argue and argue on here. Is 1500 calories of twinkies and 1500 calories of 'normal' food all still 1500 calories? Sure! But, will you feel the same and will your body respond the same to all. NO. and i'm sorry, but keto and any other diet is crap. Eat as healthy as you can. Incorporate whole foods and cook your own food as much as possible. You WILL lose the weight. But consistency is key. I like to plan out my whole weeks worth of food and pre log to look at macros and the numbers. It helps me stay focused and not stray. I like to continue to eat somewhat normal foods and calorie ranges (i eat between 1450 and 1600 calories and burn between 300 and 800 for exercise a day) so that i can keep it as a lifestyle and not just a fad diet. Good luck!

deannalfisher

a calorie is a measure of energy - so YES all calories are created equal - HOWEVER, how you will feel after eating different types of food is different

calories for weight loss; macros/ntuents for satiaty/health

AnvilHead

danigirl1011 wrote: »

Nope. Calories are not all created equal. And people will argue and argue and argue on here. Is 1500 calories of twinkies and 1500 calories of 'normal' food all still 1500 calories? Sure! But, will you feel the same and will your body respond the same to all. NO. and i'm sorry, but keto and any other diet is crap. Eat as healthy as you can. Incorporate whole foods and cook your own food as much as possible. You WILL lose the weight. But consistency is key. I like to plan out my whole weeks worth of food and pre log to look at macros and the numbers. It helps me stay focused and not stray. I like to continue to eat somewhat normal foods and calorie ranges (i eat between 1450 and 1600 calories and burn between 300 and 800 for exercise a day) so that i can keep it as a lifestyle and not just a fad diet. Good luck!

You make the same mistake virtually every "a calorie is not a calorie" person does. You confuse energy balance with nutrition. Not the same thing.

A calorie is a unit of measure. A mile is a mile, whether you walk it, run it, drive it, fly over it or crawl it. Whether it's uphill, downhill, on a paved highway or a mountain trail. Whether it's -30 degrees or 130 degrees. Whether you're barefoot, in shoes, or on roller skates. If you travel a mile under any of those conditions, it's still a mile. Calories are like that too.

cwolfman13

danigirl1011 wrote: »

Nope. Calories are not all created equal. And people will argue and argue and argue on here. Is 1500 calories of twinkies and 1500 calories of 'normal' food all still 1500 calories? Sure! But, will you feel the same and will your body respond the same to all. NO. and i'm sorry, but keto and any other diet is crap. Eat as healthy as you can. Incorporate whole foods and cook your own food as much as possible. You WILL lose the weight. But consistency is key. I like to plan out my whole weeks worth of food and pre log to look at macros and the numbers. It helps me stay focused and not stray. I like to continue to eat somewhat normal foods and calorie ranges (i eat between 1450 and 1600 calories and burn between 300 and 800 for exercise a day) so that i can keep it as a lifestyle and not just a fad diet. Good luck!

Nobody has ever said that calories are equal from a nutritional stand point. A calorie is a unit of measure and doesn't imply anything from a nutritional standpoint. And yes...you could lose weight eating 1500 calories of Twinkies if that is lower than your maintenance calories...but it's a dumb argument in that it has absolutely no basis in reality because nobody is going to do that, nor is anyone advocating for such a thing. I think it's pretty obvious that someone would feel pretty crappy eating nothing but junk food...but they could absolutely still lose weight doing so.

AnvilHead

Also: http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/

danigirl1011

P.s. Search online foods that heal the body and things that balance hormones. It can help your body not to hold onto weight because of hormonal balances.