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Is counting calories all wrong?

I have been following mfp for 1 month now and doing well with it. I just strarted if as well as monitoring calories via mfp. I dont know if i got it all wrong because this doctor claims counting calories is not a correct way to do it. https://youtu.be/jXXGxoNFag4 can anybody chime in on this?
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Replies

  • whatalazyidiot
    whatalazyidiot Posts: 343 Member
    Dr Fung pushes intermittent fasting, which naturally reduces your calories anyway. Most of these diets where "Calories don't matter" still restrict your calories without you realizing it, so that's kind of when I accepted it was all calories in, calories out.

    Here's the thing, though. Intermittent Fasting - in and of itself - does *not* naturally reduce your calories. It is entirely possible to overeat in whatever your non-fasting window might be.

    I know because I've done it. Been doing IF for literally decades. I've gained weight doing it, lost weight doing it and maintained weight doing it, too. The timing of when you eat is irrelevant.

    Tl;dr? You are absolutely correct in that it *is* all about calories in, calories out. :)

    Hah yeah super true. Whenever I read about why people like it, they almost always say they love that it helps them to control their calories haha.
  • whatalazyidiot
    whatalazyidiot Posts: 343 Member
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    This will not end well. Fung is a quack but many here subscribe to his theories. He’s very polarizing around these forums.

    Whether you choose to count calories or not, calories, and ultimately the energy balance that they contribute to, is what drives weight loss, gain and maintenance. You can be in a calorie deficit without counting calories and many who successfully lose weight following some of Fung’s suggestions are doing just that.

    For many of us using MFP, accurately logging and managing our calorie intake - regarding of the foods you choose to eat, is the best way to ensure we are in a calorie deficit or, in my case now, eating at maintenance calories having met my weight loss goals and in maintenance for several years.

    But buckle up this is going to be a bumpy thread.

    I definitely will be keeping the gameplan i just find it odd that a doctor would put that out there

    Plenty of doctors have little to no training in nutrition, weight management, etc but see an opportunity to profit and use their credentials as an appeal to authority to help them sell books. Fung is just one of many snake oil salesman that have sold out. Look at Dr Oz. A well respected cardiologist that capitalized and ended up being called in front of congress to address some of his practices on his show.

    Dr. Berg comes to mind lol. I don't even think he's a doctor. Isn't he like a chiropractic or something? I used to watch his videos when I was doing Keto (ugh), but when he claimed you could avoid loose skin by doing Keto, I was like umm dude no.

    Yes, hes a chiropractor. Even as a chiropractor he's performed some shady services and had run ins with the Virginia board of medicine for falsifying research and giving outright dangerous advice to patients.

    Yikes
  • witchaywoman81
    witchaywoman81 Posts: 280 Member
    Dr Fung pushes intermittent fasting, which naturally reduces your calories anyway. Most of these diets where "Calories don't matter" still restrict your calories without you realizing it, so that's kind of when I accepted it was all calories in, calories out.

    Here's the thing, though. Intermittent Fasting - in and of itself - does *not* naturally reduce your calories. It is entirely possible to overeat in whatever your non-fasting window might be.

    I know because I've done it. Been doing IF for literally decades. I've gained weight doing it, lost weight doing it and maintained weight doing it, too. The timing of when you eat is irrelevant.

    Tl;dr? You are absolutely correct in that it *is* all about calories in, calories out. :)

    So true. I have seen people around the forums swearing up and down that calories don’t matter with IF; the make it sound like IF is magic. Personally, I’m glad it’s NOT magic. I would rather know exactly how and why I’m losing weight, i.e. I’m in a calorie deficit or I’m not.

    I think if you’re someone who tends to binge at a certain time of day (I know a lot of night time snackers and have been one myself at certain times of my life) and you prevent yourself from eating during that time, it could be beneficial, but because you’re restricting calories, not because you’re doing something magical.

    🤔 This seems like one of those threads where we’re going to get a lot of first-time posters spewing woo. Brb, grabbing my 🍿.