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Is counting calories all wrong?
azzeazsaleh5429
Posts: 77 Member
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?
https://youtu.be/jXXGxoNFag4 can anybody chime in on this? 28
Replies
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uh-oh...13
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Depending on his name, he might not know what he's talking about.
Dr. Fung is his name. His specialty training is nephrology. He's dabbling in endocrinology, which is not his training. Fact is, he teaches his T2 diabetes clients to engage in a low carb high fat diet and it is good for them. His youtube videos generally confuse the public into thinking that he's counseling us individually. He's not. He's explaining his practice with his T2 diabetes patients. He's making a ton of money.
Anyway, here's what we do know about the human body. It is amazingly odd.
Despite that, we've learned that counting calories, maintaining a mild calorie deficit, getting plenty of protein and fat, and exercising regularly with heavy resistance exercises as well as cardiovascular exercises tends to cause the human body to reduce size, retain muscle, and heal pathologies.34 -
"We don't die in our sleep every night because we burn stored energy" ?? I admit I didn't listen to much more than that. Should I have listened to more for context?
Because I really don't want to.14 -
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.35 -
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.25
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Ugh
16 -
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 there5 -
It was totally liberating to me when I realized that all I had to do was burn more calories than I eat to lose weight. Everything else is now just noise. I am completely in control of my diet.50
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azzeazsaleh5429 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
Doctors are at best experts in their specialty - they don't know everything about every aspect of human health. Dr Fung is a nephrologist, a kidney specialist.
Dr. Oz and Dr. Phil should have more than proven to the world that just because someone is a doctor of something doesn't mean you should trust them with other aspects of your health, or even trust them period.
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azzeazsaleh5429 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.14 -
azzeazsaleh5429 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
Doctors are at best experts in their specialty - they don't know everything about every aspect of human health. Dr Fung is a nephrologist, a kidney specialist.
Dr. Oz and Dr. Phil should have more than proven to the world that just because someone is a doctor of something doesn't mean you should trust them with other aspects of your health, or even trust them period.
You beat me to it!6 -
azzeazsaleh5429 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
Dr. Oz is a doctor also. But he also faced fraud charges for his "miracle diet pills." The lawsuit was settled for millions.It was totally liberating to me when I realized that all I had to do was burn more calories than I eat to lose weight. Everything else is now just noise. I am completely in control of my diet.
This^
YOU are in control.13 -
We've already got a woo stalker on this thread... care to chime in whoever you are?16
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WinoGelato wrote: »azzeazsaleh5429 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.
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whatalazyidiot wrote: »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.
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Teabythesea_ wrote: »We've already got a woo stalker on this thread... care to chime in whoever you are?
Maybe it’s Fung!
#theplotthickens17 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »whatalazyidiot wrote: »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.1 -
whatalazyidiot wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »azzeazsaleh5429 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.5 -
whatalazyidiot wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »whatalazyidiot wrote: »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.
Well, it actually can help some people control their calories, if it means they are limiting the amount of time in a day that they are eating. But what and how much they eat when they *are* eating still matters. 6 -
Teabythesea_ wrote: »whatalazyidiot wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »azzeazsaleh5429 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.
Yikes1 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »whatalazyidiot wrote: »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 🍿.4 -
witchaywoman81 wrote: »This seems like one of those threads where we’re going to get a lot of first-time posters spewing woo. Brb, grabbing my 🍿.
Dr. Fung told me I could reset my confused metabolism by adding 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to my banana cleanse. Lets do this!
11 -
Fatty_Nuff wrote: »witchaywoman81 wrote: »This seems like one of those threads where we’re going to get a lot of first-time posters spewing woo. Brb, grabbing my 🍿.
Dr. Fung told me I could reset my confused metabolism by adding 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to my banana cleanse. Lets do this!
Don’t forget the ACV! 😉
5 -
witchaywoman81 wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »whatalazyidiot wrote: »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 🍿.
Yes; and they usually go inactive after about 2 months, likely when their "magic pill" has stopped producing water weight losses, and they have not learned how to manage their intake using calories.14 -
Fung is a quack.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
15 -
It honestly saddens me when people come on here hopped up on the misinformation he shills because I remember what it's like to want to hear something that sounds like a magical solution to make everything easy.
Fung sets up a false narrative in order to rope believers into an us vs. them mentality that sets them apart and has them almost embrace a sort of victimhood. It's craven, when you really think about it.20 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »whatalazyidiot wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »whatalazyidiot wrote: »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.
Well, it actually can help some people control their calories, if it means they are limiting the amount of time in a day that they are eating. But what and how much they eat when they *are* eating still matters.
This IF, sounds like a challenge to me, how many calories can I eat in my feeding window......is there an app to track my PR?
6 -
Well. YMMV...but I've been using MFP to track my calorie intake for about 6-7 months. Keeping at 1200 calories and not exercising more than yard work or hauling in enough logs to keep my woodstove going [COPD & 72 Y-O] I've lost more than 30 pounds in 6 months. My "chubby" nephew started working out and eating tons of protein at at age 19, and he quickly got slim and buff, and at 23 he has maintained. Following his lead, I added lots of protein and water to my diet this summer. The only eliminations were the dreaded "white carbs" and alcohol [
] . When at my target weight I added wine back to my calorie count. The struggle to control the alcohol has not been pretty, but I'm still at just over my target weight.
Long been a believer that when one cuts back quickly and dramatically on the calorie intake, the metabolism slows down because your body thinks the mastodons have died, and you are in danger of starvation....s l ow d o w n a n d l i v e.
Cannot take the fad diets with a grain of salt because there are SOOOO many of them and the extra sodium contributes to weight gain....Like. "fast every other day, and only eat kale on the other days"....
@Fatty_Nuff ...have you tried instead smoothing the coconut oil on your face after washing up in the morning ?? Less calories and a much prettier complexion...
Thanks to @wine gelato for your inspiration on "another thread" !!
8 -
azzeazsaleh5429 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
Ours would be a much better world in general, if education - even relevant education - kept people from being either sorely mistaken, or cynical/predatory. Sadly, education provides no such assured preventive.9 -
azzeazsaleh5429 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
Ours would be a much better world in general, if education - even relevant education - kept people from being either sorely mistaken, or cynical/predatory. Sadly, education provides no such assured preventive.
Old person's grumble coming up....
The internet seems to have weakened people's common sense. I remember the simple advice of from my dear old Mum "if it sounds to good to be true.....".
Being gullible used to be a sign of not being very bright but just because something is in an email or a video on YouTube seems to hook intelligent people too and circumvent their natural cynicism.
Did you know that the word gullible has been dropped from the latest edition of the Oxford English Dictionary?
Vetting sources also seems to have gone out of fashion.
If you asked someone who they would go to for dietary advice people wouldn't normally say a nephrologist, a cardiologist or a chiropractor and yet people are sucked in because someone sends them a link or they see rave reviews on social media.15
This discussion has been closed.
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