do calories matter?

ihad

You should try it. Ok the first few days are hell but after a while it's liberating. Best of all I'm not so damn hungry all the time. I take amino acid supplements and pre-workouts. Motivation in the gym is not a problem. Sure I miss Pizza, Ice Cream and Peanut Buter Cups but not at the cost of how I feel since going LCHF.

Given his physique, I really do not think he needs to try any such faddy lifestyle. He seems to be doing very well on whatever plan he is currently following.

Pass. I'll keep my ice cream, pizza, and Peanut Butter cups

Completely removing carbs will set you up for a potential binge/restrict cycle (I've done it before). Sure, diets similar to Atkins are great for fat loss... but they are unnecessary, as weight loss can be achieved with better, and much safer alternatives. And you said it yourself, you miss pizza and ice cream. Why deprive yourself? I can get shredded while still eating chocolate every day.

This is good advice.

Recommending lchf, a diet which teaches you to fear healthy foods, is not a great idea given the OP is a recovering anorexic who does a lot of cardio.

Eat your carbs. Get enough calories. Enjoy a variety of foods.

aarondnguyen

To each their own. Remember what works for one person doesn't always work for somebody else and the leaner you are the more carbs you need. I'm about 40 pounds from my goal and seem to do better without them. Believe me I've tried almost everything to keep the carbs in my diet but this seems to be the only thing that keeps things moving.

By that logic, keeping track of calories and eating carbs wouldn't work for everyone in terms of weight loss?? Please don't make me post peer-reviewed studies to back my claims lol. And I doubt a site like "dietdoctor.com" is trustworthy. At all.

SLLRunner

When it comes to weight loss, calories are calories. You can eat 1,500 calories in vegetables or 1,500 calories in candy and you will lose weight either way.

However, when it comes to how you feel and how well you perform throughout you day, especially if you exercise, calories do count. You will probably have a better day, including your workout, if you decide not to eat all carrots or all candy but rather have a balanced diet that includes both candy and carrots.

SLLRunner

300 calories are in a mcdonalds cheeseburger. i can eat a 5-6 cup salad with grilled chicken... thats a lot of salad. anyway i joke that the cheeseburger calories go straight to your back boobs and the salad goes to the right places. the body knows how to handle real food but processed food not so much. so its where the calories come from that does the body good. in the end tho its still 300 calories.

This is wrong.

dough21

To each their own. Remember what works for one person doesn't always work for somebody else and the leaner you are the more carbs you need. I'm about 40 pounds from my goal and seem to do better without them. Believe me I've tried almost everything to keep the carbs in my diet but this seems to be the only thing that keeps things moving.

By that logic, keeping track of calories and eating carbs wouldn't work for everyone in terms of weight loss?? Please don't make me post peer-reviewed studies to back my claims lol. And I doubt a site like "dietdoctor.com" is trustworthy. At all.

Think of it what you want but how about some credibility here? As one that use to weigh 415 pounds and is now around 240. Don't believe me, look at the before and after in my profile.

aarondnguyen

Think of it what you want but how about some credibility here? As one that use to weigh 415 pounds and is now around 240. Don't believe me, look at the before and after in my profile.

You could've gotten the same results by consistently staying in a caloric deficit. Just because a fad diet worked doesn't mean it's the be-all end-all way to weight loss. Correlation doesn't equal causation. You're also denying the laws of thermodynamics. Expend more calories than you consume for any prolonged period of time, and you lose weight. And vice versa.

This isn't even about giving credibility or not. This is science.

dough21

I'm actually not quite as strict as the typical LCHF. I'm currently toying around with it a bit and seem to be doing well. The other day I had around 150 carbs. On days I ride my bike or go to the gym I'll simply have more carbs but on days where I'm sedentary, there's really no need for access carbs. For dinner today I had 6.0 oz of Hamburger, Tomato Paste, Franks Hot Sauce, A Cup of Philadelphia Pepperjack Cheese on 2 Tortillas. It was around 13 net carbs and it was oh so good!

ebonyb202

If you have issues with food I think the conscious eating works to keep the weight off...if you start eating foods that your body actually wants they naturally have less calories (veggies, fruit, beans, meat in moderation or not at all if you're really good) then it's a lifestyle now....taking in smaller quantities of high calorie foods will get you the body you want but it can only be sustained by people who don't not have eating disorders

I've lost and gained 4x but I've never felt like this weight loss is inevitable until I decided to make the base of my "diet" foods that the human body actually wants. So yeah calories matter..but keeping off the weight matters more

aarondnguyen

I'm actually not quite as strict as the typical LCHF. I'm currently toying around with it a bit and seem to be doing well. The other day I had around 150 carbs. On days I ride my bike or go to the gym I'll simply have more carbs but on days where I'm sedentary, there's really no need for ]access carbs. For dinner today I had 6.0 oz of Hamburger, Tomato Paste, Franks Hot Sauce, A Cup of Philadelphia Pepperjack Cheese on 2 Tortillas. It was around 13 net carbs and it was oh so good!

1) Excess*.
2) 13 net carbs? A carb is a carb, whether it's inactive or not. Just because it says fiber doesn't mean you shouldn't count it into your calories.
3) On rest days, a balanced diet (that includes carbs) will still help your muscles recover from the previous day's workout.

I'm done here.

LiftAllThePizzas

Yes. Calories count.
Such things are said because no one anticipates the ignorance of the human race. There are warnings on hair dryers that tell people not to use them in the shower. Why? Because someone probably did.

Have you seen the instructions on a box of toothpicks? That's why I rarely go inside the asylum anymore.

Otterluv

To each their own. Remember what works for one person doesn't always work for somebody else and the leaner you are the more carbs you need. I'm about 40 pounds from my goal and seem to do better without them. Believe me I've tried almost everything to keep the carbs in my diet but this seems to be the only thing that keeps things moving.

By that logic, keeping track of calories and eating carbs wouldn't work for everyone in terms of weight loss?? Please don't make me post peer-reviewed studies to back my claims lol. And I doubt a site like "dietdoctor.com" is trustworthy. At all.

Think of it what you want but how about some credibility here? As one that use to weigh 415 pounds and is now around 240. Don't believe me, look at the before and after in my profile.

If we are playing at that game; look at ihad's ticker, hell, look at mine. Carbs are in my diet. Lots of them. I am a runner and I lift, I would not fare nearly as well without them.

LolBroScience

To each their own. Remember what works for one person doesn't always work for somebody else and the leaner you are the more carbs you need. I'm about 40 pounds from my goal and seem to do better without them. Believe me I've tried almost everything to keep the carbs in my diet but this seems to be the only thing that keeps things moving.

By that logic, keeping track of calories and eating carbs wouldn't work for everyone in terms of weight loss?? Please don't make me post peer-reviewed studies to back my claims lol. And I doubt a site like "dietdoctor.com" is trustworthy. At all.

Think of it what you want but how about some credibility here? As one that use to weigh 415 pounds and is now around 240. Don't believe me, look at the before and after in my profile.

Stop while you're ahead....

jbaker1663

I've seen thermodynamics mentioned before and I'm wondering if you can help me understand. I have always believed that CICO is the only rule of weight loss/gain. However, I've been going through menopause for several years and I have gained 30 lbs over the last 2 years. I'm 5'4 and have weighed between 120-125 lbs. my entire adult life. I exercise and eat healthy foods-because for me that's the easiest way to maintain my weight. Now, nothing I do will result in weight loss and I have a steady weight gain. If all I need is a simple calorie deficit, why am I still gaining? I just joined 3 days ago, but my diary is public. I am logging everything I eat, and the only thing that's different from what I usually do is that I have eaten a little more each day because my calorie intake was so far below 1200. All the conventional wisdom says don't go below 1200, but if I'm gaining weight wouldn't that meant that I'm burning below 1200? I broke my foot recently and I can't go back to boot camp yet, but I am walking 30 minutes every day. I put I was mostly sedentary because it's hard for me to get around. How is it possible that I'm eating less than 1200 calories and still gaining weight? I can't reconcile the CICO with not going below 1200, because if I'm below 1200 and still gaining, then I must be burning less than that, right? It is so frustrating and I appreciate any advice I can get. I confess I don't understand thermodynamics. Thank you.

MistyMtnMan

Short answer. No.

CyanideVii

I read a study thats a little similar, but calories are calories. The study said that the source of the calories affect you different. we are not talking about health, we are still talking about the energy from it and what not.
Honestly I believe it. I measure myself a little too much and count and chart my water intake ect. I find that i put on weight or struggle maintaining it when most of my calories are from carbs, and I find that I can still drop weight from eating high calorie salads(cranberries, dressings, nuts and meat) even if i go over my limit.
ofc these studies are new and calories are still calories but how your body processes it is probably different for everyone.

aarondnguyen

I've seen thermodynamics mentioned before and I'm wondering if you can help me understand. I have always believed that CICO is the only rule of weight loss/gain. However, I've been going through menopause for several years and I have gained 30 lbs over the last 2 years. I'm 5'4 and have weighed between 120-125 lbs. my entire adult life. I exercise and eat healthy foods-because for me that's the easiest way to maintain my weight. Now, nothing I do will result in weight loss and I have a steady weight gain. If all I need is a simple calorie deficit, why am I still gaining? I just joined 3 days ago, but my diary is public. I am logging everything I eat, and the only thing that's different from what I usually do is that I have eaten a little more each day because my calorie intake was so far below 1200. All the conventional wisdom says don't go below 1200, but if I'm gaining weight wouldn't that meant that I'm burning below 1200? I broke my foot recently and I can't go back to boot camp yet, but I am walking 30 minutes every day. I put I was mostly sedentary because it's hard for me to get around. How is it possible that I'm eating less than 1200 calories and still gaining weight? I can't reconcile the CICO with not going below 1200, because if I'm below 1200 and still gaining, then I must be burning less than that, right? It is so frustrating and I appreciate any advice I can get. I confess I don't understand thermodynamics. Thank you.

I need more context. Being able to view the calories you've logged for the past few days isn't enough. I don't know what your diet was like before you joined this community, nor do I know how long you had been doing it. Although very rare, metabolic damage can occur... (if your BMR is less than 1200). From what I can tell after looking at your diary, your fats seem a little low. Aim for 0.4-0.5g per lb. body weight. Prolonged low-fat diets can mess with hormones, which will lead to a host of problems. Are you getting enough sleep? Are you drinking plenty of water? How accurate are you when you log your food? Do you use a scale? Are you weighing yourself consistently every day or week (i.e. every morning)?

^Context.

jbaker1663

I haven't changed my eating at all-this is how I have eaten for 25 years-but I know it's hard to tell from 3 days. I don't have a food scale, but I've measured using a measuring cup. Because I've never had an issue with my weight before, it really wasn't a big deal. I knew how much I could eat and maintain my weight. I will definitely get one this weekend. As far as my fats, the reason I eat less is because I've found a higher fat diet has always made it harder for me to maintain my weight. Clearly all bets are off now, so if more fat will help, I will definitely try that. Hormones-well, that is of course the whole issue with menopause. I had blood work done and had no measurable levels of estrogen, progesterone or testosterone. I have been on bio identical hormones for over a year, which definitely helps with the symptoms, but not the weight gain. I see a hormone specialist and had a saliva test last week-waiting for those results to see if she can adjust the hormone levels. For a long time I didn't sleep well at all-it's impossible with hot flashes-but the hormones help with that. I honestly am exhausted all the time now, even when I sleep for 10 hours. The doctor told me that when you go through menopause, it can decrease your metabolism to the point that you just can't lose weight (and that the decreased metabolism was the reason for my tiredness). I keep thinking that there must be a calorie level I am using every day, and I just need to be below that. But if it's below 1200-which seems apparent-then is it safe to eat that? I thought when I started logging my foods I'd find I was eating way too many calories, but I was actually not. The first 2 days I went back and added food because I was only around 1000 calories. Today, I treated myself to a drink to make up the difference, but I rarely drink alcohol. My carbs are always over the limit. Maybe that's the problem. What I don't understand is this: why isn't creating a calorie deficit enough? Why isn't it resulting in weight loss? I will say I am very accurate when I log my food. I logged the salt and spices I used-nothing has gone in my mouth that I didn't log, except that I drank more water than I put. I'm not unrealistic-I don't expect to have the same body I had when I was 25 because that is not going to happen. I just don't want to give in to the weight gain and end up with a real problem. Plus, it drives me crazy because I don't get it-if I reduce my calories, why don't I lose weight? Thanks for taking the time to help.

Chris_Pierce

300 calories are in a mcdonalds cheeseburger. i can eat a 5-6 cup salad with grilled chicken... thats a lot of salad. anyway i joke that the cheeseburger calories go straight to your back boobs and the salad goes to the right places. the body knows how to handle real food but processed food not so much. so its where the calories come from that does the body good. in the end tho its still 300 calories.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/hormonal-responses-to-a-fast-food-meal-compared-with-nutritionally-comparable-meals-of-different-composition-research-review.html

I think this kills the "study"

" The study only looked at a single meal. It’s entirely possible that a diet based completely around fast food would show different effects.
The sample size was small: 6 overweight men and two women. It’s possible that differences would have shown up with more subjects. A related question is whether lean individuals would respond differently. Perhaps but I doubt it. As I discussed in The Influence of the Subjects’ Training State on the Glycemic Index, GI and insulin response are even less relevant in trained individuals."


Ever seen "super size me" ?

jbaker1663

PS I weigh myself at the same time every morning, with the scale in the exact same place. Same scale

Sinisterly

Calories don't really matter if you're bulking, so you can nom all you want >.>
" Technically "

snazzyjazzy21

300 calories are in a mcdonalds cheeseburger. i can eat a 5-6 cup salad with grilled chicken... thats a lot of salad. anyway i joke that the cheeseburger calories go straight to your back boobs and the salad goes to the right places. the body knows how to handle real food but processed food not so much. so its where the calories come from that does the body good. in the end tho its still 300 calories.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/hormonal-responses-to-a-fast-food-meal-compared-with-nutritionally-comparable-meals-of-different-composition-research-review.html

I think this kills the "study"

" The study only looked at a single meal. It’s entirely possible that a diet based completely around fast food would show different effects.
The sample size was small: 6 overweight men and two women. It’s possible that differences would have shown up with more subjects. A related question is whether lean individuals would respond differently. Perhaps but I doubt it. As I discussed in The Influence of the Subjects’ Training State on the Glycemic Index, GI and insulin response are even less relevant in trained individuals."


Ever seen "super size me" ?

Mentioning supersize me just blew your argument out of the water....

einzweidrei

I love carbs. And junk food. And things people would consider "awful" and "unclean" and "fatty mcfatterson" foods. And lots of salt.

My BMI is <19, just to give you an idea. Jumps between 18.6-18.9. Eating a roast beef sandwich with a B&W milkshake and side of corn fritters at 1 AM---guess what? My body isn't going to start just piling the pounds right back on because of all the carbs, the time I'm eating, etc. And actually, it was delicious and filling. Too bad I can't do it everyday. ;-) (I would if I worked out but I don't.)

I think low carb might be a good start for people who need the motivation but I don't think it's a good long term fix. My husband lost a bunch of weight when he was pushing/over 300 pounds before I knew him. Then he just completely stopped losing weight. Started to integrate carbs again and the weight went back into the 250s. Now we just calorie count to keep the weight down 230ish, hopefully he'll break that again soon.