Counting calories alone may be weightloss sabotage

btmadison

All calories are not created equal. Good article, many on here prob. already know most of this info...

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/19/health/19brody.html?_r=1

brendalyne

Bump, so I can point to this thread in future!

00trayn

I wrote a detailed blog about that article (see link below) and it's 100% correct! What you eat is much more important than how much (within reason).

kittyloo123

so true, so true. Many don't see the loss that they want when they are staying under their calories, but choosing them in the form of fast food, chips and cookies. IMO that's just a half hearted attempt , or a desire to slim down.

saltorian

There are some interesting ideas in this article, but maybe I missed something. Was the study controlled for the amount of calories consumed? It seems to me that the link between eating french fries (for example) and weight gain might just be that people who eat french fries on a regular basis are probably also consuming more calories overall. Likewise, people who watch more TV are probably burning fewer calories consistently. Am I just confused?

campi_mama

Thanks for sharing! I've been wanting to write a blog post on this topic.

nibblerbigcat

There are some interesting ideas in this article, but maybe I missed something. Was the study controlled for the amount of calories consumed? It seems to me that the link between eating french fries (for example) and weight gain might just be that people who eat french fries on a regular basis are probably also consuming more calories overall. Likewise, people who watch more TV are probably burning fewer calories consistently. Am I just confused?

No, you're right. Generally people who eat fast food and watch loads of tv are living unhealthy, sedentary lifestyles. Vice versa: generally people who eat fruits, vegetables and healthy foods are people who watch what they eat, care about nutrition and excercise.

I think this kind of research has been done time and time again. It seems to be more common sense to me. The more french fries you eat, the more likely you're going to be fat. The more you sit on your butt all day, the more likely you will gain weight. This kind of stuff isn't rocket science.

VeganGal84

I definately found this to be an interesting read! I especially loved the part that says whole grains don't cause weight gain, even if eaten in larger amounts.

joejccva71

Interesting article, but I disagree with some of the things that were mentioned.

At the end of the day it's calories in versus calories out. It's calories that you are taking in versus your energy expedenture out. Period. Cut and Dry. End of story.

Bottom line is this folks: You can eat all the fruits and vegetables you want, but if you eat a calorie surplus over your maintenance of nothing but fruits and vegetables...guess what. You will gain weight.

TK421NotAtPost

At the end of the day it's calories in versus calories out. It's calories that you are taking in versus your energy expedenture out. Period. Cut and Dry. End of story.

So if I maintain a daily calorie deficit of 500 every day for the next three years, will I disappear?

stroutman81

At the end of the day it's calories in versus calories out. It's calories that you are taking in versus your energy expedenture out. Period. Cut and Dry. End of story.

So if I maintain a daily calorie deficit of 500 every day for the next three years, will I disappear?

I don't understand your point. Of course you won't disappear. There's a limit to how much tissue you can lose. Your body will downregulate various systems to conserve itself. This along with the loss of mass/tissue will lead to a smaller and smaller deficit over time, thus slowing down the rate of loss.

Of course if you starve yourself long enough, you'll die before you wither away to nothing.

You know this obviously... I think your point is it goes well beyond calories in vs. calories out. And I agree. Unfortunately though, too many people, experts, and articles like this make it about either/or. They thrive on the false dichotomy. It's not calories matter or calories don't.

I'm pretty sure most everyone around here already knew that what they eat matters just as much as how much they eat. That's all the article seems to be saying based on my skim... they're just using sensationalistic reporting to grab your attention.

It has always been about quantity AND quality.

And for the record.... calories are ALWAYS created equal. Just like an inch is always an inch... a calorie is always a calorie. It can be but nothing else. Nutrients and calories are not one in the same. Nutrients provide our bodies energy (calories) and as I'm sure you know... not all nutrients are created equal.

Which is why it's important to set calories appropriate to your goal and to "fill" these calories with the right blend of nutrients. That blend is going to vary on the individual and his/her circumstances.

joejccva71

So if I maintain a daily calorie deficit of 500 every day for the next three years, will I disappear?

Not sure if srs, trolling, or just being plain ignorant?