Calorie counting flawed?????
onefitdiva
Posts: 331 Member
I saw this on the "Early Show" this morning, while I am not endorsing or bashing it, I still found it interesting and wanted to share.
"Four Biggest Myths About Calories"
Myth 1: A calorie is a calorie is a calorie
In the past few years, we've learned a lot more about how our bodies react to identical calorie levels from different foods, and a new Harvard study is further proof.
Another recent study found that saturated fats, like those found in butter, whole milk, and fatty meats, may override the body's natural satiety mechanism (which enables you to feel full), whereas unsaturated fats, from plant sources like olive oil, avocado, and nuts, may enhance satiety, even when the calorie levels don't differ.
A key study from Wake Forest University found that, even at the exact same calorie and fat levels, monkeys fed trans-fats gained four times more weight and 30 percent more belly fat compared to those given meals made with natural, plant-based fats.
And a recent Penn State study found that, over a 12-week period, dieters who consumed whole grains rather than refined grains lost more belly fat, despite the diets otherwise being identical.
All of this means that quality may be more important than quantity when it comes to the fate of the calories you consume.
Myth 2: Calorie counts are always accurate
By law, most products are allowed a 20 percent variance when it comes to the accuracy of the calories stated per serving on their nutrition labels. In other words, as much as a 20 percent margin of error is acceptable. So, if an energy bar states 250 calories, it could actually contain 300. Just another reason not to get too hung up on exact numbers.
Myth 3: Counting calories is the key to weight control
A recent study from the University of California, San Francisco found that it can actually backfire.
The researchers randomly assigned 121 women to one of four diets:
Group one tracked their calories, keeping them to 1,200 a day.
Group two ate normally, but recorded the number of calories they consumed.
Group three ate 1,200 calories a day, but did not have to record them, and
Group four ate normally, without any calorie-tracking.
At the beginning and end of the three-week study, the researchers measured each woman's cortisol and stress levels. When calories were restricted, cortisol levels rose. In addition, calorie-counting (even without cutting) made the women feel more stressed out.
Cortisol is a hormone that revs up appetite, spikes cravings for fatty and sugary foods, and leads to weight gain, particularly belly fat, and we've all been there when it comes to stress eating.
This study supports the theory that there are physiological as well as psychological side effects to calorie constraint and counting.
Myth 4: Cutting 3,500 calories equals one pound of weight loss
The formula of cutting 500 calories a day to lose a pound a week has been touted for decades, but it doesn't always work.
In addition to the unwanted side-effects under Myth 3 (raging hunger hormones and stress), if, by subtracting 500 from your current calorie intake you wind up eating less than it takes to support your ideal weight, you could wind up losing muscle mass and slowing down your metabolism, which in turn can make it harder to continue losing weight and easier to gain it back.
I never advise my clients to eat less than it takes to support their weight goal and activity levels. Sometimes that means cutting less than they think they should (e.g. not going on a 1,200 calorie diet), but it's actually more effective, because the right type of weight is lost (fat, not lean tissue and fluid).
Bottom line
Rather than getting bogged down with numbers, focus on:
Quality: fresh food, or food as close to its natural state as possible, as opposed to highly-processed.
Balance: Your body needs a combination of "good" carbs, lean protein and healthy fats to function optimally; cutting any of them too low or inflating any too high can throw the body out of balance.
Timing: Your body is like an engine that's always turned on. That's why eating breakfast and evenly spacing meals best supports metabolism and mood. Even if the calories are identical, going all day without eating and then eating a large meal at night, compared to eating the same number of calories spread throughout the day, will have a different impact on your body.
"Four Biggest Myths About Calories"
Myth 1: A calorie is a calorie is a calorie
In the past few years, we've learned a lot more about how our bodies react to identical calorie levels from different foods, and a new Harvard study is further proof.
Another recent study found that saturated fats, like those found in butter, whole milk, and fatty meats, may override the body's natural satiety mechanism (which enables you to feel full), whereas unsaturated fats, from plant sources like olive oil, avocado, and nuts, may enhance satiety, even when the calorie levels don't differ.
A key study from Wake Forest University found that, even at the exact same calorie and fat levels, monkeys fed trans-fats gained four times more weight and 30 percent more belly fat compared to those given meals made with natural, plant-based fats.
And a recent Penn State study found that, over a 12-week period, dieters who consumed whole grains rather than refined grains lost more belly fat, despite the diets otherwise being identical.
All of this means that quality may be more important than quantity when it comes to the fate of the calories you consume.
Myth 2: Calorie counts are always accurate
By law, most products are allowed a 20 percent variance when it comes to the accuracy of the calories stated per serving on their nutrition labels. In other words, as much as a 20 percent margin of error is acceptable. So, if an energy bar states 250 calories, it could actually contain 300. Just another reason not to get too hung up on exact numbers.
Myth 3: Counting calories is the key to weight control
A recent study from the University of California, San Francisco found that it can actually backfire.
The researchers randomly assigned 121 women to one of four diets:
Group one tracked their calories, keeping them to 1,200 a day.
Group two ate normally, but recorded the number of calories they consumed.
Group three ate 1,200 calories a day, but did not have to record them, and
Group four ate normally, without any calorie-tracking.
At the beginning and end of the three-week study, the researchers measured each woman's cortisol and stress levels. When calories were restricted, cortisol levels rose. In addition, calorie-counting (even without cutting) made the women feel more stressed out.
Cortisol is a hormone that revs up appetite, spikes cravings for fatty and sugary foods, and leads to weight gain, particularly belly fat, and we've all been there when it comes to stress eating.
This study supports the theory that there are physiological as well as psychological side effects to calorie constraint and counting.
Myth 4: Cutting 3,500 calories equals one pound of weight loss
The formula of cutting 500 calories a day to lose a pound a week has been touted for decades, but it doesn't always work.
In addition to the unwanted side-effects under Myth 3 (raging hunger hormones and stress), if, by subtracting 500 from your current calorie intake you wind up eating less than it takes to support your ideal weight, you could wind up losing muscle mass and slowing down your metabolism, which in turn can make it harder to continue losing weight and easier to gain it back.
I never advise my clients to eat less than it takes to support their weight goal and activity levels. Sometimes that means cutting less than they think they should (e.g. not going on a 1,200 calorie diet), but it's actually more effective, because the right type of weight is lost (fat, not lean tissue and fluid).
Bottom line
Rather than getting bogged down with numbers, focus on:
Quality: fresh food, or food as close to its natural state as possible, as opposed to highly-processed.
Balance: Your body needs a combination of "good" carbs, lean protein and healthy fats to function optimally; cutting any of them too low or inflating any too high can throw the body out of balance.
Timing: Your body is like an engine that's always turned on. That's why eating breakfast and evenly spacing meals best supports metabolism and mood. Even if the calories are identical, going all day without eating and then eating a large meal at night, compared to eating the same number of calories spread throughout the day, will have a different impact on your body.
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Replies
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super interesting and informative. thanks for posting.0
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Definitely very interesting and makes complete sense to me! I've always figured (no pun intended) that calorie counting isn't an exact science, nor is it a be all, end all.0
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Thanks for the info; good food for thought!0
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I tend to get very stressed out/obsessive about the calorie counting and I think in the long run it derails me. I'm trying now to watch what I eat, make healthy choices, stay active and not stress about 'the numbers.' Very interesting- thanks for sharing :flowerforyou:0
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Myth 2: Calorie counts are always accurate
By law, most products are allowed a 20 percent variance when it comes to the accuracy of the calories stated per serving on their nutrition labels. In other words, as much as a 20 percent margin of error is acceptable. So, if an energy bar states 250 calories, it could actually contain 300. Just another reason not to get too hung up on exact numbers.
Wow! I knew that anything with less than 5 calories a serving could be called 0 calories, but I never knew this! I always add 20% to restaurant menu calories because a guy in the back who has 10 other orders is making it, not a food scientist who measures everything0 -
Interesting. Thanks for posting!
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:glasses: very nicely done...thanks for this informative post...i tend to agree 0
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Chances are if you severely restrict yourself, you're just going to want it more. There's always room for error in calorie counting, something you may have missed or forgotten, something the nutrition labels didn't tell you. Don't get so hung up on the numbers. MFP is just a tool to help you get there, but it is definitely not the end all be all.
Take care to listen to your bodies! Eat when you're hungry, stop when you're full. Eat the best bang for buck when it comes to food (like dark leafy over light leafy). Be active so you can be strong.0 -
OP thank you for posting this.
It IS in fact all about the numbers. You have to count calories. You have to count every single calorie that goes into your body to not only lose weight but to MAINTAIN steady weight loss and not plateau. It's a must.
Ever wonder why people start to lose weight on these boards, and then stop? Their weight loss comes to a screeching halt and they plateau. I see atleast 4-5 threads per day on this.
Counting calories matters. Macros matters. Getting enough sleep matters. Water intake matters.
The type of food does NOT matter. Eating 5-6 meals a day every 3 hours does NOT matter. Eating late at night does NOT matter.
The article says that it's not calorie counting that matters, it's eating natural foods/organic foods. Well the problem is you can eat all the natural foods you want, and eat all kinds of fruits and veggies...but if you go over your TDEE then you will gain weight.0 -
Oh one more bit of info mentioned on the show...the definition of what a calorie actually is:
A calorie is the amount of energy, or heat, it takes to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit).0 -
Interesting.0
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This sounds vaguely familiar to me. Are you sure this wasn't from the book "4-Hour Body" by Tim Ferriss???0
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OP thank you for posting this.
It IS in fact all about the numbers. You have to count calories. You have to count every single calorie that goes into your body to not only lose weight but to MAINTAIN steady weight loss and not plateau. It's a must.
Ever wonder why people start to lose weight on these boards, and then stop? Their weight loss comes to a screeching halt and they plateau. I see atleast 4-5 threads per day on this.
Counting calories matters. Macros matters. Getting enough sleep matters. Water intake matters.
The type of food does NOT matter. Eating 5-6 meals a day every 3 hours does NOT matter. Eating late at night does NOT matter.
The article says that it's not calorie counting that matters, it's eating natural foods/organic foods. Well the problem is you can eat all the natural foods you want, and eat all kinds of fruits and veggies...but if you go over your TDEE then you will gain weight.
I would go to http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/earlyshow/main500202.shtml ... and watch the interview, she does have an explination for ..."Well the problem is you can eat all the natural foods you want, and eat all kinds of fruits and veggies...but if you go over your TDEE then you will gain weight."
I am just not going to argue it, as I said the post was meant as a bit of info, some ppl often obsess about exact calories, and I did check on the 20% + or - federal regulation and that is a fact. So trying to count exact calories by nutrition lables is not going to give you 100% accuracy in any case.0 -
This sounds vaguely familiar to me. Are you sure this wasn't from the book "4-Hour Body" by Tim Ferriss???
No this was a woman registered dietician named Cynthia Sass and she wrote the book "Cinch: Conquer Cravings, Drop Pounds, and Lose Inches,"
Unless she was a follower of Tim Ferriss and stole his work...I dunno! lol.
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I saw this on the "Early Show" this morning, while I am not endorsing or bashing it, I still found it interesting and wanted to share. "Four Biggest Myths About Calories"
Myth 1: A calorie is a calorie is a calorie
In the past few years, we've learned a lot more about how our bodies react to identical calorie levels from different foods, and a new Harvard study is further proof.
Another recent study found that saturated fats, like those found in butter, whole milk, and fatty meats, may override the body's natural satiety mechanism (which enables you to feel full), whereas unsaturated fats, from plant sources like olive oil, avocado, and nuts, may enhance satiety, even when the calorie levels don't differ.
A key study from Wake Forest University found that, even at the exact same calorie and fat levels, monkeys fed trans-fats gained four times more weight and 30 percent more belly fat compared to those given meals made with natural, plant-based fats.
And a recent Penn State study found that, over a 12-week period, dieters who consumed whole grains rather than refined grains lost more belly fat, despite the diets otherwise being identical.
It's already scientifically proven that saturated fats do tell the brain your full. In fact most people on low fat diets never feel full. Most studies are an opinion and nothing more. Had to laugh at this supposed fact.Myth 2: Calorie counts are always accurate
By law, most products are allowed a 20 percent variance when it comes to the accuracy of the calories stated per serving on their nutrition labels. In other words, as much as a 20 percent margin of error is acceptable. So, if an energy bar states 250 calories, it could actually contain 300. Just another reason not to get too hung up on exact numbers.
This is 100% true.Myth 3: Counting calories is the key to weight control
A recent study from the University of California, San Francisco found that it can actually backfire.
The researchers randomly assigned 121 women to one of four diets:
Group one tracked their calories, keeping them to 1,200 a day.
Group two ate normally, but recorded the number of calories they consumed.
Group three ate 1,200 calories a day, but did not have to record them, and
Group four ate normally, without any calorie-tracking.
At the beginning and end of the three-week study, the researchers measured each woman's cortisol and stress levels. When calories were restricted, cortisol levels rose. In addition, calorie-counting (even without cutting) made the women feel more stressed out.
Cortisol is a hormone that revs up appetite, spikes cravings for fatty and sugary foods, and leads to weight gain, particularly belly fat, and we've all been there when it comes to stress eating.
This study supports the theory that there are physiological as well as psychological side effects to calorie constraint and counting.
Calorie counting is a tool to lose weight. It's great for learning the costs of certain foods and roughly how much food we need. It's extremely important for those who eat junk/processed foods. If you eat natural its not as big a deal. Proceed food is a big fat bomb.Myth 4: Cutting 3,500 calories equals one pound of weight loss
The formula of cutting 500 calories a day to lose a pound a week has been touted for decades, but it doesn't always work.
In addition to the unwanted side-effects under Myth 3 (raging hunger hormones and stress), if, by subtracting 500 from your current calorie intake you wind up eating less than it takes to support your ideal weight, you could wind up losing muscle mass and slowing down your metabolism, which in turn can make it harder to continue losing weight and easier to gain it back.
I never advise my clients to eat less than it takes to support their weight goal and activity levels. Sometimes that means cutting less than they think they should (e.g. not going on a 1,200 calorie diet), but it's actually more effective, because the right type of weight is lost (fat, not lean tissue and fluid).
Bottom lineRather than getting bogged down with numbers, focus on:
Quality: fresh food, or food as close to its natural state as possible, as opposed to highly-processed.
Balance: Your body needs a combination of "good" carbs, lean protein and healthy fats to function optimally; cutting any of them too low or inflating any too high can throw the body out of balance.
Timing: Your body is like an engine that's always turned on. That's why eating breakfast and evenly spacing meals best supports metabolism and mood. Even if the calories are identical, going all day without eating and then eating a large meal at night, compared to eating the same number of calories spread throughout the day, will have a different impact on your body.
Good advice but please don't suggest that animal ie saturated fats are unhealthy. Animal fat and butter have incredible health benefits when eaten sensibly.0 -
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OP thank you for posting this.
It IS in fact all about the numbers. You have to count calories. You have to count every single calorie that goes into your body to not only lose weight but to MAINTAIN steady weight loss and not plateau. It's a must.
Ever wonder why people start to lose weight on these boards, and then stop? Their weight loss comes to a screeching halt and they plateau. I see atleast 4-5 threads per day on this.
Counting calories matters. Macros matters. Getting enough sleep matters. Water intake matters.
The type of food does NOT matter. Eating 5-6 meals a day every 3 hours does NOT matter. Eating late at night does NOT matter.
The article says that it's not calorie counting that matters, it's eating natural foods/organic foods. Well the problem is you can eat all the natural foods you want, and eat all kinds of fruits and veggies...but if you go over your TDEE then you will gain weight.
You are 100% correct that calories DO matter. That is the most important rule of weight loss.
BUT what type of fat you eat, what type of carbs you eat, what type of protein you eat, and WHEN you eat ALL play a role in how fast and effectively you loose weight.
Everyone knows that insulin is what makes you gain weight. And by eating crappy food in large amounts, even within you calorie range will spike your insulin levels and force your body to store that excess food you ate in that one sitting that it couldn't process.
Conclusion: All calorie's are NOT created equal. But when, what, and how much you eat ALSO play a role in weight loss.0 -
There is no one perfect way for everyone. The problem with obsessing about every calorie in and every calorie out is that at some point you have to live a life! Counting in the beginning has taught me more about the protions I should have and what are every once in a while indulgence and what is a good choice based on how much I can have. when I fall back a bit, as I have now, I start hard core counting again to reset the system and get back on track. I just really feel like you have to learn to eat well to LIVE well. I can not go for the next 40, 50, 60 years obsessing about every calorie.0
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Everything is a 'ballpark' in the game of calorie counting, including the exercise estimates, the BMR estimates etc. My sedentary may be more or less sedentary than your sedentary etc.
BUT...........
Within that framework, we can be precise. So the calorie deficit that we actually accumulate in a day may be higher or lower than what we figure with the inexact math of it all, but the proof is, so to speak, in the pudding. Calorie counting is working better for me than any other method of weight loss I've ever tried, and I've tried many, many of them. Although I am set to 1-1/2 pounds of weight loss a week, I have actually lost at the rate of 2.4 pounds per week so far. The first 5-8 pounds may have been water, but the rest is from counting. And exercising.
So I'll stick with the counting, as I am sure will many others. It may be flawed, but it works.0 -
Meal timing is irrelevant for weight loss.0
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I actually feel less stressed out when I am in control.
But I think I have OCD.
Either way, I'm more energetic/happier/losing, so studies be damned.0 -
Meal timing is irrelevant for weight loss.
Not true.
If you knew anything about Insulin and how it affects weight gain/loss you would understand that maintaining stable levels of blood sugar make sure your body doesn't store fat.
Thus eating meals every 2.5-4 hours is important.0 -
None of these are really off the wall things... It really comes down to trial and error. What works for one person may not work for another. I truly believe that you are what you eat!!!! I cannot stress that enough... I didn't come to that conclusion myself nor over night...
For years, I have been what I call a serial dieter... I would skip breakfast, exercise, be starving, opt for something unhealthy, have guilt, exercise again, binge on sugar, feel even more horrible, get up the next day and work out... An endless circle of treating myself horribly. I would never really loose the weight... It would hover, spike, hover, loose, hover, spike... Well, you get the idea.
When I joined this site... I really had no true weight loss goal. I just wanted to be a more healthy version of myself. I thought logging calories would hold me accountable for what passed through my mouth. I love the community like feel of MFP, and all of the tips that people have. I also like how there is a community like minded individuals such as myself.
Well, I got a bit off topic -- didn't I?0 -
Meal timing is irrelevant for weight loss.
Not true.
If you knew anything about Insulin and how it affects weight gain/loss you would understand that maintaining stable levels of blood sugar make sure your body doesn't store fat.
Thus eating meals every 2.5-4 hours is important.
Nope. Incorrect. Read some studies by the National Institutes of Health. Or to make it easier, go to http://www.leangains.com.
Also you can read Alan Aragon and Martin Berkhan's blogs as well.0 -
There is no one perfect way for everyone. The problem with obsessing about every calorie in and every calorie out is that at some point you have to live a life! Counting in the beginning has taught me more about the protions I should have and what are every once in a while indulgence and what is a good choice based on how much I can have. when I fall back a bit, as I have now, I start hard core counting again to reset the system and get back on track. I just really feel like you have to learn to eat well to LIVE well. I can not go for the next 40, 50, 60 years obsessing about every calorie.
It's almost second nature now and I still have a great life. 0 -
ooooh, I loved reading this! Thanks for posting.
I'm slowly getting out of the calorie-counting game, but it will be in baby steps.0 -
Meal timing is irrelevant for weight loss.
Not true.
If you knew anything about Insulin and how it affects weight gain/loss you would understand that maintaining stable levels of blood sugar make sure your body doesn't store fat.
Thus eating meals every 2.5-4 hours is important.
Nope. Incorrect. Read some studies by the National Institutes of Health. Or to make it easier, go to http://www.leangains.com.
Also you can read Alan Aragon and Martin Berkhan's blogs as well.
Sorry bud but it's a fact. High insulin levels=weight gain.
Sugar and processed foods increase insulin. Therefore they increase weight. America is fat because we eat processed foods in large quantities then when our energy levels drop like rocks from our unusually spiked blood sugar from those 5 dougnuts, we spike it up again by consuming 20 ounces of coffee from starbucks.
You CAN NOT gain weight without increasing your insulin levels. And eating large meals increase your insulin levels.0 -
Everyone has their own opinions. Some diets work for some people. The woman who wrote that book is just touting what worked for her.
For me, MFP and counting calories, and writing in a diary and logging my exercise... oh yeah, that works.
When I was "just eating normally without logging anything or taking care of the number of calories I was consuming" - yeah, I put on 10 pounds in 1 month.
Doesn't work.
Opinions are like ##, everyone has one.0 -
Calories do matter.
COUNTING calories - not so much. Essentially any successful diet will have the individual eating at a level below their TDEE. This is either on a conscious level (ie calorie counting) or spontaneously (Atkins, Dukan, Primal etc)
Find the way which plays to your strengths and eating at a deficit the easiest for you.0 -
Meal timing is irrelevant for weight loss.
Not true.
If you knew anything about Insulin and how it affects weight gain/loss you would understand that maintaining stable levels of blood sugar make sure your body doesn't store fat.
Thus eating meals every 2.5-4 hours is important.
Nope. Incorrect. Read some studies by the National Institutes of Health. Or to make it easier, go to http://www.leangains.com.
Also you can read Alan Aragon and Martin Berkhan's blogs as well.
Sorry bud but it's a fact. High insulin levels=weight gain.
Sugar and processed foods increase insulin. Therefore they increase weight. America is fat because we eat processed foods in large quantities then when our energy levels drop like rocks from our unusually spiked blood sugar from those 5 dougnuts, we spike it up again by consuming 20 ounces of coffee from starbucks.
You CAN NOT gain weight without increasing your insulin levels. And eating large meals increase your insulin levels.
In my valiant effort to remain relaxed and calm in this thread, I'm going to ask you a very basic question in a very basic scenario.
Since you think high insulin levels = weight gain.
My TDEE = 3000 calories
My calorie intake = 2500 calories
I eat two VERY large meals for the entire day. Once in the morning, and once at night.
Will I gain weight? (I'm interested in hearing your answer here)0
This discussion has been closed.
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