21 day 5000 calorie challenge: debunking the calorie myth?

I've struggled to lose weight for some time. I'm in the gym doing weight training and cardio 5 days a week. I'm 48 so my metabolism is not what is used to be. A co-worker who is training to be in a fitness competition mentioned MFP and told me to give it a try. Over the past week I cut out processed food, starches and alcohol in addition to using MFP to watch my overall carbs, sugar and calories. I take in about 1700 calories a day and only eat fresh food and a protein shake after working out. By no means am I starving. In one week I went from 181 to 177 and did not increase my exercise. The food prep takes a lot of planning but it seems to be working.

How would eating food debunk the calorie myth, and what is the calorie myth again?

There are a lot of people that do not believe in cals in/out. They feel that it's the quality of the food that matters. So, if you were eating very clean, whatever that means, I guess no junk, no soda, pop tarts, ice cream, cheeseburgers, etc. just clean food. If you eat that way, you can consume 5000 cals a day without gaining.

There are entire groups so passionate about this, and are successful too. As an example, you don't need to count calories eating Paleo/primal. You just don't. If you stick with it.

funny because i was eating paleo primal and not losing weight until I started counting calories.

Special snowflake, you're so beautiful.

no need to hate man. just stating it how it is.

People who think you don't have to maintain a caloric deficit to lose weight don't have their head planted in reality. Now the question is do you have to count calories to maintain that deficit

^ All of that.

Yes, you have to count calories to lose weight. I know this because all of the successful people on this site have done so without becoming psychotic about their food intake, they've just managed it at a reasonable deficit and worked on building strength and physical endurance. If you know what you're taking in, you know what you should be putting out. Thermodynamics, read about it.

Well based on my tweet conversation with him he doesn't understand a scientific experiment at all - He's changed more than one variable and wants to be able to count water weight loss as a win in the calorie is a calorie "experiment"

I've lost weight - but should have put on fat therefore I'm right, even though the weight loss is likely water. Sigh.

He's set it up to prove he will be right. This is everything that is wrong with internet crusaders :noway:

win.

He'll still get a spot on "Good Morning America" or "The Today Show".

Very interesting I notice that he is eating a lot of coconut oil and also walnuts both of these foods increase metabolism so could in theory prevent him form gaining weight. If he has a high metabolism he may well be able to eat 5000cals a day and not put on weight. Where as me who has been blessed with a slow metabolism would get fat just looking at his menu. a case in point is this lady and she doesn't eat clean.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/woman/4660129/Ive-had-five-kids-eat-5000-calories-of-junk-food-a-day-and-size-6.html

Well based on my tweet conversation with him he doesn't understand a scientific experiment at all - He's changed more than one variable and wants to be able to count water weight loss as a win in the calorie is a calorie "experiment"

I've lost weight - but should have put on fat therefore I'm right, even though the weight loss is likely water. Sigh.

He's set it up to prove he will be right. This is everything that is wrong with internet crusaders :noway:

And lots of people will probably just see his results and believe them.

Biased ''experiment'

He should stay in bed during his challenge to control for calories burned.

Funny since intake/out take of calories is science, and taught in college health...Darn scientist with all there facts and stuff....Kind of like the Twinkies experiment...he lost weight counting calories eating Twinkies only.

gtfo with your 'facts'. We don't want that here. Ain't nobody got time fa that.

Well based on my tweet conversation with him he doesn't understand a scientific experiment at all - He's changed more than one variable and wants to be able to count water weight loss as a win in the calorie is a calorie "experiment"

I've lost weight - but should have put on fat therefore I'm right, even though the weight loss is likely water. Sigh.

He's set it up to prove he will be right. This is everything that is wrong with internet crusaders :noway:

And lots of people will probably just see his results and believe them.

Biased ''experiment'

Yep. Unfortunate too, because if done properly, it would be interesting and informative. But, we can't have that, everyone's got an agenda. :sad:

I find it funny that he is following the 21 day sugar detox diet, which doesn't limit calories either. I wouldn't be surprised if he actually loses weight due to the shock on his system.

How would eating food debunk the calorie myth, and what is the calorie myth again?

There are a lot of people that do not believe in cals in/out. They feel that it's the quality of the food that matters. So, if you were eating very clean, whatever that means, I guess no junk, no soda, pop tarts, ice cream, cheeseburgers, etc. just clean food. If you eat that way, you can consume 5000 cals a day without gaining.

There are entire groups so passionate about this, and are successful too. As an example, you don't need to count calories eating Paleo/primal. You just don't. If you stick with it.

They don't count calories, however you are still supposed to pay attention to portion sizes, and they do say its a self limiting diet. So you are controlling calories, just not outright count them. It's not a matter of eating however much you want.

It's also not a "low carb" diet, you can have carbs just not from grains. It does tend to be lower carb.

I think people often forget the vegan fatties out there.



They're out there.

Because they're eating processed food. Have you seen how many calories are in a piece of tofu meat? Not to mention all the processing it undergoes. There is all types of unhealthy junk available that's vegan approved - candy included. Just because someone is vegan doesn't mean they're eating healthy or counting their calories.

Well the calories in calories out model IS a myth - that's just science. the body pursues homeostasis regardless of the number of calories in and the number out. Carbohydrates will tend to add to adipose tissue (i.e. grow fat). so if you eat a lot of carbohydrates you can expect to gain fat. however if your calories are high protein and high fat, unless you are rigourously exercising muscle, the body has no recognized need to add lean muscle mass (i.e. pounds of muscle) unless it is getting the signals (through heavy exercise) of that requirment. so it will pursue 'homeostasis' and those additional 'good calories' will be converted to urea and excreted. that's the chemistry and that's been proven many times. (see the 'good calories bad calories pdf online).

so if this guys is a trainer, he may gain weight but it will likely be muscle mass. i'm assuming he's not consuming excess carbohydrates.

one of the challeenges with MFP is it does tend to support the calories in calories out mythology. but for most people, because of the caloric density of high carbohydrate foods, when you restrict calories but balance your nutrition you will tend to restrict carbohydrates automatically. I've been on WW and Jenny and if you analyze the diet plan, you will find you're restricting your carbs to under 100 grams per day anyway. so most successful diets recognize the importance of carbohydrate restriction whether they tell you that or not.

Well the calories in calories out model IS a myth - that's just science. the body pursues homeostasis regardless of the number of calories in and the number out. Carbohydrates will tend to add to adipose tissue (i.e. grow fat). so if you eat a lot of carbohydrates you can expect to gain fat. however if your calories are high protein and high fat, unless you are rigourously exercising muscle, the body has no recognized need to add lean muscle mass (i.e. pounds of muscle) unless it is getting the signals (through heavy exercise) of that requirment. so it will pursue 'homeostasis' and those additional 'good calories' will be converted to urea and excreted. that's the chemistry and that's been proven many times. (see the 'good calories bad calories pdf online).

so if this guys is a trainer, he may gain weight but it will likely be muscle mass. i'm assuming he's not consuming excess carbohydrates.

one of the challeenges with MFP is it does tend to support the calories in calories out mythology. but for most people, because of the caloric density of high carbohydrate foods, when you restrict calories but balance your nutrition you will tend to restrict carbohydrates automatically. I've been on WW and Jenny and if you analyze the diet plan, you will find you're restricting your carbs to under 100 grams per day anyway. so most successful diets recognize the importance of carbohydrate restriction whether they tell you that or not.

:laugh:

I don't even know where to start. So I don't think I'll bother.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-energy-balance-equation.html

Well the calories in calories out model IS a myth - that's just science. the body pursues homeostasis regardless of the number of calories in and the number out. Carbohydrates will tend to add to adipose tissue (i.e. grow fat). so if you eat a lot of carbohydrates you can expect to gain fat. however if your calories are high protein and high fat, unless you are rigourously exercising muscle, the body has no recognized need to add lean muscle mass (i.e. pounds of muscle) unless it is getting the signals (through heavy exercise) of that requirment. so it will pursue 'homeostasis' and those additional 'good calories' will be converted to urea and excreted. that's the chemistry and that's been proven many times. (see the 'good calories bad calories pdf online).

so if this guys is a trainer, he may gain weight but it will likely be muscle mass. i'm assuming he's not consuming excess carbohydrates.

one of the challeenges with MFP is it does tend to support the calories in calories out mythology. but for most people, because of the caloric density of high carbohydrate foods, when you restrict calories but balance your nutrition you will tend to restrict carbohydrates automatically. I've been on WW and Jenny and if you analyze the diet plan, you will find you're restricting your carbs to under 100 grams per day anyway. so most successful diets recognize the importance of carbohydrate restriction whether they tell you that or not.

did you just called WW and Jenny successful diet plan...?