"The big fat calorie counting con"

GuitarJerry wrote: »

amusedmonkey wrote: »

skinnyD2308 wrote: »

I think most people on here subscribe to both calorie counting and watching macros (the contents of the calorie). The concern in the article seems to be that people won't eat healthy fats because the calorie count is high, but that healthy fats shouldn't been excluded from our diets because they are good for us. Because I know this, I do spend calories on healthy sources of fats, but I still stay within my calorie count, because I stronger suspect that if I ate too many of any macro - no matter how healthy, I wouldn't not be currently losing weight.

I'm currently eating a vegan diet, barely making it to 30 grams of protein a day, almost always over on crabs and fat and I'm still losing consistently. Really.. macros are for general health/satiety/muscle mass. They have little to do with weight loss calorie for calorie.

^^^ This. Right here. Macros are for health.

You can eat twinkies all day, and still lose weight if you are eating less than you burn. Is it healthy? No. Will you lose weight? Yes.

people mix up health and weight gain/loss constantly and it's frustrating. They are very distinctly different things.

Next someone will post about how a calorie is not a calorie and how you said they should eat Twinkies all day.....gifs will ensue.

Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »

It's gonna be a long week here....

Well at least we have the holiday coming up mid week. Hopefully people take a break

Calorie counting certainly has worked for me as far as weight loss goes, but macro ratio seems to work best for energy level and satieaity (for me).

SingRunTing wrote: »

So macros are important?? Who knew!! Mind = blown!!

They're basically saying that macros are more important than calories. I can live with that, but if you overeat on macros, you're still overeating. Not sure how you would track macros without tracking calories as well.

OK, good, this was my take on the article as well. I mean, sure, it would be great to eat the optimal ratio all the time. But for most people, at the end of the day, eat less than your burn and strive for a "well-rounded" diet. I don't see how anything they presented makes calories obsolete.

maoribadger wrote: »

amusedmonkey wrote: »

skinnyD2308 wrote: »

I think most people on here subscribe to both calorie counting and watching macros (the contents of the calorie). The concern in the article seems to be that people won't eat healthy fats because the calorie count is high, but that healthy fats shouldn't been excluded from our diets because they are good for us. Because I know this, I do spend calories on healthy sources of fats, but I still stay within my calorie count, because I stronger suspect that if I ate too many of any macro - no matter how healthy, I wouldn't not be currently losing weight.

I'm currently eating a vegan diet, barely making it to 30 grams of protein a day, almost always over on crabs and fat and I'm still losing consistently. Really.. macros are for general health/satiety/muscle mass. They have little to do with weight loss calorie for calorie.

OT but am amused by your typo. A vegan who is over on crabs

Gotta love autocorrect...

Iwishyouwell wrote: »

I couldn't care less about the calorie controversy, but I do think there needs to be a much greater conversation about macros and a de-villainization of the fat macro.

Is fat still that villainized? It doesn't seem to be on MFP. I guess I don't have that good a sense of the general public, but in my circles everyone seems to have moved on to carbs long ago.

Anyway, if it is, I certainly agree with you.

LeenaGee wrote: »

An extract from the article "The big fat calorie counting con"

"It's time we update and mass broadcast a more advanced nutritional understanding of food. Calorie counting has had its day; if we don't move on from its archaic ways, the worrying trends around obesity in the Western world will only continue to worsen, and our health as a whole will decline."

Yeah, cause, the obesity epidemic In the western world is because the public DOES have a great understanding of calories. Obviously, we're all fat because calorie counting doesn't work.

[/sarcasm]

SLLRunner wrote: »

Calorie counting certainly has worked for me as far as weight loss goes, but macro ratio seems to work best for energy level and satieaity (for me).

What macro ratios did you end up with?

I've only been able to maintain my weight since I've stopped counting calories. I counted since grade school and it led to a cycle of restriction and binging. Now I eat intuitively and move more and have stayed the same weight for the last year. I think it's a good tool if you have no idea about nutrition and calorie counts, but at some point it can become obsessive for some people (like I was).

I use MFP as a social site to connect with others who do the same sports. I always say "That's why it's called 'My Fitness Pal' instead of 'My Calorie Counting Pal.'" But that being said, people are all at different places in their journey and maybe calorie counting is a good training tool.

I lost 60 lbs eating tons o' carbs. I literally eat pasta/rice/oats/potatoes/bread at every meal. Im keeping it off by doing the same thing. Its not magic, its calorie counting.