I'm just going to leave this here

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Replies

  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
    As with most things related to weight loss and maintaining a normal weight, find what works for you and stick with it. You know yourself better than anyone else. I am sure that not one is intentionally trying to mislead anyone. There are a lot of different factors that go into being successful at weight loss. Use all of the information available to find what works for you.
  • Triplestep
    Triplestep Posts: 239 Member
    The author says "Because each [Carbohydrates, protein, and fat] performs a unique function, they aren’t interchangeable, so getting the right amount of each is important." But she does not bother to posit what the "right amount" is, or even the right proportion.

    I'm experiencing the most weight loss success of my adult life with CICO. In the past I've tried many things, including Zone and South Beach Diet; both talked a lot about protein intake, and carbs/sugar causing cravings for more of the same.

    What I've learned is that calories matter most for weight loss. Protein intake matters most *to me* for mental clarity, and watching carbs/sugar (and the time of day I eat them) matter most *to me* for for sustained energy, and reduced hunger/cravings. But CICO is to thank for the actual weight loss.

  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    baby05phat wrote: »
    When I came on this forum, many of you preached to me "a calorie is just a calorie" leading to self laothing, destruction, binging, unhappiness because no matter how hard I tried I couldnt combine the dopamine inducing junk food with healthy food, and I'll just leave this link here for any others sturggling
    http://news.health.com/2013/02/07/why-calorie-counts-are-wrong-6-diet-myths-busted/

    How did understanding calories lead to loathing, destruction, binging and unhappiness?

    You are trying to blame underlying psychology of eating and poor diet on calorie counting?
    One can eat well or eat poorly while calorie counting.

    That article isn't very good.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    Triplestep wrote: »
    The author says "Because each [Carbohydrates, protein, and fat] performs a unique function, they aren’t interchangeable, so getting the right amount of each is important." But she does not bother to posit what the "right amount" is, or even the right proportion.

    I'm experiencing the most weight loss success of my adult life with CICO. In the past I've tried many things, including Zone and South Beach Diet; both talked a lot about protein intake, and carbs/sugar causing cravings for more of the same.

    What I've learned is that calories matter most for weight loss. Protein intake matters most *to me* for mental clarity, and watching carbs/sugar (and the time of day I eat them) matter most *to me* for for sustained energy, and reduced hunger/cravings. But CICO is to thank for the actual weight loss.

    Because then she'd have to admit that the amounts needed for functions outside energy generation are only about 200 calories of protein (as per the 46 g for women and 56g for men minimum recommendation) and right now I'm looking for the minimum fat amounts and found this gem http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/FFA_summary_rec_conclusion.pdf containing the following conclusion:

    There was convincing evidence that energy balance is critical to maintaining healthy body weight and
    ensuring optimal nutrient intakes, regardless of macronutrient distribution of energy as % total fat and % total carbohydrates.

    we now resume our scheduled program.

    and about 300-400 calories from fats (from above link, 15-20% of energy consumed [maintenance] for a 2000 kcal diet) totalling a staggering 500-600 calories that your body actually might use for stuff other than just energy fuel (though the actual amounts are likely far lower because minimum recommendations are always a step higher than what is actually needed) and everything apart from that can be turned into energy as much as the other through different metabolic pathways that create ATP.
  • Wickedfaery73
    Wickedfaery73 Posts: 184 Member
    "When I hear people repeat notions like “a calorie is a calorie” I like to reply: “That’s like saying a cubic zirconia is the same as a sparkling diamond.”

    This reminds me of the "a pound of muscle weighs more than a pound of fat" arguments.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    A calorie is a calorie is about weight loss, it doesn't say anything about what you should eat. If you have self-control issues, work on that or take it into account.

    I believe (of course) that a calorie is a calorie and that it is physically possible to lose weight eating lots of "junk" food, but I don't, because usually I like other foods better, because I care about how my overall diet makes me feel and nutrition, and because I want to (usually) eat in a way that helps benefit my training goals and maintain/gain muscle and all that.

    I also eat some ice cream or cheese or the like (or really good fries on occasion) within the context of a nutritionally sensible diet, since I enjoy them. Has never hurt my weight loss.

    As for the silly article, no one claims calorie counts are perfect (they don't need to be, it's still quite easy to be able to determine if you need to eat less and to do so) or that one must count to lose weight (although it can be helpful for many, and if you don't count and have become overweight you need another way to control calories, even if you never think about calories).
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    For the purposes of weight loss, a calorie is just a calorie. But for people who struggle with issues like binge eating, food choices do matter. I honestly don't see the conflict between knowing both of those statements to be true.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »
    EvgeniZyntx wrote: »
    baby05phat wrote: »
    When I came on this forum, many of you preached to me "a calorie is just a calorie" leading to self laothing, destruction, binging, unhappiness because no matter how hard I tried I couldnt combine the dopamine inducing junk food with healthy food, and I'll just leave this link here for any others sturggling
    http://news.health.com/2013/02/07/why-calorie-counts-are-wrong-6-diet-myths-busted/

    How did understanding calories lead to loathing, destruction, binging and unhappiness?

    You are trying to blame underlying psychology of eating and poor diet on calorie counting?
    One can eat well or eat poorly while calorie counting.

    That article isn't very good.

    Agreed.

    I get that "CICO" is only the first step, but the point of "preaching" it is to allow the individual to find their own path to achieving it rather than trying to force them into some some overly-restrictive prescribed diet that may not work for them. Do your own homework, experiment with your own macros, etc., do whatever you have to do to get there in a way that is sustainable for you, but CICO is still king.

    Exactly this.
  • ReaderGirl3
    ReaderGirl3 Posts: 868 Member
    edited April 2016
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    For the purposes of weight loss, a calorie is just a calorie. But for people who struggle with issues like binge eating, food choices do matter. I honestly don't see the conflict between knowing both of those statements to be true.

    The OP is projecting her own distorted issues with food and saying that CICO doesn't work for anyone. She's denying your first point, that CICO is the key for weight loss. That's what people are disagreeing with. The OP needs help beyond what this forum can give, probably with a professional who deals with EDs.

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