Calorie counting flawed?????

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  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
    Ok i guess we lost him.
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
    I did what the author suggests, to the best of my ability, since the beginning of the year. I thought I had made no progress and decided to buckle down and use this site. I weighed in and lo and behold I had actually lost 14 pounds. But since counting calories I have lost 5 more in the past 3.5 weeks. Sure, I lost weight on both, and the first one was more relaxed, but this way is going to get the job done faster I think...
  • bellinachuchina
    bellinachuchina Posts: 498 Member


    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 exactly why I always OVER-ESTIMATE calories consumed. For instance, if I *really* had a 1/2 cup of yogurt, I'll input into my diary that it was 3/4 cup. Safety net :)

    Good overall info, yet in my experience, calorie counting forces you to recognize portion size and accountability. Prior to counting calories, I had no perception of what a normal portion looked like, probably why I was a beast:wink:
  • msiamjan
    msiamjan Posts: 326 Member
    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.

    I like pudding :)
  • diiiimond
    diiiimond Posts: 23 Member
    i think calorie counting is just a basis to hold yourself accountable for what you eat. you start to learn what foods are worth it and what foods are not.

    for example, since using this site i have been able to make sense of why i should choose an apple over a cookie. simply because an apple benefits my body more than a cookie would.

    before i started counting calories, as well as managing my sodium and fiber intake. i knew that a cookie was wrong... i just didn't know how wrong.

    so dont knock calorie counting. just dont use it as the end all be all.
  • onefitdiva
    onefitdiva Posts: 331 Member
    Wow guys....I was just sharing info I found interesting.....not info I found to be "gospel". In truth if you look long and hard enough you can find a study on every point of view supporting their claims or trying to add validity.
    In my case I lost 43 lbs between Jan 2nd and May 2nd. I ate a clean, whole foods diet, nothing artificial, refined, colored, preservative and additive free, ect. no sugars, no white breads, flours, pastas, ect.
    BUT....I did stick to 1200 base calories a day and added in my exercise calories. I do think there are no 2 bodies a like, I think we all metabolize at different rates, and so much factors in to our individual bodies. I was not trying to suggest this article posted was what "we" should be doing. To each their own I always say. :bigsmile:
  • onefitdiva
    onefitdiva Posts: 331 Member
    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.

    I like pudding :)

    Hahahaa! Indian rice pudding is good but sooooo bad for you! I have not had it in ages. Darn.
  • lodro
    lodro Posts: 982 Member
    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.

    Intermittent Fasting, such as Leangains, keeps your insulin levels low and stable for 16 out of 24 hours. And it does advocate balanced eating, within one's TDEE.
  • Autumn15
    Autumn15 Posts: 213
    Interesting information thanks for sharing
  • lodro
    lodro Posts: 982 Member
    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.

    I know plenty about exactly that subject, thanks.
  • BIG_Lew
    BIG_Lew Posts: 513 Member
    Wow guys....I was just sharing info I found interesting.....not info I found to be "gospel". In truth if you look long and hard enough you can find a study on every point of view supporting their claims or trying to add validity.
    In my case I lost 43 lbs between Jan 2nd and May 2nd. I ate a clean, whole foods diet, nothing artificial, refined, colored, preservative and additive free, ect. no sugars, no white breads, flours, pastas, ect.
    BUT....I did stick to 1200 base calories a day and added in my exercise calories. I do think there are no 2 bodies a like, I think we all metabolize at different rates, and so much factors in to our individual bodies. I was not trying to suggest this article posted was what "we" should be doing. To each their own I always say. :bigsmile:
    Thxs for sharing this info.....keep the info coming......ppl can argue ur findings but the proof is in the pudding. If it don't apply let it fly is wht I always say. Wht works for one may not work for another, but it doesn't hurr to research all avenues to see which one works. Thxs again Diva keep puttn out this informative info :-)
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
    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).

    And this is why a calorie is a calorie. It's a unit of energy. It's a constant. Like pi. 1 calorie = 4.184 joules.
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
    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)

    If this were true, then the answer to weight loss would just be to eat constantly. Infinitely small meals. Doesn't matter what I eat, as long as I eat 4000 times a day I'll be losing weight like mad! :-)
  • foreverjade
    foreverjade Posts: 213 Member
    Wow. This little argument going on is kind of entertaining. You're both right. So no need to fight.

    Blood sugar spikes and valleys will make you gain weight because they make you crave more food. If you DO NOT EAT when your blood sugar drops even though you are craving/starving then you won't gain weight.
    Everyone needs the right amount of glucose (sugar) in their blood to maintain energy and power bodily functions. In fact, too little blood sugar is an emergency to the brain, which responds by creating hunger. By eating, the body restores its blood sugar to appropriate levels — at least until the next drop triggers hunger again. For people with a blood sugar imbalance, these urges to eat can be almost impossible to ignore and can add unwanted and unneeded calories to their diets.

    Thanks for the info OP. I like all of it. Nothing is set in stone, nothing is a hard and fast rule... but the statements generally hold true.
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