Economist article: Death of the Calorie

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is calories in, calories out. But people don't like to count because it's a huge pain to keep track off. We cook from scratch and I've counted calories before. I don't do it now because I can guesstimate, from all the calories-counting I did before.

Low carb, low sugar and/or low fat is an easy, more general way of... reducing calories. Carbs are very caloric. If you eat the fish and the broccoli but don't eat the rice on your plate, then that cuts maybe half the calories, and you don't even need to weigh and count! So that's why these methods are popular.

That's all. You do it the hard way or the easy way, but it's always calories in and calories out.

I completely disagree with you. I’ve always counted calories. While pregnant I ate the exact same amount of calories, gained 30lbs. After pregnancy I ate more but I was breastfeeding. Continued breastfeeding but ate the exact same amount and lost weight.

It’s about when you eat and I do think it’s about carbs not calories

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most people with any basic knowledge of diet and nutrition don't believe in CICO

Yes, I guess my years of biomedical training, and the years of my husband's medical training, are NOTHING.

It has always been calories in, calories out. But people who have a hard time controlling the input will not be happy with the output. This is not a judgement, since I've struggled with that part myself. But at least I don't lie to myself. When I reduce calories, I lose weight. It's very simple, and sometimes simple is very hard to do. People don't get that simple might be hard.

Honestly I wouldn’t admit to having that much education without having come to understand this issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is calories in, calories out. But people don't like to count because it's a huge pain to keep track off. We cook from scratch and I've counted calories before. I don't do it now because I can guesstimate, from all the calories-counting I did before.

Low carb, low sugar and/or low fat is an easy, more general way of... reducing calories. Carbs are very caloric. If you eat the fish and the broccoli but don't eat the rice on your plate, then that cuts maybe half the calories, and you don't even need to weigh and count! So that's why these methods are popular.

That's all. You do it the hard way or the easy way, but it's always calories in and calories out.

I completely disagree with you. I’ve always counted calories. While pregnant I ate the exact same amount of calories, gained 30lbs. After pregnancy I ate more but I was breastfeeding. Continued breastfeeding but ate the exact same amount and lost weight.

It’s about when you eat and I do think it’s about carbs not calories

Eh, your anecdote is meaningless. If you were going to engage in at least, you should have assured us that the calories out part was the same too. Seems unlikely.

[Anonymous]

People want this to be as complicated as possible to abdicate their own personal responsibility and excuse the end result. It’s the same as everything else in modern life. It’s all somebody else’s fault and an elaborate conspiracy against them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most people with any basic knowledge of diet and nutrition don't believe in CICO

Yes, I guess my years of biomedical training, and the years of my husband's medical training, are NOTHING.

It has always been calories in, calories out. But people who have a hard time controlling the input will not be happy with the output. This is not a judgement, since I've struggled with that part myself. But at least I don't lie to myself. When I reduce calories, I lose weight. It's very simple, and sometimes simple is very hard to do. People don't get that simple might be hard.

In the context of basic knowledge about nutrition? Yes -- nothing. Or next to nothing.

This thread puts me in mind of folks shouting down Galileo; the investment in CICO being the end of the story is overly emotional for some reason, and people can't accept that science is already moving far past that idea.

Overly emotional. That’s how I feel about people who deny CICO. Even after we determined the earth is round, people swore it was flat.

[Anonymous]

That article is 4 years old. Why post it now, OP?

[Anonymous]

Or there’s this from 2023:
“Calories in/calorie out really is the key to weight loss”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2023/08/23/calories-in-calories-out-weight-loss/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most people with any basic knowledge of diet and nutrition don't believe in CICO

Most people with any basic knowledge of thermodynamics and closed loop systems do…

Agree. It largely IS CICO as a general
principle. The guy mentioned ballooned bc of binge eating and drinking. Not from simply eating heathy grains in moderate portions. Grains don’t make you fat, sugar and fruit don’t make you fat. Overeating (anything) does. A caloric excess causing weight gain- no matter where the calories are coming from.

Once you have accumulated a large amount of weight, losing the weight does become more complicated. No one sits and eats 3-4 steaks, but for many people gulping down 4 pizza slices or a biggie Five Guys fries goes down, no problem. People crave crabs and want to eat a lot of them bc of the chemical release and bc they are the easiest form of energy for our body to process.

Eating low carb both forces you to eat a lot less calories, but the calories are harder for your body to convert to energy- but it ultimately still does. Eating excess of what your body is capable of using will still cause gain. This presents other issues long term which is why most people can’t stick to this diet.

The best approach is still always will be eat heathy whole foods of all food groups and moderate portions; not continuously overeating year after year and not giving a care until you are 50 plus pounds overweight. If people would just do this starting in childhood and young adulthood, no one would need these extreme low carb diets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most people with any basic knowledge of diet and nutrition don't believe in CICO

Yes, I guess my years of biomedical training, and the years of my husband's medical training, are NOTHING.

It has always been calories in, calories out. But people who have a hard time controlling the input will not be happy with the output. This is not a judgement, since I've struggled with that part myself. But at least I don't lie to myself. When I reduce calories, I lose weight. It's very simple, and sometimes simple is very hard to do. People don't get that simple might be hard.

Your misplaced belief in your outdated training is stopping you from keeping up with advancements in science.

[Anonymous]

I lost 50 pounds with “calories in, calories out.” I feel a lot better at my current weight than I did “eating healthy” at my old one. YMMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most people with any basic knowledge of diet and nutrition don't believe in CICO

Most people with any basic knowledge of thermodynamics and closed loop systems do…

Agree. It largely IS CICO as a general
principle. The guy mentioned ballooned bc of binge eating and drinking. Not from simply eating heathy grains in moderate portions. Grains don’t make you fat, sugar and fruit don’t make you fat. Overeating (anything) does. A caloric excess causing weight gain- no matter where the calories are coming from.

Once you have accumulated a large amount of weight, losing the weight does become more complicated. No one sits and eats 3-4 steaks, but for many people gulping down 4 pizza slices or a biggie Five Guys fries goes down, no problem. People crave crabs and want to eat a lot of them bc of the chemical release and bc they are the easiest form of energy for our body to process.

Eating low carb both forces you to eat a lot less calories, but the calories are harder for your body to convert to energy- but it ultimately still does. Eating excess of what your body is capable of using will still cause gain. This presents other issues long term which is why most people can’t stick to this diet.

The best approach is still always will be eat heathy whole foods of all food groups and moderate portions; not continuously overeating year after year and not giving a care until you are 50 plus pounds overweight. If people would just do this starting in childhood and young adulthood, no one would need these extreme low carb diets.

Well stated. I’m sure we will hear how this is all crazy talk and there is instead and insidious an elaborate alternative explanation for all this.

[Anonymous]

It is cico dummies. This is why ozempic et all are working so well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Except the body and our systems are not closed. What in earth would make you think it is?

That is not what was said.

Really? Because I believe the exact to quote was "Most people with any basic knowledge of thermodynamics and closed loop systems do…
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[Post New]09/03/2023 16:04
Anonymous
Exce"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is cico dummies. This is why ozempic et all are working so well.

+1

[Anonymous]

The most weight I’ve lost in my life—the last year—I did not count a single thing. (Well, low to zero sugar, I did count that. But that’s not really counting.)

If the trick is “calories in calories out” that doesn’t mean you have to succeed by counting it