Weight Loss Is Not Simply Calories in Calories Out

All calories are not created equally. All you processed food junkies out there- that stuff is not helping you. The zero calorie and 100 calorie snack packs. total junk. you are better off eating meat. at least it is made by god.

Fri. Jan 18, 9:54am

Meat is made by an imaginary being? That's pretty impressive.

Friday, January 18, 2008, 12:16 PM

oh for god sakes! OP think about what you just said. Eating processed food isn't good for you, but guess what! Most people have to buy their meat at a market or a store and IT'S PROCESSED! Eating those hormone additives is SO much better for you than a 100 calorie snack pack to control your calorie counts? OMG!

Friday, January 18, 2008, 1:02 PM

Every molecule on this planet is comprised of elements from the periodic table (pressumably put there by 'god' if you are a creationist), so even 'synthesized' food (I think 'processed' is actually an overloaded term - even meat has been 'processed' by the slaughterhouse) is made of 'god's building blocks'.

A Calorie is simply a measure of the energy required to raise 1 gram of water 1 degree - it is a UNIT OF MEASUREMENT, not a physical 'thing'. Not only that - it is a standard unit of measurement so all calories are, by definition, equal.

Deal with it.

Friday, January 18, 2008, 2:04 PM

Whatever ........god has nothing to do with it.

Meat made by "God", actually now meat is made by man, does that steak look like the one you had last week ... oh it looks exactly like it, well that is because it is from a cloned animal, so if you want argue processed foods, I think that meat falls right into that category now.

Friday, January 18, 2008, 2:08 PM

The only problem with the BS idea that calories are equal because they are unit of measurement is that it relies on the assumption that all calories are equally able to be utilized. It's more like a car than people realise. You don't always get the same mileage out of the same amount of gas. Depends on how your vehicle uses it. And if you put deisel in the wrong car, even though it's fuel, it won't work properly, because it's not what the vehicle is designed for.

To presume that fat loss is only governed by the sole process of energy in energy out is naive. And while it may be promoted by lots of people out there trying to make money off of helping people lose weight, there were years everyone thought the world was flat- time proved them wrong. Eventually this world will realise that calorie in calorie out only works when the rest of your body is healthy. And when you're significantly overweight, and beginning youru weight loss journey, you're rarely in perfect health.

Friday, January 18, 2008, 2:16 PM

Hmm...
Well I don’t eat any processed food. But I do believe that weight loss is energy in vs. energy out.
But I think that health can be greatly improved by having as many unprocessed (synthesized) food as possible. That is what your body is built to eat. It takes more energy for your body to break down these foods leading to greater weight loss. And these foods are more likely to be used to nourish your body than to convert to sugar and fat.

Friday, January 18, 2008, 3:03 PM

Weight Loss Is Not Simply Calories in Calories Out

sorry but it is calories in calories out. it doesnt matter what quality of food you are eating, if you eat less than you burn you WILL lose weight, will you be healthy if all your calories come from junk, maybe/maybe not, will you be able to maintain your weight loss and stick to proper portions, etc. if you eat all junk, probably not, but you will lose weight.

and yes, i know what i am talking about, i have lost 165lbs, going from 300lbs to 135 in 3 years. from a size 26 to a 4. i ate whatever i wanted in the beginning, and just counted calories. i lost 10lbs/month every month for the first seven months. eventually, along the way, i learned to eat better, but in the beginning it was a big enough achievement just to control how much i ate, nevermind what i ate. I didnt exercise at all for the first two years and 120lbs, i have only consistently exercised in the last year.

not everyone who loses weight will become health concious and an exerciser. everyone will lose weight differently, in the way that works for them. If there was one right way, we would all be thin and to say there is and it's YOUR way is just silly.

Friday, January 18, 2008, 4:36 PM

4:36- thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! you said it perfectly and you are truely an inspiration!

i also can vouch for calories in vs. calories out, i've lost 45 pounds in 6 months from counting my calories and working out 6 days a week. it's a lot of work but it's worth it. i agree there's many ways to lose weight, and different things work for different people, but the simplicity of calories is sure-fire if you're willing to put forth the effort.

good luck to you all in your journeys no matter what you choose.

Friday, January 18, 2008, 5:02 PM

so i guess it's just by sheer luck that I lost 40lbs in 4 months without calorie counting, and instead by chaging what I eat? (no wheat, no artificial sugar, and more veggies- but still a copious amount of sugar and mayo). It was all I had to lose and have kept it off for a year and counting...

And I suppose that south beach, atkins and all those other programs that don't deal with caloires don't work either?

Yup, you calorie counters are quick to bash others for saying it's not that simple, ad is the only way, but there are lots of others who don't waste their time counting calories and eating trash.

Friday, January 18, 2008, 5:53 PM

South Beach, Atkins, etc. ALL of those programs work in part b/c the person on them is eating fewer calories than before - whether they're counting them or not.

I'm always fascinated that calorie counting is this hot button issue. Some us have to count calories to make sure we keep our intake in check. Some us can drop weight simply by eliminating things from our diet. If it works -why knock the other person's approach?

Friday, January 18, 2008, 6:33 PM

True - there are lots of others who don't waste their time counting calories. There are also lots of others lamenting their lack of weight loss. It's pretty well established research that people underestimate what they eat. For those who do count calories - this isn't a problem. And when you don't have 40 pounds to lose - say you only have 10-15 pounds and you don't need as many calories to maintain your weight - counting calories makes sure you don't overeat.

Hey- if you are losing weight and you don't have to count calories- more power to you! I wish I could trade places with you. But, I can't and, frankly, I like the data. I rarely question or fret over the scale I step on to weigh myself b/c I know that what I'm doing will get me to where I'm going! Even if I eat Ding Dongs.

Friday, January 18, 2008, 6:42 PM

Whether you count calories or not - when you lose weight you're eating fewer calories than you need = calories in and calories out.

Friday, January 18, 2008, 7:06 PM

Weight Loss Is Not Simply Calories in Calories Out

5:02, you are very welcome :) and thank you for the well wishes.

5:53, are you not listening? I said, everyone will lose weight differently, you and I obviously took different routes, but both lost weight. I dont begrudge you your weight loss, so why do you begrudge me mine just because I did it differently than you? Obviously for you cleaning up your diet worked, for others Atkins, South Beach, Weight Watchers, though i think that with those plans unless you plan on following it for life it will only be short lived. You made lifestyle changes, so did I. I keep a daily food journal, I am in maintenance now have been for 2 weeks, I have weighed 135 for about 3 months, my original goal was 125 but I readjusted. Even though I am done losing I will always journal my food, for the REST OF MY LIFE. It is what works for me, I actually enjoy doing it and I dont want to regain. I dont do it always, today I started out journaling and then I had tons of calories left at the end of the day, we went for Chinese, I ate what i wanted and just wrote, chinese dinner out. Tomorrow I will go right back to journaling and know that I need to eat less calories tomorrow to counteract tonights dinner, but my body will also be telling me that tomorrow, I wont be hungry till early afternoon, keeping the journal will remind me why.

I switched regular white bread for light, whole wheat, i eat tons of fruit now with an occasional cookie, instead of the othe way around, I eat lots of lean protein, I eat veggies instead of chips most all the time. But I never would have gotten to this point if I hadnt started out counting calories and I could eat extremely healthy and FOR ME still be overweight from eating too many calories/too large of portions.

You dont have to count calories and I dont have to give up my 100 calorie snack packs( I have at least 4 kinds in my cupboard right now, along with 90 calorie ice cream bars,grapes that i know are 114/cup, etc. etc. etc.) to each his own but that doesnt change the fact that it IS calories in versus calories out to lose weight.

Friday, January 18, 2008, 10:46 PM

Here here 10:46! or is it Hear! Hear! ?

Friday, January 18, 2008, 11:48 PM

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