Here is part of an article done by the International Food Information Council. It goes to show that we are still in a ridiculous state when it comes to losing weight. Contrary to newer evidence-based science, the focus on losing weight is still surrounded by an outdated theory that has never worked.
The Balancing Act of Diet and Physical Activity
Americans continue to show a lack of understanding of “calories in” and “calories out” and their relationship to weight. For example, when it comes to calories consumed versus calories burned, most Americans (58 percent) do not make an effort to balance the two. In addition, of those who say they are trying to lose or maintain weight, only 19 percent say they are keeping track of calories, which can be a tool for those trying to manage weight. The Food & Health Survey continues to find that few Americans (12 percent) can accurately estimate the number of calories they should consume in a day. Furthermore, many Americans do not know how many calories they burn in a day (43 percent) offer inaccurate estimates (35 percent say 1000 calories or less).
(International Food Information Council)
The (calories in/calories out) or (counting calories) theory is highly inaccurate and quite misleading. This approach actually looks quite promising on paper. You expend more calories than you take in and your weight problem is solved. The theory is highly publicized by the media because it’s easily understood by the vast majority.
Unfortunately, it’s much more complicated than the way it’s professed because the human body works on the law of biology and not math. The fact is, if the (calories in /calories out) theory actually worked we wouldn’t be seeing the many metabolic issues we are seeing among the masses. The truth is, it has never, and will never work because the theory is simply flawed.
For one thing calories are not all created equal and that’s just part of the flaw. First, different foods affect our bodies in different ways and travel different metabolic pathways. Secondly, the foods we eat directly affect the hormones that regulate when and how much we eat. Therefore, the type of foods we base our diet around is actually much more significant than the amount of calories we consume.
Here is 3 reasons why counting calories makes no sense
1. Food Efficiency
Different foods travel different metabolic pathways. Some metabolic pathways are less efficient than others. The less efficient a metabolic pathway is the less likely this food will be turned into body fat. For instance, the metabolic pathways for protein are less efficient than the metabolic pathways for carbohydrates and fat. For this reason a larger portion of protein calories are lost as heat when it is metabolized by the body. (1)
This is known as the thermic effect of food: a measure of how much different foods increase energy expenditure, due to the energy required to digest, absorb and metabolize the nutrients. (2)
Outlined here is the thermic effect of different macronutrients:
- Fat: 2-3%.
- Carbs: 6-8%.
- Protein: 25-30%
There are slight deviations on the exact thermic percent effect, but it is undisputed that protein requires much more energy to metabolize than carbohydrates and fat. (3)
So if we go with an acceptable lower limit thermic effect of 25% for protein and 6% for carbohydrates, this would mean that 100 calories of protein would end up being 75 calories to the body, while 100 calories of carbohydrates would end up as 94 calories.
This provides at least some fairly clear evidence that you can consume more calories from protein than carbohydrates without the likelihood of gaining weight or body fat.
2. Satiety Value
It is well documented that different food types have different effects on one’s satiety level. For this reason it makes it much easier to overindulge on certain foods and not others. (4)
For example, it may be quite easy to eat 500 calories of cake, while needing to force feed yourself to eat 500 calories of broccoli. And this is only one key example of how the food choices you make can have a huge impact on the total calories you end up consuming.
There are many factors that determine the satiety value of different food types, which is measured on a scale called the satiety index. The satiety index is a measure of the ability of foods to reduce hunger, increase feelings of fullness, and reduce energy intake. (5)
If you are choosing many of your foods low on the satiety index, then you will experience being hungry more often and end up eating more. Now on the other hand, if you choose foods that are high on the satiety index, you will end up eating less while staying satisfied longer. This will help you control cravings and urges much more easily.
So, clearly whether you’re choosing highly satiating foods or not will have a major difference on your energy balance over the long term. For this reason, the calories from eggs are not the same as the calories from cookies.
3. Glycemic Effect
There is a lot of controversy when it comes to nutrition experts agreeing on things, but one of the few things that almost everyone has come to terms with is that refined carbohydrates are bad. This coincidentally includes added sugars like sucrose and high fructose corn syrup, as well as refined grain products.
Refined carbohydrates tend to be very low in fiber which makes them susceptible to rapid digestion and quick absorption, leading to rapid spikes in blood sugar. They have a high glycemic index rating (GI), which is a measure of how quickly a food raises ones blood sugar.
When we eat a food that spikes blood sugar fast, it tends to lead to a crash in blood sugar a few hours later also known as “the crash” or “blood sugar roller coaster.” When blood sugar crashes, we get tired, sluggish, and Irritable, and crave high glycemic foods. (6, 7, 8)
Essentially, what this tells us is the speed at which carbohydrate calories enter the system can have a dramatic effect on their potential to cause overeating and weight gain. So, if you tend to eat a higher carbohydrate diet, it is crucial to choose whole, unprocessed carbohydrate sources that contain plenty of fiber. The fiber will actually reduce the rate at which the glucose enters your system. (9, 10)
This clearly outlines that people who tend to eat higher glycemic index foods are at far greatest risk of becoming over-weight, obese and contracting other metabolic issues like Type II Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease. (11, 12)
Bottom Line
As you can see different calorie sources can have vastly different effects on our hormones, satiety level, energy expenditure and the brain-stomach connection that controls food intake.
Even though calories are important to a varying degree, counting them or even being consciously aware of them is not at all necessary when it comes to losing or controlling one’s weight. In many cases, simple changes in food selection can lead to better, healthier and more permanent results than trying to control, count or restrict calories.
