Curious about calories in, calories out

[drehn88 251]

I'd like to pose a question to those of you that have researched calories in, calories out. According to myfitnesspal, if you eat below 1200 cals a day and DON'T eat your added exercise calories, your weight loss will slow down because your metabolism slows down. If you subscribe wholeheartedly to theory of one pound equals 3500 cals and you have to create a deficit of cals each day to lose 1-2 lbs a week, then how can eating 1000 cals a day make you NOT lose weight? There is so much information out there and some of it is conflicting. Thanks in advance for any replies.

[KAATNS 1,473]

I have a hard time wrapping my head around this one too!

[GuyMontag 1,264]

In my experience all calories are not created equal because of the different effects they have on your body. For me, if I eat carbs whether it be bread, rice, Pasta, sugar, or even fruit, my insulin spikes to break down the sugar in my blood and it slows my metabolism which hurts my weight loss. I've also found that I do really well when I eat foods high in fat and Protein. The fat makes me feel satiated and stops me from seeking out comfort foods later on. Plus, food that's high in fat and Protein doesn't just turn into fat automatically. Your body converts it to energy. I avoid 'low fat' foods because they are usually high in carbs.

Here's a simple article that explains some of what I have experienced: http://lifehacker.com/5922071/a-calorie-is-not-just-a-calorie-study-shows

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

I'm copy/pasting one of my own blog entries here because it best details my own experience with this topic. When your body doesn't have enough fuel (calories), it hangs onto every single thing we eat. Some call it "starvation mode' but that isn't what it actually is- it's a self induced metabolic syndrome of sorts. I was taught this by my nutritionist and below is my experience applying what she taught me to my own life.

I wanted to share my recent experience with calories with everyone in hopes maybe the information can help someone else.

My weight loss had seriously slowed down. To be honest, I spent about a month getting very frustrated because I'd slowed a lot (for me, anyway). I was eating around 900-1000 calories a day. I knew I couldn't lower my calories any further so I figured "ok, let's increase a little and see what happens". I raised my calories to about 1200 a day and sure enough, the weight started falling off again.

July weight loss, on 900-1000 calories: 7.8 pounds/1.95 pounds per week

August weight loss, on 1200 calories: 17.8 pounds/4.45 pounds per week

Needless to say, that's a pretty big difference!

So for anyone who's struggling to lose and eating under a 1000 calories a week, don't be afraid to play with your caloric intake. Raise it a little and see what happens after a week or two. It's worth a try, especially if it works!

[B-52 7,113]

Everyone has a opinion on this...I have always kept it simple...the less calories, the more I loose...AND IT HAS ALWAYS WORKED!

I have always been told I'm fat because I eat too much...stop eating so much...so I did thanks to WLS, and it worked...and to really kick it off, I exercise to burn off even more!

I'm just very carefull to get my Protein, Water and Vitamins....after that.....

Others have different views, and if thats what worked for them, and no plateaus, etc, then that's all that matters....

I'm not meaning to step on people's toes and beliefs, but the notion to eat more to loose more makes me laugh.....but if it works, who cares....

[labwalker 1,177]

Everyone's metabolism is different, and the amount of calories you need each day to lose, maintain, or gain weight is also going to depend on your body weight and muscle mass. If you're living a sedentary lifestyle at a desk job, and not exercising, you will need a lot less calories than an a person with an active lifestyle. Also, I'm finding it harder to lose weight as I get older. I could easily lose 50 pounds in a few months when I was younger, but now I need WLS to get the same results.

[drehn88 251]

Thank you! The best evidence in my opinion is anecdotal. From what you all said, it really depends on personal metabolism and doing what works for your body. It's like a personal experiment. Those who research weight loss and WLS should really use some of the experiences on this forum in their data collection!

[lilmispcl 298]

Maybe the theory Calories in Calories out IS true if the calories come from the right source! I don't think all calories are created equal for my body and I am envious of the people who's body doesn't care where the calories come from! LOL If I don't limit my carbs I don't lose weight ...even at 1000-1200 calories a day. I have been carb cycling for a month or so now and LOVE it. I am losing 4 pounds a week and feel great.

[GuyMontag 1,264]

My doc said that calories in calories out makes a lot more sense for people that are 125lbs. However, to an overweight person, a glass of orange juice is the same thing as a candy bar to their body and should be avoided.

[gigglypug 77]

Calories in-calories out is a sound principle, but the calories out is not nearly as predictable as BMR calculators would suggest! Add to that:

- the recommended Water intake alone is 64 oz or 4 lbs...unless you weigh your, uh, emissions you don't know the fate of these fluids

- while a calorie is a calorie in terms of the amount of energy you derive from them, different macronutrients (Proteins, fats, sugars etc) trigger different responses in the body. The insulin/glucagon antagonistic pair is the best known of these, but there are others...especially in women.

The human body is an extremely complex system and not nearly as well understood as most people believe. Once we do have a handle on all of these mechanisms, I believe WLS will become obsolete as there will be more non-invasive/less costly way of effecting weight loss. In the meantime, it's a grand experiment...

[lilmispcl 298]

I forgot to mention also that if I have too much sodium in my calories I will go up in weight. Obviously I will get that back off but it sure is aggravating! Note to self...when u are hungry at the grocery store Beef Jerky really isn't your friend! Lol

[GuyMontag 1,264]

I actually do great on beef Jerky. It's high in Protein. Sure, it may be high in sodium so you might retain more Water but that's not really 'gaining weight' in my opinion. I don't go out of my way to consume salt but I don't avoid it either. I think beef jerky is a really good snack personally.

[MiniMi 1,468]

Calories in-calories out is a sound principle' date=' but the calories out is not nearly as predictable as BMR calculators would suggest! Add to that:

- the recommended Water intake alone is 64 oz or 4 lbs...unless you weigh your, uh, emissions you don't know the fate of these fluids

- while a calorie is a calorie in terms of the amount of energy you derive from them, different macronutrients (Proteins, fats, sugars etc) trigger different responses in the body. The insulin/glucagon antagonistic pair is the best known of these, but there are others...especially in women.

The human body is an extremely complex system and not nearly as well understood as most people believe. Once we do have a handle on all of these mechanisms, I believe WLS will become obsolete as there will be more non-invasive/less costly way of effecting weight loss. In the meantime, it's a grand experiment...[/quote']

Great post. You have to find what works for you. For me I can't eat beef or sodium or my weight loss is non existent. This is one of the reasons I have always hated weight watchers. You cannot tell me that if I eat my daily points at McDonald's that I will lose weight!

[bambam31 168]

I didn't lose massive amounts of excess fat and increase muscle mass by eating 800 calories a day and walking at a brisk pace. The average success rate for a lap band patient the last I knew was 60% loss of excess fat. Well the last I knew 60% yields a letter grade of D- …. If you want extraordinary results – you have to educate yourself about your body and literally work your butt off.

This is a topic that is by no means simple. There are so many variables in play. There is no single answer that will effectively yield optimal results for every person. You have to learn how YOUR body uses nutrients and make adjustments to achieve the desired result. That being said, every human body is an amazing adaptive machine, yet survival is the ultimate goal. It will trick and cheat YOU far more times than you will it.

We desire to lose fat – not weight. Fat is simply stored energy. We were banded because we have too much fat – not because we are retaining too much Water or have too much muscle. So we have to create and manipulate the equation to convince our body it doesn't need that fat. That comes easier for some more than others. We have to eat – but - eat too much – especially at one time - and your body will store the energy for future needs. How many of us in our pre banding years ate once or twice a day and went LONG periods between meals? Shouldn't be a mystery now why your body was hanging on to as many calories as possible – because it wasn't certain which was around the corner – feast or famine. So it slooooowed the metabolism down to conserve energy (which made us lazy and tired) and then stored as much as possible. For many of us, a variation of this continued post banding. We couldn't physically eat as much and didn't eat very often so our body, as a means of survival, slowed our metabolism down and prevented us from losing the desired fat. Or we intentionally ate a very low calorie diet (that I despise!) which allowed us to lose a lot of fat initially – but that came to a screeching halt once our body adjusted.

Remember, every pound lost is a ratio of fat, muscle tissue, and fluids. We want to tip that ratio toward fat loss as much as possible. But in order to do that we have to create an environment that convinces our body to keep our metabolism high and operate at peak performance. We do that by eating MORE frequently and with high value calories (fuel). Calories are like fuel grades. Sure your car will run on 85 octane. But it will likely perform better on 93. But 93 is more expensive, and we are creatures of convenience and desire, so we normally settle for the less efficient fuel – and our food choices are all too frequently the same.

Certainly nearly everyone has heard that if you are retaining Water – then the best thing for you to do is increase your Fluid intake. That signals to your body that the Fluid it is retaining is not really needed in storage because there is no shortage in supply.

Bottom line... if you are having problems losing FAT, then try to eat small amounts of high value calories FREQUENTLY. I can't say necessarily how many “meals” a day, because I eat small amounts all day long in lieu of dedicated “meals.” As a quick rule of thumb, however, try to eat a food choice every 3 – 4 daytime hours that includes, at least in part, a complete Protein. By complete I mean a Protein choice that contains all of the essential amino acids. Add to that sufficient exercise and water, both of which promote a healthy metabolism. The increased metabolic activity from eating MORE (which in turn gives us the energy to be more active) actually creates a larger calorie deficit in the long term than eating less. It worked for me and it may be the key to getting that excess fat off for you too.

Brad

[MiniMi 1,468]

I didn't lose massive amounts of excess fat and increase muscle mass by eating 800 calories a day and walking at a brisk pace. The average success rate for a lap band patient the last I knew was 60% loss of excess fat. Well the last I knew 60% yields a letter grade of D- …. If you want extraordinary results – you have to educate yourself about your body and literally work your butt off.

This is a topic that is by no means simple. There are so many variables in play. There is no single answer that will effectively yield optimal results for every person. You have to learn how YOUR body uses nutrients and make adjustments to achieve the desired result. That being said' date=' every human body is an amazing adaptive machine, yet survival is the ultimate goal. It will trick and cheat YOU far more times than you will it.

We desire to lose fat – not weight. Fat is simply stored energy. We were banded because we have too much fat – not because we are retaining too much Water or have too much muscle. So we have to create and manipulate the equation to convince our body it doesn't need that fat. That comes easier for some more than others. We have to eat – but - eat too much – especially at one time - and your body will store the energy for future needs. How many of us in our pre banding years ate once or twice a day and went LONG periods between meals? Shouldn't be a mystery now why your body was hanging on to as many calories as possible – because it wasn't certain which was around the corner – feast or famine. So it slooooowed the metabolism down to conserve energy (which made us lazy and tired) and then stored as much as possible. For many of us, a variation of this continued post banding. We couldn't physically eat as much and didn't eat very often so our body, as a means of survival, slowed our metabolism down and prevented us from losing the desired fat. Or we intentionally ate a very low calorie diet (that I despise!) which allowed us to lose a lot of fat initially – but that came to a screeching halt once our body adjusted.

Remember, every pound lost is a ratio of fat, muscle tissue, and fluids. We want to tip that ratio toward fat loss as much as possible. But in order to do that we have to create an environment that convinces our body to keep our metabolism high and operate at peak performance. We do that by eating MORE frequently and with high value calories (fuel). Calories are like fuel grades. Sure your car will run on 85 octane. But it will likely perform better on 93. But 93 is more expensive, and we are creatures of convenience and desire, so we normally settle for the less efficient fuel – and our food choices are all too frequently the same.

Certainly nearly everyone has heard that if you are retaining Water – then the best thing for you to do is increase your Fluid intake. That signals to your body that the Fluid it is retaining is not really needed in storage because there is no shortage in supply.

Bottom line... if you are having problems losing FAT, then try to eat small amounts of high value calories FREQUENTLY. I can't say necessarily how many “meals” a day, because I eat small amounts all day long in lieu of dedicated “meals.” As a quick rule of thumb, however, try to eat a food choice every 3 – 4 daytime hours that includes, at least in part, a complete Protein. By complete I mean a Protein choice that contains all of the essential amino acids. Add to that sufficient exercise and water, both of which promote a healthy metabolism. The increased metabolic activity from eating MORE (which in turn gives us the energy to be more active) actually creates a larger calorie deficit in the long term than eating less. It worked for me and it may be the key to getting that excess fat off for you too.

Brad[/quote']

Brad, well said and rockin hot bod btw!