I really like what the author of this blog has to say about weight loss/maintenance success

[parisshel 1,892]

Anyone else read the sane and sensical blog "Weighty Matters"? penned by Dr. Freedhoff?

This recent blog post struck a chord with me:

So here are some truths.

• People are not walking math formulas whereby if they have 3,500 more or less calories than they burn they'll gain or lose a pound.
• 3,500 calories of one food or type of food will likely have a different impact on health, hunger, thermic effect, and weight than 3,500 calories of another food or type of food.
• Different people have different caloric efficiencies whereby they are seemingly able to extract more calories from food or reserves than others and lose weight with more difficulty (and gain with greater ease).

And yet here's the only truth that matters.

From a weight management perspective, the currency of weight is calories. While exchange rates undoubtedly do vary between foods and between individuals, you'll always need your own personal deficit to lose, and surplus to gain.

All other discussion, while certainly academically interesting, given there are no other alternate measures available to track, or tests to determine individual responses to different calorie sources, serves to foment confusion.

If weight's your concern, more important than anything else is finding a life that you enjoy that contains fewer calories than before. Getting stuck in the minutia of what type of calories may lead to an every so slightly faster or greater loss, rather than truly crafting a life that's enjoyable (and hence sustainable), might help in the short run, but will almost certainly defeat you in the long.

I really love this because it describes what I've found with my lapband, and what eluded me with traditional dieting methods. "Finding a life your enjoy that contains fewer calories than before" was only possible through my lapband. Trust me, I did NOT enjoy my traditional dieting days, filled with hunger, longing to eat, and trying to game my calories by substituting wholesome foods so I could work in that slice (or two, or three) of cake.

Edited December 17, 2013 by parisshel

[Bandista 7,466]

Great post -- thanks so much for sharing. For me tracking calories (which I do on and off) can feel like dieting and that old WW mentality of wanting to finish up my allotment for the day -- which is exactly what I don't want to be doing. I want to eat good food in small amounts when and only when I'm hungry -- and be able to recognize hunger and satiety. Trying to shift my tracker mentality over to exercise world -- increasing time on treadmill, etc.

[SandyM 1,956]

_{My surgeon states that excess energy (calories) will be stored as fat, even good excess energy. I'm still reading up on all of this to form my own opinion. But, this makes sense to me.}

[Sojourner 2,446]

The article you posted has some valid insights into the the realities of weight loss and how the number of calories consumed is not the only factor involved. That is just too simplistic to be a "one size fits all" concept.

I recall my surgeon advising me that "carbs are the enemy of weight loss". I know from my own experience that if I eat unhealthy carbs, it creates a craving for more carbs. However, our brain needs carbs as it's energy source, so the key is to revise your accepted foods to include the lean Proteins and healthy carbs in accepted portion sizes. Part of the psychology behind successfully being able to do this is the need to change one's relationship with food, and to accept that the cake you may be craving is not the best choice for carbs.

That equation has allowed me to continue to move towards achieving my weight loss goals.

An excellent article...thanks for sharing!

Edited December 19, 2013 by ♥ Sojourner ♥