My rant about 'calorie deficit' b.s.

[Sittingduck]

Nothing wrong with tracking calories and creating a regular and healthy deficit. If that method works for a whole bunch of people then who are you to dismiss it.

 

[VamP]

 

[Hill Wimp]

Eat less, exercise more and get a life

 

[bozmandb9]

Nothing wrong with tracking calories and creating a regular and healthy deficit. If that method works for a whole bunch of people then who are you to dismiss it.

Did you actually read what I wrote before you replied?

My point is, the mantra of 'create a calorie deficit' with no focus on WHAT you're eating is plain wrong. As for 'who am I to dismiss it' I'm someone sharing their opinion on an Internet forum. You?

 

[bozmandb9]

Eat less, exercise more and get a life

Or, eat better, exercise smarter, and don't quote meaningless cliches!

 

[Hill Wimp]

Or, eat better, exercise smarter, and don't quote meaningless cliches!

There is nothing meaningless about eating less and exercising more just ask the numerous people on thisforum that have done just that and have very successfully lost weight and got a lot fitter.

Your preaching is not very attractive.

 

[Sittingduck]

Did you actually read what I wrote before you replied?

My point is, the mantra of 'create a calorie deficit' with no focus on WHAT you're eating is plain wrong. As for 'who am I to dismiss it' I'm someone sharing their opinion on an Internet forum. You?

Yeah, I did thanks.

Perhaps you might adjust the tone of your opinions, so that they come across as less ranty. Just a thought...

 

[tmesis]

Calorie counting is not the whole answer, but if you consume more calories from natural whole-foods than you expend, you will gain weight. If you consume less calories from processed foods than you expend, you will lose weight, but it is, of course, far easier to consume less calories when eating natural, whole-foods.

 

[ColinJ]

Yeah, I did thanks.

Perhaps you might adjust the tone of your opinions, so that they come across as less ranty. Just a thought...

It did come across as ranty, but to be fair, the title of the thread should have given you ample warning ...

 

[martint235]

Did you actually read what I wrote before you replied?

My point is, the mantra of 'create a calorie deficit' with no focus on WHAT you're eating is plain wrong. As for 'who am I to dismiss it' I'm someone sharing their opinion on an Internet forum. You?

Sorry but I eat what I want when I want. If I start to put on weight, I cycle a bit more. Does this count as "creating a calorie deficit"? It's worked for 45 years though even though Pot Noodles are one of my favourite breakfasts.

I still think losing weight is about burning more calories than you take in. Losing weight and feeling healthy while doing it is probably more complicated though.

 

[Shaun]

Personal insults removed - keep to the topic being discussed please; and be respectful in your replies - all of you!!

Thanks,
Shaun

 

[Crackle]

I took your post in the spirit of the rant I think you meant. You clearly had something in mind when you wrote it. Unfortunately, gaining and losing weight is not simple nor easy for many people, though it's easy to simplify it for others in your own mind. In reality it rarely works that way. Check out the blog of our own gb155 if you want to understand how complex losing weight is and think whether your advice would have worked for him when you have.

 

[bozmandb9]

It did come across as ranty, but to be fair, the title of the thread should have given you ample warning ...

Nice to see somebody can and does read and understand English! And can take my post in the spirit it was meant!

Just to give others a clue, when I put a heading, 'here is my reasoned discourse on ...', it will be a lot less ranty! When I head a post 'rant' please don't get all upset when it's ranty.

Lecture over!

 

[Shaun]

Nice to see somebody can and does read and understand English! And can take my post in the spirit it was meant!

Just to give others a clue, when I put a heading, 'here is my reasoned discourse on ...', it will be a lot less ranty! When I head a post 'rant' please don't get all upset when it's ranty.

Lecture over!

Perhaps you should post future "rants" on your user profile then!!

 

[bozmandb9]

I took your post in the spirit of the rant I think you meant. You clearly had something in mind when you wrote it. Unfortunately, gaining and losing weight is not simple nor easy for many people, though it's easy to simplify it for others in your own mind. In reality it rarely works that way. Check out the blog of our own gb155 if you want to understand how complex losing weight is and think whether your advice would have worked for him when you have.

I totally agree Crackle, and this is really my point. For many people losing weight can be a serious and complicated matter, and a matter of life and death. That is why it really gets my goat, when people say "it's just a matter of creating a calorie deficit", which is why I wrote my rant.

There's a lot of research to indicate that a calorie deficit can be counter productive, for example the Minnesota study, which showed that calorie deficit leads to a disproportionate reduction in metabolic rate, meaning no effect of calorie deficit, and that limiting calories can lead to weight gain in excess of weight loss if and when the reduced calorie diet is ceased, and if it maintained, unless it is very well balanced nutritionally, it can lead to health issues, including symptoms of malnutrition, and osteoporosis.

There's a lot of research on the subject, which I've studied extensively, and I'm passionate about it, since I found that much 'conventional wisdom' and advice, is not only wrong, but potentially counter productive, and even dangerous. Personally I used a well balanced diet, with no calorie deficit, and lots of well planned exercise/ training, to achieve my 25 kilo weight loss, which is now maintained over 5 years, and gives me a pretty ideal BMI, bearing in mind I'm now an athlete competing a regional level (masters athletics).