A Question of Calories May 6, 2009
Posted by Dr Dan in Uncategorized.Tags: calories, paleo diet
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I have been pondering lately whether my calorie intake is too low. I know this is going to attract a plethora of comments about how calories don’t matter. But if they don’t then surly it doesn’t matter how low my calories are as long as I am getting adequate nutrition – which I am.
The fact is I am happy with what I am eating and my hunger levels are somewhat in control. BUT if calories do matter then maybe I am going to low. I have had many comments about this in the past. My main argument is the whole research based around calorie restriction and how it can significantly increase longevity in a number of animals. This isn’t mean lifespan either but maximum lifespan. So at the moment my position is I don’t care that my calories are low because I know I am getting plenty of nutrients despite it.
But I would like to hear from people who may have their own opinions. I want to investigate this further throughout the week so I guess I am trawling for ideas that maybe I havn’t thought of.
Comments?
In addition, I just read this post over at Entropy Production. Definitely worth a read and very well put together.
Dear Daniel, calories DO matter and all metabolic ward studies demonstrate this. Please
read some Anthony Colpo (“The Fat Loss Byble”, chapter 1) and Lyle McDonald (“The
Ketogenic Diet” and “Rapid Fat Loss”). Also listen to Lyle’s last interview with Jimmy
Moore (episode 238). Science is not a belief system, it doesn’t depend on someone’s
“belief” or not in calories. If the Atkins’ ketogenic diet “advantage” was true and you
could eat 3500 kcal or more without weight gain, as Gary Taubes suggests in his last
Livin Low Carb Show interview (episode 213), then losing weigth would be the simplest
thing on Earth: just sit confortably in your sofa watching TV, eat a lot of meat/fish and
lots of fats, avoid all glycemic carbs, and simply wait a few weeks until your excess fat
melts completely. No exercise needed, as it is irrelevant for weight loss, as Taubes
suggests. Does anyone here believes this really works? Well, there are many reasons
people believe weird things
(http://www.fireandknowledge.org/archives/2008/04/28/25-reasons-people-believe-weird-thin
gs/). Until now, there is no metabolic ward study demonstration of metabolic advantage of any isocaloric (realistic) macronutrient variation. For successful weight Just make sure you maintain a sustainable calorie deficit, for some months or even years depending on your objective, don’t go below 30% of the caloric maintenance of your weight goal for very long periods, no longer than 15 consecutive days, otherwise survival mechanisms activate, your metabolic rate drops, hunger increases, weight loss stops, etc. Try cyclical caloric intake, as Lyle McDonald suggest in his books. Anyway, no matter what you try, you physiology is allways more intelligent and you will not avoid its rules. So, don’t belive in the “magical” Atkins’ weight loss shortcut, just follow the rules of Science and common sense and results will show up.
My experience with weight (both when I was chronically underweight until the age of 29 and later, when I suddenly started to store fat) mirrors the Taubes’ review of the science. If I restrict calories (esp fat and protein), I am either ravenous all the time or I s-l-o-w down and become a slug all day.
For me, calories affect my energy levels and ability to do my daily activities, but not so much my weight. I’m thinnest when I keep the fat high, the protein moderate, and the sugar/starch low Reduce the calories and I slow down, but I don’t lose weight. Add the sugar and starch back in at any calorie level and I gain weight, though my energy level does jump up a bit, but erratically. I’ve been tinkering with this for 5 years and rarely give calories a thought, except to make sure there are few empty sugar and starch calories. My metabolism can’t handle concentrated carbs anymore.
I think calories probably do matter more if there are too many calories of the wrong kind (provoking a hyperinsulinemia response and fat storage, as in a low fat/high carb diet) or if overall caloric intake is much too low or much too high for the body’s needs.
Have you read Dr. Eade’s many posts and comments on this? For instance, he finds eating cheese and/or nuts derails many people’s weight loss, even if they tend to stick to low carb foods overall. Nuts have more carbs than people realize and there may be additional factors in cheese that promote excess intake and subsequent fat storage, or lack of weight loss. I think my husband is especially prone to to overeating those too easy-to-reach-for snacks (also salami); I tend to be able to enjoy some without craving too much.
Plus, too many people eat/inhale food out of the package or standing at the fridge (regardless of what kind), instead of preparing a serving on a plate/bowl, then sitting down and savoring it. Keeping too many “handy” foods can increase mindless eating. I find spending time preparing food whets the appetite nicely, but helps temper it, too. The aroma and tactile experience are part of reaching satiety. It’s important to eat food at a pace that allowed for reaching satiety before over-stuffing. In other words, eat like the French…
Personally, I simply tend to ignore the calorie issue entirely. I focus on quality of food and my enjoyment of it. I don’t count carbs or calories, but I have pretty much reduced or eliminated most of the sugary and starchy foods that I know get me into trouble with food cravings and weight gain.
Unlike ricben, I do think one can lose weight with just the macronutrient control and sitting on the sofa, though no, I don’t advocate being a couch potato. I got fitter going the gym doing a lot of calorie burning exercise, but didn’t lose any of the stored fat I wanted to lose, I just increased my appetite for carbs. I quit the gym a month before I started restricting sugars and starches and I had completely opposite results – the excess fat weight (20#) was gone in less than 5 months (12 pounds were gone the first month), and without feeling like I was starving myself or constantly hungry. If I avoid concentrated sugars and starches, my hunger level is much more even throughout the day and easy to put off until it is convenient to prepare a meal or snack. It feels much better to not get those tremendously ravenous cravings to go face down in whatever quick junk is available, nor do I ever feel faint from hunger anymore. I think burning fat for energy is the key, not burning quick carbs. Keeping a fire burning with paper is a never-ending chore, unlike tending a fire that burns coals.
I’ve maintained about the same weight for 5 years this way, with little thought to calories; mostly I think about food quality and if I enjoy eating it.
I have started an exercise program again this year, but not based on burning calories, rather based on maintaining function and balance via resistance weight training with the Slow Burn method (approaching menopause had been fiddling with my stored fat/lean muscle ratio, not my weight, so I’m focussing on that). I do 2 short weight resistance workouts a week, not chronic cardio/calorie burning. So the exercise is for my long term health and fitness goals, not weight management.
I agree with Anna. my weight loss continues slowly and sporadically with little thought and effort beyond keeping carbs low (but not even that low lately). I dont really have a clue how many calories I’m eating (should really figure it out at some point)
but regarding whether you are eating enough calories, that partly depends on what your goals are- how fast you want to lose, whether you are reducing your metabolic rate or keeping it high, how much energy you are expending, etc. I think the better question is: what is working for you? how is your energy? do you feel like being active? are you still losing the weight you want to lose? are you able to put on more muscle mass? has your basal temperature fallen or is it staying normal? how is your health, complexion, teeth, triglycerides, blood glucose, etc? how is your mood and mental state? Go by what works for you. (and tell us about it too if you want to share!)
Calories don’t matter on ZC (zero carb). They do if you are eating fruit and vegetables and mixing those with fat.
After being all paleo for 2 months I’ve dropped about 10 pounds and consume a lot of calories. (I dropped 10 previously by eating paleo with cheat days.) My point is, I don’t think calories matter, more exactly, I think if you are eating paleo/low carb its hard to eat enough for them to matter. I’m not sure of the calories but my typical breakfast consists of 5 jumbo egg omelet, a pepper and onion, a little cheese or sour cream, 5 pieces of bacon and generally a piece of fruit. A lot fo food and people tend to be shocked by how much it is when they see me eat it, but every time I get around a scale, every few weeks, I’m lighter, my clothes fit better and my wife keeps telling me I’m too skinny. I knwo you know that paleo works, just I know if I was restricting calories too, I coudln’t do it.
All of the longevity benefits of a restricted diet is entirely due to restriction of carbs. People who restrict non-carb calories are suffering for no purpose.
Hey Dan,
I can’t wait to read our next post/thoughts. What are your insights on the high content of omega-3s in shore-based diets? And their benefits on human health? Have you ever read Sears? BTW…how is your inner-Lamborghini doing??
Actually I know little about racing cars *wink* but I’m learning A LOT of fuel, metabolism, maintenance and regulation of human energy balance. Below is a fantastic article/opus by Hulbert 2000 about thyroid hormones across the animal kingdom (incl human euthermic vertebrates). For some reason, there is an epidemic of hypothyroidism going on. (someday I’ll blog about ALL the reasons eg gluten, maternal hypothyroidism, omega-6s pufas, deficiency of critical hormonal-nutrients EPA DHA SatFats carotenoids vits ADEK1K2 Mag Se Zn Chromium B-vits, ALA, quinones, GLA, alpha lipoic acid, etc) The main one is omega-6 PUFAs and the imbalance between omega-3s and omega-6s in the lipid membranes. Unfortunately I believe the half-life for omega-6s is extremely LONG. They get incorporated into our membrane bilayers and stay there. Obviously your diet is great and minimal for omega-6s. However, whatever residual from past diet indiscretions may still be present causing a bit of havoc, inflammation and slowing metabolism. This can easily be offset by consumption of additional dietary omega-3s and/or supplementation. Dr. Sears and many experts advise a minimum of 3 grams EPA DHA daily for minimally optimal health. For extreme O-6 v. O-3 imbalances (and mood too) higher doses are advised 6 – 9 grams daily. A fatty acid profile blood test of course (advised by Sears) can easily tell you what the balance between arachidonic acid and EPA are, omega-6 v. omega-3, respectively (known as the AA:EPA ratio with the ideal 1:1 or 2:1; currently the U.S. average is est’d 30:1 wtf!!).
http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1029&context=scipapers
Hulbert also does note that caloric restriction (he does not specify — not sure if carbs or fat/protein being referenced) does lead to a slight reduction in thyroid hormones. An occasionally ‘cheat’ meal once per week with carbs throws this energy regulatory pathway off.
Also, have you considered the value of probiotics + some digestive enzymes? Often I see a difficulty for some individuals in regards to fat absorption, primarily lack of bile acid and/or ‘leaky gut’ which further prevents vitamin D, EPA DHA and other fat-soluble anti-inflammatory compounds to be absorbed and their repletion in the body (from either diet or supplementation). Vitamin A cannot be absorbed without the help of activation from happy, healthy gut flora, either.
-G
P.S. Like the others, I definitely do not believe in calories in=calories out! Have you heard of G-flux…?
Im just wondering :
Has anybody ever measured a calorie inside a human body ? As far as I know a calorie is a quantetative heat chemist tool that measures combustion inside a closed container. Combustion and digestion are light years apart from each other.
Isn’t a calorie is supposed to be a constant, which means it should ALWAYS have the same result regardless – like a kilogram or centimeter?