Is Calorie Counting a SCAM?

From celery to a slice of cake, we are going to explain what 100 Calories actually looks like, and WHY calorie counting is bad for you.

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Written by: Gregory Brown & Julia Wilde
Edited by: Luka Šarlija

SOURCES:

[shanonfrancis]

I finally understand what "processed" in processed food means and what it's significance is ! Thanks

[ziljin]

The video actually shows a good reason to count calories for weight loss. You can eat more food and maintain or lose weight by eating healthier low calorie foods instead of heavily processed calorie dense foods. Not only will it help with your weight it will improve your health overall.

[Obi_]

A lot of diets are scams but counting calories is legit

[seiler]

"Calorie Counting Is Much More Complex" is a more appropriate title, I'd say

[davetoms]

3:36 - Small correction, I think
Celiac Disease doesn't produce an allergy response. It's classified as an autoimmune disease. While these two might seem similar there's an important distinction: Allergies are when the immune system overreacts to attack the allergen whereas an autoimmune disease is where the immune system attacks the body itself in response to the substance. Regardless, spectacular video as always!

[rosepinkskyblue]

I lost weight by counting calories but I also kept track of the macros because I knew that I ate way less protein than I needed and always overdid carbs.
Now I’m just maintaining my weight at a level and it helps to know the calorific value of different foods to be able to eat more consciously, even though I’m not strictly counting it. It also helps in food preparation because you know that the little bit of extra oil you accidentally poured is actually a lot, fruit juices are not just “mostly water” because they’re actually quite sugary or maybe you could be grilling your sandwich with much less butter and make it crisp up just as well. That being said, it’s definitely not enough to just eat a “low calorie diet” if your goal is to be healthy.

[StrawhatAndrews]

Counting calories was actually really helpful for me. I've been going to the gym for years but I hadn't been getting as big as I wanted to. Then I started to count how many calories I was eating in a day and found out it was between 2000 - 2500 in a normal day (even though I never really went hungry), when I should've been eating 3000 to gain weight. So now I count calories to make sure I eat enough to be able to build muscle, and it's really made a difference.

I just saw a lot of comments recommending counting calories for losing weight so I thought I could also say that if you're looking to gain weight you can still use calorie counting to your benefit

[rickseiden]

I went for my yearly physical a few years ago and the scale said 302lb. It was shocking. I was never that heavy. So I changed what I eat and how much I eat. I stopped eating 3 big slices of pizza and started eating salads. You get the idea. But, I also limited myself to 1500 calories a day. Not pizza calories, but better calories. Beer didn't count, and I never let myself go hungry because it would push me over my daily quota. I dropped down to 202 in about 18 months, and I've been there ever since. I stick to the same diet because I know that if I go back to my old ways, I'll go back to my old size. I feel better about myself because I'm not 302, but also because I've managed to lose 100lbs and keep it off. So, for me, counting calories worked, and continues to work. But it wasn't just 1500 of the same calories as I used to eat. It was 1500 calories of new foods with lower fat and higher protein.

[Chris-betr]

Ok this is all great, but how much does our calorie absorption differ per person, because at the end of the day, it's still calories absorbed vs calories burned

[sirexuiz]

Has an "ex-obese" person, I believe it's videos like this that confuse people trying to lose weight, we don't need to overcomplicate this things unless we are going deep in the topic. On a short timed video it just results on adding messy information to people trying hard to change themselves...

[claireconover]

I’ve found calorie counting works best for weight loss. it’s might not be a perfect system, but it’s the most efficient system we have.

[dessertgirl]

I needed this.
I'm currently attempting to recover from an ED, and it feels really hard not to fall back on bad habits like calorie counting.
Thank you for making this video.
It was very educational for me.

[Amillionyawn]

Yes, it's not exact, but shouldn't the first law of thermodynamics still overrule it? counting should still give you a rough idea of how much energy you've consumed

[RiskOdin]

I wouldn’t quite say it is a scam. Just like you stated it is much more complex than just the calorie number, the way someone would use counting them to their life is more than just “good “or bad.” If someone happens to be a person that is gaining weight due to the direct ingestion of more calories than they are using a day, figuring out what their maintenance calorie count would be so they can go into a deficit in order to lose weight if that’s what they desire, and vice versa for someone that has a hard time putting on weight so they can get bigger. There’s SO much more than just calories themselves, like your individual micro biome, the actual macronutrients you’re eating, and so much more, so the best thing to do before choosing whether or not to or not to count calories or whatever is figure out how these things work and what things will benefit you based on YOUR needs. Other than that, very informative video.

[---GOD---]

You didn't make an argument against calorie counting. You made an argument for selecting nutritious calories. Not the same thing. You still need to count those nutritious calories lol

[RishabhMutha]

I just had a thought about how consistent your style has been over the years. I remember being in high-school watching your videos being fascinated by science. Now I'm an adult, an engineer and work for a living. Your videos still ignite the same curiosity in me that they did all those years ago.

[Hoopergames]

This channel went from good legit science to "feel good" buzzfeed pseudo-science

[ricardozc]

I'm lactose intolerant. I felt the calories from the milk going down the toilet.

[Thebreakdownshow]

I swear to god it works for me. I have just lost 16 pounds by approximately counting my calories. I had put on a lot of weight working on my ch and the pandemic. Had to do something about.

[mass]

Nobody is claiming that counting calories is an exact science but it's a good proxy and as such will obviously help people gain or lose weight in accordance with their goals.