Does Calorie Counting REALLY Work? Intermittent Fasting, Calorie Deficit and more.

Many people dispute calorie counting, calorie deficit and intermittent fasting as a meaningful way of weight loss and a healthy eating pattern. Here are the cold, hard facts and how it might help you lose weight and/or fat.

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[Nite-owl]

Fun fact: "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day" was a phrase coined by Seventh Day Adventists James Caleb Jackson and John Harvey Kellogg to sell their newly invented breakfast cereal. "The creation of corn flakes was part of J.H. Kellogg's broader advocacy for a plain, bland diet. Without referring to corn flakes in particular, Kellogg elsewhere recommended a plain, bland diet as one of several methods to discourage masturbation."

[melaD]

there are many other factors, like insulin resistance, Leptin resistance, body type. Also the source of the calories really matters… and I believe some studies have shown that certain fats actually help burn stored fat.

I did intermittent fasting and I lost weight but my anxiety went through the roof and found out later that this happens with some people. After I stopped IF my anxiety greatly improved. I’d rather be chubby and sane than skinny and crazy.

And the fact you have been trim all of your life makes a huge difference. I have been overweight since I was a child. I was in weight Watchers when I was 9 years old In the 1980s… (when childhood obesity was not really a thing) I did all the things my sisters did who were stick skinny but I was overweight… my body can not handle sugary things (though I’m not diabetic) and loves to store fat apparently.

[Gregdotgreg]

Different things work for different people. Calorie counting worked for me and I lost seven stone.
But I still ate what I liked. I weighed everything and counted all the calories. So would still have a take-away as long as the average over a week didn't take me over my target

[wills]

This makes sense!! I have been counting calories and it makes me miserable. I want to get down to a healthier weight and I know that Cronometer would not be sustainable for the rest of my life.

[lesleywatkins]

My husband always says your mouth is bigger than your bottom! Therefore more in less out!
I fast everyday from 7pm to 13.00 pm, I can get enough to eat within these times and I don’t over eat! Normally around 1000-1300 calories per day!

[willdatsun]

Started IF 6 months ago, have gone from 98 to 85kg just by not eating after 7pm. i also avoid sugar, grains (bread) and have not had any alcohol. i can see my feet again woo! Trousers stay up because my belt sits on my hips now. woo. I found Dr Eric Berg's vids most helpful.

[lozunicorn]

Being partially disabled with a history of eating disorders, calorie counting and weighing myself just trigger old habits. What I've found works best for me is to keep an eye on how my clothes fit and eat 2 small but balanced meals at different times every day to avoid cravings. I also allow myself one treat day per week so that I don't miss my favourite "naughty" foods so much that I will just grab and binge on them. I know this doesn't work for everyone, but it's what I've found works for me.

[thestraightroad]

I’m pretty serious about health; nutrition and exercise are very important to me to maintain independence, strength and adventure as my husband and I age. I’m 70, fast 20:4, walk and lift lighter weights. We want to be there for kiddos and grandchildren. I’d like to recommend Dr. Gil Carvalho’s channel for those who wish to know more about nutrition. He is an MD, PhD who is able to communicate nutrition science beautifully with humor and evidence backed by real studies. He isn’t biased. He covers a wide variety of topics people are interested in.

The channel is Nutrition Made Simple. Mr. BBB, I think you would enjoy him since you also have a high regard for evidence! Consistency over time is the key!

I’d like people to know also that Mrs. BBB’s channel, Easy Chinese Cooking, has delicious healthful meals that we’ve really enjoyed. Cheers!

[rachaelgargagliano]

Diets do work I’m at a calorie deficit eat healthy food exercise and I’ve lost 17.1 pounds in 15 weeks the reason they fail most of the time is lack of consistency

[reiji]

I am a diabetic with hypothyroidism so losing weight has been a real struggle for me. when i first found out my sickness i worked really hard, calorie counting and exercised daily and as you said it wasn’t sustainable. i lost over 12 lbs in about a year then covid happened and to cope stress ate and ended up gaining it all back. I don’t think calorie counting works for me now, it just stresses me more. I kept the daily exercise paired with still trying to manage what I eat, and I must say weight loss has been significantly slower than before. I wanted to try intermittent eating but when I did it causes me to get acid reflux so I’m a bit stumped. Hearing you say it works better, maybe I just wasn’t doing it right and I should give it another go as I really did not enjoy calorie counting and would rather not resort to that again. Thanks for this video!

[stevenking]

I'm diabetic and have been for 20+ years, thing that makes the difference for my sugar levels and weight are carbs, as your body can store fat, but cant store carbs, hence why it burns them first as a source of energy rather than using the fat that it can live stopped eating pasta and noodles, ive stopped eating large amounts of rice.. ....I don't eat breakfast cereals as they are full of sugar and carbs...., I'll have bread maybe once a week....if i have bread ill smother it in butter to slow down the carb have low carb sausages (1-2g per sausage) or pork belly slices with poached for breakfast, my sugar levels, have returned to a normal level and are more stable than they have been for years...only exercise I do is walk the dog 2-5 miles a day, which I have also done for years....

[Alec_Collins]

Identifying which nutrients are most satiating is difficult, but I seldom hear people argue that carbs are satiating. The idea that the body prefers them is also problematic. The body burns alcohol "preferentially", but that's probably not because it loves it. Rather, I think it's likely undesirable, and so the body gets rid of it quickly.
It's almost impossible to talk about this without anthropomorphizing a collection of cells.

[felixchu]

100% agree.

I tried keto and it was hard to keep track of the macros.

I tried cutting carbs and it was hard. I remember one time walking by Costco and stalking the box of croissants and the giving up and buying it. Then finishing 12 in 2 days.

Ultimately what's helped me lose weight over time is walking (because of my back injury can't do resistance training) combined with doing a modified intermittent fasting of 1 full meal and a snack a day. This way I feel satisfied during the day and burn more calories than I need. 8 months in and I lost about 50lbs. Now it's a year and 8 months and I have lost a total of 75lbs and 14inches of the mid section.

Another point is motivation. So to make me walk I used food. I would start with walking 30 minutes to get food and back and then slowly went up to 1 hour then to 2. Followed by the walk back of course.

[ianmckinney]

You got this pretty much spot on, I'm a personal trainer. The amount of time I've had to explain this is unreal.

[susanann]

My child is Trying to loose weight I wish he could try this I'm sure it would help but if he doesn't eat he is horrible to be around he has been like that since he was a child so what can someone do if they cannot fast intermittently?

[arturama]

It's very easy. If you eat less calories than you burn, you loose weight. Dieting for a limited time will get you to loose weight and gain more. You'll have to make an indefinite change in the kind of food you et or the amount of food you eat. DON'T go on a hunger diet, cause your body will go in 'energy-save-mode'.
Eat ALL groups, dont cut out sugar, fat or carbs. You need all.
A human body needs about 24 kcalories per kg of bodymass. SO a guy weighing 100kg, needs about 2400 kcalories to stay 100kg. If he wants to loose weight to about 90 kg, he'll need to eat 90x24kc= 2160kc. You don't need to eat less, it won't do you any good. If you want to loose more weight, wait 'till you are nearing your first goal (90kg) and then go back in kc. This prevents shortages in vitamins etc and it prevents your body going in to energy saving mode. If that happens, you will not loose weight anymore and gain weight as soon as you eat anything more then the level of kc you were on when your body went into energy saving mode. NOT what you want. Takes weeks to stabilize and start over.
So, pick a reasonable target. Don't try to loose 100kg in 3 months. It's very unhealthy! Loose 10kg, then 10kg more, etc. remember 24kc per kg of bodymass.
If your cholesterol is bad. Try to eat less bad fat. Sometimes the same prduct of another brand can be 50% less bad fat. Eat as much beans and legumes as you can. They contain a substance that blocks your body from getting the cholestrol out of the food and thus your body is forced to use cholesterol that's available in your blood. It really works, I've done it myself. Beans and legumes! I lost 40kg in a year And, as I passed trough about 100kg, my bloodsugar levels started to change too. I went from 2x 900mg metformin, to zero. Nothing. No diabetes meds! At all!

Anybody, good luck!

[James-mhrq]

What do you drink whilst this fasting takes place? Just water? Drinking and eating is functionally the same (though obviously less nutrition in drinks).

Why break your fast in the evening? simply for cultural reasons/preference?

You could think of a mug of tea with milk and a teaspoon of sugar as fairly similar as a bite of toast with jam, washed down with a glass of water. So if you have 5 cups of tea a day.. it adds up.

Why do you break your fast in the evening? cultural reasons/preference? e.g. you want your 1 meal to be dinner meals you like, and really don't want to eat a Bolognese for breakfast. But if someone prefers breakfast type meals it may be more beneficial for them? Or a combination of that, and preferring to have glycogen available during the day..

Logically it seems better to metabolise glycogen during the time you are most physically active (exercising, going for walks, rushing around). Maybe you do most of this stuff in the evening after relatively docile work/desk job demands?

[KarrierBag]

I have never dieted, I just eat decent food.
I have also lost about a stone in the last 6 months back to my standard weight, never looked at calories or anything.

[KevinWMoor]

I lost nearly 2 stone calorie counting

[ihateunicorns]

Why do you think the NHS website states that fasting should be avoided as it's an unsafe way of dieting?