Why Calories In/Calories Out Isn’t Effective for Weight Loss
Man.
I’ve been trying to come up with a good introduction to this blog post, but all I keep coming up with is “man.” Because I want to talk about diet theories, specifically around calories in/calories out. But. Just. Man.
Ok. I’ll stop saying that now and try to get past the “man” of it all.
First, I’d like to acknowledge how the word “diet” has come to take on different meanings. Personally, I try to use it in regards to a person’s way of eating. But, colloquially, it’s definitely come to mean a specific method of eating for a specific purpose, often weight loss. So, for the sake of this blog, if I say “diet,” it’ll mean that colloquial version. If I’m talking about just the way a person eats, I’ll say something to that effect. It’s definitely more of a mouthful and a bit clunky, but I’m a fan of clarity.
So, there’s a lot of diet theories and fads and opinions out there, but one of the prevailing ones is calories in/calories out. This is an abbreviated way to reference the theory that the best/most effective way to lose weight is by burning more calories than you take in.
Let’s break that idea down a bit.
And by “break down,” I mean “break apart.” Because, honestly, it’s a bullshit theory. If that was all it took to lose weight, the diet industry wouldn’t make billions of dollars every year. ($71 Billion in 2020, to be exact) If calories in/calories out was an effective way to get the thin, svelte figure that’s idealized, we wouldn’t have overweight and obese people in impoverished communities. If eating in a calorie deficit worked, well, wouldn’t it have worked for you by now? (If weight loss is a goal.)
I get so angry about all the diet theories out there because:
a) one way of eating doesn’t work for everyone
b) more often than not, they’re not healthy, and
c) they just don’t work. Period. 95% of people who lose weight on a diet end up gaining back more weight than they’ve lost.
I have opinions about most diet theories, but calories in/calories out is one that just … it really gets to me. (TW: the rest of this paragraph mentions eating disorders.) As someone who has a history of eating disorders, paying attention to calories actively works against me and my health goals. I get obsessive. It becomes all-consuming. And it leads to a lot of self-hate, feelings of worthlessness, and anger at myself.
Beyond that, oftentimes, when people try to eat in a calorie deficit, they don’t know how many calories their body actually needs. There’s a fairly prescriptive “ideal” calorie limit for weight loss of 1,200 for women and 1,800 for men. For most people trying to lose weight, that’s not enough! With that few calories, chances are your body is using every bit of them just to survive, and there isn’t any left over for energy or any other helpful bodily processes. In fact, it can actively work against weight loss goals. When your body isn’t getting the nutrients it needs, it has to get energy from somewhere. So it will break down your muscle fibers for that energy. Yeah. Your body will actually eat itself if you don’t feed it correctly.
But, feeding your body correctly isn’t as difficult as the people who profit from diet trends and products make it seem. Your body knows what it needs. It needs water. It needs vegetables. It needs carbs (contrary to a lot of diet theories, but I’ll touch more on that in a minute). It needs protein. It needs rest. And you just need to listen to it. Once you learn to listen to your body, honor what it needs and omit what it doesn’t, that’s when weight loss tends to follow.
So, calories aside, what could be prohibiting your weight loss?
Stress. No joke. Chronic increased cortisol levels make you hungrier and make your body resistant to insulin. When insulin is chronically elevated, fat accumulates in the fat tissue.
Increased insulin. I know I just said this, but let’s get into more detail. When insulin levels drop, fat is able to escape from fat tissue, resulting in shrinking fat deposits. We secrete insulin primarily in response to carbohydrates in our ways of eating. Carbohydrates drive insulin drive fat. (Paraphrased from George Cahill.) “But, Lauren! You just said our bodies need carbs!” Yeah. But in moderation, and the healthier carbs.
Complex carbs are the carbs you want. You can find these in vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans and whole grains. Complex carbs have fiber and take longer to digest, which results both in you feeling fuller longer and your body having to work harder to source energy. (Also that energy will last longer so you don’t “crash.”)
Simple carbs are the carbs to avoid. These are the types of carbs typically in processed foods like pasta, breads, soda and fruit juices. Simple carbs are a quick source of energy for the body, but they burn off quickly, resulting in a crash. They increase insulin levels at a much faster rate than complex carbs, making it more difficult for your body to process the insulin effectively. They also pack a lot of sugar:
Sugar. Sugar occurs naturally in a lot of healthy foods like fruit and milk. But the added, refined sugars, like in sweets and soda? Those you want to avoid. There are differing schools of thought on sugar, with many leaning toward “sugar is sugar.” Meaning natural sugar isn’t necessarily better for you than added sugar. The difference is that naturally occurring sugars are usually accompanied by other nutrients (like fiber and protein) that help your body run healthily. Plus, getting your sweet fix from a serving of fruit is going to give you much less sugar than a serving of cookies. (Sidenote: If weight loss is your goal, many experts will recommend limiting fruit to one serving per day.)
Sedentary-ness. My brain blanked on a better word for this. But, your body needs movement! It needs activity! That doesn’t mean you have to go to the gym that you hate every day, but rather just find activity you enjoy. Maybe that is the gym. Maybe it’s walking your dog, gardening, rollerblading or kayaking. The point is to find ways to move that you love. Because when we try to force something that doesn’t work for us (exercise programs and diets included), our chances of quitting skyrocket.
Lack of sleep. Your body needs rest. Sleep is your body’s time to repair itself and get ready for the next day. On the surface, easy-to-see level, sleep deprivation usually leads to an increased appetite (and a higher chance of snacking on simple carbs) and a lack of energy which leads to both a decreased motivation to exercise and a tendency to reach for simple sugars, particularly in lattes. On the deeper, hard-to-see level, sleep deprivation increases cortisol levels and prevents your body from responding properly to insulin. (Results of both we’ve already discussed.)
Dehydration. Dude. Your body needs water. It’s comprised of up to 60% water. So it makes sense that you need to drink water to keep your body functioning well. Think of it like gas for your car. Without gas, your car dies. (Sheesh. That was bleak.) Adequate hydration improves brain and heart function, lubricates joints, plumps up skin (hello, looking more youthful!), and just so so so many other things.
Inflammation. While what causes inflammation varies from person to person, the fact is that inflammation keeps you from losing weight, causes skin disorders, disrupts sleep and causes digestive issues (among other things). Decreasing your body’s inflammation is so valuable to your overall health that anti-inflammatory diets are the only diets I will personally recommend. (There are plenty out there, so go with whichever one your doctor recommends for you.)
This was a lot of information. And, honestly, that list could just keep going on and on, because every person is different. What causes weight loss in some will cause weight gain in others. The only way to successfully lose weight and keep it off is through a tailored plan for you.
And if that’s something you need help with, let’s talk. Your initial health coaching consultation is on me.