How calories work

[fookisan]

For those that do not know how calories work, when you eat 3500 unburned or unneeded calories, whether in a day or over a week, it puts on a pound of fat. (For reference: 3200 calories is the same as 4 sticks or one pound of butter.)

We all burn up so much calories in a day and my balance point at 49 years of age for my height and metabolism and lifestyle is about 1900 calories a day. It took some time to figure this number out, but thorough trial and error I now have it, although metabolisms change with age, as my caloric balance point was about 2500 calories a day when I was 30 years old. If you are in a big city you can get a RM test to find out your caloric resting metabolism rate, but where I live it is only by trail and error.

 

[lamont]

For those that do not know how calories work, when you eat 3500 unburned or unneeded calories, whether in a day or over a week, it puts on a pound of fat. (For reference: 3200 calories is the same as 4 sticks or one pound of butter.)

We all burn up so much calories in a day and my balance point at 49 years of age for my height and metabolism and lifestyle is about 1900 calories a day. It took some time to figure this number out, but thorough trial and error I now have it, although metabolisms change with age, as my caloric balance point was about 2500 calories a day when I was 30 years old. If you are in a big city you can get a RM test to find out your caloric resting metabolism rate, but where I live it is only by trail and error.

It isn't quite that simple. Rats with mutated insulin receptors on fat cells have been fed obesity- and diabetes-inducing diets and have not put on fat. They were consuming far more calories than they were 'burning' but were not putting on weight.

 

[neil]

For those of us with non-mutated insulin receptors, normal thyroids and the like, I believe it IS that simple. I have lost nearly 40 lbs. this year by monitoring calorie I/O.

Neil

 

[lamont]

you know those people who are 'lucky' and can eat a ton of food and not put on any weight -- do they have a high metabolism, or do they not store fat? how can you prove it? how can you reduce calorie intake when the food you eat keeps you craving more food? imo, reducing calorie intake is way too simplistic -- might work for some people, and more power to you, but it isn't the grand unified field theory of losing weight...

 

[Potapko]

I was taught that the calorie was the means of measuring how good something tastes.

 

[RichLockyer]

you know those people who are 'lucky' and can eat a ton of food and not put on any weight -- do they have a high metabolism, or do they not store fat? how can you prove it? how can you reduce calorie intake when the food you eat keeps you craving more food? imo, reducing calorie intake is way too simplistic -- might work for some people, and more power to you, but it isn't the grand unified field theory of losing weight...

30 pounds in less than 4 months here... 5 my first 2 weeks, then 2/week for the next couple of months, slowing to 1/week. Been maintaining weight but adding lean mass and trimming the middle since August.
Mostly getting the intake under control, but with a good level of cardio as well.
Been maintaining weight and building lean mass now by stepping back on the cardio and adding heavy weight work.
Oh ya... I was able to remove 7 pounds from my weight belt.

There is a fine line on calorie control where you end up taking in too little and the body begins to slow down your BMR (regardless of activity level) and your weight loss hits a plateau.
In this case, two things often help...
1 - Take a week off from the gym. This gives the body time to fully recover, and brings the intake/output back into balance.
2 - Add 500 calories a day to your diet for a week or so. Normally, this would add a pound a week (and if you are working out it may actually be LEAN mass!), but often it is just enough to remind the body that it is not starving and it doesn't need to hoarde fat.

The first 10 pounds are always easy... the body doesn't fight this much. It's the fine-tuning and final cutting that becomes difficult. I have a lot of respect for those who can maintain healthy levels of lean mass, yet maintain body fat levels at or below 10% when well into their 30s and 40s.

 

[fookisan]

It isn't quite that simple. Rats with mutated insulin receptors on fat cells have been fed obesity- and diabetes-inducing diets and have not put on fat. They were consuming far more calories than they were 'burning' but were not putting on weight.

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Well, sure many things affect our fat but everything has a balance point and no one gets fat on air and no one can stay thin drinking or eating tens of thousand of calories a day over their caloric balance point either. I just gave MY stats - we are all different and if you have a problem with fat you need to find your OWN caloric balance point and not mine.

Are you planing on getting your cells mutilated so you can satisfy a sensation addiction to pig out? I have a 3 page post on this subject of calories but it was rejected by scuba board due to it being too long. If anyone wishes a copy write me direct.

People are generally fat for 2 reason - fat by desire or fat by design. Fat by desire group are fat because they compulsively overeat and binge eat. Fat by design are fat because they are ignorant of this science of food, nutrition and calories and do not necessarily compulsively overeat but eat wrong. My post goes into more details.

 

[fookisan]

you know those people who are 'lucky' and can eat a ton of food and not put on any weight -- do they have a high metabolism, or do they not store fat? how can you prove it? how can you reduce calorie intake when the food you eat keeps you craving more food? imo, reducing calorie intake is way too simplistic -- might work for some people, and more power to you, but it isn't the grand unified field theory of losing weight...

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A caloric budget is like a budget with money. We can only spend so much each month before we go into debt ~ we can only eat so much before we do not burn it off and put on the fat. I am in Debtors Anonymous and we record our spending and income to have clarity and to balance it out. I apply the same with my food in my Overeater Anonymous program...I record my food and my calories. I was fat for 2 reasons - emotional eating and ignorance of nutrition, calories and exercise. Some people only suffer from one area but most can find help from both areas of learning when it comes to fat. Since our metabolism change with age many good diets of today become the bad diets of tomorrow and put on the fat when we age, so it takes constant balance and clarity to stay a normal size. Saw a diver this weekend with a big pot belly that was huffing and puffing up the hill. Wished I could have transmitted some health info to him but everyone is not open to this subject so just wished him well in my thoughts.

Good Luck

 

[fookisan]

For those of us with non-mutated insulin receptors, normal thyroids and the like, I believe it IS that simple. I have lost nearly 40 lbs. this year by monitoring calorie I/O.

Neil

Congrats on your good work Neil!

I use a day book for recording my calories and food. I also weigh and measure for clarity - my eyes and mouth are no good at judging. Sometime we have to look at our excuses for not doing something and see what we will get on the opposite extreme of our ideas. Anyone that is fat and does not think that calories count then eat all the calories you wish and see what happens? Does this make you thin? Somewhere along the line there is truth and our job is to find that point. Are we looking for an excuse to quit or an excuse to continue? I know with my diving in my current local I have to look for excuses to dive as the local sites are not what I am used to as far as "ideal" dive sites. So, I do the same with my health. As I age by back hurts some and have other problems but I don't look for an excuse to quite, I look for excuses to continue and find out what exercise and activities I CAN do. For instance I like to whitewater kayak and hard shell kayaks bother my back if I paddle for over 30 minuets so I bought an AIRE-FORCE inflatable and use it for 3 or 4 hours which is doable for my back...I looked for an excuse to continue instead of an excuse to quit.

Take Care,

 

[Potapko]

From Aug 2002-spring 2003 I lost 40 lbs and have kept it off till now. How? I moved to central Europe. I was working out 5 days a week in the states. 30 minutes cardio and then 30-45 minutes using weights every other day. Then 45 minutes cardio Tues and Thurs. I weighed in at 210 and thought I was in pretty good shape. typical American I guess.
Moved to Czech Republic and was only working out 3 times per week, but eating habits changed. I also was forced to walk and use public transportation against my will, and the weight just fell off. Yesterday morning I was 169. One of the main factors was not eating out as much. Another was simply the fat content and even more the SUGAR content in american cooking. Even cakes here aren't as sweet as at home. Another factor imo is we ate far less processed foods which means lower sodium intake. Along with all those cancer causing chemicals.

anyway, just my personal experiences. I am 43 and counting. So, there you go. Anybody who wants to come and visit for 6 months. Feel free

Jeff