Calorie Is A Calorie? Think Again

There was an online fitness article recently that created a bit of a stir in the social media. It’s trying to portray the concept of “clean eating” as a myth, despite it being heavily adopted in the fitness industry, and helping millions of people all over the world to start a healthier lifestyle, get in terrific shape, and look fabulous.

Apparently “there is no evidence that any food will cause more fat gain than the excess calories it provides; there is also no evidence that eating a certain food will help you lose fat; and fat loss is ultimately about calories in versus calories out.” It even goes as far as calling clean eating an eating disorder. Wow.

Crying For Attention?

Firstly, I’d like to speculate on the intention of the aforementioned article. People like to buy into ideas that make themselves feel good, e.g. having a massive piece of their favorite cake every day without any implications on health and physique.

It’s essentially what most of us would like to hear, because to change your attitude towards food, be organized, stay disciplined and only treat yourself on special occasions is much harder, and it takes willpower, which may already be depleted from work commitments and the stress of modern life.

Also, pure sensationalism and going against common wisdom can help to attract attention in a saturated market.

Calories vs Macronutrients

The truth is – counting calories for weight loss is an old hat that was commonly accepted in the 70s and 80s as the key strategy to gain progress. It’s an old concept that is still used heavily by physique athletes and their “guru” coaches to burn fat when getting ready for a competition. However, the focus has shifted towards macronutrient balance, and getting protein, carbs and fat in the right ratio for the individual.

I believe that the biggest problem with counting calories is correctly estimating the person’s energy expenditure. Even if an absolute and universal formula existed, there is no way to calculate the exact number of calories we’re going to spend on a particular day. Our lives are not programmed in this way. There are days when I don’t know if I will ride my bike or use pubic transport, whether I will have to run to catch the bus or not, how hot the weather is going to be outside, how long will it take to complete my workout, whether I’m going to have sex or not… All these things require energy, but what if you cannot predict them.

There are other scientifically proven reasons why a calorie-based approach is likely to fail. First, macronutrients in different amounts and ratios will produce different hormone responses that directly affect the metabolic rate and whether the body is burning fat or storing it. Second, the amount of calories required for the body to break down different foods – also called thermic effect of food – varies greatly. For example, your body burns significantly more calories digesting some meat and veg than a meal of carbs alone such as quick-cooking porridge. Even fewer calories are required to digest processed foods like French fries, white bread, or biscuits.

Moreover, the effect of particular types of food, e.g. wheat and dairy, is something you should consider. You should watch out for possible intolerances and allergies, and always listen to your body. If you don’t feel right, make an effort to find out what food may have caused it.

Keep Eating Clean

The bottom line is – don’t believe the hype. If something sounds too simple to be true, then most likely it is the case. Not all calories are created equal. If you really want to test it out yourself, why not do an experiment. Choose an amount of calories that’s appropriate to yourself, and go on one of the following diets for a few days, provided that the amount of calories are equal.

You could either fuel yourself with whole foods like meat, poultry, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruit, nuts, coconut oil, olive oil, brown rice, quinoa, lentils and beans. Or only indulge yourself in greasy burgers, cookies, ice cream, and wash it down with some vodka and Red Bull. Let me know which one makes you feel better!