Counting Calories Is A Ridiculous Way To Try And Lose Weight | Think | NBC News
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- čas přidán 29. 04. 2018
- The value of currency is that it renders items as different as a banana or a TV all down to the same measurable units. But are calories really an effective “currency” for measuring weight loss? Dr. Jason Fung joined THINK to make the case against calories.
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Counting Calories Is A Ridiculous Way To Try And Lose Weight | Think | NBC News
Seriously I don’t know who to trust anymore
Hormonal response to food, insulin level is the most important factor in determining whether you lose weight.
@@SH-yk4ft Counting calories has always worked.
@@SH-yk4ft The only people who believe this are either already skinny, or using it as an excuse for why they haven't lost weight. It's part of the denial process.
@@treeriders I'm sorry what are you referring to? Hormonal response to food or counting calories?
J H The former. People who believe that hormones or insulin matter more to weight loss than eating less are in denial. If you eat less calories than your body burns it isn’t going to magically produce new calories from thin air, is it? It has to come off your weight.
I lost 14kgs by counting calories and exercising 4 x a week. Nothing worked before that.
Good job! We are proud of you.
In how much time ?
What works for you isn't a universally objectively held truth. Calorie counting is a myth precisely because it doesn't work for the majority.
@@diegoseba12 it literally works for everyone. No hormone imbalance or body adaptivity has an effect to such degree that you won't lose weight if you just eat less and do sports.
I’m proud of you!!!
I lost 87 pounds in 1.5 years without ANY exercise, simply by counting & restricting calories. I still ate all of my favorite foods, in much smaller portions.
For real?
Good job, I managed to lose 120lb in a year by being very strict about eating 1800cal a day and walking 10k steps every single day without ever missing a day. CICO works for 99% of the people, there are some people who choose to lay in their beds and eat chips all day and be in a caloric deficit or have some thyroid problem, but those are exceptionally rare.
87 pounds? How much of it were muscles and not fat?
@@date5960 I never really had much muscle. I'm female, couldn't ever do a pull up in high school gym class and I've had desk jobs my whole life. lol I'm 5'3" and I was 140 most of my life. Then, I discovered Twisted Tea and 2 years later, I was 206 pounds. I started counting/restricting calories and got down to 119 over the course of 1.5 years with lots of cheat days and even had some cheat weeks on vacation. lol Unsure about muscle loss but I do know that I ended up with a Vitamin D deficiency which made my bones hurt. I work from home, so I rarely go outside. I'm a pale, freckle-faced redhead so I hate the sun. And, dairy foods often have higher calories so I wasn't eating much/enough to keep my bones in check. Lesson learned.
This I’ve lost 22 pounds since June. Mostly fat since my lifts are still increasing. And it was completely by ditching keto, and focusing on counting calories. Instead of making fat my main nutrient I made protein (the most satiating) the main nutrient. Crazy thing is, I cheat every single day. I’m getting ready to eat 6 Oreos with some skim milk now and still be well under my allotted calories. Cico for those who want to really lose weight
I lost 100lbs when I started counting calories 10 years ago. Still keeping the weight in check. Don’t listen to people like this. If it works for you, do it.
Then go buy a lottery ticket because odds are you are a miracle due to proven statistics, or you are the outlier in a thin family. Either way you don't know what you're talking about. Dr Fung has proven research, you're anecdotal.
@@thatdude4257 all of you’re assumptions are incorrect. And I’m now currently well versed in fitness and nutrition. Obviously It’s not a simple black and white subject and as I stated, do what works for you. Everyone’s body responds differently and this guy is giving cookie cutter advice. If it helps do it, if not alter the approach. Regards.
@@Sttonkeoj you don't realize how much harm you're doing when you don't explain. Take some responsibility for your words man. There are people ruining their lives because of that
@@thatdude4257 Actually this entire video is wrong and just about everyone disagrees with what is being said. I make low calories pancakes with syrup, I make my own protein I’ve cream and eat sweets pretty often and consistently lost weight just by counting calories. This is a proven way to lose weight, this idea of counting macros and blah blah blah keto are out dated.
@@thatdude4257 I'm gonna take a guess and say Dr. Fung has never lost a significant amount of weight, and neither have you. Millions of people can attest. Counting calories works. I lost 40lbs in 5 months just counting calories. Dr Fung needs to go back to school.
according to a study done in 3,000 B.C if we sacrifice kids, we can get rich.
Underrated comment
I read this at the gym and laughed so hard people were staring. Thanks for that!
Daniel Miranda you are not supposed to be on your phone in the gym 😔🤬😤
@@howieee930 YES!
@@howieee930 I think people go on phone in between reps. But why is he at the gym during a pandemic.
Him: “Counting Calories doesn’t work”
Me to my 53 pounds lost: “Alright guys, you can come out now. He knows 🤷♂️”
Same here, I lost 38kg counting calories and exercising 5x a week, but he is the expert right?
This can slow your metabolism when u go back to your normal eating u gain easily. In short not long time effect its better to lose weight by eating what your'e body calories need then lift weights and more protien and covert to muscles. For good life time effect.
abubakar bagumbayan Long term dieting, especially in a calorie deficit, will decrease your metabolism. Naturally, when you introduce your maintenance calories you will gain 1-3 pounds then your metabolism will work fine. If you want to not gain 1-3 pounds, you should slowly introduce your maintenance by adding on to your calories per day until you reach your maintenance. This way you can let your metabolism adjust to the new calorie intake. If you do this effectively, you won’t gain weight when coming off a diet to a regular maintenance weight.
@@abubakarbagumbayan5423 have u heard of refeed days/diet break bruh
@@brunocabrera3615 & @Muzaffer Ozen Well, his message "Doesn't work" means that it's NOT sustainable.. I've lost weight from calorie counting myself..but had gained it all back and WAY over after stopping. I've now relearned how to control my diet & eat different. Not as much effort and still So far so good.
lmao no "diet" has ever worked for me but then i started counting calories and lost 30 lbs
You cleary didn't follow keto correctly
@@wjdyr keto is dumb never tried it. If you lose weight it is from a calorie deficit
@@hummusguru2122 don't talk about how no diet has worked for you when you haven't even tried keto lmao. Keto is not dumb, you're however
@@wjdyr thanks
@@wjdyr Keto isn’t dumb nor smart... Even Keto can make you gain weight if you’re at a caloric surplus.
Only reason why I would probably recommend Keto is because it doesn’t spike your blood sugar levels (which is what causes hunger after a sugar crash). The guy above is ignorant for saying Keto is dumb, however Keto is NOT the answer for weight loss, it all comes down to calories in calories out is.
As someone who lost 20kg... Counting calories works. But not for everyone. There was a time that i was obsessed with calories. But now i pay more attention to the protein, carbs, fats and fiber. This makes a huge difference. You just have to be careful to not get obsessed over counting calories
Maybe you already have a good metabolism but common sense will tell you calories don't measure nutrients
Protein = 4 calories per gram
Carbs = 4 calories per gram
Fat = 9 calories per gram.
By paying attention to these macros, you’re still counting calories indirectly.
@@herveduchemin2139 I highly doubt all meat have the same calories
Sorry, but this comment proves you have absolutely no idea how caloric energy works. Of course all meat have different caloric amounts, all foods have different amounts. That’s why you portion out the meat you’re eating to FIT into your daily caloric requirements. It has absolutely no significance that “meats have different calories”. 1 gram of fat from any meat (or any other food) is still going to have 9 calories. 1 gram of protein from any food will have 4 calories and 1 gram of carbs from any food will have 4 calories. 1 gram of alcohol will have 7 calories.
@@herveduchemin2139 whatever
I love how all of us here have had very positive results with a caloric deficit 👊 Good job everybody 👍
People are getting smarter now lol they can't trick us anymore by sounding fancy and smart.
Eat less !!! Simple. No need to starve yourself though. I found that 1,000 calories per day is all that my body needs. 72 inches tall, 255 lbs. 29 years old.
Yeah it makes me feel comfortable with my decision to start counting calories and working out. I'm down 7 pounds in less than a month. Yaay!
Keep counting those calories !!
@@randomsthingsandstuff9285 its amazing how easy it is to lose weight. All it takes is focus and patience.
Who was waiting for him to tell the solution to it?
Its fasting whether it be prolonged or intermittent. Fasting is great.
To lower your insulin, which is the hormone responsible for storing body fat. The easiest way to lower insulin is to fast.
As they said before Intermittent fasting or low carb high fat to keep your insulin level very low
Stop putting so much food in the pie hole..especially sugar. Eat less and less often.
It’s got nothing to do with how much you eat but when you eat. Obesity is caused by insulin resistance. The only way to fix it is to fast, lowering insulin for lengthy periods of time, restoring the body’s insulin sensitivity. Nature has not meant for humans to be overweight. Natural foods trigger satiety that prevent overeating, the brain knows how much you should eat. The problem is foods like pasta and donuts that the brain doesn’t understand. The sugars within these foods spike insulin and do not make you feel full (satiety). Over time this leads to insulin resistance.
Jason Fung: "It doesn't work". Also Jason Fung: "I don't offer a solution."
I lost 15 kgs by just calorie counting. No exercise included. I tried everything you could possibly imagine in the book, only counting calories worked for me. Portion size is a game changer.
Nice bro , mr fung here is spreading misinformation and is confusing a lot of people who want to get healthy
How have I lost 100 pounds then by just watching calories That’s the only thing I count
So first of all congrats on the weight loss! If you read Jason Fung's book he explains that you can lose weight by reducing calories BUT most people still have issues with insulin spikes that leads their metabolism to slow in response to receiving less calories long term and they eventually gain most of it back due to the body's desire for homeostasis. Obviously that doesn't apply to absolutely everyone but for most obese people it is true. He explains that for long term weight loss one needs to address foods that spike insulin and keep the "thermostat" that is their body's metabolism too low. I firmly believe everyone is different but considering insulin resistance is so heavily on the rise it is important to know.
thats Jason Fung .... go do more research before you type in "smart comments"
@@painterpainting7056 I'm aware that is Jason Fung... that's why I'm referencing his book. Not sure what you are getting at bud
@@painterpainting7056 You really stupid aren't you?
Good job! However, according to more and more research including "the Biggest loser study" - check it out, calorie counting leads to a HUGE decrease in "calories out", that is, the resting metabolic rate. That means that you gradually must eat less and less food as you slim down, in order to keep your body weight. In addition to that, your leptin levels (hunger hormones) increase HUGELY as well. This is in contrast to intermittent fasting, which, unbelievably, hightens your metabolic rate (calories out). If you feel that you eventuelly will struggle with your diet, your metabolic state might have become seriously compromized. In that case, I suggest you look into fasting and keto in order to restet your metabolism! Great work again!
I like counting calories. I eat even healthier now, not wanting to waste my calories on junk food. Losing about a pound a week. 😀
I am doing the same, but on my cheat day, i also watch the calories, eat what i want and don't feel guilty.
You're probably losing weight not based on calories but you are also cutting carbs and sugar altogether, so you won't gain weight and you probably do some physical activity.
Any weight loss from calorie reduction is actually water weight. Eventually the body will adjust to your new diet and you will plateau. The only way to burn fat is to stop eating for lengthy periods of time. That’s literally what fat is for - it’s converted to energy when food isn’t available.
I’m not counting calories eat two meal a day 3 hours apart and losing 4 lbs a week
My brother doesn't agree and thinks that reducing calorie intake leads to weight loss over the long term
This is exactly the type of video that kept me fat for the majority of my adult life. Lost 50lbs with the lose it app and maintained for 3 years
Straight up bs, I started counting and lost 20 pounds in 5 months
I swear to god bro when i first started a diet i only watched a couple of people like this guy and i was lied to over and over and never knew who to believe this kind of content keeps people from ever being healthy or losing weight
@@basspassionguide9089 totally, they keep people misinformed to make money, it’s really sick
@@basspassionguide9089 They do it to keep you obese by saying that you can't lose weight. A obese patient is more likely to get diseases that are life ending, and hospitals want profits.
@@dzl4546 yessir and also you have dr oz he is really well known and a lot of people follow his advice which 99% bs , like the cranberry keton product that he sold , these people are a disgrace to the fitness community
I disagree! Counting calories has been the most efective way for me to lose weight.
I counted calories harder than last time.
good joke
I know what you did there 😆
Its not a ridiculous way at all. It's an imperfect way that works.
It might not be 100% scientific correct to say that a calorie is a calorie. But actively watching your intake and expenditure will allow you to control your fat percentage.
Probably the result is that if someone starts closely counting calories they will start making smarter choices about how to "expand" those calories. Like, you could drink a coke, but that would leave you hungry and then you opt to have a healthy meal that will leave you satiated for longer. According to this doctor theory, it was not properly the "counting calories" that worked, but the healthier options.
Actually, a calorie is a calorie. It is just that not all calories are equaly available to all organisms. That is why we don't usually count fibre, for example, but bacteria do.
@@BartBVanBockstaele A lot of people who work out will keep a close eye on their macro's. But yes I agree. In general a calorie is a calorie.
@@thecaptain5026 They will/are indeed. The question in that case is whether or not it is rational or simply because of quack influences inspired by (possibly well-meaning) ignorance. Some of it is certainly justified, but not nearly as much as most people seem to think right now.
Also, don't forget that this video was about weight loss, not about how to become an athlete.
Jason Fung denies the importance of calories and that is disingenuous. He knows full well that a caloric deficit is the conditio sine qua non for weight loss. He is just exploiting people's ignorance and wishful thinking by throwing up a bunch of factors that all have some influence, but are essentially irrelevant as long as the caloric deficit is maintained. That is why your initial message was essentially spot on.
While all analogies are "flawed" to some degree, I tend to cmpare it to what happens with cars: some cars use gas a little (or even a lot) more efficiently than others, but not a single car that is gas-powered will advance for even a micrometer if there is no gas in the tank.
The same is true for people.
My problem is: how do you explain that to people without oversimplification and without sounding pedantic and boring? There comes a point that one cannot simplify any further without lying.
Yes, the best diet is the one you stick to. Counting calories makes sense for most people so adherence is most likely higher.
Count your calories to make sure they’re below your daily energy expenditure, and don’t eat trash.
It’s that simple
Hmm, I've lost 71 lbs in 6 months restricting calories and eating trash lol
Scientifically, you can eat "trash" and still lose weight if you stay in calorie deficit... weight loss doesn't depend on nutrition or food
No thanks. I don't eat a western diet and don't want to have a laboratory for a kitchen
@@87FXBDY50 eating trash just has a different effect on your body composition that healthy food but if you still eat in a deficit you lose weight
That was his point. Don't eat trash because trash affect hormones that regulate things like insulin and fat loss.
Lost 86 pounds in a year by only counting calories and walking 2-3/week. For those who are discouraged by this vid, try it out to see if that works for your body first. It looks like it’s been working for many
I'm 42. I have been counting calories for a year now. At 5'11 feet tall, I came down from 265 pounds to 225. That includes falling off the wagon sometimes. It works completely.
@Morris You guys are really complicating this
Fans of this Jason guy are reallyyyyy in denial
Get a calorie counter app and track your food and you'll see changes
And Exercise
Don't just sit on your butt and "diet"
@Morris calories do matter but obviously if all you're taking in calories is just cookies and chocolate then you're definetly going to have a problem long term and not just weight gain
Just limit sugar and fatty foods if you can
It's not that hard
Of course if ur obese anything will work lol
40lbs in a year? I’m only 10 years younger than you and I lost 25 lbs already, in only 3 months on a whole foods plant based diet, high carb low fat, eating as much as I want and have counted zero calories. Calorie counting is unnatural and a waste of time. You could have probably lost 80 pounds in that year if you simply switched to whole unprocessed plant foods. The high amount of fibre actually makes your body burn calories as you chew and digest the food. Like I said, I eat as much as I want, until I’m stuffed full, and the weight is dropping off me way faster and I’m not losing any muscle either.
@@brockrock2359 Are you trying to tell me that, as long as you count your calories, you can spend the rest of your life eating trash like McDonald's and Burger King and be healthy and lean?
Yeah, good luck with that.
So how can you explain how I've lost 18lbs since the beginning of the year counting calories & reducing my caloric daily intake?
This video is utter BS! I've just commented my reason on the video.. CICO is how weight loss/gain works whether they try to disguise it as fasting or anything else! BMR+TDEE= Caloric Requirement. Deviate from this for long and ur weight and body composition changes. Lose muscle ur BMR goes down & vice versa. The idea is to lose fat and maintain or increase muscle mass. Bodyfat % is more important than weight.
Keep doing what ur doing guys.
Gus did you change what you are eating?
@@alayhaferron1972 I did. I do meal prep for lunch/dinner everyday of the week. I eat 3 meals a day, each meal roughly around 350-400 calories.
Breakfast is either oatmeal with bananas or special K cereal. Lunch/dinner I rotate between a base of veggies/riced cauliflower & chicken or fish. Been doing it since the 1st of January.
I'll have a yogurt/fruits as "snacks" occasionally during my eating window. No liquid calories, I've almost eliminated bread entirely. I'll have toast maybe once every 2 weeks with hard boiled eggs for breakfast.
Gus - the point is CICO isn’t the best method to lose weight for everyone all the time. Beginners lose weight with a caloric deficit but eventually the weight loss will slow down and you’ll hit a plateau. I and many others are currently living it and it’ll happen to you too eventually. I guarantee it.
This guy really took 3 minutes to say you need to exercise too LMFAO
Depends on the amount of calories. I already lost 16 pounds a month with no exercise and watching movies on a very low calorie meal plan. I’m not even hungry. Just pick the highest filling healthy food and limit it to 800 calories. At this rate I’ll be down 60-65 pounds in 16 weeks
I've lost 50 pounds by counting calories, eating healthy, and going to the gym three times a week. I tried every other diet before and nothing work.
Lost 50lb in 6 months by counting calories. Come at me.
Keto or non-keto?
Did you have to count macros or eat clean?
@@lifeofkms2750 you don't have to count macros OR eat clean to lose weight. it's literally just calories
@@Alex-sg3yz is that what you've done?
@@Alex-sg3yz eating clean is a part to it. There is. But it’s really moderation and calorie defecit. It works for me ngl
"He had to look back to 1917 to backup his research"
-coach Greg
Matan Kazaz well, dr fung is saying we have known this for 100 years 🤷🏻
@@Jemolian we've also known for millions of years that if you burn more energy than u consume you will lose weight so much so that if you don't consume anything u will die, death by starvation is literally just an example of calories in calories out
Jeremy Tng He referenced laughably outdated research.
@@johnleoks7642 the research is from then, but did the fact that our metabolism would adapt proven otherwise by newer research though?
MG Bamenbarce Doctor and coach vs just a doctor
It works completely. You just have to be increase calories when your metabolism slows. You can tell when it slows if you feel lethargic or tired all of a sudden after a period of reduced caloric intake. Once you've recovered you can continue cutting. Obviously, there is a bottom limit to this method -- a point at which you may feel hungry all the time.
I can understand his logic. I needed to lose 15 pounds. Cut down on my food intake and became more active. About 3 months later I lost the 15 pounds. Nothing is easy losing weight.
Same, lost 12 pound in two month
I feel like he is trying some weird voluntary experiment. Counting and reducing caloric intake is the main way any person can lose weight. The only reason it dosent work for some is simple. They have their numbers wrong. Or some crazy medical condition
You can tell this guy doesn’t use his mind HARDER THAN LAST TIME
Lol I see what u did there get outta here
He never learned to PUT THE FORK DOWN
Ikr this guy is whack
This makes a zeeeeeeeeroooo sense hahaha
He dont know about french toast
Lost 130 pounds counting calories. You automatically eat healthier because you have to survive all day with a limited amount of calories so you need more bang for your buck.
I guess what Fung is getting at is that we need to be aware of physiological processes, the body is so complicated.
30lbs down and I’ll forever be counting my calories. In the best condition I’ve ever been in thankfully
Nah it works and teaches you to eat responsibly
Lost 9 pounds
How does counting cals teach you eat better? You can literally eat a bar of chocolate and still be in your cals deficit 🤣
@@barebasics Yea. But do you get the right nutrients?😁
Just 9 pounds? Surely you're not that naive to expect that to be all 100% fat? It's most likely just water weight because you probably ate less carbohydrates than usual. Losing fat takes a ton of consistency, and this is where calories really fail. You might be motivated for a month or few, but then you quit because progress slows - because your metabolism slows. And also you're more hungry than usual as your fat cells have shrunken. It's an uphill battle, and you'll realize it soon enough. I've been on the counting calories side for 10 years with barely any results.
@@alexjulius69 doesn't matter, he still lost weight. And besides even it's just 2lbs of fat, it's still something. when u lose too much fat, it'll be harder to lose weight in the long term. Slow and steady and people will get to their weight goals eventually, even if it takes a year at least they are there and they feel good and healthy. And i suggest hiring someone to help you, you can try a bodybuilder or a nutritionist to help you lose weight, because for 10 years with no results is really upsetting right. Find someone who can help and maybe you'll achieve your goal.
Aleksas Ivanauskas lmao what’s your point..
*He's dancing around the truth.*
You reduce the number of calories you consume, you lose body weight. Yes, your body adapts and reduces energy expenditure. That's when you "plateau." Then you reduce the number of calories again, and you keep losing weight. Trick is to avoid getting hungry while reducing your calories by exercising (increasing the calorie deficit instead of or in addition to lowering calories) and having lots of low-calorie dense foods -- fruits and vegetables -- to the extent that you tolerate them to keep you full.
It's a shame a doctor doesn't understand this. Don't look to doctors (or mainstream media) for diet and nutrition advice. They are minimally trained in those areas.
This really doesn't work.
@@darkdragonite1419 Tell that to all the people starving to death.
Obviously you take into account the nutritional value of the food and macro nutrients. Lost over 30 lbs calorie counting over the last 6 months and almost at my goal. Couldn’t have done it without calorie counting considering I gained weight from overeating. Well done everyone smashing their weight loss goals 🎉🎉🎉
That's great that it worked for you, and congratulations, but he's absolutely, scientifically right. Anecdotal evidence is great, but statistical evidence is better.
It's not what you eat It's about when and how you eat. I can eat whatever and does not matter how much.
@@kertuibo9158 it's about what you eat and how much you eat. You est lots of junk youl be sick and over weight. You ewt nutrition and only what you need youl be healthy and not over weight
@Kathleen Clark it works for everyone. The reason it dosent for some is because they have their numbers wrong and stay st the same deficit as time goes on.
Calorie is a calorie. It's been proven the most effective way to sustained weightloss. Anyone claiming it "slows your metabolism when you go back to eating normally".. Really?! Wow.. But isn't that "eating normally" the very thing which lead to you in need of going on a diet in the first place.
right, if you hit your goal weight you need to calculate maintenance calories to stay at your goal weight. you can't just eat like you used to... 🙄
Counting calories is literally monetering your energy levels. Would you drive your car without knowing how much gas you have? No. Would you use your phone and just guess how much energy it has. No. Tracking caloric intake becomes very easy and effective with practice.
You can live without eating for over a year, a man in Scotland lost 123kg fasting just drinking water
@@stephen9381 and one guy has slept with over 1000 different woman. How does that help?
shempone I’m saying your body can live without food for a long time, fornication was only needed a few times in a persons life before birth control, so it’s not as impressive as it might sound, that guy probably has every STD there is
@@stephen9381point being is they are both outliers
shempone oh, you’re right it is a rare occurrence
Keep it simple. Use an app to count your calories. Eat healthy foods and go walking.
I know a better way:
1) Eat normal foods (1 ingredient). And eat all three macro-nutrients including carbs (I eat a ton of carbs)
2) Exercise/Workout
3) Do somekind of fasting protocol (ADF, 5:2 split, IF)
Doing it this way - there's no need to count calories or macros.
@@aba22125 if you're serious about number 2 then I wouldn't recommend number 3
What energy are you going to use to workout without "fuel"?
And what food will you use to recover and heal and rebuild worn out muscles stronger than last time?
@@brockrock2359 none of what you described seems to be an issue. I just held straddle planche for 10 secs or so today. At this rate I'll do planche in no time.
@@brockrock2359 just workout after breakfast 😂
@@brockrock2359 I have been working out on an empty stomach for over a year and i did not lose any muscle or strength(i do calisthenics), you feel more focused, also your body uses your bodyfat as fuel for the workout
Lost 95 pounds just counting calories. Eating lots and lots of carbs. And sugar. And fast food. And diet soda.
115 now.
Thats so great.
the real reason why most people turn to a diet is because in some way -we forgot how to stop eating
we keep eating for all types of reasons and most of it is emotions eating-
so by having a diet -we restrict or normal eating as well as our emotional eating.
obesity is a mental problem just as much as its a physical one.
just my opinion.
Completely wrong. NBC needs to interview an actual doctor- Greg Doucette (not a doctor)
For real this guy doesn’t know anything
Hes a moron! *jafar's parrot voice*
I mean. Doctors spend on average of 25 hours studying nutrition. So not too sure if we should believe doctors either
YESSSSS
NightlyThoughts some doctors don’t study nutrition at all!!!! FACT!!! Look it up
I lost 20 pounds counting calories from 140 to 120 and I'm 5'5". I am not restricting carbs and am just making sure I get enough protein. His argument is ridiculous. This was also in less than 4 months at a rate of around 1.25lb per week.
I’ve lost 42 pounds by counting and cutting calories
Uh huh wait. You will eventually plateau and gain the weight back
@@deltahomicide9300 I eventually stopped at 50 pounds. I am very conscious on what I eat now. I do not eat processed foods or sugar anymore. I eat only home cooked meals. I have one day on Friday where I get fast food and have ice cream after. So far I’ve kept the weight off and now I am lifting and gaining muscle. I also do a long walk every evening after dinner. I think you are biased with your opinion. It really depends on the person if they will gain weight back or not. If they return to their old eating and lifestyle habits it will probably happen. But not all people will do that. I only ate 1000 calories a day for months and I am doing fine now.
I know people who lost 100 lbs counting calories , eating processed food, eating sugar. They are able to eat little amounts where if i eat sweet stuff i just keep eating.
The truth is that the only way people could lose weight in a sustainable way and keep the weight off for good was by counting calories and then maintaing the same diet. No one can overcome termodynamics: calories in vs calories out.
If you do that for a longer period of time, you'll hit the plateau. When you lower your calorie intake and stay that way, the metabolism slows down. The best thing is calorie cycling.
@@mellowshark.5 agreed. You should not be in a calorie deficit for long periods of time. It is better to take breaks and do some conscious refeeds to bump up that metabolism and improve performance.
Fax
Alcohol contains calories but it won’t give you energy.
Hormones matter more.
Calories are measured in a device called calorimeter. They are not measured in your body.
Some foods like honey may seem high in calories but they are packed with enzymes that aid in digestion.
Therefore 100 calories of honey is not equal to 100 calories of pure sugar. Calories don’t take into account enzymes, bacteria, and nutrients and how they effect your hormones and micro biome.
It’s a very misleading measurement.
Also you can count calories and maybe lose weight, but are you healthy?
The type of food you eat matters much more. You can even stop worrying about calories completely and just focus on eating healthy foods with high fiber and you’ll become healthy.
@@sherifnabil9663 the amount of misconception and falacy you just wrote here is overwhelming. Study harder and smarter...
So who’s gonna tell em?
Stick to the classic : Eat healthy , work out , sleep , no stress
Nice. By his logic if I reduce my calories by 100% my body equally reduces the calories expenditure by 100%. There you go, solves one of the biggest problems of our lifetimes. No need for food.
He’s not relying on logic only
counting calories does work to lose weight
I loss 30 percent lbs in 2 months counting calories. I did eat healthy but I counted my caloric intake
Same thing to me
Hey, how much did u weigh? and what was your height?
Yes but eventually you will put weight back on as your metabolism lessens
And how about your hunger? Can you stay away from food for hours? How about your body temperature? Feeling cold eh? Yes, that's exactly what happens when you limit your intake. I'm eating 300g of carbs a day and I'm still getting leaner and more muscular. That's how you should lose fat. By increasing your metabolism, not decreasing your intake. And to increase your metabolism it's as simple as getting more insulin sensitive and fixing your leptin resistance. As that way you wouldn't need to eat every 2 hours.
I hope no one takes this guys advice cuz they are in for a world of frustration.
In a sense I agree with him because in recent months I have tried two diets which I can compare: Whilst the two diets had about the same weekly calories (30% less than my pre-diet maintenance calories), I found that the diet which involved periods of fasting was about 2 or 3 times more effective for dropping the lbs than the other diet which involved eating at regular intervals and lots of low calorie snacks (ie. no fasting). Now I do the intermittent fasting, I'm losing about 40% more fat than my calorie deficit would suggest I should be losing.
There could be various reasons why you have lost more weight doing intemittend fasting. E.g. more water loss, (unknowingly) doing more activity, imperfect calorie tracking.
Controlling all those factors there is no difference between diets. They all are equally effective. One diet may feel subjectively easier to adhere to (so you should stick to this one), but all things (especially calories in/out) being equal fat loss is the same.
Nahh, it works, I always do 800 calorie limit on myself and counting the foods that I am eating, I make sure it is all more in protein and veggies and yeah I got my result for 6 months of hardwork, from 195 to 145, which is insane.
Thanks, NBC for having this short, but, incomplete video about weight loss. Dr. Fung, has many more videos, on CZcams, about Fasting.
Fasting ain't the magic pill for weight loss it is a good strategy for controlling the amount of food u eat. I can eat 1800 calories throughout the day and feel Hungary and probably cheat or I can fast for 16 hours and eat 1800 calories during the afternoon and night feeling full and not cheating. See?
Er a calorie is a calorie. Different foods have different nutrient breakdowns but it is still a calorie from a measurement point of view!!
You’re hopeless
Correct, but not from a fat storage and metabolism point of view
@@alainchristian no you are hopeless
@Britt Bratt Lungu If you've listened to Fung, you'll see that, as a nephrologist, a huge part of his practice is dealing with diabetics...which is (for Type 2) caused by poor diet.
Smart man!!
Counting calories is ridiculous? Tell that to the abs I got from counting my calories 🤣
😁😂
That's exactly how I got my abs. Just plain old calorie counting. Been doing it for years.
I tried all sorts of diets and nothing worked, until eventually I started counting calories in Vs calories out. Finally I was able to lose 56 lbs and get to a healthy weight.
It’s like saying a pound of feather or a pound or rocks which of those are heavier . Calories in calories out . Just be in a caloric deficit. It’s not that hard . Ppl just make it hard by tryin to tell you what to do when it comes to Marcos counting .
It's more like saying "A pound of feathers or a pound of rocks are equally good weapons, because they're both a pound." "Calories in" will remain the same regardless of what you eat x amount of calories of, but "calories out" changes drastically depending on many, many factors including the hormonal response to the macros you're eating as well as your body's digestion of those macros. I counted calories for a long, long time only to find that cutting carbs to less than 20g a day actually got me out of obesity with ease (because I rarely counted my calories and was never hungry or tired as I was when counting), despite the fact that I was eating 2,000+ calories most days instead of the 1,500 calorie diet I'd been subjecting myself to with very little success.
@@jimbojimson Good job James. I completely agree with you.
But the feathers might come from a diabetic bird????? Le insulin response or whatever
I've lost 30lbs while still eating tons of junk food.
CICO works.
Are you for real did you have to count macros?
@@toastedtcake2947 thank you vic
All that matters. Best example is the dude that lost weight on the Twinkie diet.
@@lifeofkms2750 It's true. I'm 40lb down and I still eat junk food x
@@BGfootballfan He also trashed his kidneys and insulin control but I'm guessing you cant think that far
If you cut calories,then your energy expenditure will decrease only if it causes muscle loss.If u complete your protien needs daily and do strength training.Then your energy expenditure won't decrease.Only when the deficit is too high.Because it will then trigger muscle loss too.Staying in a 700-800 calorie deficit is totally fine.Just meet your protien needs and do strength training.
He literally references something more than 100 years ago whilst we have up to date information, that is scientifically proven regarding that calories in, calories out. Will indefinitely make you lose weight. Tons of studies out there.
Cite one.
Anyone here from Dr. Greg?
i have PCOS, a hormonal imbalance. at age 50, i started IF with calorie counting, without low carb. got off 130 lbs almost 5 yrs ago. i still count calories. i balance my calories to maintain. calories DO matter.
THIS!!
Insulin creates body fat. Carbs spike insulin. Eating less carbs matter. NOT total calories.
I think you have to understand what you are talking about here. Your weight loss is a success, not because of calories counting . But because you do IF. IF caused all the sugar in your body burned off. That's the main reason you lose weight. TRY not doing IF. Eat 16 hours a day, eat the same amount of calories you want. You will gain weight. I'm sorry but you dont know what you talking about
@@kofmasters1 agreed, not to mention a lowered metabolism. Ive list over100 lbs twice, once calorie reducing and on keto. Keto i layed on my couch being chronically ill with no effort but sticking to my plan. Never hungry. Cico is not appropriate. Just likea tablespoon of butter and lard dont have the same amount of fat nor the same calories, so how can they both be 9cal/gram? It just cant. Everyine thats dieted would be thin. But op can consider themself lucky to manage pcos without strict low carb/keto from insulin resiatance.. IF for sure worked.
Calories do matter, but it must be good foods, the trick is to eat healthy calories and not junk calories so your body will process the food you're eating in the best way possible. You can count calories all day long but if you're eating garbage then your body will suffer. Your body will suffer horribly if you eat 2500 calories of snicker bars compared to 2500 calories of fresh fruits and vegetables
Are people who are commenting even watching the video? He's literally just explaining that calories are a proximate cause of weight gain/loss, but that not all calories are created equal, and different foods cause different hormonal responses.
I love how guys that say "counting calories is ridiculous" are all scrawny and weak
yes but he has a doctor degree teeheeee
I am counting both calories and carbs, and am rapidly losing weight.
I also understand that not all calories are the same, and not all carbs are the same. I use my common sense when preparing meals.
I think the key for me is understanding there are several things to watch out for. Instead of focusing on only one thing and ignoring everything else.
please stop commenting. you are too intelligent and have way too much common sense to be here.
That's exactly right Nan, common sense! Counting calories does work , your eating a balance of mostly healthy foods and you can figure what percentage of , fats , proteins and carbs.
Over time your metabolic rate will go down . Your maintanance calories will reduce inline with your weight
Well? Are you still doing it or you've gave up? Because that what tends to happen with diets.
@@nahmenwhy5273 nah if you keep active and workout
Counting calories totally works for me! I lost like 20 pounds the first time I did it.
I ended up gaining it back over a long time later and a pregnancy...
I am on my 2nd real try AND I have already lost 5 pounds...so there!
This is complete nonsense. Calorie intake and calorie expenditure are independent of each other. You can reduce calorie intake by eating less, while at the same time you can increase calorie expenditure by exercising more.
I’m counting my macros right along with weightlifting/exercise and I feel amazing!! I’m 4 weeks in and have lost exactly 4 pounds! Super sustainable and is teaching me what’s in my food
@@angrydolphins71 counting macros while prioritizing protein !
I think calorie counting can be good for a beginner to see real portion sizes compared to what they normally eat. I think to loose weight initially it's good but people also need to change what they eat and they need to move their bodies. You wont have to keep counting calories because you will get used to the correct portions and keep eating good food and have a new habit in moving more.
I think if someone is counting their calories I would think they're also watching what they eat. and if that person exercises he's going to see drastic changes
To the person reading this that is on the market for their next diet: Skip advice from guys like this, tune it out of your life, and do this one thing instead: count your calories. It works. And you won't be wasting your time overcomplicating things. Chances are you'll have succes if you do this and make it a habit. If you want to make sure, then don't make it your "diet". Keep watching your calorie intake even after you've lost weight, and you will accurately be able to control your weight.
Clearly, you don't get what he said. SMH... no that's not how it works.
@@foreveryoung2685 agreed
So true .. been doing this after Every birth of my children.. and i loose 30kg Every time.. and ya i gain 30kg Every time i get pregnant, :-/
@@foreveryoung2685 Nonsense. You could eat only carbs and still lose weight although that wouldn’t be the best way to do it. But it is a fact that CICO is the only thing that matters when it comes to weight loss, regardless of your macro breakdown. If you eliminate carbs and eat too much fat or protein you’ll end up in a surplus and gain weight.
It's not only ridiculous but also very irresponsible to tell people not to count calories. People, count your calories.
Coach Greg, please humble this man
I've tried many diets... they all work the first week or two then it becomes a struggle to stay motivated, hitting plateaus and so on.
I haven't made any drastic dietary decisions recently, and only started watching what I eat and taking calories into account... I've been dropping the weight like crazy, because before I would just eat what I wanted and wouldn't even consider the calories being taken in... I was gaining and gaining. I thought I was eating like a normal person, but I wasn't. I was clearly over eating.
I've been doing the daily intermittent fasting where I don't eat until 12-14 hours the last time I ate the night before. So If I ate a snack at 9 pm, I wouldn't eat again until 9 - 11 am the next day, and stay at 1200 - 1500 calories a day. (I'm only 5'0 female so why so little). I eat lunch, and dinner, and maybe a late night 150 calorie snack at night, when I always get my cravings and when I used to do most of my eating. My cravings have definitely decreased tremendously since switching to this way of eating. I get kid meals instead of the large meals I would get from take out, and find that I was full instead of over eating. So to me watching what you eat and how much you eat plays a huge roll on your weight.
I don’t think anyone tries to pretend that a brownie has the same amount of calories as kale
He wasn't talking about the number of calories but the quality/type of calories.
Another analogy would be vehicles: diesel and 87 octane are both fuels but different engine configurations use them differently.
Yeah, not what he's getting at in the first place.
I feel like what also needs to be considered is decrementing calories slowly not drastically and milking it to its fullest extent.
I’ve lost 45 pounds since August by counting calories lol. It works. You can literally lose weight by only eating twinkies if you’re in a caloric deficit. However, do not do that. That’s very unhealthy lol.
I'm guessing he was trying to say that counting calories/calorie deficit alone won't help you lose fat. Which is true, you can't just reduce the number of calories in your existing diet; you have to eat healthier and most importantly, track your macros. In other words, calories aren't as important as the macros and food choices.
Disagree. If, for example, a person continually eats an excess of 1,000 calories a day of "healthier" foods, they are still going to gain weight. Eating "healthier" foods filled with fibre is going to help you feel more satisfied but calories are king for weight loss.
This is so controversial keep to your calorie counting guys!
To people who say the weight comes back when you go back to eating “normal” : calorie maintenance. Same logic why diets tend to not work long term.
I used to be against calorie tracking, citing macros, hormones, and obsessive behavior as a reason. But I tried everything but this ended up working for me.
Its not actually not the calorie aspect itself that makes this method effective, its the self-accountability, the habit, that makes it successful for a lot of people. Eg. You immediately know if you overate, you can see your eating patterns and make adjustments.
Its not perfect tho, but that’s literally true for every weight loss method
Its mostly like tracking your daily expenses.
All I know is that 40 years ago I first heard about calories in versus calories out. I started counting my daily calories and kept it around 1500 calories a day until I reached my goal. These days I consume 2000 to 2200 calories to maintain. I eat the foods that I like and eat mostly whole foods. That is simply because you get more satiety for fewer calories that way. I am never hungry. My weight has stayed at the recommended level of 185.
P.S. - I threw out my bathroom scale decades ago. I simply monitor the notches in my belt to see how I am doing. The only time I get weighed is when I go for my physical.
What was your starting weight? At 1500 calories a day...
@@trinashumaker9929 230 pounds
When I'm eating 1800 calories a day, I feel like crap. I'm sluggish and I know my body is trying to conserve fuel. I'll jog and lift weights, but I still feel like things are in slow motion.
Eat more. But eat more real food. It's simple your body need more fuel. It's like car.
Matt G
Did you feel better adding more calories, I feel the same on 1900 calories, very moody & tired & weak.
Eat more but you may also need electrolytes more: sodium, potassium and magnesium.
He needs more protein..
Protein is like high octane gas
David Lee Your body uses carbs and fats for fuel, not protein.
Gaaaaahd nutritions so confusing. Who do we believe?
Do what works for you💕
We can believe both. Hormones matter calories matter. However calories matter much much more than hormones when it comes to weight loss. Calories therefore should be given priority before even thinking of hormones
GREG DOUCETTE
@@whatdo690 that's so true lol people focus so much on hormones that they forget the most basic thing that'll help them lose weight.
Greg
Can someone please tell me how I lost 7lbs eating at least one day food meal a day, usually burger king and mcdonalds, and all I did was keep my calories in a deficit??? Or do I have a special body makeup? Cause when I go over that deficit even when I switched to healthy I gained it back.
I lost 27.7 lbs (12.6kg) in the last 7 weeks by counting calories and intermittent fasting 16:8. So far, CICO is the most efficient way to lose weight for my experience.
This guy doesn't know anything....the primary requirement for weight loss/fat loss is caloric deficit...
You dont know anything
@Renoir Kim The doctor doesnt even look fit or like he has ever exercised in his life
Why should we listen to him?
Brock rock It’s not even about how he looks.. but saying that calories don’t matter... 😜🤡
To say “this guy doesn’t know anything” is just wrong. I’m sure he knows a lot and is a very smart doctor. However, he is wrong in this video. Citing a research paper that’s almost 100 years old is just not reliable and it just comes down to calories in and calories out.the information he is giving is doing more harm than good.
Counting calories is a great way to curb overeating initially, resulting in some weight loss initially. If you continue to monitor calories for what your BMR at your goal weight would be, continue exercise, reduce the calories that come from carbs, and switch calories to more nutrient dense calories while remaining in the range you want- you will see an improvement in steady consistent weight loss. Also, allowing for fasting, meaning eating certain time periods of the day will help in regulating insulin
The only way I’ve ever lost weight is by counting calories
I have a question ! I’m getting ready to do the Tour Divide Trail. Touring not racing. My thoughts are it’s better to start this ride being 15lbs over weight and eating just less calories per day than what is needed. I’m being told no not good you will bonk/crash on energy levels. So, is my body not capable of converting fat into glucose fast enough under this demanding of a regimen ? What would be the best balance ? I’m thinking that starting 15 lbs over weight and finishing at weight having lost the 15 lbs is better for my body ! ?
The bottom line is that you have to use the method that fits you best . Whether calories count or fat count , or fasting or whatever as long as you do it right and in a balanced way , and most importantly gives you GOOD RESULTS 🙂
Dr Fung has changed my life completely... He makes sense in every bit of word. Lost 15lbs in 12 days with Keto+IF.
@Perry Ellis Oh please, stop with that crap. Being fat is very healthy, right? I am not a keto fan myself, I use fasting to get results, but fasting induces ketosis which is healthy. Read a bit about how the body functions.
George A He’s right. The first 10 pounds are usually water weight. It’s not an opinion
@@ickdon7999 I am not denying that, but water weight is just as bad as fat. It makes you look puffy(which is bad if you want to look ripped) plus you are a bit heavier.
I couldn't care less if in the beginning I am losing just water, since I want to do it anyway, but saying keto is not healthy because you lose water in the beginning is nonsense. As I said before, I don't do keto, I do snake diet (eat big, fast long), but keto does work because it lowers insulin, which is the cause for being fat, not calories. Anything that lowers insulin (including prolonged fasting) works.
@Perry Ellis True, for some part it's water weight at the beginning. But ultimately It does work. I tried it for a month and it worked. I literally ate MUCH on keto while not counting calories. I still lost like 6kgs a month. Yet I don't think I'd do it that long again. What I'd do is perhaps alternate days or carb cycling, so the body isn't missing carbs and I don't have to deal with the water retention that typically comes when coming out of long keto.
People think keto, paleo,vegan, carnivore, Omad all work because they see results but in reality it is all because for once in their life they are paying attention to what they are putting in their body, weather consciously or unconsciously
I’m sick of hearing this lie. Counting calories worked very well for me. I lost 90 pounds doing it, from 315lbs to 225lbs. It took one year. I am 6’2” & was 24 years old when I did this. It’s all about mindset, too.
Counting calories has worked great for me! I'm a compulsive eater, so counting calories gives me a structure. I can't rely on myself to know when I have had enough (sometimes I do, but not always). Sometimes I might think I need more food but I don't.
Counting macros then?
I lost 20kg in 7 months of quarantine without exercising by counting calories. This is misleading. I didn't even exercised, just try to record calories as accurate as I can.
I saw the title of the video and immediately went to check whether Dr. Greg did a response video or not.
He has.
People in the comment section really didn't get the point. It's not about proving the ineffectiveness of calorie counting, but rather making healthier choices on your diet. Do you people seriously believe that 2000 calories of lettuce are the same as 2000 calories of sugar? Because if you do, I urge you to seek your endocrinologist ASAP.
these youtube experts...
So the BMR was lower since they lost weight . That's perfectly logical.. BMR is an equation of weight..
I’m counting calories of healthy food and it’s working. I was eating healthy, but still not losing weight. When I started looking at the calories and portion sizes, the fat started coming off.
Spot on! That's because healthy food can also be calorie dense; think salmon, or avocado, or nuts and seeds.
This is NBC in a nutshell. They would have someone telling you one thing "doesn't work" only to never provide the information that does work.
i wish it was simple like if someone gave me the food i’m meant to eat it would be so helpful