Myth: People don’t lose exactly as much weight as you’d expect when dieting, therefore calories don’t count. A pound of fat has roughly 3,500 calories. If you eat 500 calories less per day, in theory you should lose half a pound per week. This almost never happens. People almost never lose exactly as much weight as you’d expect from the maths. People claim this is proof that calories don’t count. It’s not. Here is why people don’t always lose exactly as much weight as you’d expect while dieting, and why this doesnt prove calories don’t count: 1. People are horrible at estimating their calorie intake and expenditure. 2. As people lose weight, they burn fewer calories because they move less, their calorie deficit becomes smaller, and they lose fat at a slower rate 3. People also usually lose some muscle mass, even if they diet intelligently, which can change the amount of weight they lose. 4. It’s hard to calculate someone’s exact calorie intake, even in a controlled setting. 5. People lose or retain different amounts of water, which can affect how much total weight they lose. In every well controlled trial where people are forced to eat less, they lose weight. They don’t always lose the same amount of weight, but it’s usually close to what you’d expect if you assume that one pound of fat has 3,500 calories.
Posted on: Mon, 27 Jan 2014 07:26:12 +0000
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