Is that really all it comes down to? That's what they say. Calories in...calories out is the holy grail of weight loss. Well, at least to many. Especially with some of these internet fat-burning gurus. Almost on a weekly basis I will get new clients who share horror stories about how the trainer (many Online) they are working with straight-out told them they were LYING! The conversation would go something like this:
Client: I can't lose any weight. I'm eating healthy. What do you think is the problem?
Trainer: You're probably eating more than you're telling me.
Client: But I'm not Mr. Fat-Burner. I follow your plan exactly.
Trainer: You think you follow my plan. But you're eating more. Stop the snacking and lying to me.
Client: But I'm not. I follow the plan to the letter and do the workouts exactly as you prescribe.
Trainer. Listen, lying to me is only lying to yourself. Stop eating stuff off plan and get with the program. Buy my latest book or CD which talks about this issue. I need to go now. Calories in and calories out. The sooner you get that, the sooner you will stop living in that unhealthy, obese body.
Basically, the above depiction is almost the exact conversation that one of my clients had not too long ago with this trainer. Is it really all about the calories in and calories out? The latest studies seem to want to confirm that over and over again.
According to a recent study by the New England Journal of Medicine, it didn't matter what the participants ate, only how much they ate.
The study lasted two years and followed 811 overweight participants. In the end, the results showed that it didn't matter what kind of foods were substituted, if the calories were low enough in range, they lost weight. If not, they gained.
Frank Sacks, principal investigator and professor of cardiovascular disease prevention at Harvard School of Public Health states the following about the current study as it “really goes against the idea that certain foods are the key to weight loss,” notes . “This is a pretty positive message. It gives people a lot of choices to find a diet they can stick with.”
In other words, eat whatever you want and so long as you stay within caloric deficit range, you will lose weight, right? WRONG! What studies like these fail to take into account is that many people suffer from other issues that play a major role in their weight gain --hormonal issues, food-related sensitivities which impact their body chemicals, thyroid problems, metabolic damage and on and on.
While I agree that many have an issue with sometimes consuming too many calories, it goes much deeper than that. We are all different and our bodies can behave in very unique ways based on a host of variables. For instance, some people can eat one type of food at a certain time of the day and have a greater chance of it being stored as body fat due to insulin response. Just one example.
How many people have you known who have literally lived in a caloric deficit for months on end, and yet still not shed one single pound? I bet you know someone. Bottom line, we need to appreciate that there are valid reasons why simply implementing a deficit is not the end all, be all.
I think the first thing to consider is that many are over-measuring portions. Once you get very specific with measuring, you start to see things change. Another problem is this: some people eat snacks that are just much higher in calorie than they realize. You NUT lovers know what I mean :) Those nice handfuls of peanuts and cashews equate to BIG calories.
Yet, at the end of the day, be encouraged and know that you may need to work with someone who can implement more than one approach to your weight loss program because your body just may REALLY be fighting on a few battlefields--NOT JUST CALORIC DEFICIT!!
In the end, if your MIND is in LINE with your GOALS and EATING, nothing can stop you from overcoming any and all things.
No matter what, though, some of these trainers need to find a new line of work. People need to be empowered and inspired, and yes, held accountable, but not called liars!
