Counting Calories

Last week, as I waited for a prescription to be filled at the pharmacy, I noticed it by the counter.  When I first met it as a 14 year old high school student, it seemed to be a likely useful tool to help me fit into my Calvins or Jordache. 

A calorie counting booklet.  Essentially, a guide to just about every food or drink known to man.  Always an information junkie, I was on first name basis with the calorie counts of everything that might pass my lips.  A small peach? 35 calories.  Half a cup of 1 % Friendship Cottage Cheese?  90. In short time, the pocket sized booklet turned my world upside down as I spent hours sequestered in my bedroom, concocting ways to restrict my daily calories to no more than 500, topic to be covered in future blog.  Conventional dietary wisdom says 3,500 calories = one pound.  Cut out 3,500 calories or burn those suckers on the treadmill, and you'll lose a pound.  Indulge in a few midnight buffets on a cruise and your pants will be tight. 

Calorie labeling has become the darling of politicos and health professionals. New York City restaurants have been posting calorie counts in chain restaurants and establishments since 2008.  The labeling mandate is key to the Affordable Care Act of 2010. 

So, do calories count?  Does swapping out the afternoon 240 calorie Hazelnut Macchiato for 45 minutes on the treadmill at 4.0, 50% incline lead to six-pack abs or a bikini body?

Yes... And no.

Calories are units of energy.  I remember a seventh grade science experiment that involved burning a peanut over a bunsen burner to conclude the nut contained five calories.  It would seem logical that if we were to consume an additional 3,500 calories above what is required by our BMR  or basal metabolic rate, we will gain a pound.  Conversely, for each 3,500 calories restricted from our BMR, we should lose a pound. 

Calories in vs calories out is simple arithmetic whereas the scientific reality resembles calculus.  In a paper by Dr. Martin Katahn, author of a bevy of diet books, published in JAMA, Katahn explains when we eat that extra cookie, we may gain weight but our weight gain will eventually taper off as we need additional calories to sustain the new weight.  Conversely, when we lose a few pounds by restricting calories, our lower weight becomes almost impossible to maintain because our BMR is lower.  Calorie restriction leads to changes in hormones, the autonomic nervous system, and muscle's efficiency to conserve energy.

Or, simply put, there may be some truth in the Aunt Martha's revelation that she could gain five pounds just looking at that Christmas cookie.

Am I advising you to throw caution to the wind and binge on Chips Ahoy or nightly dips into the Ben & Jerry's New York Fudge Chunk? Not exactly.  In my next few blogs, I will detail my own dysfunctional relationship and breakup with calorie counting as well as tips to help you achieve lasting weight loss and develop a healthier relationship with your body and food.

Moving the number on the scale or pants size and maintaining those changes is not as simple as balancing an equation.  Working with a health coach  can help you adopt new behaviors and examine the reasons behind the old ones.  Contact me to schedule a complimentary consultation at info@bethckramer.com.