The Calorie Myth Debunked: Eating Less Doesn't Necessarily Lead to Weight Loss

III. The Calorie Myth That Makes Everyone in the World Fat

(I) A Wrong Beginning

From the beginning, I've explained that most weight loss methods, such as those using low-calorie foods or strenuous exercise, are easier said than done, and their results are often unsatisfactory. The fundamental reason is that they are based on flawed theories.

Why? These methods are based on the calorie theory published 100 years ago. This theory was developed by Professor Felt of the University of Munich, Germany. He said: "An adult needs 3070 calories a day."

However, 100 years later, with such remarkable progress, the energy required by the human body will have changed to some extent. Surprisingly, modern medicine, nutrition, and other fields have adopted this theory.

Weight loss methods based on this theory are primarily based on calorie calculations.

(Calories ingested) - (Calories excreted) = (Calories consumed) - (Calories that cannot be reused or are lost)

Calories consumed = calories burned... Maintain the status quo

Calories consumed > calories burned... Too fat

Calories consumed < calories burned...too thin

Calories consumed generally refer to the energy gained from food; calories burned refer to the energy used through exercise. This is a simple principle that even elementary school students understand. However, applying such a simple theory to the complex human body inevitably raises questions.

(II) The Troubles of Americans

This calorie theory was once very popular in the United States. Because the United States is rich in resources and has abundant food, people are becoming more particular about their food, and consequently, the number of obese people is also increasing. In their eagerness to be beautiful, they began to implement all kinds of weight loss methods, hoping to have a slim figure.

Wouldn't you lose weight by consuming only a small number of calories?

Even if you eat a lot of delicious food, if your body doesn't fully absorb it, you won't gain weight, right?

Even if you consume too many calories, if you can find a way to burn them off, you won't gain weight, right?

These are all intentions to achieve weight loss goals in an easy way.

It's like having a balloon in your stomach, constantly keeping it feeling bloated. This way, you lose your appetite and naturally don't need to eat anymore, or worry about overeating.

Fat is a major contributor to weight gain in food, so some people advocate removing the small intestine, which is responsible for absorption, so that the food we eat is not completely absorbed by the body and is excreted, which may also achieve the goal of weight loss.

Some people have even developed drugs that can burn calories.

In short, Americans have tried countless methods to lose weight, almost to the point of exhaustion. However, none of them have worked; in fact, Americans are even more troubled by the obesity problem.

(III) The Contradictions I Experienced Regarding Calorie Calculation

I used to struggle with calorie counting for a long time. It's true that this method isn't entirely accurate, but as long as you're healthy and use the right methods, you can successfully lose weight. There's no need to worry about those unreasonable numbers.

If you try to lose weight by counting calories, you will immediately encounter various obstacles, and my experience is the best proof of that.

For a period of time, I weighed 82 kilograms, and with high blood pressure, diabetes, and other ailments, my health was in very poor condition.

Because my physical and mental health were both in trouble, I started to worry and, like others, tried everything to lose weight. But due to my anxiety and the fact that exercise felt too difficult, my weight loss plan failed.

After thinking about it for a long time, I decided to stop restricting my diet and start doing some light exercise. In addition, I started keeping a record of my exercise and food intake.

Soon after, my health improved significantly, and my weight decreased to 62 kilograms. From my records, I came to the following conclusion:

First, reducing food intake does not have a significant impact on weight.

Secondly, even if you only eat side dishes and not staple foods and sweets, you can still lose weight.

This completely contradicts the calorie calculation theory that "eating more will definitely make you fat".

(iv) How can this method help me lose weight?

I believe that many people think that "even if you eat a lot, not all of what you eat will be absorbed by your body," and assume that it will be excreted as feces.

The general medical and nutritional communities believe that "a person's basal metabolic rate and digestion and absorption rate are fixed." Therefore, simply calculating calories will tell you whether you are overeating, and even if you are, you can simply reduce the amount.

However, the human body is not that simple. Calorie requirements vary depending on an individual's mental state, work situation, and physical condition. Furthermore, each person's digestion, absorption, excretion, and bodily regulatory functions all influence calorie requirements, so rough statistics are inaccurate.

The nutrients a person needs are also closely related to the circumstances of the day and the time. If they are not supplied in a timely manner, it may cause imbalances in bodily functions.

Therefore, accurately calculating one's daily calorie needs is not easy. Nevertheless, weight loss methods that rely on calorie calculations to plan daily food intake remain very popular.