If you're of the mantra that calories in = calories out, you need to read this. This is a great summary of how the body actually adapts to reduced caloric intake. I've never seen a more...
If you're of the mantra that calories in = calories out, you need to read this.
This is a great summary of how the body actually adapts to reduced caloric intake. I've never seen a more comprehensive review of the energetic adaptations that happen in response to sustained dieting, such as the adaptation to proton leak in the mitochondria, hormone adaptation (t3/t4), ghrelin, cortisol, and more. Some real world applications and examples of how to manipulate energy deficit to prevent these adaptations and allow the body to be in a deficit without as much adaptation are provided.
Some of you are likely already quite familiar with these concepts. In that case I'd suggest bookmarking this for those times you're confronted with dogmatic calories in = calories out folks so that you can more easily respond to them. I'm personally excited to have such a great resource at my fingertips now to help fight this harmful mindset.
While a great read with lots of information, I feel like it doesn't really refute CICO - especially since CICO is usually seen as the 10 second explanation for a hugely complex topic. Theres...
While a great read with lots of information, I feel like it doesn't really refute CICO - especially since CICO is usually seen as the 10 second explanation for a hugely complex topic. Theres definitely way more information and nuance when it comes to metabolism, macronutrients, and intermittent fasting...but thats alongside a caloric deficit.
Sure, CICO isn't going to help you build muscle mass effectively if you don't look at protein intake. And if you eat 1500 calories of fried food every day, you're going to have nutritional deficiencies. But monitoring calories is definitely a valid path to weight loss.
And saying calories in = calories out does no one any good. Telling people they need a caloric deficit is very different. Telling someone they need to intake less or output more, is very...
but thats alongside a caloric deficit.
And saying calories in = calories out does no one any good. Telling people they need a caloric deficit is very different. Telling someone they need to intake less or output more, is very different.
But monitoring calories is definitely a valid path to weight loss.
You can monitor your intake perfectly, but what about the output? This article shows that it's never as simple as it seems. Dismissing people for not losing weight because "oh they must not be tracking" or "they must be doing a bad job tracking" is demeaning and ignores the output portion (and input, if we want to start talking about the physiological changes in response to specific nutrients) which isn't just as simple as "how much energy your body needs to live" for the very reasons this article points out - it's how much energy your body can actually extract from the calories. It's where this energy goes. It's how well your body can store fat. It's how efficient your electron transport chain is. It's what kind of macros you are consuming. It's what kind of exercise you're doing. It's the downstream changes this exercise causes in your body. It's your hormone levels in response to your environment.
It's so much more and we're not doing anyone any good by repeating the dogmatic mantra of CICO. Saying CICO is dismissive precisely because it only touches on the surface of a very complex system. If someone needs a 10 second pitch as to why their diet isn't working, then they aren't serious about dieting in the first place. Lets put science first.
I would say that it has done a lot of people a lot of good given the people who can and do lose weight on a simple caloric deficit. Its not the fully story, but maintaining a caloric deficient is...
And saying calories in = calories out does no one any good.
I would say that it has done a lot of people a lot of good given the people who can and do lose weight on a simple caloric deficit. Its not the fully story, but maintaining a caloric deficient is an important factor and can still work without going deeper. It won't work for everyone, or the same way for everyone because of all the things in the article (and more).
If you're of the mantra that calories in = calories out, you need to read this.
This is a great summary of how the body actually adapts to reduced caloric intake. I've never seen a more comprehensive review of the energetic adaptations that happen in response to sustained dieting, such as the adaptation to proton leak in the mitochondria, hormone adaptation (t3/t4), ghrelin, cortisol, and more. Some real world applications and examples of how to manipulate energy deficit to prevent these adaptations and allow the body to be in a deficit without as much adaptation are provided.
Some of you are likely already quite familiar with these concepts. In that case I'd suggest bookmarking this for those times you're confronted with dogmatic calories in = calories out folks so that you can more easily respond to them. I'm personally excited to have such a great resource at my fingertips now to help fight this harmful mindset.
While a great read with lots of information, I feel like it doesn't really refute CICO - especially since CICO is usually seen as the 10 second explanation for a hugely complex topic. Theres definitely way more information and nuance when it comes to metabolism, macronutrients, and intermittent fasting...but thats alongside a caloric deficit.
Sure, CICO isn't going to help you build muscle mass effectively if you don't look at protein intake. And if you eat 1500 calories of fried food every day, you're going to have nutritional deficiencies. But monitoring calories is definitely a valid path to weight loss.
And saying calories in = calories out does no one any good. Telling people they need a caloric deficit is very different. Telling someone they need to intake less or output more, is very different.
You can monitor your intake perfectly, but what about the output? This article shows that it's never as simple as it seems. Dismissing people for not losing weight because "oh they must not be tracking" or "they must be doing a bad job tracking" is demeaning and ignores the output portion (and input, if we want to start talking about the physiological changes in response to specific nutrients) which isn't just as simple as "how much energy your body needs to live" for the very reasons this article points out - it's how much energy your body can actually extract from the calories. It's where this energy goes. It's how well your body can store fat. It's how efficient your electron transport chain is. It's what kind of macros you are consuming. It's what kind of exercise you're doing. It's the downstream changes this exercise causes in your body. It's your hormone levels in response to your environment.
It's so much more and we're not doing anyone any good by repeating the dogmatic mantra of CICO. Saying CICO is dismissive precisely because it only touches on the surface of a very complex system. If someone needs a 10 second pitch as to why their diet isn't working, then they aren't serious about dieting in the first place. Lets put science first.
I would say that it has done a lot of people a lot of good given the people who can and do lose weight on a simple caloric deficit. Its not the fully story, but maintaining a caloric deficient is an important factor and can still work without going deeper. It won't work for everyone, or the same way for everyone because of all the things in the article (and more).