Hi, I’m AJ McClary, I’m 195 lbs of lean muscle, and the government says I’m fat. I am, of course, not in anyway fat or unhealthy. The National Institute of Health simply uses BMI (Body Mass Index) to estimate, based on one’s height, the category of obesity American’s fall under. My BMI is 26, which is just above the normal range and considered “overweight”.
We’ve been told for years that American’s are overweight. I completely agree we need to eat healthier and stay fit if we’re going to win the fight against obesity—but how can people do this whenever the information provided to us is wrong. Most Americans are under the assumption that eating more makes you gain fat and eating less makes you loose fat.
For example, to gain 1 lb per week, someone with my stats who is very active would need to consume 3978 calories a day, to loose 1 lb per week, 2978 calories to maintain their current weight, and about 3478 calories to gain 1 lb per week. This is assuming your diet consists of 55% carbohydrates, 15% protein, and 30% fats. What is the problem with this assessment? It doesn’t take into account my lifestyle, genetics, eating habits, and history.
I don’t believe that calories have anything to do with weight loss or weight gain. If a calorie is the agent that causes weight gain, then why is it that somebody can eat an excess of calories that come from beans, lentils, nuts, and other “slow carbs” and not gain a single pound of fat? How come someone with a high metabolism can eat an excess of the recommended amount of calories and not gain any weight at all? Why can some people can eat triple the amount of recommended calories, and depending on the kinds of foods they eat, can actually loose weight. Why are the numbers not the same for everybody?
Calories are just energy that your body burns as fuel. Depending on the kinds of foods you eat, your DNA, and your fitness regimen, your body may take the excess fuel and store it as fat or muscle, but for a lot of people, the energy just runs its course and isn’t stored in the body at all. It’s not the calories that make you fat! I believe that loosing weight due to a reduced calorie diet is just a side-effect of consuming less of the foods that make you gain weight.
This is so unfortunate. People in this country starve themselves everyday, only to find that their weight loss is ineffective and torturous. There are plenty of foods out there that can sustain your lifestyle, make you feel good, and help you reach your perfect weight. I wouldn’t know what I would do without the occasional delicious medium-rare steak or Italian inspired pasta dishes I eat so often. Food is supposed to be enjoyed.
Everybody is different. One diet isn’t going to work for everybody, so I recommend treating your body like an experiment. Find what works for you and stick with it. Many people can loose weight simply by changing their style of food. I have a friend who switched to a Mediterranean-style diet and shredded tons of pounds. It wasn’t because of the calorie count; it was because that style of food was better for his needs.
Before low-calorie diets, it was eating too many carbohydrates. Before that, it was eating fatty goods. There have been countless diet fads throughout history. The best diet for loosing weight is not the one that works for everybody, it’s the one that works well for you. Before you follow the fads, experiment!
Resource: Check out Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes
If you take a second, and remember not to believe everything you hear (even if it’s on the side of the majority), you have some really good points here. Why aren’t more people focusing on eating better rather than eating less? Sounds pretty simple to me. I’ll check out Good Calories, Bad Calories.