Weight Loss
#101
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Five years ago I disciplined myself to stop eating between meals and skip deserts and sugary drinks in order to lose weight while on a six month overseas assignment. My average weekly bicycling mileage dropped from about 125 to 25 miles during this assignment. My work schedule of 12hours/7 days a week kept me busy but did not require strenuous activity. I never missed a meal at the available government dining facilities and ate well 3 times a day, but without desserts, pastry and the like. Never counted calories; lost about 35 lbs. in the six months and never was hungry. Have sustained the weight loss for the last 5 years in retirement by continuing to mostly skipping between meal snacks and sugary drinks and upping my weekly mileage to about 70 miles/week.
#102
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I don't eat between meals ... i make my snacks big enough to be meals in their own right.
#103
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You still haven't provided any citations to suggest that a calorie (actually kilocalorie, which is a scentific unit of energy measurement equivalent to 4184 Joules) of chocolate will in any way take more effort to burn than a calorie of, say, broccoli. While the energy densities of these foods are vastly different, if you're measuring by calorie and not volume, then you've already corrected for that factor.
Nuts seem to be the most affected by the inadequacy of calculated calories to capture the real digestive calorie content of foods, but I would not be surprised if it's significant enough with other foods to make a difference for people who are pure calorie counter dieters.
Even the form of a food can affect available calories. Whole peanuts provide fewer available calories than peanuts that have been turned into peanut butter.
#104
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"Put down the spoon."
Yeah, I've read nut butter has ~25% more digested calories than when chewing them up. And if I'm not mistaken, chewing has some sort of hormonal and/or psychological effect that increases satiation. I've stopped with the nut butters (e.g. Nuttzo) - it's one of the few foods where I have trouble controlling how many calories I take.
#105
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I posted 3 links earlier in the thread to studies that showed calculated calorie counts aren't the whole story when it comes to useable calories for food. Here's one of them(a 32% discrepancy between calculated calories and useable calories for almonds): https://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/96/2/296
Nuts seem to be the most affected by the inadequacy of calculated calories to capture the real digestive calorie content of foods, but I would not be surprised if it's significant enough with other foods to make a difference for people who are pure calorie counter dieters.
Even the form of a food can affect available calories. Whole peanuts provide fewer available calories than peanuts that have been turned into peanut butter.
Nuts seem to be the most affected by the inadequacy of calculated calories to capture the real digestive calorie content of foods, but I would not be surprised if it's significant enough with other foods to make a difference for people who are pure calorie counter dieters.
Even the form of a food can affect available calories. Whole peanuts provide fewer available calories than peanuts that have been turned into peanut butter.
This points to a problem with measurement, though, not the overall premise.
#106
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Yeah, I've read nut butter has ~25% more digested calories than when chewing them up. And if I'm not mistaken, chewing has some sort of hormonal and/or psychological effect that increases satiation. I've stopped with the nut butters (e.g. Nuttzo) - it's one of the few foods where I have trouble controlling how many calories I take.
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Here's a study comparing the energy expenditure of digesting meals of equal calories but differing in how processed the food was. The variables don't seem (to me) to be very well controlled in the study, but the authors' take is that the body uses less energy to digest processed foods. Not really what someone trying to lose weight would want.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2897733/?report=classic
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2897733/?report=classic
#108
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I posted 3 links earlier in the thread to studies that showed calculated calorie counts aren't the whole story when it comes to useable calories for food. Here's one of them(a 32% discrepancy between calculated calories and useable calories for almonds): Discrepancy between the Atwater factor predicted and empirically measured energy values of almonds in human diets
Nuts seem to be the most affected by the inadequacy of calculated calories to capture the real digestive calorie content of foods, but I would not be surprised if it's significant enough with other foods to make a difference for people who are pure calorie counter dieters.
Even the form of a food can affect available calories. Whole peanuts provide fewer available calories than peanuts that have been turned into peanut butter.
Nuts seem to be the most affected by the inadequacy of calculated calories to capture the real digestive calorie content of foods, but I would not be surprised if it's significant enough with other foods to make a difference for people who are pure calorie counter dieters.
Even the form of a food can affect available calories. Whole peanuts provide fewer available calories than peanuts that have been turned into peanut butter.
#109
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And absorption drops in general as you get older. And all this varies between individuals. This is part of the reason I refuse to count calories. Also, it's just not how I want to live my life. I'd rather listen to my gut. Literally.
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I don't feel guilty about snacking on almonds, walnuts, pistachios, or cashews even though they do have a lot of calories. Eating them on a regular basis improves cholesterol, and I rarely eat so many that I feel like I'm over-indulging.
Last edited by Pendergast; 10-25-17 at 06:44 PM.
#111
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On a purely calorie or weight basis, yes, calories are calories. However diet is about more than calories. There are all sorts of other nutrients in that food, all of which are important. There's also a question of what I call the satisfaction index. Some foods offer high satisfaction as you eat them, and can stay in the stomach longer, so you're likely to be more satisfied longer, and eat less than you might with low SI foods.
So, calories are what matters, but how you get them is also important in subtle ways.
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An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
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WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
#112
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Yes, and no.
On a purely calorie or weight basis, yes, calories are calories. However diet is about more than calories. There are all sorts of other nutrients in that food, all of which are important. There's also a question of what I call the satisfaction index. Some foods offer high satisfaction as you eat them, and can stay in the stomach longer, so you're likely to be more satisfied longer, and eat less than you might with low SI foods.
So, calories are what matters, but how you get them is also important in subtle ways.
On a purely calorie or weight basis, yes, calories are calories. However diet is about more than calories. There are all sorts of other nutrients in that food, all of which are important. There's also a question of what I call the satisfaction index. Some foods offer high satisfaction as you eat them, and can stay in the stomach longer, so you're likely to be more satisfied longer, and eat less than you might with low SI foods.
So, calories are what matters, but how you get them is also important in subtle ways.
#113
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Yup. One reason I don't do all these "lo-fat" diets. A little fat creates a little more satisfaction (and the body needs some anyway.) Some nuts or cheese as a snack can prevent a second snack? Good deal.
#114
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I agree. I used to do what the common majority trumpeted - eat 3-5 times per day. It just did not work for me. I started by completely skipping breakfast, thinking that if I haven't done anything to burn the calories of the preceding evening I sure do not need to stuff my face first thing in the morning before I head out to my office job where I sit on my butt and work out on my tactile keyboard. Everyone around me were saying: "ooh you should not do this...breakfast is necessary to start the day"... At first my mind and body screamed for attention but over time my routine developed to be without food until around 11AM and feel no significant physical or emotional impact. That has been approximately 2 years ago and I'm doing great. Now I'm working on limiting the evening hours of calorie intake. :-)
#117
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Wow. If only ugly minds were as visible as peoples weight. What excuses would be made then.
For those who fast.
I just talked to my wife about this yesterday. If doing a 1 day fast is it better to go from after dinner one day to dinner the next or after breakfast one day to the next?
Yesterday I did a fast from dinner to dinner but found myself a little wonky in the afternoon (I bike commute and walk all day as a job). I attributed this to having no easily accessed calories during the day, as my last meal was the night before. It got me thinking that it might be better to eat breakfast and then fast as I would have energy during the day when I need it but not so much in the evening when I don't need it. My lowest point would be when I sleep whereas yesterday my lowest point was in the afternoon at work. Hope that makes sense.
Thoughts?
Ps. 215 5'11"
For those who fast.
I just talked to my wife about this yesterday. If doing a 1 day fast is it better to go from after dinner one day to dinner the next or after breakfast one day to the next?
Yesterday I did a fast from dinner to dinner but found myself a little wonky in the afternoon (I bike commute and walk all day as a job). I attributed this to having no easily accessed calories during the day, as my last meal was the night before. It got me thinking that it might be better to eat breakfast and then fast as I would have energy during the day when I need it but not so much in the evening when I don't need it. My lowest point would be when I sleep whereas yesterday my lowest point was in the afternoon at work. Hope that makes sense.
Thoughts?
Ps. 215 5'11"
Last edited by Happy Feet; 10-26-17 at 12:43 PM.
#118
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90' at tempo on a mug of coffee. I only passed out 2 or 3 times and died once. Felt much better after a second coffee when I got to the office.
5'10" (178cm), 165lbs (75kg)
5'10" (178cm), 165lbs (75kg)
#120
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For those who fast.
I just talked to my wife about this yesterday. If doing a 1 day fast is it better to go from after dinner one day to dinner the next or after breakfast one day to the next?
Yesterday I did a fast from dinner to dinner but found myself a little wonky in the afternoon (I bike commute and walk all day as a job). I attributed this to having no easily accessed calories during the day, as my last meal was the night before. It got me thinking that it might be better to eat breakfast and then fast as I would have energy during the day when I need it but not so much in the evening when I don't need it. My lowest point would be when I sleep whereas yesterday my lowest point was in the afternoon at work. Hope that makes sense.
Thoughts?
Ps. 215 5'11"
I just talked to my wife about this yesterday. If doing a 1 day fast is it better to go from after dinner one day to dinner the next or after breakfast one day to the next?
Yesterday I did a fast from dinner to dinner but found myself a little wonky in the afternoon (I bike commute and walk all day as a job). I attributed this to having no easily accessed calories during the day, as my last meal was the night before. It got me thinking that it might be better to eat breakfast and then fast as I would have energy during the day when I need it but not so much in the evening when I don't need it. My lowest point would be when I sleep whereas yesterday my lowest point was in the afternoon at work. Hope that makes sense.
Thoughts?
Ps. 215 5'11"
But if you wake up at a set time every day and have the time to enjoy your meal consistently, there's no reason to not have your daily meal in the morning after waking.
6'0" 180lbs. Was 260 last november, started intermittent fasting and got down to a low of 178 in May. Since then, I hover between 179 and 185, depending on time of day and how much water I drink. I could lose more but my girlfriend says I'm already too boney
#121
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The real test is maintaining a diet over the long haul that allows you to keep it off. If a weird, unsustainable diet was involved in shedding weight it may be impossible to keep it off. My nephew lost a 100 lbs but it involved some kind of diet of a propitiatory shake and he alas gained it all back when he returned to the eating habits that made him overweight in the first place.
#122
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70 lbs. loss in 10 months is very good. Congratulations.
The real test is maintaining a diet over the long haul that allows you to keep it off. If a weird, unsustainable diet was involved in shedding weight it may be impossible to keep it off. My nephew lost a 100 lbs but it involved some kind of diet of a propitiatory shake and he alas gained it all back when he returned to the eating habits that made him overweight in the first place.
The real test is maintaining a diet over the long haul that allows you to keep it off. If a weird, unsustainable diet was involved in shedding weight it may be impossible to keep it off. My nephew lost a 100 lbs but it involved some kind of diet of a propitiatory shake and he alas gained it all back when he returned to the eating habits that made him overweight in the first place.
-1 on the weird unsustainable diet being impossible to keep off.... with the qualifier that you have (one has) to transition from a "losing weight" program to a "whatever you think comes after program".
for cycling, it can be cut weight, then build power and endurance. for non cycling it can be lose weight then maintain. slightly different diet and strategy.
you can always go back into lose weight mode for short periods if needed.
#123
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I stopped dieting altogether in July and my weight stabilized. I half-heartedly started dieting again beginning of last month and have lost nearly 10 pounds. Crazy as it sounds, the 2-3 pounds a week for six months appears to have been healthy.
#124
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6' 230lbs.
Was 270 last year and went on the no carbs bandwagon. Lost 25 lbs but could not move lower than that.
Regained weight to 265 as of September 2017
Went onto calorie counting diet and basic reeducation about eating less... lost 35lbs as of today.
Hope to go down to 200lbs by mid 2018
Was 270 last year and went on the no carbs bandwagon. Lost 25 lbs but could not move lower than that.
Regained weight to 265 as of September 2017
Went onto calorie counting diet and basic reeducation about eating less... lost 35lbs as of today.
Hope to go down to 200lbs by mid 2018
#125
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And then the no-carb guys start slinging poo at the no-fat guys, and the vegans just piss everybody off.