Profe Claudio Nieto: Why counting calories alone isn’t very useful

Profe Claudio Nieto explains why counting the calories you consume isn’t very useful.

In fact, this debate has been around for a long time.

He talks about that there are other factors to consider when someone wants to lose weight besides just calories.

We all want to know how many calories we should eat to lose weight or how many we need to gain muscle. However, counting calories isn’t the best answer.

In this talk, we’ll look at the problems of tracking the calories we eat and burn. You’ll learn why using an app to count calories might not work.

Right now, people are talking about this on social media and they don’t agree.

Some people think body weight is all about «calories in vs. calories out», meaning it’s about balance.

Counting calories

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Others say calories aren’t the main thing, and things like hormones, hunger, working out, and more are key for weight loss.

Both groups have good points, but the real answer might be in the middle. Today, we’ll talk about why counting calories can be tricky.

A problem is that even if we write down all our calories, we don’t always know where they go in our body.

Calories can go to muscle, fat, or other parts like healing wounds or our defense system.

Where the calories go

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This changes based on things like if you’ve eaten, how much you’ve moved, and personal stuff.

Also, not all calories are the same. Food parts (like fats, and sugars) act differently in our body, and how food is made can change the calories you get.

Gut bugs and hunger also change how our body uses food calories.

Another problem is guessing our basic energy use.

Other details

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Old ways to guess this use things like weight, height, gender, and age, but they miss other big parts like how much muscle you have, how much you move, your family genes, and body changes.

How the body uses energy from food, like how it breaks down protein, changes based on the food.

For example, protein needs more energy to break down than fats or sugars. This means not all calories cost the same energy.

Also, different body processes can change how the body uses calories.

Inaccurate burned calories

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For example, a diet with less sugar can start a process that uses a lot of energy.

Lastly, measuring burned calories during exercise can be inaccurate.

Devices like sports watches provide some numbers, but these don’t always accurately reflect reality.

Your body getting used to exercise can also change burned calories.

Losing weight

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In summary, counting calories can be complicated and is full of nuances.

While balance is key, not all calories are the same, and other things, like hunger, gut bugs, and body processes, matter for weight.

We will delve deeper into more effective strategies for fat loss and the importance of physical activity.

Profe Claudio Nieto hopes these healthy lifestyle habits have been helpful to you. See you soon!