Are we told to calculate our calories?

[whyisthis]

We're told that excess calories contribute to weight gain.

Why is the government/dietetics association not pushing us to
calculate our calorie consumption? Shouldn't we be making a
diet log of everything we eat to insure we're not consuming
excess calories according to our lifestyle?

[Mr-Natural]

whyisthis@myself.com wrote:

> Why is the government/dietetics association not pushing us
> to calculate our calorie consumption?

I don't calculate my calorie consumption and I don't have a
weight problem.

I, however, know when to stop eating. :)

Just thought that you might want to know.

[Mmu]

<whyisthis@myself.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:1120568675.308897.99070@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> We're told that excess calories contribute to weight gain.
>
> Why is the government/dietetics association not pushing us
> to calculate our calorie consumption? Shouldn't we be making
> a diet log of everything we eat to insure we're not
> consuming excess calories according to our lifestyle?

no.

1) counting calories needs a lot of compliance over a long
time; most people don't have that kind of self-discipline.

2) most people know which foods are rich in calories and which
are low in calories anyway. many people have no problem
maintaining a certain weight because they know what, and in
what ammounts to eat.

3) counting calories suggests that you can actually exactly
calculate a "i won't get fat" treshhold.. this is not the
case; there too many factors with big variations
(individual BMR/MET, digestion/availability factors,
difference between averaged foods in tables and actual
food bought, hormonal status, influence of food contents
on metabolism etc.) to calculate something down to a
single kcal.

.. for people who have no idea of general ammounts of calories
they eat it might help to have them make a log.. but for most
people all they lack is some motivation, a few good tips on
healthy food alternatives and self discipline.

[Jim Chinni]

whyisthis@myself.com wrote in part:

>Shouldn't we be making a diet log of everything we eat to
>insure we're not consuming excess calories according to our
>lifestyle?

Making a log doesn't itself change how one eats.
--
Jim Chinnis Warrenton, Virginia, USA jchinnis@alum.mit.edu

[Enrico C]

On Tue, 05 Jul 2005 17:32:41 GMT, Jim Chinnis wrote in
<news:pvglc11msnedftallqpg8hu9qa53n983qv@4ax.com> on
sci.med.nutrition :

> whyisthis@myself.com wrote in part:
>
>>Shouldn't we be making a diet log of everything we eat to
>>insure we're not consuming excess calories according to our
>>lifestyle?
>
> Making a log doesn't itself change how one eats.

Well, not by "itself", but it can be used in a feedback
mechanism, if the log makes you realize how much calories, and
fat, and carbs, and so on... you are actually eating.

--
Enrico C

[Mmu]

"Jim Chinnis" <jchinnis@alum.mit.edu> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:pvglc11msnedftallqpg8hu9qa53n983qv@4ax.com...
> whyisthis@myself.com wrote in part:
>
>>Shouldn't we be making a diet log of everything we eat to
>>insure we're not consuming excess calories according to our
>>lifestyle?
>
> Making a log doesn't itself change how one eats.
> --
> Jim Chinnis Warrenton, Virginia, USA jchinnis@alum.mit.edu

actually it does.. and this is why it presents a problem
factor for studies based on such. seeing, black on white, what
you ate the whole day on a list does have an impact on your
diet if you are considering to loose weight.

[Dr Tomato]

<whyisthis@myself.com> wrote in message =
news:1120568675.308897.99070@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> We're told that excess calories contribute to weight gain.
>=20
> Why is the government/dietetics association not
> pushing us to =
calculate
> our calorie consumption? Shouldn't we be making a diet log
> of everything we eat to insure we're not consuming excess
> calories according to our lifestyle?

Weight Watchers uses points, which is simpler and leads to a
pattern of = reasonable eating.

[Rbr]

On 5 Jul 2005 06:45:13 -0700, "Mr-Natural-Health"
<johngohde@naturalhealthperspective.com> wrote:

>
>
>whyisthis@myself.com wrote:
>
>> Why is the government/dietetics association not pushing us
>> to calculate our calorie consumption?
>
>I don't calculate my calorie consumption and I don't have a
>weight problem.

Just that thick layer of fat between your ears.

>
>I, however, know when to stop eating. :)

If only you knew when to shut up. :(

>
>Just thought that you might want to know.

Actually, no!

RBR

[Laurie]

<whyisthis@myself.com> wrote in message
news:1120568675.308897.99070@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> We're told that excess calories contribute to weight gain.
That is nonsense. Calories are energy, and have NO weight.
One does not eat calories; one does not "burn" calories
The term, calorie, is used incorrectly in contemporary
nutribabble. http://www.ecologos.org/obese.htm
http://www.ecologos.org/pcf.htm
http://www.ecologos.org/ex.htm

Laurie

[Ben Fuller]

Laurie (no@spam.com) wrote:

: <whyisthis@myself.com> wrote in message news:1120568675.308-
: 897.99070@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
: > We're told that excess calories contribute to weight gain.
: That is nonsense. Calories are energy, and have NO
: weight. One does not eat calories; one does not "burn"
: calories The term, calorie, is used incorrectly in
: contemporary nutribabble.
: http://www.ecologos.org/obese.htm
: http://www.ecologos.org/pcf.htm
: http://www.ecologos.org/ex.htm

: Laurie

On the other hand .......

Quoting "Webster's Desk dictionary of the English Language" -

Calorie
1. The amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one
gram of water by 1 deg C (small calorie), or of one
kilogram of water by 1 deg C (large calorie).
2. A unit equal to the large calorie, used to express the
heat output of an organism and THE FUEL OR ENERGY VALUE OF
FOOD. [EMPHASIS added].

Dictionaries are such wonderful things ... for people who are
open minded enough to use them. :-)

Ben F.

[Laurie]

"Ben Fullerton" <benfnospam@chebucto.ns.ca> wrote in message
news:dd4rjd$gcc$1@News.Dal.Ca...

> Quoting "Webster's Desk dictionary of the English
> Language" -
>
> Calorie
> 1. The amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one
> gram of water by 1 deg C (small calorie), or of one
> kilogram of water by 1 deg C (large calorie).
> 2. A unit equal to the large calorie, used to express the
> heat output of an organism and THE FUEL OR ENERGY VALUE
> OF FOOD. [EMPHASIS added].
>
> Dictionaries are such wonderful things ... for people who
> are open minded enough to use them. :-)
Dictionaries, however, are not biochemistry texts, so are
totally useless for that purpose. Strange you missed that
in biochem class. Instead of juvenile chicanery, why don't
you craft a credible refutation of what I wrote? Can't
find one in the dictionary?

Laurie