RMR defined

[kbfunTH]

http://www.healthmark.org/programs_page/metabolic.html

"Your resting metabolic rate (RMR) is the minimum amount of calories required to maintain vital body functions (brain activity, heartbeat, breathing, etc.) – in simple terms, it is the amount of calories you burn at rest. RMR accounts for up to 75% of the calories you burn each day. RMR is unique to each person and is influenced by a number of factors such as body mass, body composition, age, gender, and hormones.
HealthMark has the MedGem®device, which quickly and accurately determines your RMR. Knowing your RMR is important, especially if you are trying to lose weight. The only way to know how many calories you should eat to lose weight is to know how many calories your body actually burns. Once your RMR is known, it is easy to determine the number of calories required to achieve a weight goal."

[kebaldwin]

The only way to know how many calories you should eat to lose weight is to know how many calories your body actually burns. Once your RMR is known, it is easy to determine the number of calories required to achieve a weight goal.

But if you are eating low carb -- you don't have to worry about calories to lose body fat. But yes, the higher your metabolic rate, the easier it is to burn fat.

[kbfunTH]

But if you are eating low carb -- you don't have to worry about calories to lose body fat. But yes, the higher your metabolic rate, the easier it is to burn fat.

I don't mean this to offend you, but this is by far one of the biggest misconceptions anyone could ever believe. Calories will ALWAYS count, no exceptions.

[kebaldwin]

I don't mean this to offend you, but this is by far one of the biggest misconceptions anyone could ever believe. Calories will ALWAYS count, no exceptions.

No offense taken -- but the facts are -- I lost 60 pounds eating like 3,500 to 4,000 calories per day over six months. It is NOT a misconception and calories do not count.

[kbfunTH]

Using some rough calculations, your rmr was around 2500 and based on the average person's activity level, you could of went as high as probably 3800 per day. Congratulations on losing the 60 lbs., but the numbers, to me, add up. I wouldn't say it was any surprise that you lost that amount of weight then.

[kebaldwin]

But if I had eaten half as many calories consisting of high glycemic carbohyrdates -- I would have put on a lot of weight.

[kbfunTH]

But if I had eaten half as many calories consisting of high glycemic carbohyrdates -- I would have put on a lot of weight.

Not true! When I was at my leanest (about 6-7%), I was eating around 170 grams of protein and around 200 grams of carbs (mostly rice, some fruit, vegs and occasionally pasta). This proves nothing except that a deficit of calories is essential to losing weight. Had I adjusted that diet composition to equal more protein and less carbs, I would have likely stayed the same in leanness and gone up a few lbs in lbm.

[kebaldwin]

Not true!

How can you sit there and say me, and millions of other people that went from obese to thin on a low carb diet, are lying?

Most people are not over weight because they are eating too many calories. They are over weight because they are eating too many high glycemic foods and their bodies pack those carbs on as fat.

Millions of obese people have found that they can lose weight, or at least fat, by eating more and simply eliminate high glycemic carbohydrates.

Have you ever been 300 pounds and obese?

[kbfunTH]

No I haven't because I have the necessary tools not to get that way unless I choose. I never said anything about the successful low card dieters lying. What I did say, was that the notion that calories do not have a role in weight management, is false. Everyone that is over weight is that way because they have an excess of calories in their body from either eating to many, or not being active enough to dump the extra.

I'm an advocate of low carb myself and I understand its benefits, but I also understand the role calories play as well! Regardless of your diet composition, you will gain bodyweight if you consume more calories than you can use. Everyone is subject to these laws of nature. Sir Isaac Newton discovered this back in the late 1600’s. They are referred to as the laws of thermodynamics. They are inescapable.

Like I also mentioned, it's fantastic that you've lost 60 lbs and from looking at your specs and the number of calories you said you consumed, it's not a surprise.

I have trained many people of all types over the last 16 years and the success of every one of them came when energy/activity were balanced.

[kebaldwin]

Sorry. Most of the people on this message board have proved that wrong.

I've never had cancer, stroke, or many other diseases -- but that does not make me an expert on how to live to avoid them.

Perhaps if you had been through it, you would understand how wrong this thought is.

[liddie01]

on the other side of the coin, my DS is 6'8" and has a 32 inch waist, I have seen him eat 15 whoppers, with buns at a sitting, he can eat 2 large dominos pizzas and often does, a box of cearel at a time, and does not gain, and no, he is not very active, he works at a computer, 12 hours, comes home and sleeps.

[LisaS]

Sir Isaac had little or nothing to do with the laws of thermodynamics. He formulated the laws of motion - different thing all together.

[kbfunTH]

little or nothing, either way, it all started with him. Regardless, the laws still govern our bodyweight.

liddie01, how old is your husband and how much does he way?

[liddie01]

my sons father died at 27, drowned. My son is 27 now and 180 pounds

[kbfunTH]

My oversight, please except my appologies.

[kebaldwin]

I think the problem is that you are thinking about similar people - people that are in shape, normal hormone levels, no predisposition to type 2 diabetes, etc. In this case, I would agree with you.

The difference is that most overweight people have huge insulin spikes in response to eating high glycemic foods. These spikes throw many of the hormones in the body out of wack -- hormones that lower the metabolic rate and hormones that tell the body to store carbohydrates as fat. In men, it decreases testosterone and builds estrogen.

People eventually start becoming insulin resistant.

As the muscle decreases and fat builds -- their resting metabolic rate also decreases. I think it is something like a pound of muscle burns 30 more calories than a pound of fat. So if a man loses 20 pounds of muscle and adds 20 pounds of fat -- that is 600 less calories per day.

The reason the low carb diet is so good -- is that glucose and insulin plunge since there is no carbohydrate. This, along with proper nutrition (another major problem with most overweight people) allows other hormones to rebuild back to their normal levels. The low carb diet not only burns fat -- but builds lean so if they can rebuild 20 pounds of lean and burn 20 pounds of fat -- that is an increase of 600 calories per day.

So body composition and hormone levels have a lot to do with it.

[LisaS]

some interesting articles on diet and thermodynamics:
http://www.nutritionj.com/content/3/1/9
http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/1/1/15

and some mixed opinions on same:
http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/do-calories-really-count.html
http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/qa-display/short/bmj_el;41044
http://brain.hastypastry.net/forums/archive/index.php/t-32949.html

[kbfunTH]

Everything you are saying here is exactly why the majority are so confused and don't have a clue how to prevent or at least break through a so called 'stall.'

Thanks for the links LisaS.