Calories In = Calories Out? Exploring The True Science Behind The Calorie & The Real Truth About Fad Diets.

Mar 3, 2022

Dr. Giles Yeo, an obesity researcher at Cambridge University and author of "Why Calories Don't Count", dives into the misconceptions surrounding calories. He challenges the simple 'calories in versus calories out' theory and explains why popular diets often fail in the long run. Yeo discusses the complexities of calorie measurement, the unique properties of macronutrients, and how factors like food quality and environment play a crucial role in weight management. Get ready to rethink everything you thought you knew about dieting!

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INSIGHT

Bomb Calorimeter

Wilbur Atwater pioneered using bomb calorimeters to measure food calories.
A bomb calorimeter burns food in pressurized oxygen, measuring the released heat to calculate calories.

INSIGHT

ABC Equation of Calories

Giles Yeo's ABC equation highlights inaccuracies in calorie counting: actual calories in food, labeled calories, and usable calories differ.
This is because humans don't fully absorb all calories and processing affects calorie availability.

ANECDOTE

Atwater's Experiment

Atwater measured calorie absorption by burning food, feeding it to volunteers, and then burning their poop.
This allowed him to calculate the difference between calories consumed and calories excreted.

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BenGreenfieldFitness.com/countingcalories

3 March 2022

Calorie information is ubiquitous.

On packaged food, restaurant menus, and online recipes, we see authoritative numbers that tell us the calorie count of what we're about to consume. And many of us treat these numbers as gospel: counting, cutting, intermittently consuming, and, if you believe some “experts” out there, magically making them disappear.

We all know, and governments advise, that losing weight is just a matter of burning more calories than we consume. Here's the thing, however, that most people have no idea about: All of the calorie counts that you see everywhere today are WRONG.

In Why Calories Don't Count: How We Got the Science of Weight Loss Wrong, my guest on today's podcast, Dr. Giles Yeo, who is an obesity researcher at Cambridge University, challenges the conventional model and demonstrates that all calories are not created equal. He addresses why popular diets succeed, at least in the short term, why they ultimately fail, and what your environment has to do with your bodyweight. Once you understand that calories don't count, you can begin to make different decisions about how you choose to eat, learning what you really need to be counting instead. Practical, science-based, and full of illuminating anecdotes, this is the most entertaining dietary advice you'll ever find.

During our discussion, you'll discover: -What's a calorie?.... -The A-B-C equation of measuring calories in food... -The problem with Atwater's factors... -What's a DIT value and why does that matter... -Did we get it right when it comes to labeling our food?... -Why we're terrible judges of calorie counting... -Advice for a good macronutrient ratio with minimal ultra-processed food in the diet... Resources from this episode: Episode sponsors:

-Personal Peak Performance Summit

-Qualia Mind by Neurohacker

-Water and Wellness

-Kion Sleep

-HigherDOSE

Do you have questions, thoughts or feedback for Giles Yeo or me? Leave your comments at BenGreenfieldFitness.com/countingcalories and one of us will reply!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.