Calorie is a calorie. Is a calorie.

Posted on August 14, 2015

Calorie.

I hate diet articles. I hate diet books. I hate Dr. Oz. So I read everything.

(An aside: Dr. Oz wants money. He does not care about your health and does not provide anything medically useful to his viewers. Please, if you trust Dr. Oz, stop trusting him and do not blindly follow his recomendations. Read stuff. All the things. )

Over time, I have become pretty educated about nutrition and exercise and trending/changing fad diets. I have come to the conclusion that the diet that works is the one you can tolerate, and that leads to a declining number on the scale and clothes tag.

So for me, that means calorie counting. I can't cut out food groups, I can't eliminate certain compounds from my life. No, I salt food some. I eat cupcakes some. I drink an occasional soda, though usually with my occasional alcohol. I eat chocolate frequently.

And it's working for me. It might not work for you. You know what wouldn't work for me? The Paleo diet, or the Atkins, or the Zone, mediterranean, Weight Watchers, you get the idea. Zone? Math. Nope. WW? Formulating food into points-- it's calorie counting without calorie counting. I get it, I just don't like it. Volumetrics, ok, maybe-- it's similar to how I try to eat most of the time anyway. Maybe the real problem is that I don't like to be told what to do. Huh. Breakthrough. I DO WHAT I WANT!

I derailed.

So I saw this article about low-carb not being better for fat loss. And I read the article and congratulated myself on not drinking the low-carb koolaid. Then I saw an article from a year ago, saying low-carb helps weight loss. Both NPR (who I think is fairly reputable).

NPR says cut all the carbs!!!

NPR says psyche! Don't cut carbs!

I came to two conclusions.

One: All journalism is propganda. You know this, I know this, but I still forget. It's in now to buck against the trends like low-carb and organic-- just as in as preaching the sins of GMO. In the case of these articles, they are misleading. They are not citing the same information-- and they do clarify, however it's a very subtle message. The newer article states low-carb is not better for FAT LOSS; the previous article says it is better for WEIGHT LOSS. Not the same.

Two: I need to stop reading articles that pop up on Facebook and MSN.

The point of my ramble is just that I had a donut for breakfast and it was delicious and I don't feel bad and it hasn't ruined my life, my diet, or my weight loss. You do you, I'll do me, and let's meet in the skinny part of the store to buy new clothes, ok? Ok.

Comment Now!

Pirwaki

08/14/2015 11:08AM

Right on, as usual! People who fail at diets fail because they commit to get-thin-quick gimmicks that aren't sustainable in the long term. So, when they inevitably return to the carbs or the meats or the dairy or whatever they categorically cut out to drop weight fast, it piles on PDQ. I mean, there are the rare exceptions who can be paleo until they die, but in reality, the best approach is eat everything, but not the whole plate of it. It's getting to be able to do that that's the tricky part. I'm the same as it sounds like you are! For a while, I nixed the sweets altogether, but really just to detox and because, for a while, I actually didn't want any of them. It was scary reintroducing the "bad" stuff to my diet again because I wasn't sure I would be able to have just a little instead of the whole thing, but I've finally figured it out. Wow, that was a lot of "me" talk! Anyway, point being, I think you're right. I've watched a woman I work with completely eliminate carbs, drop 40 pounds, then carbo-load like a junkie and gain 50, cut again and lost 60, and on and on and on. You'd think she'd get wise at some point, but it hasn't happened yet. Keep eating donuts, but have one for breakfast, as you did, instead of half a dozen, like 2014 me would have. Thanks for sharing your insights!

Alice W. and bahhhhh like this comment.

Aimes

08/14/2015 10:45AM

Such a great point re: Dr. Oz! I was *just* thinking about that, mostly because he has a "Dr." in front of his name and people trust him. His show is usually on when I'm at the gym and I practice selective listening. Like, I don't think any harm can come from his / his guest's suggestion to tune into what you're feeling when you get a food craving (this has actually been pretty interesting study for me over the past week). Nor do I think that his "5 Amazing Uses for Avocados" are going to do me any damage. But I do find his "YOU MUST DO THIS NEW DIET" bit each week super obnoxious. It really concerns me for the viewers who don't know any better. Also, whoever produces his show most certainly worked in the news business prior - the teasers are SO sensationalistic. Ugh.

J C. and bahhhhh like this comment.

Aimes

*Not that I have anything to say about that! :-) Good job for finding what works for you and finding balance!

bahhhhh

I agree with you. I'm on board with the cravings mindset (mostly, you may remember my vitamin obsession, ha!) and sure, I think avocados are good. But it's the "miracle diet" talk and the "life changing product" he promotes-- that you KNOW he's getting mad bank from and has no basis on real life-- like science-- I get so angry. Too many people believe his nonsense, and that's why he is rich, and it makes me want to punch the television when I see his stupid face. *cleansing breath*

Kaycee

08/14/2015 10:13AM

There is SO MUCH out there. And it can be a little over whelming. But you're right, it's important to find what works best for you.

Brenda, Chrystal M. and bahhhhh like this comment.

Les

08/14/2015 7:34AM

You will do it and I will do it................even though I do give in to the occasional bear claw:) Reading as a way to formulate an opinion is always a good thing - just so long as one is able to look at the big picture! Hang in there GF!

bahhhhh likes this comment.