Eat Less For Weight Loss? – Nah, that’s impossible
“LESS” is the dirtiest 4 letter word the food industry has ever heard. When it comes to weight loss “LESS” is the only word worth hearing.
You'll never see a message of eating LESS
Apparently Michelle Obama is waging a war on childhood obesity (it still fascinates me how the white house must declare war on everything)
Of course this war will go nowhere and nothing will come of it besides a few watered down recommendations to “eat more healthy foods”
The key point here is the words “LESS” and “MORE”
Psychologically they are the big words in the statements of “eat LESS calories to lose weight” and “eat MORE healthy food choices to lose weight”
The only words that are of any real consequence in the above statements are “LESS” and “MORE”
The actual foods you choose are irrelevant to weight loss.
If Mrs Obama’s campaign is to have any real legs it must include the word “LESS” but if history is any indication there will be massive pushback from every arm of the food industry to block any government mandated message of consuming LESS of any food item.
How would you feel if you made or living selling beef products and her campaign explicitly stated to eat LESS beef…it wouldn’t be long until you were scaling back, getting laid off or closing up shop.
Same goes for everyone other type of food.
The point is that we’re already at a status quo of too much food and the food industry is entrenched with strong lobbies and ties within the FDA and USDA to squash any message of eating LESS of any food.
This is why Mrs Obama will fail in her attempt to do anything whatsoever about obesity in children or adults.
Until the message of eating LESS is allowed to be freely communicated, most people will be hopelessly looking for what special food they can eat MORE of it lose weight…how ironic!
This message of more vs less is the topic of todays philife podcast. Check it out here: Eating More vs Eating Less
John
24 Responses to “Eat Less For Weight Loss? – Nah, that’s impossible”
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March 10th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
Case in point:
My Mom heard that you should eat dark chocolate for antioxidants. So one day she goes “Anthony, I started taking dark chocolate at night with a glass of milk, they say it’s good for you.”
I asked her, “That’s great, but did you take 250 cals out of somewhere else in your diet to compensate?”
“No.”
My Mom is not an obese woman. She exercises religiously. But that’s a 1lb of fat in calories every 2 weeks. Imagine someone who doesn’t exercise?
March 10th, 2010 at 1:08 pm
John, i disagree in some points. Im convinced that calories are all that matter for weight loss, not the types of food etc. When i eat “caloric dense foods” i eat less volume, and when i eat “healthier” food (less caloric dense food) i eat more volume, and end up with the same amount of calories. I do this because i can control my hunger really good, thanks to fasting. But average people tend to eat till full, they dont control they hunger as well, so if you tell them to eat more healthy stuff, they can eat MORE amount of food and not go over their calories vs eating “junk food” where if they the same amount of food they will end up eating twice the calories.
I dont know if im making my self clear, but once you can control your apettite and be responsible for the amount of food you eat, you can eat whatever kind of food and lose weight, but for people that cant control how much they eat, telling them to eat the “healthier” types of foods (low calories) definetely help towards weight loss, as they can eat the same amount of VOLUME, with half the calories.
March 10th, 2010 at 1:59 pm
MikeGP, there’s certainly nothing wrong with eating low calorie, high volume foods. The one caveat is if someone tried to force themselves to eat a bunch of foods that they don’t like. That’s probably not sustainable. And denying oneself the foods that one enjoys may backfire eventually. We can either eliminate the foods we enjoy so that we eat less, or we can eat less of the foods we enjoy. I prefer the latter.
But as far as “people that cant control how much they eat,” that brings up a couple of issues for me. One, if someone is really that out of control, they’re probably screwed in the long run anyway. Will that person really be able to stick to low-cal, high volume foods in the long term?
Two, I used to think that I could never control how much I eat. I didn’t think I could reduce the size of my meals, I didn’t think I could just eat a serving of dessert without eating a second or third serving, etc. That’s why I would focus on things like low carb, Paleo, meal timing, etc. I wanted some trick or strategy to help me eat less, because I didn’t think I could simply “eat less.” But over the last two and a half weeks I’ve done it very easily. I’ve experienced mild hunger, no cravings, and I haven’t binged once. That’s not a long period of time, we’ll see how I do over the last few months. But I don’t see any reason why I can’t continue to do this for as long as I need to. Maybe there are harder cases out there than me, although I really thought that I was a hard case.
At any rate, I think that at least some of those people who can’t control how much they eat probably could if they really tried. All I needed was *full commitment.* Once I was fully committed to doing it, and nothing else, it became pretty easy.
March 10th, 2010 at 2:35 pm
Jordan
I understand what youre saying, but if you tell the average person they can eat any type of food, as long as theyre in a deficit, do you think they will go to McDonalds, eat a Double Cheeseburger with fries, and eat NOTHING else for the rest of the day? Its highly unlikely. Most people will have something else for dinner, maybe a little snack for breakfast, and the McDonalds meal pretty much covers the entire calories of the day (supposing they want to lose weight and must be in a deficit).
Thats what i mean when i say most people dont have much control on how much they eat. Hey i love Carls Jr, when i eat a burger, thats all I eat in the day, but the average person that really doesnt know much about calories etc…dont do this.
Also, the article doesnt mentino anything about “denying the foods you enjoy” it mentions “eating more healthy food”, hence less “junk food”. I understand this as eating maybe 80% – 70% “healthy” food and 20% – 30% “junk” food. This will cut back calories drastically vs eating 100% junk.
March 10th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
By the way i know there is no such thing as healthy food and junk food, im using those terms as
Healthy Food = Less calorie dense foods
Junk = Food we love, with high calorie density
March 10th, 2010 at 3:14 pm
Mike,
The point is the message of MORE vs LESS. Once people accept the concept of less then they will have the freedom to choose what they want to eat.
I’m not talking about food volume or caloric density of food vs how satiated it makes people. I’m talking about the overriding principle of MORE vs LESS.
The main message of more ‘healthy’ whatever, or ‘more’ food with less calorie density can become a slippery slope of just more food in general. The key word will always be LESS because there is in fact nothing that you can ever eat MORE of that will help you lose weight (if it pushes you above your RMR)
JB
March 10th, 2010 at 3:27 pm
Hey John,
I’ve read books, listened to experts with lack luster results. By following your advice, I went from 225 pounds to 162 pounds in less than 6 months. Your advice is by far the most honest and straight forward.
My Job as an Alderman (City Councillor) has made me act as both as leader in City policy decision making, and now a leader in physical fitness. By being in the best shape of my life I believe citizens give me a lot more respect due to my healthy appearance. I believe my story is worth telling. In part it’s thanks to you.
Thanks John.
Ryan Parker
Alderman for the City of Lethbridge
March 10th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
@ Ryan Parker, wow, congrats on the 63lbs lose, that’s a real inspiration especially being in the public eye. That’s a good way to be an example to the rest of your colleagues.
@ mikeGP, I understand exactly what your saying and I partially agree with you, especially when it comes to eating out in places like McD’s. Most people haven’t learnt how to control their appetite & keep it in check, I had a bunch of 3 slices of bread and 2buns this morning & a slice of buffalo chicken pizza for lunch @ 12pm, I’m done for the day till tomorrow 2:30pm, its a fasting day. So I’m working on a deficit on both days. Bt correct me if I’m wrong, I think you and John are saying the same thing, using different words, that is mikeGP(“calories”) and John(“eat less”).
March 10th, 2010 at 4:57 pm
Mike, personally, I wouldn’t eat the burger and fries. But I would eat a 500 calorie burger and a glass of water. Why does the McDonald’s meal have to cover one’s daily calorie intake? Heck, you could go to McDonald’s and have a cookie and some milk.
“Thats what i mean when i say most people dont have much control on how much they eat.”
I know, I was there! I was 255 pounds, which put me at ~75-85 pounds overweight. Now I’m about 241 and working my way down. If the average person fully commits to eating less, they can do it. I know because I’m the “average person” and I’m doing it.
March 10th, 2010 at 4:59 pm
Congrats, Ryan! I’ve got about 60-65 pounds to go, so it’s good to see that it’s possible, and in a short period of time, too! Nice!
March 10th, 2010 at 6:01 pm
Thanks for the positive feedback. The saying that “It’s not what you eat its how much you eat” is so true. Barban tells it as it is. I found the key to permanent fat loss is writing down everything you eat. Even if you can’t count still write it down. I hate eating ultra healthy it just makes you hungrier. I find items such as chocolate bars and McDonalds helps curb the appetite. Of course smaller portions. Heck, if it fits in your calorie range, eat it. Honestly who want to eat chicken breasts and salad all day? In the end I believe once you reach your target weight, find a range and stay with in it. For me that’s between 160 -165. Don’t get obsessed but understand your range. One question I have you John or any of you guys. How often do you weigh yourself? Right now I weigh my self daily.
Thanks,
Ryan
March 10th, 2010 at 6:16 pm
Ryan,
I weigh myself daily as I’m sort of always experimenting with things and especially looking at how much water and weight I hold before and after eating certain foods.
Sometimes I weigh myself before and after a workout, and before and after sleeping just to get a gauge of my weight range throughout any given day.
JB
March 10th, 2010 at 6:37 pm
Thanks for the answer. It easy to get obsessed with a number on a scale but it does keep you accountable. Now that I have lost the weight, I need focus on the Adonis index
My score is 1.388 Goal
Height 72 72
Waist 33.5 32.4 – 33.84
Shoulders 46.5 53.6
Body Weight 161.5 N/A
“AI” Score 1.388 1.6
Is it really possible to ad 6 to 7 inches to my shoulders?
Thanks
Ryan
March 10th, 2010 at 6:39 pm
Hey John,
What I meant to show you is my goal is 53.6 for shoulders.
Is that really possible?
My ai score is 1.388 vs goal of 1.6
thanks,
ryan
March 10th, 2010 at 6:51 pm
I probably would have been pitching the same argument as Mike until recently, and I can see where he’s coming from. However, I find myself completely agreeing with John. The main point is less vs more. Take a look at two scenarios. I’ve been in both, and I’m sure it’s no surprise to anyone here, only one of these actually helped me lose weight.
Scenario 1 – I eat a calorie dense meal such as McDonald’s. I believe the “more healthy foods” argument, so I think everything will be fine as long as I eat more “healthy” foods later. It’s no surprise that with this attitude, I end up gaining weight.
Scenario 2 – I eat the same meal but now I know the truth so I compensate later on by eating much less. If it’s a super size meal, I probably wouldn’t eat anything the rest of the day. Trust me on this. You will only do this a couple of times before you realise that having a McDonald’s super size meal is not worth depriving yourself of food for an entire day. Before you know it, you’re no longer ordering super size meals and more than likely, you’re skipping McDonald’s completely because you decide you’d prefer to eat more than once per day.
Except on very special occasions, I no longer have huge portions. I enjoy the food more, I make better selections and I can eat anything I want guilt free. This only happened after discovering Eat Stop Eat and John’s blog. I had to train myself that nothing bad was going to happen to me if I just ate less!
March 10th, 2010 at 7:01 pm
Ryan,
I’m assuming by a height of 72 you mean inches which makes you 6’0 tall…you’re shoulders don’t need to be more than 51 inches.
It takes time but you should be able to get there.
Keep in mind that the shoulder measurement includes your back and your chest…so you’re not adding all those inches to just your shoulders.
My shoulder measurement is 51 inches in those pics I put up a few days ago. So you’ll have to be at least as big as I am in those pics to have 51 inch shoulders.
JB
March 10th, 2010 at 9:51 pm
@ Cooper, Great post!! I agree 100% with your comment, it’s so true!! Especially this comment “I enjoy the food more, I make better selections and I can eat anything I want guilt free”. I love it!!
I just did a 48 hour fast, just to see if I could do it, and I broke the fast with a 500 calorie meal. I’ve never had this much control over my appetite in my whole life! I ate what I wanted (PB & banana sandwich w/ small salad with a bit of turkey and a few pieces of chocolate) and then stopped with no desire to continue eating. This was unheard of a few weeks ago. I can’t thank John and Brad enough. I couldn’t believe how much energy I had at the 40-48 hour mark. I used to think 16 hours was forever. haha.
March 10th, 2010 at 10:21 pm
Jenny,
My friend that I was talking about in a previous post did a 48 hour fast just recently…and get this, she ran a half marathon at the 45 hour mark!
People are just so scared of fasting, but it’s really not that big of a deal, and it teaches us so much about how/why we eat and how to take control of eating and enjoy food again.
PB & Banana sandwiches are soooo gooood!
JB
March 11th, 2010 at 12:29 am
boy, i just gots to get in on this PB and banana sandwich talk because everyone i know thinks i am some kind of mental defective for even suggesting that sliced bananas on PB on wheat toast with a frosty glass of milk is the shiz-nit…its good to know that even if i am mentally defective, at least i am not alone.
(apparently Elvis fried them – never tried that, but i would be open to the experience)
March 11th, 2010 at 11:30 am
Ryan: “I hate eating ultra healthy it just makes you hungrier. I find items such as chocolate bars and McDonalds helps curb the appetite.”
I like that! I wonder if all the binges and cravings that we hear about are reactions to denying oneself delicious foods, rather than simply eating less. I’m sure I’ll make a mistake eventually and eat too much, we’re all human. But it won’t be because of cravings. I really don’t have any. And when I do overeat, I’ll get right back on track with an IF.
Typically, I’ve weighed in 2-3 times a week. I used to weigh myself once a week, but I didn’t want to get misled by some weird water fluctuation, so I wanted to weigh more often. Lately I’ve been weighing more since I was stuck at 240.5 for 5-6 days, so I was pretty impatient to end that. This morning I weighed in at 239.5, so that’s good!
March 11th, 2010 at 11:38 am
Cooper: “I had to train myself that nothing bad was going to happen to me if I just ate less!”
Exactly! That is exactly how it works!
March 11th, 2010 at 12:06 pm
@ John, WOW, your friend running a half marathon at the 45 hour mark is very impressive!! So inspiring! My fast went very well and I’m actually excited for my next 48 hour fast and I am so tempted to give 72 a try.
J
March 11th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
Thanks John for the answer. I forgot that shoulder measurements also included increased growth in the back and chest. By the way your pics look great, mabey a little to skinny. (just joking)
Keep up the great work.
Ryan
March 11th, 2010 at 12:09 pm
Hey Jordan,
Great point. Whats your target weight?