Why Your Calorie Math is Wrong
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Do you currently weigh more than you’d like to? Are you considering calorie counting to lose weight? Before you start, there are some important things you need to consider.
Weight gain can almost always be explained by energy balance theory. The law of thermodynamics dictates that if you eat more calories than you burn, you’ll likely gain weight. Conversely, if you burn more calories than you eat, you’ll likely lose weight. There are many challenges to weight loss, but a fundamental challenge is that while calories absolutely count, it’s very difficult to accurately count them on the way in and on the way out.
Why? Because some variables can make calorie math more complex than you might think, screwing up your calculations and impacting your weight loss efforts. Even if your calorie math is excellent, you still likely have an error rate of 10-20 percent – enough to derail your efforts.
What is Calorie Math?
Calorie math is the calculation of energy balance in the human body. It’s based on the principle that the calories you consume from food must equal the calories you expend through activities and bodily functions to maintain your weight.
Consuming more calories than you burn leads to weight gain, while consuming fewer calories leads to weight loss. This balance is influenced by different factors including metabolism, physical activity, and the nutritional content of the foods that you eat.
5 Calorie Variables To Consider
1. Food labels are often wrong
Food manufacturers are legally allowed an error rate of as much as 20 percent on their nutritional labels. So, with a 20 percent margin, it’s not uncommon for manufactures to round down calorie figures to make foods seem healthier than they are. What this means is we don’t know exactly how many calories packaged foods contain and shouldn’t rely too rigidly on labels.
2. Fitness trackers are always wrong
Your favorite fitness tracker – whether that’s the metal grips on an elliptical trainer, a heart rate chest strap, or a smart watch – are wildly inaccurate. Just like nutritional labels tend to underestimate the calories you’re eating, fitness trackers overestimate. So, it’s very difficult to know how many calories you’re actually burning from your activities. At best, they are 10-20 percent out, so don’t take their readings too literally.
3. Your metabolism isn’t fixed
Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) – often referred to as your “metabolism” is not fixed. It changes on a daily basis. Stranger still, it also changes based on how much or how little you eat. When you restrict your intake on a diet, for example, it’s common for your basal metabolic rate to decrease – so frustrating! Even your meal timing can impact your BMR. What this means is you don’t know how many calories you are really burning.
4. Protein burns dirty
Protein has a thermogenic effect, meaning as a fuel source, it burns “dirty”. So, while 100 grams of protein might contain 400 calories, you might use as much as 80 to 100 calories to digest it, so you might only absorb 300. On restrictive diets, people often push aside heavier, high protein foods, but this can be a mistake since they are satiating and have a lower net caloric effect.
5. Not everything you eat is absorbed
The last big factor is fiber and this impacts what’s called metabolized energy. Just because the foods you eat enter your digestive system, it doesn’t mean they are all absorbed. Ultra-processed foods contain highly available and absorbable calories, but fibrous whole plant foods, and even some chewy meat can pass all the way through your system with a 10-20 percent difference between what is eaten vs. what is absorbed. While this is only a small variable of calorie math, that 10-20 percent flux is still enough to stop your pants from fitting within a couple of months.
5 Alternatives To Calorie Counting
1. Focus on eating whole foods as much as possible
Often, when dieting, people like to focus on meal replacement drinks or energy bars because they make portion and calorie control easier. The challenge with these foods is that they’re ultra-processed. So, the calories hit your digestive system very quickly and they’re almost entirely absorbed. Not to mention as much as 20 percent inaccurate on the label.
At the other end of the spectrum are whole foods, which slow down your eating and your calorie absorption. This is called metabolized energy and it’s often lower in whole foods. It might not be lower by much, but if you accidentally consume fewer calories because your food is whole, this is no bad thing.
2. Try counting carbs instead of calories
This approach doesn’t work for everyone, but in my experience it’s far easier and more accurate to count your carbohydrates than your calorie consumption. And since this is the macronutrient that people tend to over-consume it makes sense to put our focus here.
Carbohydrates are the least satiating, most shelf-stable, and most inexpensive food – plus they taste great. While it’s possible to survive without any carbohydrates–your body can make its own glucose–that would make for a very restrictive and joyless life. A much simpler approach is to count and moderate your carbs using the simple formula of one gram of carbohydrate per pound of ideal body weight. Here’s a simple math formula that’s non-restrictive and easy to remember:
- Ideal body weight = e.g. 150 lbs
- Ideal carb consumption each day = 150 grams (or less)
If you’ve never counted carbs before, what this usually means for most people is that if your typical lunch is a sandwich, throw out half the bread. If your usual dinner includes rice, cut the serving in half, and eat more protein or fat instead. You’ll notice the change, but you won’t suffer.
3. Start every meal with 30 grams of protein
Protein is the most satiating nutrient and fills you up fast. Almost no one in the modern world is protein deficient, but many are protein imbalanced, which can lead to food cravings. Protein, as mentioned, also burns dirty, so the real calories offered are usually less than what you think.
The simple formula is to aim for one gram of protein per pound of ideal body weight. This is not a high protein diet, it’s a moderate protein approach ensuring satiety and promoting preservation of lean muscle mass. But if you’re new to this approach, it’s easiest to aim for 30 grams per meal – and always eat it at the start.
If this feels challenging, try making a 30 gram whey or pea protein shake to drink before you eat. This may sound too simple to be effective, but it’s an amazing hack that you can implement right now.
4. Do 10 minutes of strength training each day
When you train and build lean muscle, even just a little, it has a myriad of benefits. It helps to offset the reduction of your basal metabolic rate during weight loss, it can improve your blood sugar management, and keep your energy higher.
If you already follow a strength training program, keep at it. If you don’t, keep things simple and focus on compound movements. Try this 10-minute, equipment-free practice:
- 5 sets of 10 squats one day
- 5 sets of 10 pushups the next
- Alternate between those two and train every day
5. Go for a leisurely walk after meals
This is not about burning calories; it’s about helping your body to manage blood glucose after a meal. A simple 30-minute walk can mean the difference between excess glucose being stored in your muscles and liver as energy for later, or that same glucose being stored as body fat on your hips. Take the walk!
Safety Disclaimer
This is for educational purposes only. If you’re on medication, please discuss dietary changes with your doctor before starting any new approach.
