I am ready to move on to one of the most heated discussions in the world of skill with you.
Do “calories, calories” work? Cue two groups of people shouting at each other online.
Group 1: “It’s simple! Just eat less calories than you burn!” Group 2: “This is not the calories! This is not working!”
So what should we do?!
Here’s the thing:
Both sides are a bit correct.
And also … they support each other in a way that I think is not useful for everyone.
Let’s break it.
⚖️ calories in calories out: The beginning
From a scientific point of view, we actually have mountain and studies to support the principle of calories in calories vs.
The law of thermodynamics still applies to human bodies.
If we were in a position dot Measure the calories consumed and the calories burned, the changes in the weight would be watched.
This place is reliable and repetitive!
But…
🧠 When most people say “calorie counting didn’t work for me”, they don’t support the beginning
They say:
- “The calorie monitoring made me miserable.”
- “I was always hungry.”
- “I played a wall that I couldn’t promote the past.”
- “I watched perfectly and nothing changed.”
- “Was too exhaustive to keep.”
They say the method It didn’t work for them.
Not Physics.
🔄 Method ≠ principle
This is where so many people come in.
Calories at / calories out = the principle
Calorie monitoring = a method
You can affect calories in the equation Without ever watching a calorie.
You can also watch every bite and feel stuck – because the behavioral side is out of:
- Hormones
- Stress levels
- Sleep quality
- Environment and activates
- Energy to prepare or drive
It’s not just the knowledge of numbers.
It is about building habits and strategies that help these numbers change.
✅ That’s why we say
Weight loss is not magical. Is the change of mathematics + behavior.
All calories are important. And, there are many environmental, physical and psychological factors that affect how much we eat and how we move. I have always loved this infographic from precision diet that shows all the hidden factors in calories, calories out of the equation.
So what is the “right” strategy?
Is what helps you They affect this equation … viable.
Some people love watching. Others hate it.
Some people make a great deal of portion control or high protein meals or reducing withdrawal.
None of them breaks the beginning.
They are simple different tools for the same job.
For a person, calorie monitoring (the method) can help them be more careful in portions and food choices throughout the day. They start planning ahead for meals, and this results in a light and sustainable calorie deficit for them. They do not hit everything perfectly, but over time, they begin to see progress. For another person, calorie monitoring can be completely reversed! It makes them feel neurotic and obsessed with numbers. It is really difficult to do, and even in the best scenarios, keeping calories at home is not an accurate science. After several weeks, they do not see progress and makes the process feel miserable and frustrating, not empowering. Both of these situations are normal and expected. We do not all have the same bodies, the same environments or we live in the same situation!
In fact, once you realize this, it’s like taking the red pill in the womb. You can see the code everywhere and apply the same thinking process to any diet or method out there.
Keto. Old. Intermittent fasting. For some people, these methods create the behavioral changes This leads to sustainable differences in calories, calories. For others, they don’t.
So if you ever had a partner to say, “I lost so much weight just to do x! You should try it!” And then you tried it and it didn’t work for you – you are not broken, it was just not the right strategy for you at that time.
💡 The bottom line
Let’s stop discussing if The beginning works.
Instead, let’s start asking:
What is the best method for this person to put this principle into action, without burning?
You do not need to count every calorie.
You box Measure calories if it helps.
And you can make completely progress by focusing on the habits and behaviors that affect the equation in a sustainable way.
We have gathered with us TDEE PC – which helps you to flood the daily calories you need based on your levels of activity. Steve and I also gathered a guide At 10 levels of Nerd Gym Nutrition – These are practical skills that focus on behaviors first of all, those who feel overwhelmed and are not sure where to start. Both are great tools on your gym trip!
And if you want help to calculate which method suits your brain, your life and goals, I’m just a response away.
– Matt coach
