simple simon wrote:
THIS! Weight loss really isn't that complicated.
haha YO wrote:If you burn more calories than you take in you will lose weight, end of story.
It really isn't THAT complicated. However, it's not that simple. Fat accumulation is hormonally controlled. We see this during puberty when guys lose fat and gain muscle and girls gain fat in certain areas (wink, wink). We are also concerned with the genetics/hormones that make cancer grow and make people tall or short, etc... Why does the science stop there?
What about this scenario? Let's say that I "require" 3000 kcal a day to maintain my weight. If it really is about calories in v. out... then why can't I simply drink 2000 kcal of high-fructose corn syrup and then eat a 1000 kcal mixture of fat, protein and vitamins and minerals? No one would ever suggest this diet because they'd say that all that sugar is dangerous. Why is that? This is because that is going to have negative effects on my body. If I were a person who is more apt to gain weight, I would get fatter very quickly on this diet. If it was just calories in v. out, a person trying to lose weight (who "requires" 3000 kcal/day) could just eat 2500 kcal worth of cake and lose weight. However, we know this just isn't the case because even though a 500 kcal deficit exists, the carbohydrate in the cake will stimulate insulin production to control blood sugar and push those calories to "storage" as fat.