When is a Calorie Not Just a Calorie?
I was brought up in the tradition of calorie counting, and as a result, once I had learned how to know what I was spending, despite some serious eating issues – both behavioral and nutritional – never again gained my weight back. So, naturally I had a bias for that particular tool. And I hope I don’t insult anyone when I say that I still do think/observe that the primary reason that many of us are overweight is simply because (through genuine calorie ignorance or deliberate unwillingness to accept responsibility) we fail to be accountable for our overspending. Haven’t you been appalled when you have seen the published calorie numbers for some of your favorite treats? I know I have. Remember when Nutrition Action Magazine listed the calories of the Pecan Cinnabon as roughly comparable to a Denny’s Grand Slam Breakfast? Who knew?
However, that having been said, there are biochemical pieces of the puzzle that we are just beginning to understand that do influence both metabolism and fat storage. The content of your diet, metabolism issues, the exact way you exercise, chronic stress (Uh-oh!), even time of day you eat do have an influence on a many biochemical pathways in your body that influence your weight. There do appear to be times when just working the numbers isn’t enough.
For instance, when circulating insulin is high, your body is in fat storage mode. When insulin is high (whether from the insulin resistance brought about by consuming products that interfere with receptor function, like high fructose corn syrup) testosterone and growth hormone levels are decreased, and muscle building is decreased. When insulin is high it decreases sex hormone binding globulin and therefore more of your estrogen is free and in its active form – hence more fat storage and boobies in overweight little boys. When cortisol levels (stress hormones) are high from continued chronic stress, the body converts more of your T4 (the precursor to T3, the active form of thyroid hormone) to something called “Reverse T3”. This form of T3 works against the active form. When cortisol levels are too low from adrenal burnout, it intereferes with the function of thyroid receptors and again thyroid hormones don’t work effectively. All these conditions potentially contribute to “inexplicable” weight gain or difficulty losing weight.
The high fructose corn syrup found especially in soft drinks (like sports drinks) actually interferes with the function of the insulin receptors, and broken insulin receptors are a step on the road to diabetes. HFCS is one of the substances that is actually used to induce insulin resistance and hypertension in laboratory animals so that they can test drugs on them. Scary thought. Elevated insulin levels in turn interfere with the production of growth hormone and testosterone. “When insulin is out to play, growth hormone and testosterone go away” to quote one nutritional biochemist. Elevated insulin also promotes fat storage. Seems a little self defeating, don’t you think, to drink a sports drink containing HFCS that both interferes with the growth hormone and testosterone you would want to be producing, and at the same time interferes with fat burning post exercise?
I wish I had known when I was younger that I was torturing myself with my eating/starving style and especially the content of my diet. I craved carbs all the time. I didn’t understand why. In fact, no one seemed to understand then that the nutritional guidelines being promoted at that time were bound to have this appetite enhancing effect. Many of my clients were around my age, and like me, their 30‘s and 40‘s fell in the “fat is bad” era where everyone just ate carbs, and especially those that turned to sugar quickly – pasta, bagels, and a myriad fat-free dry crunchy things. Mind you, in all fairness, when they said to eat low fat and high carb, they meant broccoli and brown rice, not Snackwells and bagels. Little did I know that I probably needed anti-depressant meds because I literally had no raw materials (proteins and Omega 3 fats) to even make a neurotransmitter!
I would readily (and maybe almost proudly) admit to my clients that I spent most days on the edge of a binge; that the only reason I didn’t cross over was that I effectively used so many environmental control strategies that I could keep the demon in check – strategies that I could teach to them.
We did not understand until recently that the content of our diets was exacerbating what many of us experienced as a broken appetites. I know that I just assumed that I was that eating disordered. I think I can fairly say that virtually every new client I get who complains about constant hunger and low energy has been starting their day with cereal and skim milk, or something nutritionally comparable.
Most people in the nutrition field absolutely abhor the very idea of calorie counting for this exact reason – they see so many of us just working the numbers and paying absolutely no heed to our nutrition. Many nutrition experts will say: your body is not a bank account, it is a chemical factory.
I don’t know. It is still my observation that the reason most of my clients can’t eat mostly carbs and continue to keep their weight off is because they can’t manage their appetites, not because there is some unique biochemistry of insulin mismanagement that makes their body store everything. They understandably cannot keep their appetites, and thus calorie consumption, in check. Calories are the currency of your body. You can’t ignore the math. Calorie knowledge allows you to do your part in maintaining accountability. But clearly calorie knowledge alone cannot override your biochemistry and it only makes sense to eat in a way that gives your body the best possible opportunity to run efficiently.
So to the question “Do calories count or is there something else going on?”, I think the answer is: yes, and yes. Both are true.
Eventually my science knowledge (it only took about 11 years, a Masters Degree in Nutrition and about a bazillion hours of continuing education credits to finally have an influence on me, mind you) guilted me into improving the content of my diet, and I no longer set the standard for the black sheep of the nutrition community. I still overeat on the weekends, but it is more likely to be real food these days (like steak or eggplant parm), not 1500 calories of Pepperidge Farm chocolate chip crumb cake. At least with real foods I eventually get sated. Truth be told, I got exhausted by the struggle with my appetite all the time. Finally, after years of torturing myself to pay off the caloric debts of my hedonism, the disappointment of not having the pleasure of these foods in my diet as much as I want is far outweighed by the relief at the removal of the obsession.
And who knew that after enough time had gone by, it wouldn’t even be that hard. I’m sure that it is because (aside from the now ingrained habit of controlling my environment) some biochemical change has been brought about by that very change in my diet. Believe me it is not virtue on my part. Somehow, food is more in its proper place of importance in my life these days. If you cancelled our Saturday night dinner date, I wouldn’t feel compelled to go out and eat something indulgent by myself (or order in) anymore. It’s no longer the be all and end all. I can actually enjoy other<
/em> things as much as I did eating…well almost.
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