The Caloric Myth

3500 calories = 1 pound. Eat 3500 calories more than your maintenance weight, you gain a pound. Eat 3500 calories under your maintenance weight, you lose a pound. Exercise an extra 3500 calories and you lose a pound.

These are the hard and fast, iron-clad truths of weight. That is the math.

Except it isn't. This idea has been kicking around my head for a while, and I finally figured it out.

See, they say that when you eat affects your weight also. And what types of foods you eat.

But most importantly, there is the feared "plateau" where you are doing everything right...eating less than your maintenance calories, exercising the proper amount, etc., but the weight does not come off  because your body has adjusted to it.

Your body has adjusted to it...the 3500 calorie thing is a myth. It is there to fool suckers like me into thinking if we do what we are supposed to, watch what we eat, exercise, that pounds will come off. And when they don't it gets discouraging.

And it is based on a lie.

3500 calories does not equal a pound. It only does so in some circumstances. I was robbed. I demand a recount.

Okay, I recounted. There are now 3 calories in a chocolate cake slice. I am off to consume 12 calories. See you soon.

1 comment:

Riot Kitty said...

I like your method of counting much better!