If 3500kcal deficit = 1lb weight loss, why doesn't it work?

[Watchkeys]

I'm just curious to know what people think about this. Lots of people on here are sticking to a deficit. It might not be 500kcal per day, but some increment of that would incur some increment of weight loss, if the theory holds. Millions of people are on kcal controlled diets, and mostly, they don't work, especially not long term.

What's going on?

In summary, a massive change in lifestyle

In my experience, many people massively overestimate how many calories they need day to day, overestimate how many calories exercise burns, and guess at portion sizes.

That’s what I think, except that it has been replicated in real life for people in labour camps, for example.
Don’t you think you underestimate the power of hunger and the pull of processed foods?
What do you think? That it’s all down to slowing metabolism?

@continentallentil

OP you obviously desperately want to share your method

No. I want to understand why people believe what they believe. I'm not advertising for new clients currently even where I do advertise.

My method is to drop carbs, up fat and protein, and to work hard physically, without calorie counting. I've no desperation to promote it, so I've said it clearly, and will only say it once, in order that you (and others) don't continue to misunderstand why I'm here.

My method is to drop carbs, up fat and protein, and to work hard physically,

Lol - like every weight loss plan ever then! Drop carbs and up fat and protein = eating fewer calories because that sort of diet suppresses appetite. Work hard physically = increase maintenance calories required.

In other words, eat fewer calories than you need!

Don’t you think you underestimate the power of hunger and the pull of processed foods? What do you think? That it’s all down to slowing metabolism

The 'pull of processed foods' is at the heart of it, so, no, I don't underestimate that. I think it's 'down to' that pull, and what the consumption of processed foods (esp the flour and sugar) does to our hormonal balance, specifically insulin and glucagon.

No, @titchy

You have assumed a kcal deficit into my method that isn't actually there.

I get what you’re asking OP

3500 kcal “deficit” doesn’t = 1lb fat loss because (1) the body is not a closed system and (2) the method used to determine the calories in 1lb body fat (or any food) does not replicate the way the body uses food or burns fat (which is part of (1)).

a specific calorie deficit might mean more or less (or no) weight loss for any individual

you could make a graph with a person’s weight on one axis and calorie deficit on the other and they would never track the line of “1lb lost per 3500kcal deficit”

and it’s not because they are shit at tracking, though I’m sure people are, but the most careful calorie counter will not follow that line for weight loss

But that's the effect. Your plan puts people into calorie deficit. That's why it works. Whether you admit that or not, that is what is happening.

@titchy

The emphasis is ensuring the right nutrients. It's not up to you to tell me what's happening in my own experience, and that of my clients, or that I'm not 'admitting' something.

My clients often consume more than they did when they started off with me, with a different balance of macronutrients, and drop a lot of weight. I don't need you to believe me.

My experience comes from watching people do it. Where does yours come from, that you know so much about it? What worked for you? (I'm assuming you're in perfect shape?)

is this about the specific 3500kcal=1lb loss or about different kinds of diet?

people latch on to the 3500kcal thing because it’s a simple thing to understand even if wildly inaccurate (but it does often lead to disappointment in terms of how much weight is lost in a given period because bodies and foods don’t behave the way that calorie measurement does)

generally if less is eaten then weight loss may happen, but no specific amount can be guaranteed for an individual based on their “TDEE” and calculated calories deficit

I don’t think it’s possible to say that there HAS to be calorie deficit for weight loss any more than it is possible to say that all people who aren’t losing weight are not being honest about their food intake

Oh ok, are you selling something OP? Best to be upfront about that.

No. It's an anonymous forum. I'm interested in getting people's opinions on things and having discussions. As I said above, I'm not even advertising where I advertise, currently. Summer intake has a waiting list!

I think anyone who thinks they can do any of this accurately is kidding themselves.

is this about the specific 3500kcal=1lb loss or about different kinds of diet

It's about the 3500kcal = 1lb fat loss

people latch on to the 3500kcal thing because it’s a simple thing to understand

But people are also specifically told this, by authoritative bodies. They latch onto it because that's what they're being told what to do, as a fact. My curiosity is why people don't question the fact, despite the fact that they prove it wrong with their own experience. That's why I started the thread. It's both illuminating and depressing, so far, this thread!

I don’t think it’s possible to say that there HAS to be calorie deficit for weight loss any more than it is possible to say that all people who aren’t losing weight are not being honest about their food intake

Well no, increasing calories burned will also work! At the end of the day eat fewer calories than you burn.

I said deficit, that includes calories burnt obviously

Because people rely on a generic calculator and everyone is different
People overestimate how active they are
People overestimate a serving
People don't count 'the odd bit'
People decide they need a treat day
People forget the kebab after 10 pints.
People don't count alcohol cause they posted a selfie at the gym
Because you need to be strict for it to work and that is tiresome
Because you reach your goal weight and think you are done,

What, other than a calorie deficit, would cause the body to burn reserves of fat?

Only time I successfully lose weight is by counting calories s d eating healthy food. Weigh everything.
However, not all calories are equal in how your body treats them. Glycemic factor (GI) is an indicator at how fast your body processes calories. You want low GI foods.

Less smoking. Less exercise. More snacking.

But do look at photos of older people from that time. Not everyone was skinny.

Obesity rates were far lower amongst young adults and it was rare to see obese children, but plenty of post menopausal women were overweight.

I've seen several threads on here with people listing their low cal diet and they stopped losing a long time ago. Some of them were from nurses etc who were on their feet all day.

Then people say "the only answer is to reduce your calories some more I'm afraid".

And those poor people had already said they were starving as it was.

It's fairly shocking that people will still insist the answer is always to drop calories more and more, even if the person was already only eating the kcals of a toddler.

Nothing. Certainly I've never said anything contrary to that. I don't believe that cutting kcal from the diet is the best way to do it, though, and certainly not to a specific number of kcal.

It's fairly shocking that people will still insist the answer is always to drop calories more and more, even if the person was already only eating the kcals of a toddler

Yes, it's horrible. The people in that position here often say they're miserable too, without realising that the kcal deficit may well be messing up their hormonal balance, causing depression, rather than using their fat reserves. That's sort of why I posted, really, to work out why people adhere so closely to something that isn't working for them, and often doesn't work for many people.

Obesity rates were far lower amongst young adults and it was rare to see obese children, but plenty of post menopausal women were overweight

But still only 2.7% of the population in total, so, far from 'most' or 'many' post-menopausal women, @Dinopawus