Counting Calories: They’re Not All Equal

Kate, Quinn and Nora Hauf eat smart at Bonnie’s Toppings.

Nobody gets between Nora and her Bonnie’s Toppings. My girl is serious about her food. You reach for that bowl and you might lose a finger. For those that do not know, Bonnie’s Toppings is self-serve (or self-surf as they say) frozen yogurt and ice cream. You can load it up with as many toppings as you want (you pay by the ounce). It’s a personalized cup of deliciousness.

Now, my daughter Nora is 5 years old. She is not counting calories. She is not trying to lose weight. Still, ice cream is not a usual menu item in our world. We prioritize quality foods because we want our family to be healthy.

There are a billion fad diets out there. Is there one that is best? Like my last article, the best diet may be the one you are able to stick to.

“Diane from the office lost 20 pounds on the Keto diet.”

“Vegan is the only way to go.”

“Just eat like a caveman, bro.”

Many people have lost weight doing many different diets. The only reason that all of those people lost weight was that whatever diet they were on allowed them to maintain a caloric deficit. The diet worked for them because they were able to stay consistent over a period of time.

There have been many metabolic-ward studies over the years comparing low-fat to low-carb diets. Low-carb to very-low-carb diets. High-protein to no-protein diets. High-ice cream to no-ice cream diet. All right, I made that last one up. The conclusion that they have all come to is that the most important factor in fat loss is maintaining a caloric deficit. Taking in less calories than you put out. One of the key words in that sentence is “maintaining.” If you cannot stick to an all-meat diet or will overconsume calories going vegan, then those are not the right diets for you. Whatever diet allows you to choose high-quality foods while maintaining a caloric deficit over time is the right diet for you.

Although it is fairly easy to determine how many calories you are consuming, it is not as easy to determine how many calories you are “burning.” Every person is able to burn a finite amount of calories every day. There are many factors affecting how many calories you are able to burn. Mitochondria are the little powerhouses within your cells. They are responsible for the production of energy. If you have more mitochondria than I do, then you have a greater capacity for energy production. You have the ability to burn more calories.

In order for energy to be produced within the mitochondria, there have to be specific building blocks present such as CoQ10 and vitamin B. If you have a limited amount of any of these substances, that will affect the efficiency of your cellular energy production. So if you take two people who are exactly the same in every physical way (like me and Chris Hemsworth) and one has more mitochondria and CoQ10 than the other, that person will have the ability to produce more energy. So, when Chris and I go halfsies on a froyo, we have the same calories going in but not necessarily the same calories going out. This is where exercise and quality foods come in.

To regulate mitochondrial proliferation, you must exercise. Some exercise is better for this than others. To make sure your cells are producing energy efficiently, you must supply them with quality nutrients from quality foods. Let’s say you are trying to maintain a 1,200-calorie diet. If you eat 1,200 calories in gummy bears every day, it is not going to end well. Although short-term fat loss may not be sensitive to dietary macronutrient composition, eating poor-quality foods will have negative effects on health over the long term. As I said before, your body is only able to produce a finite amount of energy every day. If you use that energy combating inflammation from a terrible diet and poor lifestyle decisions, you will have less energy for tissue remodeling and fat loss.

It’s easy to maintain a healthy diet at Seven Mile Beach with high-end markets like Avalon Super Market and Bud’s. Bonnie’s Toppings also has a great little café with salads, smoothies, etc., and delicious coffee. Selecting quality foods is the most important thing, and if you’re trying to lose weight, a caloric deficit is necessary.

Maintaining a diet doesn’t mean never having ice cream. Just don’t touch Nora’s.