Back to That Calorie Thing.....?

Another question....

Hi, Doc,I read your chapters online the other day and ordered the book from Amazon and got it today. Very interesting, thanks for writing it.

I do have a question about calories, though. You say calories don't count. I follow your explanation on this, it makes sense, and I do understand about the effects of insulin---been reading and doing low carb diets on and off for 12 years. But you must have some handle for judging the amount of total food that anyone needs to eat this way, don't you?

I mean, a woman of 125 pounds is going to eat differently (or should, I expect) than a woman who weighs 225 or 325 pounds and needs to reduce that weight, doesn't she? Or do you simply look at it as, say, eat 50 grams of protein and 20-30 grams of carbs and the fat wherever it ends up that day and everyone eats the same?

Thanks,

My Response;

Hi There!

First off, thanks for reading my book! And yes, you are correct; people of different weights will eat/require different amounts of food, measured in carbs of course, not calories. But here's where it gets weird. A woman who is 200-300 Lbs will actually require more calories, yes, I did say calories (lol) than a woman who weighs less. This is because the heavier woman requires more fat and protein for her physiology than the lighter woman.

Think of it this way. If you weigh, say, 120 Lbs and place another 100 Lbs on your shoulders, you will need to create more ATP (our life molecule) to get you through the day. So it is so with the woman who weighs an extra 50, 100 Lbs or so. Since they are carrying around more weight on their frame they need to create more ATP to carry this extra weight around, which is why the caloric need actually increases in a person carrying around more weight. As the weight comes off, the person will need less and less in the way of protein/fat to get them through the day, and yes, I hate to say it, but now the caloric need lowers.

Since the calorie, unfortunately, is intricately related to protein/fat/carbs; it's hard to stop using that term. And as a quick side note, that life molecule, ATP, will be created from fat/protein (and of course carbs) which is why a heavier person needs more of these foods (with the exception of the carbs), not less (hence the caloric need increases).

But always remember, the calorie indeed means nothing and is misleading, very misleading if a person is obese, that is because they will require more calories, not less, in the beginning of their weight loss quest.

Thanks for the question!

Now go have a steak to start the day off right!

If you haven't done so already, go subscribe for free to my Ultimate Wellness! show on the Internet. Go to You Tube and type in 'shock doc dr james carlson' and enjoy the show!

dr jim

A Question About Water and Weight Loss

3) Why is water so important for weight loss?

Actually, it isn’t. The only thing water is important for is to help us stay hydrated. Yes, there are many diets out there or statements in general that claim we must consume anywhere from 6 to 8 eight ounces of water a day. This is fine as it helps prevent dehydration, which helps our kidneys to function, helps to maintain an appropriate blood pressure, provides the aqueous medium our tissues need to allow our electrolytes to work properly (electrolytes refer to sodium, potassium, magnesium, chloride, bicarbonate etc.).

But it must be emphasized that one can consume too much water. Unfortunately we live in a society where if a little is ok, then more is better. I more than occasionally have a patient who I have to admit to the hospital due to water intoxication. In this clinical scenario, the person has actually drunk too much water. When someone over consumes water, it will dilute out and cause a lowering of the important electrolytes as mentioned above.

The one electrolyte that appears especially vulnerable is sodium. When sodium levels are low this is referred to as hyponatremia. This is a very serious condition. The person who is experiencing hyponatremia will present with the appearance of being intoxicated on alcohol, they may have seizures, and they will certainly feel weak and confused. This is a condition that requires hospitalization to correct, and deaths have resulted from improperly raising the sodium level too quickly. A condition known as central pontine myelinolysis (CPM) can occur which is basically a disruption of the central nervous system function, with seizures and death possibly a result.

Now the consumption of water before a meal, it has been said, fills up the stomach, giving you a fuller feeling before you eat. The theory is that if you have a fuller feeling before you eat, well, you’ll tend to eat less. A simple understanding of physiology will help dispel this myth. When we consume liquids, they will pass into and out of the stomach a lot more quickly than solids. This is because some digestion of solids does occur at the level of the stomach, mainly with a protein meal, but the stomach also helps digestion of non protein solids as it has a ‘grinding/mashing’ effect on solid food, helping in the digestive process. The more ‘mashed’ up the solid food is before it arrives at the small intestine, the easier it is for digestive enzymes to work.

Since liquid passes pretty quickly into and out of the stomach, the full feeling does not last all that long and the person will start feeling hungry again, sooner than they thought. And yes, they will most likely overindulge hindering efforts at weight loss. Especially if they're not eating low carbs.

dr jim