The Truth About Calories And Weight Loss with Dr. Herman Pontzer

Curious about how to lose weight? Most people think that when you want to drop pounds, you should eat better and exercise more. But Duke University Associate Professor and internationally recognized pioneer in human metabolism Herman Pontzer (above) argues that exercise - while really important for mental and physical health - plays no part in weight loss. In his new book, Burn: New Research Blows the Lid Off How We Really Burn Calories, Lose Weight, and Stay Healthy, Pontzer says the only way to move the number on the scale is by consuming fewer calories.
In this encore episode, Pontzer is in conversation with Dr. David Macklin, director of weight management at Medcan. It’s a revealing and entertaining conversation that will have you rethinking how you eat, move and live.
For complete episode links and time-coded insights, visit the Eat Move Think episode 119 web page at the following: www.eatmovethi...

[@BartBVanBockstaele]

While I am but a single anecdote, what Prof. Pontzer says, is entirely consistent with my own experience. I have never seen any impact of physical activity on my weight and the only way I have lost well over 60 kg, is by controlling my energy intake.

[@icanmanifest]

Im very open to learning things like this. However I'm skeptical from my own experience standpoint. When I was involved in grappling, or a fitness bootcamp and kept my diet consistently to what it was prior to those activities I lost a LOT of weight. Can't be happening if you're not burning calories. Can anyone explain that?

[@MedcanLiveWell]

They say abs are made in the kitchen. Exercise helps but in the end a calorie deficit is important.

[@fadingship935]

are you certain that you keep your calories absolutely same? Fun fact is many people actually reduce the amount of food they eat when they are more physically active because they are moving and they are outdoors and not eating stuff out of boredom. Thats how they lose weight. Were you extremely sedentary and untrained person before high intensity physical activities? Someone with heavily untrained cardiovasicular system and bad body composition may fire up their metabolic rate initially from high intensity physical activities. But that should not result in A LOT of weight loss.

[@DanielWagle]

@@MedcanLiveWell Increasing exercise without increasing calorie intake WILL create a calorie deficit. Metabolic ward studies which are exceedingly controlled studies prove that when people burn 500 more calories a day by exercise without increasing (also not decreasing) intake, they get the same weight loss as those that don't exercise and decrease their calorie intake by 500 calories. Exercise probably won't increase overall calorie burn if a person doesn't consume very many calories. The body is then forced to become more efficient. Pontzer didn't consider this as an explanation of his findings. The Hadza probably had a limited food supply because they had to work hard for every calorie they consume. I lost 100 pounds by bicycling everyday and moderating my calorie intake. I have kept off this 100 pounds for over 13 years now while consuming 3500 calories a day and continuing to exercise everyday. Lumberjacks also can consume 7000 calories a day without weight gain. What Pontzer discovered about the Hadza is certainly not true of everyone.

[@stevesmiff7944]

Just reading the comments before I start listening to the interview - I don't know yet about this interview but if you read the book Pontzer's point is exercise BY ITSELF doesn't lead to permanent weight loss, it's the caloric intake that matters You post that you controlled your calories, therefore Pontzer is wrong .... WUT? your experience CONFIRMS Pontzer's point.

[@brankobakic9744]

No comments at all, seriously??

[@MedcanLiveWell]

Hopefully we get some more!

[@benjamindlevin]

I am always skeptical when I hear calorie deficit is the only way when studies such as the Minnesota Starvation Experiment clearly shows why it is a bad strategy. In reality all calories are not created equal. 100 calories of green veg is not the same thing as 100 calories of cake. Calories is such a small part of the entire picture. More of a guideline really. There is also the idea of hormones to consider as well. Weight gain and loss is not as simple as just a-b=c it's more a+b+c-d÷e=f... there are far more elements other than just calories in/ calories out. On a personal note, I lost weight while increasing calorie intake, but changing to real whole foods and nothing processed (especially refined sugar). I gained muscle, lost fat and have kept it off for four years. I have not significantly changed my activity. I'm 47. Only changed my diet and did it without a calorie reduction.

[@BartBVanBockstaele]

All that says, is that you have been disinformed about the nature of calories. Calories are a unit of energy. A calorie is a calorie. What is not the same, is the energy you need to expend when you extract that energy from your food. It is somewhat comparable to drilling for oil on land and drilling for oil on the ocean.

[@fadingship935]

You HAVE TO create caloric deficit. That is literally the only way the body can lose weight. However, most people have their metabolic rate reduced due to very bad eating habits over many years. When you are not consistent with your calorie intake, eating so much and so little without a good balance on macros, or if you cut your calories so much, your body will slow down its metabolic rate to protect itself from starvation. For instance, I have a friend who is overweight, started eating only 800 calories which is very small for his size, and he cannot lose weight. He lost a bit initially, but then it stopped. Reason? He rapidly slowed down his metabolic rate(aka calories out without any physical activity), meaning that he is only burning around 1100 calories maybe. If he increases his calorie intake higher, like 2500 maybe, he would gain a bit of weight initially, and then rapidly lose it because his metabolism will fire up to where it should be. So when you stop eating inconsistently and with imbalanced macros and start eating balanced and consistently, even if you increased the calorie intake, your metabolic rate fired up, higher than your caloric intake. Thats how you lose weight. Minnesota starvation experiment is not a study to examine how to effectively lose weight or create calorie deficit. It was to examine the effects of starvation, because during war times people starve and doctors had no scientific data for starvation to work with. Calories are mostly equal. Mike Mentzer, one of the best bodybuilders(if not the best) was eating icecreams and carrot cakes almost everyday, even before his competition days. He was also a keen philosopher and a med student. Steroids and drugs? Well yeah but guess what EVERY pro bodybuilders use just as much and more, but while they went for extreme dieting, he casually ate icecreams in his competition weeks. Why? He was aware that calorie balance and adequate macro intake is all that matters. I dieted years with boring foods and tons of whole foods and vegetables. I switched to just counting calories, getting enough protein and having a balanced carb/fat ratio, and in that frame i ate whatever i want. Now Im more jacked than EVER. Your body will not differentiate between "good foods" and "bad foods", it will just digest them and use the heat produced as energy. That is not to say you can eat all your carbohydrates as table sugars, all your fat as trans fat and all your protein from beans and get away with it, but you can eat them frequently with the mix of whole foods. Plus, if you count your calories, and if you have to eat relatively little calories to lose bodyfat, and if you try to eat a slice of cake, you will realize that you got a lot of calories and you are going to have to reduce so much from your other meals in the day, which will leave you hungry. So you are going to have to be careful with the portions when losing fat. But still, you can eat them very frequently.

[@SamahAmber]

@@fadingship935 According to your theory whether you eat 1,000 calories of cake or a 1,000 calorie balanced diet you should feel equally hungry because it's the same amount of energy. However, you say eating a balanced diet will make you feel less hungry?

[@fadingship935]

@@SamahAmber Its not a theory. Cake is low on protein which is a big factor for satiety, more protein=more satiety. Cake is low on fiber which is a big factor for satiety, more fiber=more satiety. Cake is a little portion for 1000 calorie and wont fill your stomach, which is a factor for satiety. When it comes to satiety, calories are not a big factor.

[@SamahAmber]

@@fadingship935 Yes, good points.

[@chelok7805]

What a bullcrap coming from a Professor. What this Professor is not saying is, that he took for his study as comparison African hunters and they do live in a total different enviroment and have a different lifestyle so different metabolism. They don't sit on a sofa all day and order a pizza over phone. They hunt every day. For weight loss it is a simple math. Exercise burn engery, so calories. You burn more calories than you take in, you will lose weight. As simple as that, and proven over time by many people including me. This professor is talking BS. You can not take and compare an African bushhunter with an average guy from a modern industrialized country.

[@alexasin5691]

Sounds like you misunderstood the study. Maybe you should read a bit more about metabolism before you spout off.

[@Longuro]

Read the book before you spout off. Everything is explained.

[@Longuro]

@@chelok7805 he has published many papers on this based on research in the field. Search for his name in pubmed.

[@alexasin5691]

@@chelok7805 It is actually shown in a lot of studies. Look up ‘Herman Pontzer’ in google scholar

[@PureFred]

i knew it! something was off.