Why You Should Stop Counting Calories to Lose Weight

Counting and restricting the number of calories you consume is a well established strategy for losing weight. Many people and fitness influencers swear by it, but scientists tend to disagree...
So we've sent our own scientist, Dr Oliver Bridgewood PhD, on a mission to explain why it doesn't work, but, also why it kind of does.
00:00 Intro What is calorie counting?
00:52 What are the benefits of calorie counting?
01:37 What Is A Calorie?
01:58 Does Calorie Counting Work?
04:03 Can You Accurately Measure Calories?
05:20 Does Cooking Change Calories?
05:55 How many calories do you burn in a day?
07:02 Are all calories the same?
08:36 Why calorie counting ISN'T a complete waste of time
10:40 The benefits of a food diary
11:33 Periodise your carb intake
13:00 So should I count calories?
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[@gcn]

Do you count your calorie intake? Let us know 👇

[@AdrianWells]

Yes, I count my calorie intake... and it works for me. Consistency is the most important thing: It doesn't matter if food labels are 20% out, or if celery being cooked has a few more calories than uncooked celery, or if I sh*t out some calories in nuts. If you are consistent, eat enough protein and fibre and adjust calories as necessary when you aren't losing weight then you will see results. Tracking calories is difficult for some people to achieve, and other ways of introducing an energy deficit may be easier (e.g. intermittent fasting, vegan or wholefood diets or even Keto) but they all work for fat loss in the same way and they all fail for the same reasons: compliance deteriorates and metabolic adaptation makes it harder as time goes on.

[@nebulous962]

No but in the beginning of my weight loss journey i did and i think it was helpful. i had no idea that all the junk food actually had so much calories and when i stopped eating all that junk i lost like 20kg.

[@spirosmergianos1845]

Exceptional work! Very good explainer that someone needs to change the way of eating and leaving and not just count the calories.

[@petermyers4409]

No

[@Alex.R.Feyn.]

I don't count calories, but struggle with something called "orthorexia". It's not an official eating disorder, however it is an obsession with being healthy. Training, eating only healthy foods etc.

[@MrDavejkings]

There seems to be a change of style with your latest videos, and I applaud you for this. This new theme you are following of addressing and talking about health and well being, will help everyone regardless of income, and not just those with significant amounts of disposable wealth who can afford all the stupidly expensive equipment. Great video Ollie, and thank you to the whole of the GCN crew for taking this new and exciting approach.

[@thechadfords]

Agreed!!

[@keweekes]

Agreed. It's far more realistic to the actual viewer base

[@petermyers4409]

It's good news

[@EvanPrytherch]

I’d like to hear your thoughts on plant-based protein such as defatted peanut powder and pea protein. Thank you for this series. 😊

[@gcn]

Great to hear you are enjoying our recent videos 🙌 We want to make content for everyone. Health is so important! Is there any other topics we should cover?

[@JonCannings]

Ollie, my appearance fee is not in my bank account yet, could you chase this up? Thanks

[@alexalderthay4346]

#bringbackjon

[@frankzijnsofa]

Genuinely enjoyed seeing you again.

[@tobiascarlberg2204]

Legend!

[@forrestaustin7050]

Mine either

[@woutervanderdoes5163]

We demand more Cannings!!

[@Miragexe]

I think it's worth doing just so you become more conscious of your eating habits and also get a feel for what is in foods.. that cookie you figured must be around 200 calories was actually 500. Whilst I would not recommend counting every single calorie, I do just check the packaging to see how many calories I'm roughly consuming and aim for a certain number at the end of the day that in theory should lead to losing weight.. but if you don't, for all the reasons and variables mentioned in the video, you can just adjust your calorie intake.

[@gcn]

That's a good point! Do you think by counting some Calories it makes you understand what you are eating?

[@Miragexe]

​@@gcn When I first started keeping an eye on calories, there was quite a few things where the actual calories were almost double as to what I thought they were, but also some that had a lot less than what I thought. Allows me to make better decisions and manage calorie intake. I go more by 'ballpark' calories than exact calories though, due to reasons mentioned in this video as well, but if you're losing/gaining weight by the end of it, you can adjust.

[@andrewmcalister3462]

Yep, approaching it as educative and informative, rather than as a precise equation to be balanced, is a healthy approach. Or as Ollie puts it "a food diary".

[@06alepea1]

Calorie counting is difficult mainly because people consistently underestimate how many calories they consume.

[@Ramon314]

Or overestimate it. Especially for people who want to gain weight.

[@robertkampman9320]

Well it's something you get better at as you go, like anything. I often tack on an extra hundred calories for the day when I think there's a good chance I underestimated. But mostly, I just do my best, and understand that it's about being consistent. Patterns will emerge. If I'm losing a pound per week at what I'm recording as 2,000 cal/week, then what's the problem? I don't know any other way to be sure my calories aren't excessive if I'm not tracking them (I also track protein to be sure I'm hitting at least 100 grams each and every day). I will always preach counting calories to anyone struggling to lose weight, but I will also advise them on the finer points because it's an art and a science, really.

[@HC-kn2sq]

There are apps that you scan the barcode and it gives you the exact nutritional value

[@scottyolo1]

Food scale. Duh

[@MrBennyrick77]

No it is not hard at all... you stick to foods that are not processed, they have way less calories... you do sports at the same time and then by having less fat, and burning calories with sports, you easily loose weight. Really simply, and for people that want to be super specific they can count calories and get into the microdetail.

[@stickler6312]

Been doing every day for 3 years. Makes you accountable and think twice before scoffing a donut.

[@gcn]

Great to hear it works for you! 🙌

[@Nearly-at-the-top]

Do the cuts to Ollie walking and talking remind anyone else of Paul Whitehouse’s ‘Brilliant!’ character from The Fast Show? 🤣

[@oliverbridgewood3929]

my inspiration

[@cruachan1191]

With the jacket and hat he's even dressed like him. Brilliant!

[@tomelmer52]

int milk brilliant!

[@treyquattro]

Ollie's favorite dish: cheesy peas

[@volvo245]

Well now it does. That show was was so different because it made the rapid fire skits its main distinguishing feature.

[@derekh7441]

BLUF: I'm an exercise physiologist and have had this conversation more than once in my 30+ year career. I appreciate that you circled back and mentioned the benefits of calorie awareness. The start of the video seemed like a manic rant against it. Yes. The caloric math doesn't always add up but using a measuring cup and food scale do give one a better sense of what a serving size actually is. Thus, and to your point, reading labels, measuring food and estimating calories fosters awareness. Awareness fosters positive change.

[@ross88mac]

I think everyone should try counting calories for a few weeks just to educate them on how much energy is in the food they are eating.

[@chrismohr-barker182]

I have a Chronic illness called Crohn's Disease and calorie counting for me is really important in that I use it to make sure I am not going to lose weight. It is my way of making sure I'm keeping my calorie intake high enough and my macros balanced. Also just a side note, since I started cycling just over a year ago my overall health has improved so dramatically, I'm literally the healthiest I have ever been :)

[@Irwtgtlajgafe]

Awesome. Congratulations. I too have crohns and cycling is my lifeline. Do you ever wonder how many of these calories taken in are actually being absorbed? I struggle with that and my weight yo-yos.

[@chrismohr-barker182]

@@Irwtgtlajgafe Yeah so I have had a pretty significant amount of bowel resected and that certainly impacts absorption. I think it is a case of finding foods that agree with you and work with you. Crohn's is so individual that a one size fits all approach just wouldn't work

[@andreahughes1500]

Your point about using a food diary (and call it calorie counting if you want), is important. It is so easy to fool yourself about the quantity and quality of food you eat. The newer food trackers also count vitamins, macros and exercise. Even if the count isn’t 100% accurate, it does give a rough estimate and can highlight where you might be going wrong. For me, without tracking, I take in WAY too many carbs and not enough potassium or protein. Processed snacks are ubiquitous and tempting. People bring them in to work for free. It takes

[@trevorknowles7912]

Ollie is a great explainer. Another good one. Most useful video ever was the one where Ollie explains how he got in such good form. I followed half the rules and got in the best shape of my life last year and finally rode Trans America route. Really just drinking less, trying to avoid processed foods, no food 2 hours before bed, and go for at least 30 min ride 6 days/week did it. We all sort of know that stuff but somehow that video made it easy to put it all together into actionable plan. Thanks!

[@lostinature]

Videos like this is where Ollie Really comes into his own. His ability to convey something that is quite complicated and/or boring in an interesting and relatable way, sets him apart from the other presenters. The nerdy approach and down to earth explanations really makes it work for me :)

[@pawel8365]

Ollie graduated with a PhD from Uni. of Nottingham's chemistry department, he knows that the nearby canteen (Coate's Road) served such awful food that losing calories wasn't exactly a challenge.

[@andrewmcalister3462]

Some personal experience?

[@pawel8365]

@@andrewmcalister3462 I worked at CBS, just across the street. If I was too lazy to make my lunch, I'd walk over to Coates with the hungry delusion that there would be something worth buying. I was mistaken on every occasion.

[@andrewmcalister3462]

@@pawel8365 🤢

[@oliverbridgewood3929]

@@pawel8365agreed! absolutely pants!😂

[@alanc2039]

I like the way Ollie makes these challenging topics enjoyable. Keep up the good work Ollie (and John)

[@edwardmacrury5376]

Great video Dr Ollie, thx. Keep creating this type of content, educational and entertaining. Keep up the great work.

[@StarlightSolstice-ub6bv]

Love it. Well done.

[@antoniosballis7909]

Well with calorie restriction went down from 93 kilos to 74. In a year then couldn’t keep up counting but quite stable at 82 kilos now and eating carbs. So definitely worked for me if you eat healthy also.

[@chriswillis515]

OMG a sensible video on healthy eating and living! Congrats @GCN

[@gcn]

Glad you enjoyed it! Are you team calorie count? 🤨

[@chriswillis515]

@@gcn I was for a few years, now I’m not due to some of the issues raised in the video, eating out, fresh home cooked food etc. however I’m very conscious of hydration so I track that.

[@fedoresko]

Looks like everything important is covered in very precise manner in just 13 minutes. What a great work!

[@TheTurnerturner]

Great video, seen Jon at the end was the highlight!

[@Chuck6780]

Fantastic, Ollie! This is precisely the sort of middle-ground that I felt could've been highlighted better in the previous video. Top job! 👏

[@gcn]

We're always improving 🚀

[@jonwilliams8366]

A great vid that tackles a really difficult topic in a very open and informed way. I do love the way you are addressing wider lifestyle issues interwoven with cycling. chapeau

[@bettyjones8363]

Great, informative video. more like this please. thanks

[@needmoregears8521]

Excellent video. Ive been tracking what i consume for several years. The calorie info is useful but just noting down the foods is helpful in keeping more towards the healthy side of things.

[@hoser7706]

Love this content. Keep it going. I need something interesting and informative to watch while eating my post-ride crisps. 😬

[@supercoder7]

Top tier video! One of my favourite videos overall and the absolute top of GCN videos. Ollie is absolutely admirable when he digs deep into research to present and also simplify it for us. My second favourite GCN presenter (sorry Ollie Hank for some unexplainable reason is the most loveable).

[@kimbrink8257]

This is one of the most informative and entertaining videos I've heard on the topic - and I work in the dietetic industry! I can't applaud this enough. Seriously well played Ollie.

[@flurblewibble7735]

Superb information - keep this up. Excellent

[@thelanehamartteacher9518]

Excellent vid, and your advice is exactly what I was doing. I keep a food diary and it has highlighted how ‘little treats’ add up. Pairing it with a training diary really helps to demonstrate why you’re feeling a particular way, when training. You might notice you haven’t drunk enough, had enough carbs or not enough protein after. I discovered my protein was waaay down and my husband discovered he wasn’t drinking enough and he needs to keep his stress response in check. Again- excellent vid.

[@oxomono]

I love this video. You guys are doing an awesome work. On a personal note, I love when a video just tells me that the relation I have with food since I was a child has been the right one. ;) Thanks mum!

[@eoinjobrien]

Really informative video Ollie👍

[@lukepowell1201]

Excellent video.

[@FrancescaCaricato64]

Thank you. Very interesting!

[@Whoisit84]

Great Job Ollie! This was fantastic.

[@mathewrose2951]

Hats off to Dr. Bridgewood for lifting a glass of Amstel at 5:08 in a video that drops on the same Sunday as Amstel Gold is being raced! We appreciate this level of attention to detail..

[@gcn]

🤝

[@oliverbridgewood3929]

👌😉

[@alicejwho]

I love this! Thank you...more please! Also, Ollie is a great presenter. With regard to counting and restricting calories, if you're going to do it, do it conservatively and not as an interminable way of eating. The body will otherwise start to reduce energy expenditure and will lower your metabolism over time, so it becomes more efficient at running on less energy, which means prioritising your organs etc and not spending as much energy on superfluous things, such as muscles!! And hair. Etc. It's better to keep your metabolism up by eating lots, but healthily. I eat healthily all week (including porridge, rice and noodles) and then have a bit of chocolate on weekends. Not TRUCKLOADS! And I nibble it and let it melt in my mouth so it seems like I've eaten a lot more. If I go out to eat (which is rare) I'll have the whole shebang (and then feel sick, probably...but, no regrets!)

[@take_the_cxke]

Excellent explanation, thank you!

[@billszymanski4844]

This was a very intelligent, yet practical video. I've been paying attention to these topics for awhile and still learned a few things. Who knew cooked celery had 6x the number of calories than raw? The nut butter vs nuts point was also enlightening. Do more like this. Well done!

[@barberbetty8]

Great info Ollie!!

[@Z-u-m-a]

Top video Ollie and team. Great balance of information. Couple of things spring to mind. 1. Satiation can be key to not over-eating. Foods that make you feel full/satisfied, especially in smaller quantities. Rich proteins - eggs, fish, nuts etc. Lost a stone focussing on this. 2. Are there any longer term health implications for being are such a fine weight/energy demand balance as for example the Visma team? Things like pressure on internal organs.

[@dernieduff]

I always struggle with calorie counting and food tracking but I do find when I track what I am eating I am always surprised at what I actually consume! Great video guys

[@jimkarthauser]

This was an excellent watch

[@williamsylvia3962]

That was great! Thanks for the breakdown Ollie!

[@gcn]

If you really want to see Ollie breakdown tell him aero sucks 🤣

[@NelsonSherry]

You're rocking. Thanks!

[@dazzawest]

Looked forward to this video, didn't disappoint. Great video, really interesting, one the best videos GCN have done.

[@gcn]

Glad you enjoyed it! Any other subjects we should cover?

[@oliverbridgewood3929]

glad you liked it

[@uglygirlftw]

Love this kind of content. Love Ollie. Keep em coming

[@gcn]

We love Ollie too 🙌 Any other subjects you would like us to address?

[@timcarnes3467]

Ollie you are so good at presenting!!! Serious with just the right amount of humor.

[@oliverbridgewood3929]

thanks mate! appreciate it!

[@PhilippHofmann28]

Wonderful episode

[@n.g.5234]

Great video! I try to track everything I make at home or pack with me, and roughly estimate (likely underestimate) when I eat out, which is quite often I have ADHD and tend to either forget to eat or heavily binge-eat this has allowed me to consistently eat enough to train while improving my body composition and my looks (I lost over 30kg over 9 months since the beginning of 2023) and know when to stop, most importantly even if I sometimes go over my "goal" it allows me to not care or panic as much since I know that it's just a day or a few meals over a long period of time in which I have kept a little deficit or a normocaloric intake I know that tracking every single food is by no means accurate or efficient but it's very important for me or I would completely overlook proper nutrition and macro intake, especially healthy fats and protein

[@kevingregoire1042]

thanks Ali, a lot of people explain food disorders, thank you for explaining food order.

[@davidashton3396]

Good video and loved the Cannings cameo too!

[@gcn]

Who doesn't love a Cannings cameo!

[@rbonn3880]

Proper nutrition is elemental to optimizing performance. Ollie, loving your presentations and your sly side comments.

[@Transtaganu]

Great video, again 😁I really like this sort of video, science based about nutrition and training. I would like to suggest that you make a video about active recovery, science based, of course... 😁

[@djohnson1981]

Well done! One thought on the lack of ability to precisely measure calories in or even calories out for that matter... we can measure their ultimate result by simply weighing the subject and inferring from any change in weight the direction of the calorie balance.

[@christiankeim]

Lol I've been waiting for you to make a video about this. You, me and Darian had a conversation about this years ago. You didn't agree. You also felt we were crazy for saying the more fruits and veggies you eat the healthier you would be. Glad you figured it out ❤

[@JBuchmann]

I consider calorie counting as keeping a "general"idea of the calories you eat in the day (it doesn't have to be highly accurate). Also factor in how much exercise / activity you have done in the day. Then over the weeks and months if you are gaining weight then you know to eat less if you are losing too much weight than eat more. (Also with considering the exercise)

[@Solarsystem50]

Very complete and accurate information. Dr. Bridgewood is the best. I like the Jon Cannings sighting too.

[@gcn]

Wild Jon spotted sipping a cold one ... in his natural habitat 👀

[@markfernley4664]

I’m currently counting as it helps me not go too far over. It helps me make better decisions. I don’t always do it as it becomes a bit overwhelming.

[@Gabriela9Guerra]

Good video, informative, compact and entertaining! I agree with what was presented!Awareness is key but not "over awareness", that leads into disorder . Being smart and learning you use your energy and continued optimizing it to yourself as you learn more about yourself. Me as high performing but having to still be careful with eating disorder triggers am finding some hacks that help me get good performance, weight management esoecially for indoor seasosn with weigh ins for races and trying kut different things to see how i can optimize

[@peterward4005]

Overcoming binge eating disorder the book highlighted for me the importance of a food diary, basically in the modern world and trucking i hadnt had regular meal times for 6 years, only when i got that back can i make positive diet changes. So far so good. Food diary made it all possible. Love the content ollie top work!

[@jamesengelsma3]

Can you do a video on how to fuel properly with carbs before events like you talked about? Like how soon before the event to eat the carbs, how many grams of carbs to eat, what are some healthy high density sources of carbs etc? Thanks!

[@frankcastora8348]

Great video

[@mommamooney]

I’ve been looking forward to this video all week. I have implemented some of the advice from the last one and my jeans are loose and my gut is much happier. I’ve also seen people that are so focused lower calorie that they eat the “low cal” option of foods. Problem is, the calories removed are often replaced with chemicals. I try not to eat “chemistry sets” as often as I can

[@gcn]

Great work! We're super proud that we could be part of your journey 🙌 Keep up the hard work!

[@liamhbray]

Ollie, this was an enjoyable presentation and I felt you are made a genuine attempt to be fair handed with the pros and cons of counting calories. You mention this in the video, but I think it’s worth emphasizing with your audience here in the comments that one of the dramatic effects of counting calories (and macros) is that you learn an incredible amount about the food you have been unassumingly consuming. I think this might produce a profound shift for many people. Equipping yourself with more knowledge about what you’re consuming is a fascinating process and one clear pathway to sustaining a better diet into the future. The precision of a nutrition label is misleading, and nutritional absorption efficiency, complicated, but “the perfect is the enemy of the good”. Perhaps we should call it “Calorie Estimating”.

[@MortenProm]

Great that you added the info about nuts. I consider that pretty hardcore knowledge, so gives the rest of the video lots of credibility :)

[@gcn]

What can we say, we're nuts for nuts 😉

[@ovidiuschiopu5758]

Great job…well done! Good common practical sense…!

[@randyhale4181]

Good advice well done👍🏻

[@1carus1]

Great vid. 100% agree. One thing calorie counting apps are good for is helping to educate the caloric costs of foods. I ate huge amounts of chickpeas and kidney beans. They’re great for you but have high fat content when eaten in large quantities. I still eat them but in smaller quantities.

[@flipper2gv]

This was a very nicely balanced video. Good job.

[@gcn]

Thanks for commenting! Always great to hear people are loving our content 🙌

[@melibaut]

Great video and thanks for making it! I like calorie counting , but I do forget to record my meals. So I try to just eat healthy, and limit processed foods. I've even added fermented foods at the suggestion of Ollie's last video and I definitely feel like I've got more energy! PS you forgot to sign off like you usually do 😂

[@gcn]

This was a serious sign off for a serious video 🤣 Great to hear you've picked up some of our tips!

[@nicholassale4046]

Really good video. There's so much nonsense out there on food - its really refreshing to see a well thought through, balanced report.

[@oliverbridgewood3929]

glad you appreciated the balance

[@brandtfleming]

Excellant video, summation and presentation. One of the best GCN videos ... fantastic job Ollie and team

[@gcn]

We loved filming this one 🙌 Always learning with Bridgewood!

[@declanbroderick4453]

Great video Ollie, I can always count on you.

[@iansingleton]

Brilliant! As someone who knows a wee bit about gaining and losing weight (12stone!!!), being super fit then not then being fit again I agree with absolutely everything Ollie has said in this and the first film on this topic! As humans we're all very very different. Simply taking a common sense approach is the key. Enjoy your life. Enjoy your food. Keep yourself fit and healthy and you'll be just fine! Thanks Ollie and GCN! Great topic great film!

[@ThomasNing]

Fantastic advice Ollie

[@TwoTroutCreations]

I love love love when Ollie gets to nerd out on ANY subject!!!

[@gcn]

and there is nothing more than Ollie loves than nerding out 🙌

[@paulgordon7526]

Brilliant Ollie! toast / Bread is my weakness.. !!

[@rg807]

Really excellent video.

[@hopehendrickson-wb5tw]

Great video! Good common sense. Keeping a food diary is a great idea -- and having fun with friends.

[@michaelgriffiths305]

Fantastic video. If anyone other KZbin channel produced this it would be exceptional. It is! Controversial perhaps but GCN content has improved since the Discovery + debacle with GCN+. It’s like you all sat down and thought, “RIGHT what are we doing?” The vibe change is it “feels” like you’ve gone from traversing into cooperate vibe with requisite brand associations back to simply best cycling content channel - “for the people”. In truth, little May have changed apart from (perhaps) the language and innovation from presenters. Ollie you are excellent! Keep it real guys and lady!

[@ramsden35]

I use the well know App, but not for calorie counting but as a food diary and to manage my marcos. I bought the book Ollie mentioned last time and it’s really helped me understand food. My food intake has changed massively, I’ve made great gains in weight loss and overall I feel better. Great videos Ollie

[@arthurpewtey]

If you mean "The Diet Myth" by Prof Tim Spector, I bought it too .... and heartily recommend it.

[@shaun7163]

Dan and Ollie making it two brilliant videos in a row! All we need now is Si to turn up tomorrow to give us detailed info on training methods and we'll be on for a hat-trick!

[@gcn]

Watch this space 👀

[@ferrpm]

Awesome video! I can see so many people here going over your examples and remembering that time they used a app for calories count and their friend that takes a food scale to the restaurant! 😂

[@a12i9]

Only recently learned that blending food (aka making smoothies) has an actual negative effect on it. Also cooking, of course. This knowledge is really helpful, thanks 🙏🏻

[@HighFell]

So glad you did this, efficacy v effectiveness is lost in most write ups of studies. Essentially counting calories could work if we could do it accurately, but as of now we can’t. Avoiding most UPF (including sports drinks/gels/bars) is appropriate for most people. Get fibre in your diet and eat whole foods rather than packet stuff. 👍

[@hockysa]

Pretty balanced view of calorie counting. Makes sense to be used as a bench marking tool. Whole foods always the way to go but counting calories can help people get started.

[@richiejames928]

Everyone should do a spell of calorie counting. if it works for you or not. It certainly makes you more aware of how calorific things are and also how much sugar is hiding in EVERYTHING.

[@geoffreyhoney122]

Stellar content again Dr. Bridgewood and gcn!!! Thank you for this super deep dive and humorous follow-up to your previous and excellently thorough video! Love that you explained so clearly, accessibly and comprehensively as you busted through the myths. Love this content, find it highly useful and educational, and definitely want to see more of it. It also corresponds well to the latest science from Dr. Chris Van Tulleken (Ultra Processed People) & Dr. Jason Fung (The Obesity Code) and others. Love the quest for balance/moderation and prevention of disordered eating! More science anytime! Even if it's a bit 'Corny'!

[@gcn]

We would love to do more content like this! Any other diet myths we should bust? 👀

[@geoffreyhoney122]

@@gcn I think it would surprise cyclists at how adaptive the body can be at maximizing for the avaliable food and thus generally you just can't use simple exercise to reduce weight. You touched on this, but a deeper delve might be in order. Dr Jason Fung has a well referenced chapter in The Obesity Code and he proposes intermittant fasting but I believe the situation is more nuanced for cyclists, just as your conclusion that being aware of food intake and quality (your food diary idea) is important. It is hard to exercise weight off because the body becomes more efficient using what is available. Cycling by its on again off again nature (think hills) interupts this so I'd be intrigued. Thanks for this super content!

[@seattlegrrlie]

This is the most accurate of all the videos I've seen on the subject. I'll add that unless you've been tested recently, you don't know your basal metabolic rate (calories consumed just existing). Then a huge chunk of your daily calories come from "fidgeting" Some people just move more than others by tapping fingers, moving legs, pacing around. Lastly, the calories you exert from active exercise is also very hard to estimate. If Ollie, Si, or Dan took a comfortable 10mph (16kph) ride all three would burn different calories but the standard online tracker would estimate the same. And if they did it tomorrow in a headwinds it would be different even for the same rider. I track for macros trying to get a general target for protien. I know that the calorie count is just a very rough estimate

[@eddjcaine]

This is a tour de force Ollie. Superb 👏🏻

[@gcn]

He is in his happy place here 🙌

[@ScrapKing73]

I now eat only whole plant foods. Weight maintenance has never been easier. And I recover more quickly from workouts too. Totally satisfied. :-)

[@DailyRunRide]

thanks for sharing

[@CatManDoSocial]

Perfectly done as usual, Ollie. I didn't know about the 20% accuracy of the labels. That's unsettling. What I was able to find for the states is that the FDA allows for a 20% overage of calories listed on food labels. Is that what you meant or did you truly mean that it has to be only 20% accurate for the UK? Thanks!

[@trembledore1687]

It has to be accurate +-20% of the actual calories, is what he meant. The example of 100 stated calories to an actual 120 calories made that clear in my mind.

[@CameronFraserACHF]

Spot on. Despite the scientific argument it was the one thing that made a difference for both me and my wife. I ran for nearly two decades, and then switched to cycling for the next. Still at the cycling at 67. My wife cycles, and walks, the latter for considerable distances and at considerable speed. We essentially never lost any weight (although I may argue that we rearranged the weight we had into slightly more attractive packages). Adding a calorie counting/food diary app to my routine four years ago produced instant results... 5 pounds down within about 10 days, 10 pounds down in 2 months, 20 pounds down in a year (and a bit of up and down on another five after that).... and my wife soon followed suit. The fact the loss was gradual meant that it has been easier to keep it off. (I do have to include that cutting way back on travelling for work was a significant contributor as well.) Calorie counting, both consumed and used, may be far from accurate. It does contribute to a consistent approach to portion control, food choices, and just general awareness. I can both agree with the science on the efficacy, and appreciate the effectiveness in my life.

[@kippen64]

Over two years, I went from 115kg to 65/66kg without counting calories. I became more active and stopped sabotaging myself with family sized blocks of chocolate and share packets of chips (crisps). This was due to becoming happier. My advice is to limit foods that are high in calories and easy to eat. Stuff like chocolate, chips (crisps) and ice cream.

[@lasskinn474]

this intuitive limiting doesn't work for massively obese people who eat beyond maximum calories the body can even process. calorie counting and a strict max calorie limit does work, the only problem is that then they can't eat whatever they want. but like look even in that case the calories need to be only calculated on an approximated 1000 cals level. like on a level can you eat one MORE pizza in the day, not if you can eat 1 pizza in the day at all but if it's okay to eat multiples, but people who are 200kg+ do eat multiple pizzas worth over their limits on the regular.

[@alch3mi5t.]

"massively obese" people also struggle to commit to ANY sort of exercise. There is a tipping point where it becomes a serious medical condition and needs treated as such, rather than just making small changes in lifestyle like this video is suggesting. As the OP suggested, it is often a mental health issue where over eating can be a symptom. It's a cycling channel, so not unreasonable of them to assume the vast majority (not all off course) haven't crossed that tipping point....yet.

[@woutervanderdoes5163]

@@lasskinn474 It's not intuitive limiting. It's exactly what Ollie says in this video, don't grab ultra-processed stuff when you're feeling hungry. "Just grab a salad" makes it sound too easy, but it kind of does come down to that. The 200kg+ people from your example should eat rice with a veggie curry instead of pizza every day and they most likely will loose a ton of weight.

[@andlum83]

Currently at 105kg (1.90m)… awesome what you achieved there!

[@eddjcaine]

@@lasskinn474 I was massively obese. It worked for me (what Ollie says, not calorie counting)

[@Robertbcaruso]

Absolutely love this. Been talking about this for a long time. Fiber & nutrition play a bigger role. Plus, we all have different metabolisms especially depending on riding and riding styles. I.e. after 100k ride you'll continue to burn and process differently. Thanks for the great video!! Cheers

[@gcn]

Glad you enjoyed the video 🙌 What would you like to see Ollie cover next?

[@JamesAnderson123]

Best video of the year - really great job, Ollie.

[@FSR2007]

Main benefit I found from counting calories was the stuff mentioned around 8:30 in the video, understanding that 2 poached eggs on a bit of toast is a much better use of calories than a bowl of cereal, as it'll fill me up! Eating less processed food and more real food really helped me. Down from 93kg to 83kg and just trying to stay around there now.

[@jmw2840]

I’ve gained 10kg over the past 10 years without counting a single calorie