Do Calories Count?

Low Carb Induced Ranting! Do you think calories count?
For a while now, I have kept encountering information from people who charge others for their advice on body composition that sets my teeth on edge.
The biggest issue I have with some of these otherwise reasonably educated trainers, is there total lack of grasp of what it really takes to get in great shape. In the interest of fairness it’s probably wise to define what “in great shape” actually means, as we will all have different definitions. If and this is a big if, your goal is to get a bit slimmer, tone up a bit and generally look better than average but be nothing special, then that is one version of being in shape and I accept that. On the other hand, my version of being in shape means a minimum of sub 10% body fat for a man, and circa 12-13% maximum for a woman, my personal goal is to get sub 5%

Achieving this level of body fat whilst also carrying a good degree of muscle mass is a real challenge, and something that is, to be blunt, well beyond the comprehension of anyone who has never done it on themselves. Sure, there are some gifted guys who always hover around 8% come rain or shine, but these will be naturally slimmer, very active guys with spare muscle size. So after that extended introduction, what really gets on my goat is when I read rubbish such as “calories don’t matter so long as you only eat Paleo”, and “I get leaner every time I increase my fat intake”. I truly despair that these unenlightened souls really think it is so easy!

The fact of the matter is that when it comes to getting into “real shape”, the words of former world class bodybuilder Sean Ray have resounded in my head for almost eight years – “Before a contest I don’t go to bed a little bit hungry every night for fun”. Bodybuilders are well known for their masochistic tendencies, and anyone who has ever got into condition sufficient to look good in bodybuilding competition deserves your respect for their self discipline and persistence, but going hungry isn’t something that even the iron fraternity would do out of choice. Rather it is a necessity, and the best trainers and coaches understand this, usually because they have done it themselves.
Now before my words are taken too literally, I absolutely do not mean starving yourself and being permanently in famine. Far from it, there are many ways to skin a cat, and some people flourish on calorie and carbohydrate cycling whereby some days you would never know you are on a diet at all. For myself, I always believe that once you carry a good degree of muscle mass and are reasonably lean, then you must have a decent amount of carbohydrates at certain times (note the emphasis on at certain times) in order to preserve that muscle that you fought so hard to build in the first place. None of this individual variation can get you away from the fact that at some stage you need to create a net calorie deficit.

The reason all this misleading advice spouts forth is because the fitness industry is both extremely faddish and very often reactive rather than proactive. For years we heard the bullshit that calorie counting was the only way to lose fat. This has some truth in it, but the message got muddied and the so -called experts became confused because the fact that calories count became highjacked by low calorie, high sugar food manufacturers who want the unsuspecting public to believe that 200 calories from a nice bowel of low fat, sweet tasting cereal is actually a better breakfast for your health and appearance than 200 calories from boiled eggs! So long as the net calories are equal all is fine, right? No, of course not. Macronutrients have a profound impact upon hormonal and metabolic health and only a fool would suggest otherwise.

To compound matters further, it seems that somehow the calorie debate has become mixed up with the whole carbohydrate versus fat debate, that is a cut and dried case of “essential fats” being essential (wow I hear you cry), and to express it as simply as possible, fats from whole, natural foods are good for you and should not be avoided. Sugar and wheat on the other hand are major culprits in the health woes of the 21st century.

So here are the facts and really this isn’t merely my “opinion”, this is just the way that it is:
Not all calories are created equal, and some are infinitely better for your body than others. Anyone who tells you that calories don’t count is a moron and fails to understand basic mathematics.
I know some of you will want to know this, my own personal rough rule of thumb for getting into superhuman shape is to take in 12 calories per ½ kg of bodyweight, assuming exercise levels are not crazy. So for me right now, at a bodyweight of just over 90kgs, I am probably averaging between 2000 and 2500 calories a day.

In order to get into fantastic shape you need to educate yourself on what type of calories work best for you, and how much. It really isn’t all that complicated, but it does take a bit of time to nail exactly as we are all different. Varying metabolisms, muscle mass, and activity levels can change both variables massively.

As ever, I welcome your comments, and if you think I’ve been a bit harsh or just totally disagree with my take on cardio then please let me know. My word is not gospel and I am always willing to examine different ways of doing things, so I’d be really grateful for any ideas or feedback you give in the comments section below. Your support and input as ever is massively appreciated!