![]() Arriving at an accurate number is difficult because the calculation is complex, involving how much energy we need for basic functions like breathing and circulation at rest (known as basal metabolic rate, or BMR) how much we burn during everyday activities and exercise and how much through digesting food (the thermic effect of food). Wearable devices are also an option, but research shows that their results are unreliable. Online calculators, meanwhile, can tell you how many calories you expend each day, but it’s at best an approximation. For instance, there’s the “health halo” bias, which makes us more likely to underestimate calories in foods that are marketed as healthful. Unconscious biases can further skew our calorie estimates. For example, in a survey of 2,200 adults, consumers’ guesses about calories in popular restaurant foods ranging from pancakes to onion rings undershot the reality by an average of 165 calories. And according to research, these numbers are notoriously unreliable. It’s that simple.Īccurate or not, calorie counts aren’t available for everything we eat, so we sometimes have to rely on our own estimates. In other words, the key to weight control is counting calories: If you take in fewer than you burn, you lose weight. The point, he said, was that he had consumed 800 fewer calories daily than the number needed to maintain his weight. But Haub’s intention wasn’t to urge people to eat more Twinkies. Undoubtedly some who heard the news eagerly stocked up on the spongy yellow snacks. The story went viral, with the media dubbing Haub’s eating plan the Twinkie Diet. By the end of his snack-food spree, he had lost 27 pounds, putting him at a svelte 174. When he started, Haub tipped the scales at 201 pounds, which for his height was considered overweight. He also dined on Doritos, Little Debbies, sugary cereal and other junk food. ![]() So, for 10 weeks, the professor proceeded to eat an 1,800-calorie diet consisting of a Twinkie every three hours. Haub, who teaches nutrition at Kansas State University, wanted to prove to his students that weight loss is simply about calories. You can say one thing for Professor Mark Haub: He knows how to make a lesson stick.
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