Guest guest Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 T Colin Campbell in his book the China Study advises that there is no need to count calories to loose weight provide one is on a whole food, plant based, no meat, low fat diet and do some exercise. He also explains that the average calorie intake of the Chinese at the time was substantially higher than Americans but their weight was much less. Average calorie intake per K of body weight was 30% higher among the least active Chinese than among average Americans, yet body weight was 20% lower. Likewise vegetarians consume the same amount or even significantly more calories than their meat-eating counterparts and yet are still slimmer. I have looked at my maintenance level of calorie intake and it works out at 2028 assuming light activity. Anything over this and I should start to put on weight assuming all the calories are retained. It is very easy to exceed 2028. So who is right? Colin Campbell that I can eat is much as I like from his basket or the Katch-McArdle formula (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basal_metabolic_rate) that uses body fat to work out BMI and from there the daily calorie requirements which in my case I calculate to be the 2028. I know from past experience that if I eat loads of bread I will put on weight. The formula implies that I will put on weight if I exceed the 2028 cals per day, but Campbell argues that should not happen because a low fat, low protein diet shifts conversion away from body fat to body heat. So I ask those of us on a low fat, low protein, vegan, whole food diet, do you no longer need to count calories and can you eat as much as you like and not be over weight? Robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 I have been eatting a gluten free, low fat mostly raw vegan diet since last christmas. I have ate the amounts that I wanted and have lost weight at the rate of 1-2 lbs per week. I am almost to normal weight range I am supposed to be in. The only breads that I eat are those that I make at home from gluten free flours. My job, I do a lot of walking with and that may be the added key to my sucess.I have not once counted a calorie but have listened to a lot of people fuss at me for not "consuming protein since I quit eatting meat" and I still stick to my diet. I initially started my diet from the imformation I read in T. Colin Campbell's book The China Study. I don't know if anything this helps you or not. Trust me I understand the fustration. Suzann "ddb5pan2" <ddb5pan2 Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 5:35:42 AM Calories Counting and weight loss T Colin Campbell in his book the China Study advises that there is no need to count calories to loose weight provide one is on a whole food, plant based, no meat, low fat diet and do some exercise. He also explains that the average calorie intake of the Chinese at the time was substantially higher than Americans but their weight was much less. Average calorie intake per K of body weight was 30% higher among the least active Chinese than among average Americans, yet body weight was 20% lower. Likewise vegetarians consume the same amount or even significantly more calories than their meat-eating counterparts and yet are still slimmer.I have looked at my maintenance level of calorie intake and it works out at 2028 assuming light activity. Anything over this and I should start to put on weight assuming all the calories are retained.It is very easy to exceed 2028.So who is right? Colin Campbell that I can eat is much as I like from his basket or the Katch-McArdle formula (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basal_metabolic_rate) that uses body fat to work out BMI and from there the daily calorie requirements which in my case I calculate to be the 2028. I know from past experience that if I eat loads of bread I will put on weight. The formula implies that I will put on weight if I exceed the 2028 cals per day, but Campbell argues that should not happen because a low fat, low protein diet shifts conversion away from body fat to body heat.So I ask those of us on a low fat, low protein, vegan, whole food diet, do you no longer need to count calories and can you eat as much as you like and not be over weight?Robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 Eating a low fat vegan diet is very beneficial to your body's overall function and therefore can keep the body from developing the toxic buildup mainly seen in meat/dairy based diets. This doesn't mean however there isn't a chance of weight gain on a low fat vegan diet. Although you provide your body with a toxic free environment, if you do not consume the correct ratio of protein: vegetables: starch you will lose muscle tone and gain unwanted fat. It is essential to keep you protein and vegetable intake higher than your carbohydrate intake, especially if you do not have an active lifestyle. Protein keeps your muscle from breaking down and vegetables provide the fiber needed to cleanse and tone your digestive tract for proper assimilation of nutrients. Carbohydrates provide energy and if that energy is not used up (exercise etc.) it is stored as fat. As with any diet, if you increase your daily intake of calories by 500 more than needed for sustainability you will gain 1 lb a week. For example, I need 1500 calories a day to maintain of my current weight. If I were to consume 2000 cal a day for a week (with no added physical activity) I would gain 1 pound that week. Remember 1 pound = 3500 calories. I believe that eating a low fat vegan diet lessens your chance for weight gain, if done properly. This means, eating a proper ratio of protein: vegetables: starch and being physically active. Also, try to eat whole foods and stay away from artificial sweeteners and preservative, as they hinder your body from functioning properly. Ashley , Suzann Hughes <slhrtsla wrote:>> I have been eatting a gluten free, low fat mostly raw vegan diet since last christmas. I have ate the amounts that I wanted and have lost weight at the rate of 1-2 lbs per week. I am almost to normal weight range I am supposed to be in. The only breads that I eat are those that I make at home from gluten free flours. My job, I do a lot of walking with and that may be the added key to my sucess.> I have not once counted a calorie but have listened to a lot of people fuss at me for not "consuming protein since I quit eatting meat" and I still stick to my diet. I initially started my diet from the imformation I read in T. Colin Campbell's book The China Study. I don't know if anything this helps you or not. Trust me I understand the fustration. > Suzann> > > > ________________________________> "ddb5pan2" ddb5pan2 > Tuesday, June 30, 2009 5:35:42 AM> Calories Counting and weight loss> > > > > > T Colin Campbell in his book the China Study advises that there is no > need to count calories to loose weight provide one is on a whole food, > plant based, no meat, low fat diet and do some exercise. He also > explains that the average calorie intake of the Chinese at the time was > substantially higher than Americans but their weight was much less. > Average calorie intake per K of body weight was 30% higher among the > least active Chinese than among average Americans, yet body weight was > 20% lower. Likewise vegetarians consume the same amount or even > significantly more calories than their meat-eating counterparts and yet > are still slimmer.> > I have looked at my maintenance level of calorie intake and it works out > at 2028 assuming light activity. Anything over this and I should start > to put on weight assuming all the calories are retained.> > It is very easy to exceed 2028.> > So who is right? Colin Campbell that I can eat is much as I like from > his basket or the Katch-McArdle formula > (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basal_metabolic_rate) that uses body fat > to work out BMI and from there the daily calorie requirements which in > my case I calculate to be the 2028. > > I know from past experience that if I eat loads of bread I will put on > weight. The formula implies that I will put on weight if I exceed the > 2028 cals per day, but Campbell argues that should not happen because a > low fat, low protein diet shifts conversion away from body fat to body > heat.> > So I ask those of us on a low fat, low protein, vegan, whole food diet, > do you no longer need to count calories and can you eat as much as you > like and not be over weight?> > Robin> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 Robin I have been following Both Dr. Esselstyn’s and Dr. Campbell’s diet recommendations for three years. I do not count calories and eat all I want. I have gone back to my high school weight and stay within a few pounds no matter how much I eat. I also do a lot of daily exercise. John On Behalf Of ddb5pan2 Tuesday, June 30, 2009 6:36 AM Calories Counting and weight loss T Colin Campbell in his book the China Study advises that there is no need to count calories to loose weight provide one is on a whole food, plant based, no meat, low fat diet and do some exercise. He also explains that the average calorie intake of the Chinese at the time was substantially higher than Americans but their weight was much less. Average calorie intake per K of body weight was 30% higher among the least active Chinese than among average Americans, yet body weight was 20% lower. Likewise vegetarians consume the same amount or even significantly more calories than their meat-eating counterparts and yet are still slimmer. I have looked at my maintenance level of calorie intake and it works out at 2028 assuming light activity. Anything over this and I should start to put on weight assuming all the calories are retained. It is very easy to exceed 2028. So who is right? Colin Campbell that I can eat is much as I like from his basket or the Katch-McArdle formula (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basal_metabolic_rate) that uses body fat to work out BMI and from there the daily calorie requirements which in my case I calculate to be the 2028. I know from past experience that if I eat loads of bread I will put on weight. The formula implies that I will put on weight if I exceed the 2028 cals per day, but Campbell argues that should not happen because a low fat, low protein diet shifts conversion away from body fat to body heat. So I ask those of us on a low fat, low protein, vegan, whole food diet, do you no longer need to count calories and can you eat as much as you like and not be over weight? Robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 On Tue, 30 Jun 2009, ddb5pan2 wrote: > I know from past experience that if I eat loads of bread I will put on > weight. The formula implies that I will put on weight if I exceed the > 2028 cals per day, but Campbell argues that should not happen because a > low fat, low protein diet shifts conversion away from body fat to body > heat. Campbell doesn't just argue for a low-fat, low-protein diet. He argues for a *whole-foods* (as you later mentioned), *plant-based* diet, which turns out to be naturally low in fat (approx. 10% of calories in most plant-based foods are from fat), and low in protein, but the emphasis is on a *plant-based diet of whole foods.* Speaking from my own experience, this is hugely different from a diet that is just " low fat, low protein, " since such a diet can still be high in refined carbohydrates and sugary junk foods. I started eating this way (whole foods, plant-based) last July, and have found it incredibly easy, since there's not much to think about, and nothing to weigh, measure, calculate, etc. Just two questions determine what I will eat: Is it a whole food? Is it a plant food? > > So I ask those of us on a low fat, low protein, vegan, whole food diet, > do you no longer need to count calories and can you eat as much as you > like and not be over weight? I have lost around 30 lbs since this time last year, without counting calories, and without trying. That's a very slow rate of weight loss, but I started eating this way not to " diet, " but to improve my health, so the weight loss is just a side benefit. I eat as much as I want, and any time I want. Best of all (for me, at least), I eat exactly what I want, as long as it is " whole-foods " and " plant-based. " (The only whole foods I do not eat freely are avocados and nuts/seeds, because of their high-fat content.) During the summer, this means lots of salads (with dressings containing NO OIL, since vegetable oils are not whole foods), lots of watermelon (I generally eat a whole, large watermelon every other day) and other fuits (including frozen-fruit smoothies), and lots of corn on the cob. In colder weather, I eat baked squash, lots of sweet potatoes, brown rice, various bean recipes such as chili, lentil stew, etc. I use a lot of the recipes (especially for salad dressings) in " Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease " , a book which I bought when I discovered that more than half of it is simply fat-free vegan recipes. I look forward to thick, green smoothies of whole fruits adn veggies (made in my Vitamix) every morning, and often in the evening as well. My former constant craving for sweets is just gone -- I think maybe as a result of all the veggies adn fruits I'm getting in the smoothies. Occasionally I deviate from this way of eating - if I'm at a birthday party, I'll have a piece of cake, etc., or if I'm invited to dinner at someone's house, and they serve salad " family style " with an oily dressing already on it, but I just dont' worry about this, since these occasions are not daily events. Also, it really turns me off to make a " religion " out of an eating choice (I've had enough " religion " for two lifetimes!), so I'd rather be flexible and relaxed about it, and this has worked really well for me, over the long term. Hope this helps! -MEC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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