Do Calories Really Matter?

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 8 Steps To Experiencing Your
Perfect Way To Eat

What You Need To Know…..

• Some people are more sensitive to calories and macronutrient combinations than others.

 • Individualizing your diet while still sticking with core principles is the key to perfect weight and feeling your best.

• Clean up the diet with a Kaufmann-style approach to eating first, then experiment with calories and macros.

 • Use a simple, step-by-step approach to unlocking the version of the Kaufmann Diet that works best for you.

Should we count calories?  

One camp says that calories are the only things that matter in the quest for perfect weight. They say that if your calories are low enough, you’ll lose weight even if those calories come from junk food. 

Another camp says that calories don’t matter at all as long as you eat “clean”, or as long as your “macros” (protein, fat, carbs) are proportioned the right way. 

I’ve worked with hundreds of people over the years, and I’ve noticed that the quantity of calories some people eat have no impact on them whatsoever. For others, it’s central.

Professional Athletes and The Rest of Us

Take, for example, athletes who compete in particular weight classes for their sport. Let’s say the person has to weigh exactly 170 pounds on a particular date. I’ve visited with them and with their nutritionists over the years, and they all tell me the same thing: They learn over time what their calories have to be in order to lose weight, and what their mix of fats, carbs, and proteins have to be. They learn the athlete’s physiology and response to different foods and work it out such that the athlete weighs exactly what they should weigh, on the exact date required. AND they know how long it will take to get to that weight.

Most of us don’t need that level of precision, though, (thank goodness). Maybe our life insurance will rise if we go over a particular BMI, and we need to keep our weight tight by the time we’re examined. But in general, most of us just want to feel well, and for our clothes to fit right.

For us, we need to know if we’re sensitive to calorie fluctuations. Some people can eat like it’s a buffet, and their weight never rises. Other people find that their weight changes with the slightest calorie fluctuation. 

First Things First

If you’re eating some version of the Kaufmann Diet, your first goal is to keep fungi away. Fungi can excrete chemicals that cause food cravings and can exacerbate a weight crisis.

Upon getting the menu right, some people find that’s all they need in order to resolve cravings and return to a normal weight.

Others may need a little extra planning, though. In the absence of fungal overgrowth, we all have bodies that handle calories and macronutrients differently. 

For example, I personally like Kaufmann-inspired ketogenic meals from time to time, but I tend to want more protein than is called for in classic keto. The low-carb keto-Kaufmann foods work for me because I tend to be unable to handle huge carbs without gaining weight. But I find that I can become hungry if I don’t get enough protein. 

For me, protein equals satiety. Some studies have shown that for a majority of people, protein is the most satiating macronutrient. But that’s just a statistic, and though it holds true for me, others have told me that fat is their most satisfying, filling macro. For many people, an equal balance of protein, carbs, and fats solves every hunger and weight issue. 

Knowing Yourself is Power

Knowing what kills hunger best for you, and how calories affect your weight, energy, sleep, and overall well-being, all while remaining Kaufmann-friendly, is part of how you individualize the Kaufmann Diet. 

If you’ve never experimented with calories or macros, here are 8 steps to discovering your perfect way to eat:

1). Begin by simply transitioning from the Standard American Diet to a balanced version of the Kaufmann Diet. Try recipes from our website or our cookbooks, and get used to the wide array of foods you get to choose from.

2). After getting comfortable with the foods, plan a few days’ worth of meals that favor protein, (e.g. – grass fed beef, chicken, eggs, etc). Note how you feel, how you sleep, how your energy fluctuates, how hungry or satiated you are, etc. Don’t worry about calories at this point.

3).  Do the same thing for a few days, but switch to meals that favor fat, (more of a ketogenic style of eating). Note how you feel.

4). Finally, try a few days of Kaufmann-friendly meals that favor carbs, such as vegetables, berries, citrus fruits, pseudo grains, etc. 

5). After a few days of a balanced approach, a protein-centered approach, a fat-centered approach, and a carb-centered approach, you may be able to determine which general style of Kaufmann eating your body responds best to. Don’t be surprised if some in your family do really well eating differently than you. This isn’t uncommon at all.

6). After finding the version of Kaufmann eating your body prefers, you may not even need to worry about calories. But if you enjoy playing around with calories, (trust me, some people do), have fun seeing how different quantities of calories affect how you feel. 

7). If you’re trying to lose weight, you may be tempted to drop calories very, very low. Resist the urge. If you go too low on calories, it’s possible to lose muscle instead of body fat, and for your metabolic rate to drop. (Surprisingly, total or intermittent fasting seems not to carry this risk. More on that in other posts.) You may find yourself naturally dropping weight just by eating in a way that effortlessly satisfies hunger. But if you do want to drop calories, only do so by a couple of hundred calories each day. Never do less than 500 calories below maintenance level.

8). After trying different calories and proportions of protein, fats, and carbs, you can zero in on the focused, individualized Kaufmann way of eating that is just right for you. It won’t take long at all before you can plan your meals at home, and make easier decisions at restaurants. If you want to stray for a special event, or have to tighten up things to fit into clothing better, knowing how your body responds to calories and macros make adjustments easy. 

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