Obesity doc says calorie restricting doesn't lose weight and other weight loss BS

A recent article in Men's Health quoted a Cambridge obesity expert claiming that calorie counting doesn't lose weight. Now this sounds great in theory. But I'm gonna call BS and for a lot of reasons. And I believe Dr. Now of "My 600-lb Life" would agree. 

So Dr. Giles Yeo is an "expert" on obesity. Now this term gives me a facial tic to start with. What this means is that he has researched obesity. But has Dr. Y ever been overweight or obese and went on to lose weight? I may not be a doctor but I lost 100 pounds, without gastric bypass, by calorie restricting, and kept it off. With respect, that makes me better qualified to speak on weight loss. I'm not the only formerly overweight "expert" touting calorie counting. And Doc Y isn't the only obesity guru. 

There's one much more strategically placed, as I see it, to speak on what works for weigh loss.  And he's ALL ABOUT calorie restricting! "My 600-lb Life" Dr. Now (azardan) treats people with morbid obesity, by putting them on a 1200 calorie diet to undergo gastric bypass. And guess what? Those "My 600-lb Life" folks lose weight BIG TIME! And if they follow the 1200 calorie diet, they keep it off! 

So fair dues, Dr. Y eschews extreme calorie restricting and so do I. Extreme calorie restricting is simply unsustainable. We may lose weight but then put it back on again. This leads to yo-yo dieting, stalled metabolism, etc. He also made a good point about the body not liking it when we lose weight. Instinctively, it stores fat for survival. So don't crash diet, but do 1200 calorie diet to keep metabolism up to speed.  

Like Dr. Now, he also wisely advises changed eating habits vs. "blind" calorie counting. He cautions that calories are not created equal. That's it's not about how much but what you eat. I'd  have thought that it was obvious that three 400-calorie muffins was not the same as a 1200 calorie diet of lean protein, fruits and veg. It's not even going to fill you up, let alone lose weight. You'll bork metabolism, remain hungry, cheat and overeat. But I've watched enough "My 600-lb Life" to know that it's worth reiterating. 

However if Dr. Y really understood obesity, not just researched it, he'd know that "no calorie restricting" is the wrong thing to say. Obesity hears it as an excuse to keep overeating and avoid weight loss. And that's how we got overweight in the first place!  So maybe you don't have to "count calories" for weight loss (I did). But you do have to track eating or you'll mindlessly overeat. You have to lose something from diet to lose weight. 

But you totally can if you want to! If you need tips from how I lost 100 pounds, keep reading!