Yup, what I'm usually missing in those is the actual difference in calorie intake. Going vegan for example will reduce a lot because you'd naturally eat less fats. Going carb-free, same story. They're probably more popular than counting calories because there's Rules to adhere to, which is more easy than trying to guess how many grams of pasta are in your plate.
> what I'm usually missing in those is the actual difference in calorie intake...
Check out "That Sugar Film," it was on Amazon Prime when I saw it. Highly recommend.
In it, he goes from a zero-sugar diet to a "recommend healthy amount of sugar" (and from "healthy" sources — he is not eating candy) while maintaining the same calorie count and exercise routine.
Spoiler: he gains weight and inches and develops a fatty liver.
He went from zero refined sugar to 200g of sugar a day. The average in America is 125g and nobody would recommend anywhere near either amount. He also only ate packaged foods - presumably no vegetables, rice, pasta etc. It's hard to see how any lessons can be learned from this.
Thanks for the link. I had no idea. Up until 2yrs ago, it appears that the WHO recommend up to 50g of sugar per day and recently reduced that to half that.
I still think there is a lesson to be learned. If we can assume his calorie intake remained the same (which he claims, but given your link, who knows), we can say that the source of the calories matters. I've met a few people who only subscribe to calories in vs calories out.
By keeping his calorie intake the same but replacing all foods with those containing added sugar, he really tipped the scale. I suspect with more calories he might have gained some weight but would feel better and not have that liver issue.
I've never seen an honest documentary on nutrition.
