While conclusions drawn by researchers about their data is not evidenciary, it most certainly has merit in interpreting what was seen. That’s why I place my support for it like I do.

THANKS again and feel free to join my “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Discussion” forum for more engaging conversations about the low-carb lifestyle. Take care!

Are you aware of any studies on isocaloric diets that have not shown equal weight loss? While individual metabolic differences (thyroid condition, etc.) certainly have an affect on the calorie use/consume ratio I have a hard time following the evidence that I’ve seen to your conclusion.

In your 6:41 post you write:
My conclusions are based on research by Dr. William Evans from the University of Arkansas

but in the 7:33 post you write: My conclusion is based on the quote from Dr. Evans that I cited previously.

If you are basing your evidence on research, then that is one thing and I would love to read it. If you are basing it on an single sentence quotation well, I can find you any number of doctors/researchers/etc who could easily make an opposite claim and provide just as much information (none) to support it. I can also find Colpo’s seemingly comprehensive collection of metabolic ward studies that provide evidence of the opposite. That body of evidence holds much more weight, in my view, than an opinion that, when googled, I find only on your blog and in news reports related to the very study that you and I both agreed shows nothing of the sort.

Thanks for taking the time to address my questions.

I’d personally LOVE to see a study that compares head-to-head an 1800-calorie low-carb, high-fat diet with an 1800-calorie low-fat, high-carb diet. It would answer this question once and for all.

THANKS again for your comments.

I believe that I found the study that you refer to,
http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/164/2/210
If this isn’t the correct one I’d appreciate a nudge in the right direction.

I am not an expert and could certainly have overlooked or misunderstood something, but when I read through the study I don’t see the data supporting the conclusion that there is any metabolic advantage to a low carb diet. The control group, eating 2800 kcal/day maintained its wait. The two intervention groups consumed 600 and 400 kcal/day fewer than the controls and they lost weight.

As far as I can tell, this supports the calories in/calories out paradigm rather than overthrowing it.

My conclusions are based on research by Dr. William Evans from the University of Arkansas who had his study on this subject published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

His quote: “Calorie in, minus calories out, does not always determine the amount of weight loss.”

Do calories count? Of course. But you don’t have to count them in order to lose weight. That’s my position and I’ve remained consistent on it from day one.

THANKS for your comment, Mission!

“Jimmy, you write that “the “calories in, calories out” theory has been shown to be inaccurate” but your friend, the esteemed and accurate researcher Anthony Colpo, claims the opposite, that calories are the most important factor. The very first chapter of his new ebook, “The Fat Loss Bible,” (a book which I found on your recommendation) is called “Myth 1: Don’t count calories.” Anthony writes “Anyone who tells you cutting calories does not produce weight loss is utterly ignorant of scientific reality. So too are those who insist that manipulating dietary protein, fat and carbohydrate intake can produce greater weight loss at identical calorie intakes”

How do you account for this disconnect?”