A great question from Chris:

“Brad, I am on the fence about your program. I have been low-carbing it for a while now with some great results. However I am starting to feel a little limited in what I can eat. It would be nice to have the occasional taco or dessert! Are you saying all calories are the same? Meaning if i switch to ESE and add some carbs to my diet, and still lift, my weight and body comp shouldn’t change b/c of the calorie reduction? Thanks”

My Answer:

A calorie is a calorie. It is a unit of measurement, just like an inch. An inch of anything can only ever be one inch, and, in the same way, one calorie from any food is still one calorie.

All macronutrients are not the same, however. Proteins, fats, and carbohydrates have different effects on the body. (Personally, I think we wouldn’t worry so much about calories if we would adopt the Joule as the standard measurement of energy.)

In answer to the question, I’m positive that you can continue to lift weights, switch to the Eat Stop Eat lifestyle, and increase your carb intake (within reason) without seeing a change in your body composition – as long as you don’t increase the amount of energy you consume.

Remember that even if you increase your carbohydrate intake moderately on the days you are eating, your carb intake will be zero on the one or two days you’re fasting, so it should balance out.

Macronutrients play an important role in our health, and most of us could benefit from eating fewer carbohydrates. In the end, though, our ability to eat a wide variety of foods will bring us the best health, and our ability to reduce our caloric intake will bring us the best weight loss. (If you want to make sure the weight that is lost is body fat, be sure to add in resistance training.)

By the way, I have recently heard from a paleo person, a vegetarian, a fruititarian, and a pasta addict – and they all found benefits with Eat Stop Eat.

Eat Stop Eat doesn’t discriminate. The plan can help individuals of all diet beliefs lose weight and feel great.

I am sometimes asked, “How much should I eat on the days I’m not fasting?”

I don’t like complex equations used to count calories, so I have a simple approach to this dilemma.

Eat normally – that is, don’t fast – for two weeks.

Weigh yourself on the third and fourth days. Calculate the average of those two numbers. Weigh yourself again on days 13 and 14, and calculate the average of those two numbers. (Remember to weigh yourself in the morning before you eat.)

If your weight went up more than three or four pounds from your starting average to your final average, you’ll know you’re eating slightly more than you need to eat.

If your weight stayed approximately the same, you’re eating the right amount.

If your weight went down by three or four pounds, you have room to add more food to your life.

This technique is very accurate for men, but women should allow themselves four pounds from their starting average because of the way their body water levels change throughout the course of a month.

This exercise works well for individuals who have lost considerable amounts of weight through fasting and who need to determine how much food they should be eating based on their new weight.