{"id":558,"date":"2026-11-09T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-09T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/clinicanering.com\/blog\/?p=558"},"modified":"2026-10-29T04:22:34","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T04:22:34","slug":"diet-myths-part-1-calories-fasting-carbs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/clinicanering.com\/blog\/en\/nutrition\/diet-myths-part-1-calories-fasting-carbs\/","title":{"rendered":"Diet Myths and Facts, Part 1: Calories, Fasting and Carbs"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote>\n<p><strong>Main points<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>To lose weight, what matters most is eating fewer calories than you burn, in a way you can keep up. Protein helps, largely because it is more filling.<\/li>\n<li>Beginners often gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. For people who are already trained, a moderate surplus of 10% to 20% is usually enough.<\/li>\n<li>Intermittent fasting and a regular diet lead to similar weight loss. The choice depends on your routine and your hunger.<\/li>\n<li>Carbohydrates are not more fattening than fat when calories and protein are the same.<\/li>\n<li>Protein should be calculated in grams per kilo, not as a percentage of the diet.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>In October 2026, 25 researchers published a review in the journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition to sort diet myths from facts across 16 questions that come up all the time. Several authors have ties to sports nutrition and supplement companies, as they themselves state in the author notes. So before writing, I checked the abstracts of the main studies cited, and I brought in examples from those studies to help explain each answer.<\/p>\n<p>Since there are so many questions, I split the answers into two posts. In this part 1, I cover the 8 questions about calories, gaining muscle, fasting and carbohydrates. In part 2, out tomorrow, I cover DNA-based diets, eating at night, the carnivore diet, superfoods, vegan diets, supplements, protein and the kidneys, and diets for living longer. Across the 8 questions in this part, total calories and protein matter more than the format of the diet, whether that means fasting, low-carb or the number of meals.<\/p>\n<table>\n<colgroup>\n<col style=\"width: 50%\" \/>\n<col style=\"width: 50%\" \/>\n<\/colgroup>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Question<\/th>\n<th>What the review says<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Do you need to eat more to gain muscle?<\/td>\n<td>Beginners often don&#8217;t; trained people, 10% to 20% above energy needs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Can you lose weight without counting calories?<\/td>\n<td>Yes, but the deficit is still there<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Do the benefits come only from weight loss?<\/td>\n<td>Largely, yes; protein helps a little beyond that<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Does eating every 3 hours help you lose more weight?<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Does intermittent fasting help you lose more than a regular diet?<\/td>\n<td>Not much, and not in the long term<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Does fasting work differently for women?<\/td>\n<td>There is not enough evidence yet<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Is there an ideal macronutrient ratio?<\/td>\n<td>No; protein is set in grams per kilo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Are carbs more fattening than fat?<\/td>\n<td>No, with the same calories and protein<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2>1. Do you need to eat more to gain muscle?<\/h2>\n<p>People who are just starting to train, or are still at an intermediate level, can often gain muscle and lose fat at the same time, even without eating more. This is called <strong>body recomposition<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>It shows up even in trained people, especially with plenty of protein. In a study of 48 men and women who were already lifting weights, both groups gained about 1.5 kg of lean mass on a heavy training program. The group that ate 3.4 g of protein per kilo lost 1.7 kg of fat, compared with 0.3 kg in the group that ate 2.3 g per kilo (which is already a lot of protein), despite eating more calories.<\/p>\n<p>For people who are already trained and lean, the review sees a small surplus as helpful, but overdoing it mainly adds fat. In a small study, with 17 lifters who finished it, the group told to eat 15% above their energy needs, which ended up eating about 28% above, increased their skinfolds more than the maintenance group, with no clear difference in muscle over 8 weeks.<\/p>\n<p>The ISSN review suggests staying between 10% and 20% above your energy needs, with a focus on protein. For example, if you burn 2,500 calories a day, that comes to somewhere between 2,750 and 3,000. If you want to gain less fat, stay closer to 10%. Tracking your waist and your <a href=\"https:\/\/clinicanering.com\/blog\/en\/body-composition\/bioimpedance-what-the-test-shows\/\">body composition<\/a> helps you see whether the gain is coming more from muscle or from fat.<\/p>\n<h2>2. Can you lose weight without counting calories?<\/h2>\n<p>You can lose weight without counting, but <strong>the deficit is still there<\/strong>: some diets make people eat less without noticing, because they are more filling. Protein is the best example.<\/p>\n<p>In a Danish study, 50 people with overweight or obesity followed a reduced-fat diet for six months, eating as much as they wanted, with no calorie target, and another 15 were in a control group with no diet. One group ate more carbohydrate and the other more protein. Those on the higher-protein diet lost 8.9 kg, compared with 5.1 kg in the other group, and 35% of them lost more than 10 kg, compared with 9% in the higher-carbohydrate group. Counting calories is not mandatory, and a few adjustments make the deficit happen more naturally:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>protein at every meal;<\/li>\n<li>vegetables and high-fiber foods on the plate;<\/li>\n<li>fewer ultra-processed foods and fewer liquid calories, such as soda, juice and alcohol.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If the weight still doesn&#8217;t come down, it&#8217;s almost always because the deficit isn&#8217;t happening. In the post about the <a href=\"https:\/\/clinicanering.com\/blog\/en\/weight-loss\/weight-loss-plateau-why-the-scale-stalls\/\">weight loss plateau<\/a>, I explained why this happens and what to adjust.<\/p>\n<h2>3. Do the benefits of a diet come only from weight loss?<\/h2>\n<p>For people with overweight or obesity, improvements in blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol come largely from weight loss, not from the type of diet chosen. The ISSN review points out that losing 5% of body weight is already considered an important change for health, something like 5 kg for a person who weighs 100 kg.<\/p>\n<p>An analysis of 15 studies with more than 17,000 adults with obesity compared people told to lose weight with people who were not. With an average loss of 5.5 kg, the risk of death from any cause was about 15% lower in the group told to lose weight, a result right at the edge of statistical significance.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Protein<\/strong> shifts this math a little: an analysis of 24 studies compared diets with the same number of calories, one higher in protein and one standard. The higher-protein diet led to about 0.9 kg more fat loss, on diets of about 12 weeks, and preserved lean mass better. I wrote more about this in the post about how to <a href=\"https:\/\/clinicanering.com\/blog\/en\/weight-loss\/lose-weight-without-losing-muscle\/\">lose weight without losing muscle<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>4. Does eating every 3 hours help you lose more weight?<\/h2>\n<p>No. The idea of <strong>\u201cspeeding up your metabolism\u201d<\/strong> with many meals has not held up. In a small study of 16 adults with obesity, everyone followed the same calorie restriction for 8 weeks. One group ate 3 meals a day and the other 3 meals and 3 snacks. There was no difference in weight or fat loss between the two groups, or in the hormones linked to hunger and fullness. I explained how much the body burns at rest in the post about <a href=\"https:\/\/clinicanering.com\/blog\/en\/body-composition\/metabolism-calories-burned-at-rest\/\">metabolism<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The number of meals can still matter for comfort. Some people control their hunger better or have less stomach discomfort with smaller, more frequent meals. Others prefer 3 larger meals. For weight loss, the deficit is what decides it, so pick the format that leaves you less hungry and makes the routine easier to keep up.<\/p>\n<h2>5. Does intermittent fasting help you lose more weight than a regular diet?<\/h2>\n<p>Intermittent fasting leads to only slightly more weight loss than a regular diet, and only at the start. There are several types of fasting. The 3 best known are eating within a time window (like 16:8), fasting or eating very little 2 days a week (5:2), and alternating a restricted day with a free day.<\/p>\n<p>A 2024 analysis pooled 10 studies with 623 people with obesity. In both groups, weight loss was 5.5 to 6.5 kg over six months. Fasting led to <strong>about 1 kg more weight loss<\/strong> in the short term, a difference the authors themselves do not consider important in practice, and it showed no advantage in the long term.<\/p>\n<p>One study followed 100 adults with obesity for a year, comparing alternate-day fasting with a regular diet and with a no-diet group. Weight loss was similar, but fasting had more dropouts, 38% versus 29%, and the people who fasted ended up eating more than planned on fasting days.<\/p>\n<p>Fasting can be easier for people who don&#8217;t like counting calories and do well going hours without eating. For people who get very hungry while fasting, a regular diet may be easier to keep up. If you use insulin or another medication that lowers blood sugar, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have had an eating disorder, talk to your doctor before you try fasting.<\/p>\n<h2>6. Does fasting work differently for women?<\/h2>\n<p>So far, there is not enough evidence to say it does. Some studies have shown differences in how men and women respond to fasting. In 16 adults without obesity, 22 days of alternate-day fasting slightly worsened the blood sugar response to a meal in women, but not in men.<\/p>\n<p>In longer studies, the difference between the sexes was not clear. In a 12-week study with weight training, in people who were not yet training, 5:2 fasting and a regular diet gave similar results in body composition and strength. According to the review, men lost more weight and women gained more lean mass, but a single study can&#8217;t tell us much.<\/p>\n<p>The ISSN review concludes that <strong>there is no reason to change the fasting protocol<\/strong> based on sex alone. With women who train a lot, I worry about something else, because fasting can make it easier to eat less than the body needs, which can lead to the condition I explained in the post about <a href=\"https:\/\/clinicanering.com\/blog\/en\/sports-medicine\/red-s-relative-energy-deficiency-in-sport\/\">RED-S<\/a>, with risks for the menstrual cycle, bone and performance.<\/p>\n<h2>7. Is there an ideal macronutrient ratio?<\/h2>\n<p>Diets with fixed ratios, such as 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein and 30% fat, oversimplify things, and there is no <strong>magic ratio<\/strong>. An analysis of long-term studies concluded that the ratio of carbohydrate, fat and protein did not predict who gained or lost weight. What was linked to weight was the foods: more fiber, nuts and dairy were linked to less weight gain, and more meat, refined grains and sweets to more gain.<\/p>\n<p>The ISSN review gives an example that I think shows the problem with percentages very well. A 70 kg person on a 1,600-calorie diet with 15% protein eats only 60 g of protein a day. By the society&#8217;s own recommendation, people who train should get 1.4 to 2.0 g per kilo, that is, at least 98 g for this person.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<img src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/mitos1-proteina-en.svg\" alt=\"Chart for one of the diet myths, showing that a 70 kg person on a 1,600-calorie diet with 15% protein eats 60 g of protein a day, while the recommended minimum for someone who trains would be 98 g, calculated at 1.4 g per kilo.\" width=\"640\" height=\"400\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"><figcaption>\nCalculating protein as a percentage can leave people on a diet below what they need.<br \/>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The more useful calculation is protein in grams per kilo of body weight, spread across the day, with somewhere between 20 and 40 g per meal. When food doesn&#8217;t cover it, <a href=\"https:\/\/clinicanering.com\/blog\/en\/supplements\/whey-protein-what-it-does-how-much\/\">whey protein<\/a> is a practical option. The rest of the calories can come from carbohydrate and fat in whatever ratio works best for you and your training.<\/p>\n<h2>8. Are carbohydrates more fattening than fat?<\/h2>\n<p>No, not when calories and protein are the same. The idea that carbohydrate makes you fat because of insulin has not held up in the most tightly controlled studies.<\/p>\n<p>In a 6-day study of 19 volunteers admitted to a research unit, with everything they ate controlled, cutting fat led to slightly more body fat loss than cutting carbohydrate with the same calories, about 89 versus 53 g a day, even with lower insulin on the low-carb diet. The authors themselves calculated that this difference tends to disappear over time.<\/p>\n<p>In long-term studies, the two diets were practically tied. A Cochrane review of 61 studies and almost 7,000 people found <strong>little or no difference<\/strong> in weight between low-carbohydrate diets and balanced-carbohydrate diets, over up to two years. In a one-year study of 609 people, the low-fat diet led to a loss of 5.3 kg and the low-carb diet 6.0 kg, a difference that was not significant.<\/p>\n<p>What makes you gain weight is excess calories, which usually come from ultra-processed foods rich in both refined carbohydrate and fat. Choosing low-carb or low-fat is a matter of preference. Within either one, quality makes a difference: carbohydrate with fiber, such as beans, fruit and whole grains, is not the same as white flour and sugar.<\/p>\n<h2>Diet myths and facts: how to use this in practice<\/h2>\n<p>If I had to sum up this part 1 in a few rules, it would be these four. I listed them in the order I would follow to build a diet:<\/p>\n<ol type=\"1\">\n<li>Set your goal: eat a little less than you burn to lose weight or, if you have been training for a while, a little more to gain muscle.<\/li>\n<li>Calculate protein in grams per kilo and spread it across the day.<\/li>\n<li>Choose the format you can keep up: fasting, low-carb, low-fat, 3 meals or 6.<\/li>\n<li>Prioritize foods with fiber and cut back on ultra-processed foods.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>Calories and protein, more than the format of the diet, decided the 8 answers in this part. Fasting, low-carb, low-fat and a regular diet work in similar ways, and eating every 3 hours does not speed up weight loss. Beginners can often gain muscle and lose fat at the same time, and for people who are already trained a moderate surplus is usually enough. In part 2, tomorrow, I talk about fad diets, supplements and the effect of protein on the kidneys.<\/p>\n<p>Enjoy your meals, and see you in part 2!<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Responsible physician:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/clinicanering.com\/sobre\/\">Dr. Gilberto Nering Junior<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/clinicanering.com\/medicina-do-esporte\/\">sports medicine physician<\/a>, CRM-SP 160822, RQE 142486 (Sports Medicine, Brazil).<\/p>\n<p><small>This text was not sponsored, is for information only and does not replace an individual assessment. Questions about the content: <a href=\"https:\/\/clinicanering.com\/contato\/\">contact the clinic<\/a>.<\/small><\/p>\n<p>Cover photo: <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/meal-prep-containers-with-healthy-food-lMcRyBx4G50\">Ella Olsson<\/a> on Unsplash.<\/p>\n<div class=\"nering-faq\">\n<h2>Quick questions about calories, fasting and carbs<\/h2>\n<h3>Which diet leads to the most weight loss?<\/h3>\n<p>When calories and protein are the same, fasting, low-carb, low-fat and a regular diet give similar results. The best one is the one you can keep up the longest.<\/p>\n<h3>Does intermittent fasting work?<\/h3>\n<p>Intermittent fasting works, and it leads to almost the same weight loss as a regular diet. In a review of 10 studies, fasting led to about 1 kg more weight loss in the short term, a small difference with no long-term advantage.<\/p>\n<h3>Do I need to count calories to lose weight?<\/h3>\n<p>Counting calories is not mandatory for weight loss. More protein, more fiber and fewer ultra-processed foods make many people eat less without counting, but without a deficit, the weight doesn&#8217;t come down.<\/p>\n<h3>How much extra should I eat to gain muscle?<\/h3>\n<p>For people who are already trained and lean, about 10% to 20% above energy needs, with a focus on protein. Beginners often gain muscle even without eating more.<\/p>\n<h3>Do carbs at night make you gain weight?<\/h3>\n<p>With the same calories, timing seems to matter little, and carbohydrate is not more fattening than fat. I talk more about eating at night in part 2.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>References<\/h2>\n<ol type=\"1\">\n<li>Antonio J, Ellerbroek A, Silver T, et al.\u00a0A high protein diet (3.4 g\/kg\/d) combined with a heavy resistance training program improves body composition in healthy trained men and women: a follow-up investigation. <em>J Int Soc Sports Nutr<\/em>. 2015;12:39. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s12970-015-0100-0\">doi:10.1186\/s12970-015-0100-0<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Antonio J, Antonio B, Aragon A, et al.\u00a0Common questions and misconceptions about diets: what does the scientific evidence really show? <em>J Int Soc Sports Nutr<\/em>. 2026;23(1):2707252. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/15502783.2026.2707252\">doi:10.1080\/15502783.2026.2707252<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Cameron JD, Cyr MJ, Doucet E. Increased meal frequency does not promote greater weight loss in subjects who were prescribed an 8-week equi-energetic energy-restricted diet. <em>Br J Nutr<\/em>. 2010;103(8):1098-101. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/S0007114509992984\">doi:10.1017\/S0007114509992984<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Fogelholm M, Anderssen S, Gunnarsdottir I, et al.\u00a0Dietary macronutrients and food consumption as determinants of long-term weight change in adult populations: a systematic literature review. <em>Food Nutr Res<\/em>. 2012;56:19103. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3402\/fnr.v56i0.19103\">doi:10.3402\/fnr.v56i0.19103<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Gardner CD, Trepanowski JF, Del Gobbo LC, et al.\u00a0Effect of Low-Fat vs Low-Carbohydrate Diet on 12-Month Weight Loss in Overweight Adults and the Association With Genotype Pattern or Insulin Secretion: The DIETFITS Randomized Clinical Trial. <em>JAMA<\/em>. 2018;319(7):667-679. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1001\/jama.2018.0245\">doi:10.1001\/jama.2018.0245<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Hall KD, Bemis T, Brychta R, et al.\u00a0Calorie for Calorie, Dietary Fat Restriction Results in More Body Fat Loss than Carbohydrate Restriction in People with Obesity. <em>Cell Metab<\/em>. 2015;22(3):427-36. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.cmet.2015.07.021\">doi:10.1016\/j.cmet.2015.07.021<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Heilbronn LK, Civitarese AE, Bogacka I, et al.\u00a0Glucose tolerance and skeletal muscle gene expression in response to alternate day fasting. <em>Obes Res<\/em>. 2005;13(3):574-81. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/oby.2005.61\">doi:10.1038\/oby.2005.61<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Helms ER, Spence AJ, Sousa C, et al.\u00a0Effect of Small and Large Energy Surpluses on Strength, Muscle, and Skinfold Thickness in Resistance-Trained Individuals: A Parallel Groups Design. <em>Sports Med Open<\/em>. 2023;9(1):102. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s40798-023-00651-y\">doi:10.1186\/s40798-023-00651-y<\/a><\/li>\n<li>J\u00e4ger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, et al.\u00a0International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. <em>J Int Soc Sports Nutr<\/em>. 2017;14:20. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s12970-017-0177-8\">doi:10.1186\/s12970-017-0177-8<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Keenan SJ, Cooke MB, Hassan EB, et al.\u00a0Intermittent fasting and continuous energy restriction result in similar changes in body composition and muscle strength when combined with a 12\u00a0week resistance training program. <em>Eur J Nutr<\/em>. 2022;61(4):2183-2199. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s00394-022-02804-3\">doi:10.1007\/s00394-022-02804-3<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Kritchevsky SB, Beavers KM, Miller ME, et al.\u00a0Intentional weight loss and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. <em>PLoS One<\/em>. 2015;10(3):e0121993. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0121993\">doi:10.1371\/journal.pone.0121993<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Naude CE, Brand A, Schoonees A, et al.\u00a0Low-carbohydrate versus balanced-carbohydrate diets for reducing weight and cardiovascular risk. <em>Cochrane Database Syst Rev<\/em>. 2022;1(1):CD013334. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/14651858.CD013334.pub2\">doi:10.1002\/14651858.CD013334.pub2<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Siles-Guerrero V, Romero-M\u00e1rquez JM, Garc\u00eda-P\u00e9rez RN, et al.\u00a0Is Fasting Superior to Continuous Caloric Restriction for Weight Loss and Metabolic Outcomes in Obese Adults? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. <em>Nutrients<\/em>. 2024;16(20):3533. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/nu16203533\">doi:10.3390\/nu16203533<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Skov AR, Toubro S, R\u00f8nn B, et al.\u00a0Randomized trial on protein vs carbohydrate in ad libitum fat reduced diet for the treatment of obesity. <em>Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord<\/em>. 1999;23(5):528-36. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/sj.ijo.0800867\">doi:10.1038\/sj.ijo.0800867<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Trepanowski JF, Kroeger CM, Barnosky A, et al.\u00a0Effect of Alternate-Day Fasting on Weight Loss, Weight Maintenance, and Cardioprotection Among Metabolically Healthy Obese Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial. <em>JAMA Intern Med<\/em>. 2017;177(7):930-938. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1001\/jamainternmed.2017.0936\">doi:10.1001\/jamainternmed.2017.0936<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Wycherley TP, Moran LJ, Clifton PM, et al.\u00a0Effects of energy-restricted high-protein, low-fat compared with standard-protein, low-fat diets: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. <em>Am J Clin Nutr<\/em>. 2012;96(6):1281-98. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3945\/ajcn.112.044321\">doi:10.3945\/ajcn.112.044321<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\", \"@type\": \"FAQPage\", \"inLanguage\": \"en\", \"mainEntity\": [{\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Which diet leads to the most weight loss?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"When calories and protein are the same, fasting, low-carb, low-fat and a regular diet give similar results. 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