The Calorie Myth by Jonathan Bailor

The Calorie Myth: How to Eat More, Exercise Less, Lose Weight, and Live Better by Jonathan Bailor with a Foreword by William David, MD is a well researched book that lays out an eating and exercise plan for those wishing to lose weight and be more healthy.

The big premise of this book is that a calorie is a calorie is a myth. Bailor lays out a case for calories from different sources not being the same. He backs this up with a lot of research. There are almost 200 notes for further reading if you want to follow up on the sources Bailor used for this book. Unfortunately, Bailor at times over explains his take on the research, and at others times it is not as clear as one would hope.

The first part cover the myths that Bailor sets out to expose. The chapters cover concepts such as the set-point and how to change it, and the various “myths” such as all calories are created equal, the ways eating and exercise effect the body, and what you can do about it.  These solutions are found in part two of the book. Bailor presents a diet that focuses on non-starchy vegetables, lean proteins, and smart fats and sugars (natural). A week of recipes is included.

I don’t really like the SANE concept (Satiety, Aggression, Nutrition and Efficiency). It seems more like a marketing concept that is a bit forced when used at times. But I understand he is trying to fit something into a model and the model he is using is the SANE one.

The exercise solution includes a program of eccentric exercises and interval training. (Both are included in my personal exercise routines, but I also like to do other programs as well.) I really don’t think that a total of 20 minutes a week is enough, especially if you are trying to lose a lot of weight. I agree that the exercises he presents are important, but I include them with a more complete exercise and health plan. Exercise books are as plentiful as diet books, and this book has less than 20 pages devoted to the exercise portion of the plan, so I do believe more study in this area to develop a more complete program is necessary.

I think there is a lot of useful information in this book, and Bailor presents it well. I do believe following the advice in this book will help someone lose weight if that is a person’s goal. I don’t personally follow all of his suggestions because I am not trying to lose a lot of weight, and I am not prepared to forgo potatoes, bread and other carbohydrates he advises to avoid right now. (I do sometimes limit these foods.) I also believe some of the things in this book are not as clear as they could be, and for some different strategies will be easier to follow and achieve goals with. I’m reminded of something Jim Rohn used to say. Don’t just read one book on health and fitness, read a number of them and figure out what is best and right for you.

There are a lot of diet books on the shelves, and I do believe this is one has something to offer. It’s a pretty easy read and if you take the information from this text, combine with further study on nutrition and exercise, you can develop the ideal eating and exercise program for your specific goals.  I recommend this book to anyone who wants to further their study in nutritional and exercise science.

Check out The Calorie Myth: How to Eat More, Exercise Less, Lose Weight, and Live Better by Jonathan Bailor at amazon: