There's an ongoing argument between low fat advocates and low carb advocates about whether calories count. Calories are not the focus of a low carbohydrate lifestyle. If you go by the old "calories in, calories out" model used by low fat and low calorie diets, they always count. But is that model always strictly true or applicable to low carb diets?
There are two views on this issue, as with most nutritional approaches. One says, calories still count for the most part. Dr. Michael Eades wrote that, "It has been shown countless times that when people go on low-carb diets they spontaneously reduce their caloric intake. Most foods available on low-carbohydrate diets are satiating and those following these diets get full quickly. They just don’t eat that many calories. In most studies of low-carb diets people drop their caloric intake down to the 1500-1700 kcal range and are quite satisfied." Read more.
The other camp claims low carbohydrate diets give you a metabolic edge. The theory is a diet based mostly on protein and fat allows the body to burn more body fat even if your calorie intake isn't low. An example is Tom Naughton's experience in the documentary film "Fathead." Naughton lost 12 pounds although his calorie intake and energy output should have garnered him only a 7 pound loss. His doctor was perplexed.
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