Negative Calories: Diet Holy Grail or Urban Food Legend?

What if I told you there are certain foods that can make you lose weight through the sheer act of eating them? That’s right—sit in front of the TV, eat these foods, get thinner. There are things we can eat that make us consume fewer calories than not eating at all does? Sign me up. 

Being the extreme Web searcher that I am, I decided to do some research on the term “negative-calorie food” while looking for recipes online. Some Web sites (mostly disreputable blogs and weight-loss sites) claim that certain foods, because they’re tricky for our bodies to digest, actually burn more calories than they’re worth and therefore help us lose weight. This diet folklore surrounds low-cal foods like citrus, melon, and celery. 

“It’s a huge rumor in the eating disorder community,” says Elaine Fung, a former anorexic who recently completed her master’s thesis on pro–eating disorder Web sites. “The thought is, if you eat these foods, they’ll help you lose even more weight than if you don’t eat at all.” 

When I first came across this idea, I brushed it off as a silly diet myth. But I soon found that in a backward sort of way, there is some truth to this view of certain foods. But is it enough to make foods “negative calorie”? Not exactly. 

Legend Has It …
According to diet legend, there are specific foods that cause our bodies to burn more calories than the amount we take in by eating them. Here’s how it works, according to NegativeCalorieFoods.com (come on, of course it exists): No food actually has a negative amount of calories, because all foods have some caloric value. But the overall effect of these particular foods balances out as negative because the energy we use to digest them is greater than the energy (or calories) than we consume in eating them. Skeptical? This diet “logic” gets even crazier. 

This negative-calorie effect, according to diet lore, is true of only a special handful of foods that not only are low-calorie, but take a lot of work for our bodies to digest. “I figured if I ate one hundred calories of a food that only takes fifty calories to burn, I’m left with fifty extra calories. But if I ate one hundred calories of a food that takes 150 calories to burn—now, there’s something to shoot for,” remembers Fung. 

36 readers liked this story.
share
POST
11.19.2009
mich
I have struggled with weight for my whole life and finally have a grip on it after 30 years of suffering from diet-itis!! It really helps to know what you are doing and you don't have to work nearly as hard when you do. Go to this site Http://cli.gs/LifeChangingWeightLoss It was recommended to me by a friend and it really changed my thinking and helped me turn the tide and finally lose weight and keep it off without the constant struggle and fluctuations. I have lost over 50 lbs and kept it off. I finally have enough energy to keep up with my children. Best of luck to every one of you who knows what it is like to struggle to lose weight...hope this makes your life easier!!
11.18.2009
tim smiley
Everyone knows that eating the right foods and exercise will help you lose weight and become healthier in the process. Why do women buy these mags every week telling them the same damn thing? I'm also sick of listening to the news and hearing, every single night, there is a "new study". I'm in residency at a Chicago Hospital. I have had plenty of education and I will tell you that professors make their living through grant money for their studies. Please, do not be like Allie Firestone, CA and regurgitate a bunch of crap from the internet without your own research. Allie, like many of the blog writers and weekly mag 'journalists' could not pass high school chemistry. I love reading my fiance's mags. Sometimes, there are amazing articles about health. However, they always have amazing recipes with gigantic pics of food. Another thing, when responding to these online blogs, always use a fake email so you are not bombarded with BS from commercial no-nothings. Allie- Grammar???
11.18.2009
Trish Kennedy
I don't usually go to the effort of signing up and replying to an article like this. However, in this case I will. I read this article through twice, the second time just to make sure, but there is nothing - absolutely nothing - of value in this piece of writing. It was a complete waste of time for me to read this. I learned nothing. It makes me angry that people write this nonsense and then people like me waste valuable time trying to read and understand it and then realize it is complete silliness.
11.18.2009
Jake
This has to be the stupidist article on nutrition I have ever read. Eating chocolate cake and eating celery are NOT the same thing so comparing the two and saying that you burn the same amount of calories for both when exercising is idiotic. Part of the reason people lose weight while eating fruits and vegetables is because of the lack of fat, amount of fiber, and these types of food have natural sugars instead of processed sugars. Even so, it doesn't take a rocket scientist or some super duper nutritionist to point that out. Why doesn't Ms. Firestone just tell her readers to go binge on pizza while she's at it???
11.18.2009
doug christy
Think about it this way, you cant get fat by eating a lot of fruits and vegetables along with a balanced diet. This is absolute no brainer stuff. Fruits and vegetables which are high in fiber and energy boost your metabolism, period. Another thing is hydration, drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day. Eat 4-5 high fiber fruit choices(apples/pears) and good lean protein and see what happens in six weeks. These articles are ridiculous along with all the other diet crap that is out there.
It feels good to write.

Your stories, musings, and advice are welcome here. We know you've got something to share, so jump in—maybe get a little famous. And don't worry—you can save a draft!

most liked
Loader_buff
Other topics you might appreciate
Play Style Neighborhood & World Parenting