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WEIGHT LOSS EXPERT: ''If You’re Counting Calories, You’re Doing It ALL WRONG'' (Do This Instead!)

Have you ever counted calories before? What’s one small change you’d like to make in how you eat? Today, Jay invites geneticist and author Giles Yeo to challenge one of the most persistent beliefs in modern health culture: the idea that all calories are created equal. Giles is a professor at the University of Cambridge, specializing in the study of how genes influence appetite and body weight. He is the author of Gene Eating and Why Calories Don’t Count, both of which challenge conventional diet myths through the lens of cutting-edge science. Giles is also a science communicator and host of the podcast Dr. Giles Yeo Chews the Fat, where he breaks down complex nutritional concepts with clarity and humor. Jay begins by asking the question on everyone’s mind—do calories really count? Giles, with a calm and science-grounded approach, unpacks why the answer isn’t so simple. While calorie counting has become a cornerstone of dieting, he explains that the way our bodies extract and process calories depends heavily on the quality of the food, not just the number printed on a label. Giles shares how our genetic makeup influences hunger, satiety, and fat storage in ways that most diet plans fail to consider. Jay and Giles explore the emotional and social layers of eating, diving into how cultural conditioning, access to healthy food, and even marketing affect our food choices. They also examine why it's harder for some people to lose weight than others—not because of laziness or lack of willpower, but because their biology is wired differently. Giles challenges the shame-based narratives around body weight and reframes the discussion around health, sustainability, and self-awareness. In this interview, you'll learn: How to Eat for Quality, Not Just Calories How to Read Food Labels the Right Way How to Choose Protein, Fiber, and Sugar Wisely How to Spot Diet Myths That Don’t Serve You How to Lose Weight Without Obsessing Over Numbers How to Understand Your Body’s Unique Metabolism How to Manage Cravings with a Plan, Not Willpower You don’t need to follow a strict diet or obsess over every calorie to feel better in your body. Instead, focus on nourishing yourself with real, quality foods, making small sustainable changes, and understanding how your unique biology works. With Love and Gratitude, Jay Shetty Join over 750,000 people to receive my most transformative wisdom directly in your inbox every single week with my free newsletter. Subscribe here. What We Discuss: 00:00 Intro 02:54 Do Calories Actually Matter? 03:33 Why Protein Makes Your Body Work Harder 05:12 Are You Eating More Than You Think? 07:05 Why Food Quality Matters More Than Quantity 07:56 How Processing Increases Calorie Absorption 11:04 What Really Makes Food Healthy? 12:00 When Did Obesity Become a Global Crisis? 12:52 How Fast Food Became the Default 15:05 The Real Impact of Unhealthy Weight Gain 17:45 The Macronutrients You’re Missing Out On 20:08 Are You Absorbing the Nutrients You Eat? 22:58 How Cutting Ultra-Processed Foods Affects Weight 24:59 Does Better Flavor Mean More Nutrition? 26:32 Why We Process Calories Differently 29:45 Can You Actually Target Belly Fat? 30:54 How Genetics Influence Your Body Shape 32:06 Are You Limited by Your Genes? 34:55 How to Adjust Your Diet for Real Change 38:14 The Smart Way to Read a Nutrition Label 40:53 Fried vs. Baked: What's the Healthier Option? 41:51 What Is 'Incidental Virtuous Food'? 44:52 Is Orange Juice as Healthy as You Think? 47:32 How Food Labels Can Be Misleading 49:24 The Truth About Protein Bars 51:07 3 Things to Focus on When Reading Labels 52:45 The Hidden Ingredients to Watch For 55:56 Why Weight Is About Biology, Not Willpower 58:39 Do You Really Lack Willpower? 59:11 How to Outsmart Your Cravings 01:01:29 Why “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” Works 01:04:06 Do Not Neglect Your Health as You Age 01:07:12 What You Need to Know About Appetite-Suppressing Drugs 01:11:02 The Hidden Risks of Weight Loss Medications 01:12:33 2 Truths Everyone Should Know About Healthy Eating 01:13:58 Start With This: Protein, Fiber, and Sugar 01:15:55 Giles on Final Five Episode Resources: https://www.instagram.com/gilesyeo https://www.facebook.com/giles.yeo/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/giles-yeo-2062969/ https://x.com/gilesyeo https://www.instagram.com/jayshetty https://www.facebook.com/jayshetty/ https://x.com/jayshetty https://www.linkedin.com/in/shettyjay/ https://www.youtube.com/@JayShettyPodcast http://jayshetty.me

Jay ShettyhostGiles Yeoguest
Jul 20, 20251h 20mWatch on YouTube ↗

At a glance

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Why calories mislead: food quality, biology, labels, and cravings matter

  1. Calories aren’t a “myth” in physics, but they’re a poor health guide because the body extracts usable energy differently depending on macronutrients, fiber content, and food processing.
  2. Protein and fiber raise the body’s energy cost of digestion/metabolism and improve satiety, while ultra-processing and heavy cooking often increase calorie availability and make overeating easier.
  3. The obesity rise accelerated from the mid-1980s alongside cheaper calories, bigger portions, and escalating convenience (drive-thrus to delivery), shifting diet quality downward even when total intake isn’t obviously higher.
  4. Weight regulation is strongly biological (roughly 40–70% heritable), with genes influencing appetite, efficiency, and fat storage patterns, while environment and socioeconomic status heavily shape outcomes.
  5. Practical nutrition improvements come from reading labels beyond calories—focusing on protein, fiber, and sugar—and using behavioral strategies like “out of sight, out of mind,” craving planning, and weekly (not per-item) thinking.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Calories are an imprecise metric because “usable” calories vary by food type.

Your body must spend energy to digest and metabolize food, and that cost differs by macronutrient and structure; two items with the same label calories can deliver different net energy and health effects.

Protein is consistently under-accounted on labels due to its high metabolic cost.

Yeo claims that for every 100 calories of protein consumed, only about 70 are usable because ~30% is lost as heat during processing—making “protein calories” meaningfully different from fat or sugar calories.

Fiber is a double win: fewer absorbed calories and better appetite regulation.

Fiber (from plants) increases the energy required to extract calories and slows sugar release; Yeo recommends roughly doubling typical intake (e.g., aiming around 30g/day vs ~15g average in the US/UK).

Ultra-processing and extensive cooking often increase calorie absorption.

Mechanically/industrially breaking food down (or cooking longer) makes nutrients easier to access—illustrated with corn (cob vs tortilla) and the idea that heavily cooked/processed meals can yield more accessible calories than minimally processed versions.

“Healthy” is context-dependent—athlete, child, and sedentary adult need different things.

Energy needs and what counts as “healthy” vary by age, activity level, and health status; the same easy-to-metabolize calories can be helpful in clinical settings but harmful in a sedentary environment with abundant food.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

Because your brain hates it when you lose weight. You're fighting biology.

— Giles Yeo

But I think today, the major issue to my mind is not the quantity, it is the quality.

— Giles Yeo

So for every 100 calories of protein you eat, pure protein calories, we are only ever able to use 70 calories. Seven zero. So protein counts are 30% wrong everywhere.

— Giles Yeo

Do you know what these things are called? Within the, within the field of, of sort of food science, these are called incidental virtuous foods.

— Giles Yeo

The reason these drugs are good is because they're powerful and they work. The reason these drugs are bad is because they're powerful and they work for everybody.

— Giles Yeo

Why “calories don’t count” doesn’t mean anti-physicsThermic effect of food: protein vs carbs vs fatFiber, whole foods, and reduced calorie absorption (almonds, celery)Processing/cooking and increased calorie availabilityFast food, convenience, and the mid-1980s obesity inflectionGenetics, body shape, and limits of targeted fat lossLabel-reading: protein–fiber–sugar and health halosSugar: palatability vs true addictionBehavior change tactics and home food environmentGLP-1/Ozempic: appropriate use, risks, and malnutrition

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