The REAL Reason Calorie-Counting Fails- It’s all about ELECTRONS!
(This can get a little technical…But, don’t panic; you don’t have to understand this stuff to have success; we make it easy for you in your sessions; we don’t talk “electrons” in your sessions; we give real-life, useable recommendations to reach your goals. If you’re seeing someone else for your nutrition (& more) information and your dietitian doesn’t understand this stuff…you’re with the wrong dietitian.
We’ve all heard it before...
“You’re eating too much and moving too little. You just need to cut calories and exercise more.” Then why in our 40’s (for many) do we eat less and still gain weight? The calories in, calories out (CICO) model- and it's too simplistic. It treats the body like a furnace, not like the electric engine it actually is.
A Better Analogy: The Body as an Electron Engine
“Your body runs on electrons, not just calories. What matters is not how much energy comes in, but how well your mitochondria can extract electrons from food and use them to make energy (ATP).”
In other words...you’re not overweight because you eat too much. You’re overweight because your body can’t use energy properly- it’s hoarding fuel because the spark plug isn’t firing.
What Obese People Have Too Much Of & Why It Matters:
Stored electrons (in fat)- Their body keeps storing fuel, but not using it efficiently because the electron flow is blocked
Insulin- High insulin traps electrons in fat and blocks access to stored energy
Inflammation- Chronic inflammation damages mitochondria, blocking electron flow and ATP production
Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)- More ROS = damaged mitochondrial engines = lower energy output per calorie (or as I like to call it, “unit”).
What Obese People Don't Have Enough Of:
Electron flow- Mitochondria can’t extract and move electrons effectively → low ATP = low energy = cravings (not everyone).
Charge separation in mitochondria; without this, ATP synthesis crashes and metabolism slows
Sunlight & more (Blank Slate Diet & the R.E.S.T. Protocol)- All help create and maintain electron flow and mitochondrial charge
Redox potential- They can’t maintain balance between oxidation and reduction (electron donation vs. electron theft)
Circadian control- Hormones and mitochondrial performance are tied to the light-dark cycle; obesity = circadian mismatch
AGAIN…Why Calories In = Calories Out (CICO) Fails:
Problems with “Calories In/Out” Vs What Actually Matters
CICO: Assumes all calories are used equally
BUT: Fats provide more usable electrons than carbs (THIS IS HUGE! And they come with cofactors that help mitochondria function; oh and, they don’t initiate the fat “padlock”, insulin).
CICO: Ignores mitochondrial dysfunction
BUT: Sick mitochondria can't turn food into energy, no matter how little you eat
CICO: Blames the person for eating too much
BUT: Doesn’t ask why their body stores instead of burns
CICO: Doesn’t account for hormonal control
BUT: Insulin, leptin, cortisol determine fat storage, not calories alone
CICO: Ignores light, water, magnetism
BUT: Electrons don’t move well without the right field conditions (sun, magnetism, grounding).
Obesity is an electron bottleneck. Food goes in, but electrons don’t flow. The charge dies, and the engine stalls. The body stores more fuel because it can’t burn it and it thinks it’s starving.
Imagine a campfire:
You keep throwing in logs (food)
But the fire is weak—there’s no airflow (electrons), no oxygen (redox), and the wood just piles up unburned (fat gain).
To fix it, you don’t stop adding wood—you fix the fire with the BLANK SLATE DIET & THE R.E.S.T.
To Summarize:
If you’re obese, it’s not just about eating less (or moving more)—it’s about recharging your metabolism by restoring electron flow, light input, water structure, and mitochondrial health. Your body will burn fat when it can trust it has enough energy to function. That’s my specialty.
-Diane Kopelakis, MS, RD (Quantum Wellness Dietitian/Consultant)
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to place them below.
