True or False? A Calorie is a Calorie is a Calorie.

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  • johnnylakis
    johnnylakis Posts: 812 Member
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    celestlyn wrote: »

    So it begs the question, is excess sugar calories better than excess fat calories? Or does the end result make no difference? I'm only asking because I wondered if there is less risk if I blow the diet and eat a candy bar instead of an extra slice of pizza. Not that I'm planning to do either one.
    Don't call it a sugar calorie, call it a carb calorie. Candy bars have fat, so that's comparing bad to worse. Is a carb calorie better than a fat calorie? That depends. If it's bad fat (bacon) you risk high cholesterol. But there is good fat in lean chicken and nuts. If it's refined sugar (soda) you risk diabetes. But there is good sugar in fruit. It's all about the choices you make!

  • lorib642
    lorib642 Posts: 1,942 Member
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    I am not big on soda, but candy bars are very good :) Do I have to say in moderation every time?
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    MrM27 wrote: »
    Woodspoon wrote: »
    A calorie is a calorie because it is a unit of measurement and nothing more

    nobody asks if a centimeter is a centimeter or a kilogramme is a kilogramme, it's all just units of measurement.
    It's how that calorie is obtained, used or not used that's important.

    But is a unicorn a unicorn?

    No apparently a unicorn is a woman who is on the 3-5 crazy scale and 9-10 hotness scale...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuI6GTY9eVc
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
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    True and False.

    True, because a calorie a unit of measure. It is a measure of the energy it provides your body. A calorie of coming from chicken doesn't have more energy than a calorie from spinach, any more than a ton of bricks weighs more than a ton of feathers.

    But also false, because the sources of calories - protein, fat, carbohydrates - do serve a different purpose in the body (putting aside any argument that carbs are totally unnecessary). While you won't die if you massively restrict one two sources, you probably won't be optimally healthy either. They aren't perfectly fungible.

    Ultimately, however, people who argue about whether 'a calorie is a calorie' are missing the 800lb gorilla in the room. Eat a balanced, varied diet, and consistently eat less than you need to function on an average day, and you'll lose weight and be pretty healthy. Counting calories is the easiest way to manage the latter part, but isn't essential if you can learn good portion control by eye.

    Until you've learned portion control and balance, worrying about the finer points of how protein, fat, carbs are digested and metabolized is like worrying about how you'll take your little ma & pa convenience store international. Sure, maybe one day it'll be necessary knowledge for you to progress, but for now you can make real improvement through much smaller, easier steps.
  • DayByDayGetStronger
    DayByDayGetStronger Posts: 108 Member
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    JoRocka wrote: »
    a calorie is a unit of measure.

    If a calorie is not a calorie- than a tape measure is not equal to another tape measure. period.

    Exactly my dear Watson!!

    A calorie is a measurement of heat/energy needed to raise 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius. We get so wrapped up in the source of the heat that we miss the point of calorie counting and make losing weight so much more dramatic and confusing. If you 3000 kcalories made up of vegetables every day, you would gain weight.

    Is a dollar still a dollar even if it's made up of 4 quarters or 10 dimes or 100 pennies? Yep!

    What will make you FULL longer with eating less total calories is the trickier question.

    Your friendly Dietitian
  • Verdenal
    Verdenal Posts: 625 Member
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    A calorie is probably not just a calorie: different foods have different metabolic effects. But the information available now is so imprecise that unless you are willing undergo a strict study of your eating habits with appropriate measurements it is easier to look at overall calorie count and basic macros.
  • eric_sg61
    eric_sg61 Posts: 2,925 Member
    edited October 2014
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    prettykitty1515 wrote: »
    Read it and weep, calorie counters.
    http://www.amazon.com/The-Calorie-Myth-Exercise-Weight/dp/0062267337
    LOL Bailor was destroyed by the fitness commuinty
    https://youtube.com/watch?v=FviIXAvUj_U<-very educational from Layne Norton
    http://ca.askmen.com/sports/bodybuilding/why-calories-count-2.html
    Zkv6Gt4.gif

  • lorib642
    lorib642 Posts: 1,942 Member
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    prettykitty1515 wrote: »
    Read it and weep, calorie counters.
    http://www.amazon.com/The-Calorie-Myth-Exercise-Weight/dp/0062267337
    One review ( quick google ) http://carbsanity.blogspot.com/2012/07/is-it-possible-smarter-science-worse.html
  • NikkiBubbleGum
    NikkiBubbleGum Posts: 45
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    True, all calories are the same, but it's the other stuff sugar, fat etc that will make 100calories of broccoli and 100calories of candy different. At least, that's what I heard.
  • lorib642
    lorib642 Posts: 1,942 Member
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    NikkiBubbleGum wrote: »
    True, all calories are the same, but it's the other stuff sugar, fat etc that will make 100calories of broccoli and 100calories of candy different. At least, that's what I heard.
    Yes. I agree. Macro and micronutrients are different depending on the food. I like to eat a variety of foods. I try to keep the calorie dense foods in moderation

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