Does what you eat change how you look?

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I'm curious.
If you had two women of exactly the same everything- height weight etc.
If both ate 1200 cals a day.
But one ate a balanced diet of protein and carbs and veggies etc.
The other ate junk food of the same calories.
Would the look the same.
I'm aware that one would be healthier on the inside, and have the benefits that come with a balanced diet.
Just wondering if they would have the same outcome?
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Replies

  • prettygirlstorm1
    prettygirlstorm1 Posts: 722 Member
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    I have no scientific answers for any of this. My girl friend and I went on a diet together. We ate around the same number of calories per day, but I exercised five days a week and she did not. We both lost weight but I was a smaller size than she was because of the exercise. I always hear that you can have what you want as long as you eat at a deficit. I probably ate more junk food than she did because junk food was my thing and not hers. Hope that helped.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    edited February 2015
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    Yes,so be careful. I was inspired to lose weight by watching that Banana Girl chick on YouTube, and even though I lost weight I was disappointed because by the end of summer I looked like this


    picisto-20150210080412-249352.jpg
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    edited February 2015
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    I think a lot of it has to do with genetics, I have some MFP friends who eat a heap of junk and they are lean/skinny. Its all about eating less calories than we burn regardless what those cals are made of. Whether its healthy or good for us to eat a lot of 'junk' is another matter.

    I eat healthily but I have a love of chocolate/crisps/peanuts. I make them fit into my calories/macros - I have been maintaining my goal weight within a few pounds for almost a year :)
  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
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    Where do they live? What level of education has each completed? What are their respective annual incomes? Are they both single? What shampoo do they use?
  • Wiseandcurious
    Wiseandcurious Posts: 730 Member
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    timeapart wrote: »
    I'm curious.
    If you had two women of exactly the same everything- height weight etc.
    If both ate 1200 cals a day.
    But one ate a balanced diet of protein and carbs and veggies etc.
    The other ate junk food of the same calories.
    Would the look the same.
    I'm aware that one would be healthier on the inside, and have the benefits that come with a balanced diet.
    Just wondering if they would have the same outcome?

    Can I just point out that one can incorporate junk food into a balanced diet? i.e. Junk food + whatever nutrients it's missing eaten separately in salad or sides or breakfast can still equal nutrient balance?

    Balance is something that involves getting all the necessary macro and micro nutrients in the appropriate quantities, that's all. From your quote, "protein and carbs and veggies" only veggies is a specific type of food.

    Fwiw, I don't eat much junk food because for me its name is a good descriptor of the taste. But I don't eat "clean" either which I suspect is what you actually mean by balance.

    How the women would look would arguably depend much, much more on genetics than their food, assuming that neither gets nutrient deficient, and perhaps even then.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    what is the work out regimen of these two hypothetical people??

    they would both lose the same amount of weight.

    However, the one with the more balanced approach may have better body composition but that would be a function of training….but then again we are talking about a 1200 calorie diet, so maybe not...

    what are you defining as "junk" food…?
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
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    timeapart wrote: »
    I'm curious.
    If you had two women of exactly the same everything- height weight etc.
    If both ate 1200 cals a day.
    But one ate a balanced diet of protein and carbs and veggies etc.
    The other ate junk food of the same calories.
    Would the look the same.
    I'm aware that one would be healthier on the inside, and have the benefits that come with a balanced diet.
    Just wondering if they would have the same outcome?

    Yes, they'd both be dead. Eventually.
  • cheshirecatastrophe
    cheshirecatastrophe Posts: 1,395 Member
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    I have found that limiting (can't quit it entirely) chocolate helps control my acne, so there's that.

    It was a very sad realization.
  • palwithme
    palwithme Posts: 860 Member
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    I am eating primarily vegetables and lean proteins. Some cheese, but not nearly as much as I used to. My skin has gotten so much better, a real bonus. Drinking lots of water has probably helped this as well.
  • girldownsouth
    girldownsouth Posts: 920 Member
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    Before I started travelling a lot for work I was doing really well on here, I was eating loads of veggies, wholegrains, lean meat etc, but not 100% 'clean', and my skin was incredible people were commenting on my glow, and my hair was shiny. I think that was the greater difference eating well made to my appearance.
  • JossFit
    JossFit Posts: 588 Member
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    timeapart wrote: »
    I'm curious.
    If you had two women of exactly the same everything- height weight etc.
    If both ate 1200 cals a day.
    But one ate a balanced diet of protein and carbs and veggies etc.
    The other ate junk food of the same calories.
    Would the look the same.
    I'm aware that one would be healthier on the inside, and have the benefits that come with a balanced diet.
    Just wondering if they would have the same outcome?

    No two people are the same so you cannot really make these comparisons, but essentially what you are asking is if food quality, macronutrient ratios and micronutrient ratios matter, and yes, they do.

    Ultimately calories are king, but when it comes do the health of your metabolism, energy, muscle mass versus fat mass, hormones and ADHERENCE to a way of eating, the foods you are eating do matter.

    You can incorporate "junk" food into most any diet and see positive changes, but ultimately the more you increase your consumption of nutrient-dense foods the better off you will be.
  • thrashscara
    thrashscara Posts: 72 Member
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    DavPul wrote: »
    Yes,so be careful. I was inspired to lose weight by watching that Banana Girl chick on YouTube, and even though I lost weight I was disappointed because by the end of summer I looked like this


    picisto-20150210080412-249352.jpg


    made me laugh far too much!!
  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
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    timeapart wrote: »
    I'm curious.
    If you had two women of exactly the same everything- height weight etc.
    If both ate 1200 cals a day.
    But one ate a balanced diet of protein and carbs and veggies etc.
    The other ate junk food of the same calories.
    Would the look the same.
    I'm aware that one would be healthier on the inside, and have the benefits that come with a balanced diet.
    Just wondering if they would have the same outcome?

    Yes, they'd both be dead. Eventually.

    They're probably dead already.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    sjohnny wrote: »
    timeapart wrote: »
    I'm curious.
    If you had two women of exactly the same everything- height weight etc.
    If both ate 1200 cals a day.
    But one ate a balanced diet of protein and carbs and veggies etc.
    The other ate junk food of the same calories.
    Would the look the same.
    I'm aware that one would be healthier on the inside, and have the benefits that come with a balanced diet.
    Just wondering if they would have the same outcome?

    Yes, they'd both be dead. Eventually.

    They're probably dead already.

    RIP hypothetical people.
  • Whitezombiegirl
    Whitezombiegirl Posts: 1,042 Member
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    All that I can add is that 'carb face ' really exists. 3 days into low crab/ no graind for me and it's 'hello cheekbones' again (and less bloated stomach) Also- if you are eating 1200 cals of nutrient dense food as oppoed to 3 mars bars a day then I guess it would show in your skin etc.- as in you'd look healthier. (P.s I've not tried this)
  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
    Options
    sjohnny wrote: »
    timeapart wrote: »
    I'm curious.
    If you had two women of exactly the same everything- height weight etc.
    If both ate 1200 cals a day.
    But one ate a balanced diet of protein and carbs and veggies etc.
    The other ate junk food of the same calories.
    Would the look the same.
    I'm aware that one would be healthier on the inside, and have the benefits that come with a balanced diet.
    Just wondering if they would have the same outcome?

    Yes, they'd both be dead. Eventually.

    They're probably dead already.

    RIP hypothetical people.

    pours-liquor-2.gif
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    sjohnny wrote: »
    timeapart wrote: »
    I'm curious.
    If you had two women of exactly the same everything- height weight etc.
    If both ate 1200 cals a day.
    But one ate a balanced diet of protein and carbs and veggies etc.
    The other ate junk food of the same calories.
    Would the look the same.
    I'm aware that one would be healthier on the inside, and have the benefits that come with a balanced diet.
    Just wondering if they would have the same outcome?

    Yes, they'd both be dead. Eventually.

    They're probably dead already.

    they were already dead to me...
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Options
    All that I can add is that 'carb face ' really exists. 3 days into low crab/ no graind for me and it's 'hello cheekbones' again (and less bloated stomach) Also- if you are eating 1200 cals of nutrient dense food as oppoed to 3 mars bars a day then I guess it would show in your skin etc.- as in you'd look healthier. (P.s I've not tried this)

    that is a function of water retention due to less or increased carb intake...