A Calorie REALLY ISN'T a Calorie

jonnythan

Because demonizing foods they love, but are "unhealthy" or "processed" like ice cream, Pop-tarts, Taco Bell, etc, makes them feel like a failure when they finally give in and eat those foods. That sends them into a downward spiral that results in yo-yo dieting.

It's infinitely more important to teach them to focus on appropriate nutrients, like protein, fat, and fiber, so that they can fit the foods they crave and love into their diets in sustainable healthy ways.

Pegging certain foods as "worse" or "unhealthy" or some foods as "clean" and "good" is the absolute wrong approach. It's not individual foods that are clean or good or healthy, it's the overall diet. A good, healthy diet can include ice cream and McDonald's.

Depends on the person. Every approach requires willpower and dedication. Avoidance may be easier than moderation. Especially with high salt/fat/sugar foods.

I think having such an irrational fear of a particular food that you can't eat it without feeling like a failure is an eating disorder. I don't encourage that for anyone.

jwdieter

Demonizing any specific food or group of food doesn't help anything or anyone.

Unless avoidance of said specific food or group of food leads to a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

Carnivor0us

Demonizing any specific food or group of food doesn't help anything or anyone.

Unless avoidance of said specific food or group of food leads to a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

I can agree with that.

DatMurse

Because demonizing foods they love, but are "unhealthy" or "processed" like ice cream, Pop-tarts, Taco Bell, etc, makes them feel like a failure when they finally give in and eat those foods. That sends them into a downward spiral that results in yo-yo dieting.

It's infinitely more important to teach them to focus on appropriate nutrients, like protein, fat, and fiber, so that they can fit the foods they crave and love into their diets in sustainable healthy ways.

Pegging certain foods as "worse" or "unhealthy" or some foods as "clean" and "good" is the absolute wrong approach. It's not individual foods that are clean or good or healthy, it's the overall diet. A good, healthy diet can include ice cream and McDonald's.

Depends on the person. Every approach requires willpower and dedication. Avoidance may be easier than moderation. Especially with high salt/fat/sugar foods.

I think having such an irrational fear of a particular food that you can't eat it without feeling like a failure is an eating disorder. I don't encourage that for anyone.

you're an irrational fear

magerum

Demonizing any specific food or group of food doesn't help anything or anyone.

Unless avoidance of said specific food or group of food leads to a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

You're essentially promoting an ED.

joeysfacts

I am a big believer in "it's not the amount of calories we consume, it's the quality of those calories". I avoid all sugars, packaged foods, frozen foods, candy, breads, pasta, and of course fast food. Still need my wine or vodka and water on a Saturday though. I don't snack on chips or crackers. Ever since I gave up all that crap, I dropped 5 pounds almost immediately and have consistantly dropped 1 pound a week. And I was not a large woman to begin with. I have a flatter stomach than I have had in a long time. Protein, whole foods, and exercising is definitely where it's at for me.

jwdieter

You're essentially promoting an ED.

Avoiding foods that trigger binging is not an ED.

Carnivor0us

Demonizing any specific food or group of food doesn't help anything or anyone.

Unless avoidance of said specific food or group of food leads to a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

You're essentially promoting an ED.

How? I avoid trans fats, should I stop doing that? What about grains and starches? If I eat those, my blood glucose shoots up and that's not healthy. Should I eat those foods as to not appear to have an eating disorder?

aelunyu

There's certainly more than one way to skin a cat. Some people can't handle the range of freedom IIFYM offers, others hate the restriction of eating low carb, low sugar, low anything. IIFYM has its downfalls. people ignore micronutrients, fiber requirements all the time. So here's the thing. You cannot follow IIFYM and get enough fiber, without eating some moderately healthy things. Pizza, wings, burgers, and hot dogs have a combined fiber content of nil. They offer the micronutrient density of a paper plate. So the real question is...for you IIFYM guys, how are you achieving overall health not just in the weight loss department, but omega-3s, vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc..? There's no case in which the sensible IIFYM macro follower is not eating moderately healthy foods anyways. Just like there's no way a sensible "clean eater" isn't enjoying a burger once in a while.

Why are you polarized?

mike_ny

I was at this talk at AAAS. It was a real eye opener.

The more processed your food is (cooked, ground, moistened, warmed, etc...) the less calories it takes for your body to digest it. The food still has the same initial calories that we are all accustomed to, but the net calories can differ quite a bit based on many factors. Computing the net calories can get really complex, but if you just assume you get some bonus calorie reduction for less processed foods, your food numbers don't change but you burn more calories in the process of digesting it.

jonnythan

Demonizing any specific food or group of food doesn't help anything or anyone.

Unless avoidance of said specific food or group of food leads to a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

You're essentially promoting an ED.

How? I avoid trans fats, should I stop doing that? What about grains and starches? If I eat those, my blood glucose shoots up and that's not healthy. Should I eat those foods as to not appear to have an eating disorder?

Are you diabetic? If you have a valid medical reason for not eating certain foods that's one thing. We're talking about people without diseases.

jwdieter

Are you diabetic? If you have a valid medical reason for not eating certain foods that's one thing. We're talking about people without diseases.

If the end result of incorporating XX into the diet is missing on objectives, avoiding XX is functionally superior.

For someone who has a pathological need to eat Taco Bell, but also has the willpower to track and fit Taco Bell options into a decent macro/calorie setup, eating at Taco Bell is fine.

For someone who has the willpower to avoid eating at Taco Bell, but has a pathological need to binge while eating Taco Bell, not eating at Taco Bell is a better option.

Can replace Taco Bell with anything. Some people simply find it easier to avoid some foods than to eat them in moderation.

sunshyncatra

Science is fun. I lost 25 pounds so far cooking my potatoes and counting calories, so I'm going to stick with that.

Timshel_

2,000 calories of Twinkies delivers more calories to your body than 2,000 calories of vegetables and meat.

There is the issue. That people actually eat 2000 calories worth of Twinkies. While true in most case, all these smaller issue are so inconsequential for the average person it isn't even funny.

People need to eat less and exercise/move more.
Period.

jonnythan

There's certainly more than one way to skin a cat. Some people can't handle the range of freedom IIFYM offers, others hate the restriction of eating low carb, low sugar, low anything. IIFYM has its downfalls. people ignore micronutrients, fiber requirements all the time. So here's the thing. You cannot follow IIFYM and get enough fiber, without eating some moderately healthy things. Pizza, wings, burgers, and hot dogs have a combined fiber content of nil. They offer the micronutrient density of a paper plate. So the real question is...for you IIFYM guys, how are you achieving overall health not just in the weight loss department, but omega-3s, vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc..? There's no case in which the sensible IIFYM macro follower is not eating moderately healthy foods anyways. Just like there's no way a sensible "clean eater" isn't enjoying a burger once in a while.

Why are you polarized?

The point isn't that anyone needs to eat hot dogs and hamburgers.

The point is to quit perpetuating this falsehood that hot dogs and hamburgers are automatically bad, and eating them is somehow automatically bad for you. People need to understand that they CAN eat these things if they fit them into nutritional goals.

Making people feel guilty for eating a hot dog is not helping them be healthy - it's encouraging eating disorders. People should not experience anxiety when presented with a slice of pizza at a party.

bregalad5

This is a ridiculous argument. Alcohol in the body prevents fat loss.
And I was an obese alcoholic.

What's funny is that for me, a night of heavy drinking usually results in my weight going down by at least 2 pounds the next day. Yes, the weight stays off. No, I don't do this on a regular basis.

NatureChik1985

I lost weight eating mostly healthy with a little junk thrown in. I stayed within my calorie goals and made sure I still gave my body the nutrients it needed. There is really no need to over think it. That's my two cents and now it's time for some Taco Bell.

magerum

You're essentially promoting an ED.

Avoiding foods that trigger binging is not an ED.

We're talking about demonizing, not avoiding foods. There's a huge difference.

Demonize:

- Portray as wicked and threatening.
- to mark out or describe as evil or culpable

Last I checked a food or a food group couldn't be culpable or have evil intent. You're arguement is to turn food into a villian which is just shifting the blame to someone other than oneself. The food made them do it.

Avoidance is another issue.

Kathy_TheVampireSlayer

Bump

magerum

Demonizing any specific food or group of food doesn't help anything or anyone.

Unless avoidance of said specific food or group of food leads to a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

You're essentially promoting an ED.

How? I avoid trans fats, should I stop doing that? What about grains and starches? If I eat those, my blood glucose shoots up and that's not healthy. Should I eat those foods as to not appear to have an eating disorder?

See response above. Avoidance and demonizing are completely different.