Does it matter where you calories come from?

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flosoup38
flosoup38 Posts: 71 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Does it matter where you calories come from? Can I have bread, chocolate and crisps if I want if it fits within my calories? Does it slow losses? I try to eat as cleanly as possible and when I do eat something 'bad' I struggle with guilt. Does it actually matter as long as I'm under or at my daily intake?

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  • flosoup38
    flosoup38 Posts: 71 Member
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    Also I tend towards binge eating and that feeling of guilt can spiral me out of control :-(
  • vespiquenn
    vespiquenn Posts: 1,455 Member
    edited June 2016
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    In terms of weight loss, all it comes down to is calories. So yes, you could have those things and lose. Nutrition on the other hand.. Not so much. Find a balance between getting the nutrients you need while fitting in things you really enjoy. No need for guilt. It's a lifelong journey, and that means enjoying it.
  • pzarnosky
    pzarnosky Posts: 256 Member
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    How much you eat matters for weight loss.
    What you eat matters for nutrition.
    It's that simple. I started by focusing on how much first. Once I got portions under control I started working on eating nutrient dense diet. Changing everything at once always led me to binges.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    Yes and no. Eating chips won't slow your losses if within calories, but if you eat too much of a calorie dense item you may not have enough calories left for other things and nutrients, which isn't the best thing if you are trying to control hunger or are after optimum health. Now if you are eating a well balanced diet and have a few calories left over, it's alright to pick something that is less nutrient dense. It's also okay to have slightly higher days with more of a calorie dense item. It's more like a balancing game between what's good for your body and what's good for your mind. You hit the jackpot though if a lot of what you are eating is both good for your body and mind (a lower calorie nutrient dense dish that you absolutely love).
  • Annahbananas
    Annahbananas Posts: 284 Member
    edited June 2016
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    A calorie is a calorie but nutrition is important. Someone could eat 1500 calories a day or 7000 and still be malnourished

    I eat lazy cow ice cream almost every night...not because it's special somehow..but because the calories are pretty decent

    I always make sure I'm eating the right nutrients too
  • megginanderson
    megginanderson Posts: 276 Member
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    flosoup38 wrote: »
    Does it matter where you calories come from? Can I have bread, chocolate and crisps if I want if it fits within my calories? Does it slow losses? I try to eat as cleanly as possible and when I do eat something 'bad' I struggle with guilt. Does it actually matter as long as I'm under or at my daily intake?

    it does matter... I started out just counting calories years ago, figuring the exercise was what was going to help me lose. while it helps, nutrition is 80% of the equation. to get the best results you should be looking at the quality of the calorie over the quantity. macros or use the container system.
    hope that helps.

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