Are Calories all equal?
AsrarHussain
Posts: 1,424 Member
Are calories all equal ?
I can either have 2 slices of bread with chocolate nutella spread and a bar of snickers or I can have 3 white potatoes with cheese and a can of tuna.
I don`t like eating so the bread and chocolate is more convenient but is it equal.
Shall I eat the potato with the cheese and can of Tuna?
I can either have 2 slices of bread with chocolate nutella spread and a bar of snickers or I can have 3 white potatoes with cheese and a can of tuna.
I don`t like eating so the bread and chocolate is more convenient but is it equal.
Shall I eat the potato with the cheese and can of Tuna?
0
Replies
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The potato, cheese, tuna option would keep me satiated longer, but if I was wanting something sweet that fit in my goals I would be all over that nutella!6
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I do not believe calories are all equal. If you eat 900 calories of cake and candy, it will not have the same results as eating 900 calories of protein and healthy fats. Protein calories are less fattening than calories from carbs and fat, because protein takes more energy to metabolize. Whole foods also require more energy to digest than processed foods.8
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If the calorie amounts are equal, for fat loss you're fine either way.
The nutrition is not at all equal. Depending on what your overall diet looks like, one of those choices is probably better than the other. Definitely if you tend to be low on protein, tuna is better. If your overall diet is decently balanced and you're in the mood for it, the chocolate is better.14 -
Depends on your goals...4
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Obviously, whole foods would be a healthier choice than processed. The nutrition differs6
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All calories are equal, but some calories are more equal than others.9
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Yes. Calories are the same. The nutrition is different obviously but has nothing to do with the calories.9
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Nutritional values are different, different foods provide satiety over others..
You say you hate to eat, I would choose the highest calories for less volume of food.3 -
A calorie is a unit of energy. Asking if a calorie is a calorie is like asking if an inch is an inch or a gallon is a gallon.
Yes.13 -
Calories are equal but they do have context. Would I be full on bread and nutella vs something with more fibre and protein? Probably not. Just experiment with what works for you and leaves you satisfied.3
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Food has several different properties to it.
A calorie is one of those properties.
And so if you compare 900 calories of 1 food to 900 calories of an entirely different food, the calories are identical.
In your example, there are many OTHER food properties that are drastically different, but the calories are the same.7 -
A calorie is a calorie--it is the unit of energy required to heat 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius. So from that perspective, all calories are equal. (As an interesting aside that not every knows--what we commonly call a calorie is actually 1,000 calories. A true calorie is an extremely small amount of energy, as defined above).
Now, as far as nutrition and the health and satisfaction of eating calories from different sources, that is a whole other story..........3 -
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Total calories determine what weight you will or will not use.
Satiety--feeling full--will depend on other details, like vitamins, fiber, fat, complex carbohydrate (starch) and simple carbohydrate (sugar) content.
You can get the same calories out of junk food but wind up gaining weight because the junk food doesn't satisfy your body's other parameters, leaving you feeling hungry. Then, because you are hungry, you eat too much of additional food to fill out your 'dance card' in those other categories.
For my body, I find if I eat 1600 calories (roughly my current target) of low fat, high complex carbs, at the end of the day I'm still so hungry I could eat the boxes the foods came in. OTOH if I overshoot my mfp fat target and undershoot the carb target by, say 70 grams, I am not hungry throughout the day and may spontaneously finish the day 100 or more calories under-target because I am full.
You have to experiment with your diet to find out how your body responds to these non-calorie categories, to find a diet that you can stick to that results in a calorie deficit so you can lose weight.
The only diet that works is the one you can stick to.
(I hypothesize my body's preference for a non-mediterranean diet arises out of my northern european ancestry--sausages and preserved meats would have been a staple for half the year when the world is covered in snow, with a dearth of the fruits and grains that would have been available to, say, Italians, so there may have been some natural selection for people who can tolerate fat intake. So far my cholesterol has been rock solid in the 'good' zone regardless of what I eat, though I don't want to push that too hard!)2 -
If the calorie amounts are equal, for fat loss you're fine either way.
The nutrition is not at all equal. Depending on what your overall diet looks like, one of those choices is probably better than the other. Definitely if you tend to be low on protein, tuna is better. If your overall diet is decently balanced and you're in the mood for it, the chocolate is better.
My protein intake was met. I was in the mood for chocolate later.2 -
quiksylver296 wrote: »Depends on your goals...
I am bulking.0 -
Nutritional values are different, different foods provide satiety over others..
You say you hate to eat, I would choose the highest calories for less volume of food.
I dont hate to eat. When the eating gets too much then it can become annoying. I eat around 5-6 meals a day. I am bulking so it can get annoying.0 -
AsrarHussain wrote: »Nutritional values are different, different foods provide satiety over others..
You say you hate to eat, I would choose the highest calories for less volume of food.
I dont hate to eat. When the eating gets too much then it can become annoying. I eat around 5-6 meals a day. I am bulking so it can get annoying.
In that case, eat whatever you find the least filling, will make you less uncomfortable and which you find the most enjoyable to eat2 -
As a unit of measure, yes calories are all the same. But we don't just eat calories. We eat food.
Even when of equal calories, foods vary greatly in terms of nutrition, satiety, satisfaction, energy levels, and other things of that nature.2 -
AsrarHussain wrote: »Nutritional values are different, different foods provide satiety over others..
You say you hate to eat, I would choose the highest calories for less volume of food.
I dont hate to eat. When the eating gets too much then it can become annoying. I eat around 5-6 meals a day. I am bulking so it can get annoying.
In that case, eat whatever you find the least filling, will make you less uncomfortable and which you find the most enjoyable to eat
This. If your diet is otherwise nutritionally sound and you just need to meet your calorie goal for the day, eat the Snickers and bread.6 -
If the calorie amounts are equal, for fat loss you're fine either way.
The nutrition is not at all equal. Depending on what your overall diet looks like, one of those choices is probably better than the other. Definitely if you tend to be low on protein, tuna is better. If your overall diet is decently balanced and you're in the mood for it, the chocolate is better.
Yeah, this.happysherri wrote: »Obviously, whole foods would be a healthier choice than processed. The nutrition differs
The nutrition does differ, but because I am nitpicky and because it's actually an important point to make, whether or not something is "processed" has nothing to do with the nutrition in it. Canned tomatoes are processed, but do not lose their nutrient value, and same with canned beans and smoked salmon and skinless, boneless chicken and plain greek yogurt. (I'd consider frozen veg and dried beans processed too, but understand some might not.) Technically, cooking is a process, but if I buy a pre-cooked meal (there are many suppliers of such that make meals similar to what I'd make at home) it is not less nutritious. And a whole food may or may not be particularly nutrient dense. I love corn and think it can be good for you, but if your diet is low on protein and fat and high on carbs, is plain corn or a plain potato a better choice than some (processed) smoked salmon? Or is there something nutritionally wrong with some pasta with shrimp and lots of different kinds of vegetables, cooked in a bit of olive oil (the olive oil and pasta being processed) vs. trout with potatoes and broccoli? I'd say they are pretty similar.
Also, of course, both of OP's two options are processed. One is, on its own, more nutrient dense than the other, but on the whole it depends on his goals (to bulk) and what else he has consumed (does he need the protein?).6 -
Food has several different properties to it.
A calorie is one of those properties.
And so if you compare 900 calories of 1 food to 900 calories of an entirely different food, the calories are identical.
In your example, there are many OTHER food properties that are drastically different, but the calories are the same.
Quoted for truth, context, and general awesomeness.
A calorie is a calorie, but a food is not a food.3 -
AsrarHussain wrote: »Are calories all equal ?
I can either have 2 slices of bread with chocolate nutella spread and a bar of snickers or I can have 3 white potatoes with cheese and a can of tuna.
I don`t like eating so the bread and chocolate is more convenient but is it equal.
Shall I eat the potato with the cheese and can of Tuna?
are the calorie estimates for your two options the same? Then yes, besides them being estimates the calories are the same. That's really all you need to know for weight loss.
What you are really doing is starting a fire storm because people think a calorie is the same thing as nutritional makeup.
So maybe you should be asking if nutritionally they are the same, which they aren't. Then you are asking which one you should eat, but that depends on your specific goal, what you have already ate, and what you plan on eating the rest of the day, and if you really care more about reaching those goals than what will satisfy you more personally. So basically it is only a question you can answer with your goals.
Personally I would go for whatever I felt like at the time.
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Food has several different properties to it.
A calorie is one of those properties.
And so if you compare 900 calories of 1 food to 900 calories of an entirely different food, the calories are identical.
In your example, there are many OTHER food properties that are drastically different, but the calories are the same.
Quoted for truth, context, and general awesomeness.
A calorie is a calorie, but a food is not a food.
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You can't change a value of measure just to fit what you believe.I do not believe calories are all equal.
If weight loss is the goal, yes it will.If you eat 900 calories of cake and candy, it will not have the same results as eating 900 calories of protein and healthy fats.
People get fat by over consumption. And that could mean eating anything to excess.Protein calories are less fattening than calories from carbs and fat, because protein takes more energy to metabolize.
While true, it's majoring in the minors. Weight loss/gain/maintenance still comes down to CICO regardless of how it's attained.Whole foods also require more energy to digest than processed foods.
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...Whole foods also require more energy to digest than processed foods.
Not necessarily true. The TEF is highest for protein, with carbs considerably lower and fats even lower yet. So if you ate 100g of processed protein, it would take considerably more energy to digest than eating 100g of whole, pure kale, and even more still than if you were to slurp 100g of coconut oil.
It has nothing to do with whether the foods are processed or not - it has to do with the macronutrient content.
[ETA:] And I agree with ninerbuff that it's all majoring in the minors anyway.3 -
All calories are equal. They are simply a unit of measure. However, the nutrition that comes with these calories varies greatly and will affect us differently. Some will be more filling, some will leave us craving more and some will meet the bodies nutritional requirements better than others.
Technically your weight loss will be the same regardless of whether your diet consists of fresh unprocessed foods, or McDonalds, as long as your daily deficit is the same. What these food choices do to your body is another matter entirely.
My recommendations. Stick to fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, beans, dairy, meat, nuts and oils etc for the majority of your food intake but allow some guilt free wiggle room for treats that you enjoy. As soon as you put desired food into the evil, you can not eat that catergory you are on a diet that is unsustainable long term and you are prone to binging when temptation gets too strong.3 -
Personally, I think we should be less concerned with the amount of calories in food and more concerned with their nutritional value. If one is solely concerned about their caloric consumption they may overlook the importance of nutrient dense foods. 200 calories is 200 calories, however, it is much more beneficial for your general wellbeing to be focusing on the nutritional content in food and not just the number of calories!4
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katecarr1998 wrote: »Personally, I think we should be less concerned with the amount of calories in food and more concerned with their nutritional value. If one is solely concerned about their caloric consumption they may overlook the importance of nutrient dense foods. 200 calories is 200 calories, however, it is much more beneficial for your general wellbeing to be focusing on the nutritional content in food and not just the number of calories!
Not if you are trying to lose weight...3 -
katecarr1998 wrote: »Personally, I think we should be less concerned with the amount of calories in food and more concerned with their nutritional value.
I used to think that, and I ended up fat. Being fat was worse for me than being more relaxed about nutrition would have been, probably. Luckily, however, you don't have to choose. You can eat a nutrient dense diet WHILE ALSO focusing on calories.If one is solely concerned about their caloric consumption they may overlook the importance of nutrient dense foods.
No one is going to ignore nutrition because they are concerned about calories. Some people don't care about nutrition and will choose to lose weight (which is a positive change!) without also deciding to care about nutrition all of a sudden. My suspicion is that people counting calories will gravitate toward more filling foods and that often means more nutrient dense foods. Also, just as I tend to eat better when I'm focusing on working out (since it turns my mind more toward the positives of being healthy), many who focus on losing weight will, as they start feeling better and improving their health, get excited about making even more positive changes, like focusing on nutrition.
However, there is absolutely nothing about focusing on calories that makes you less likely to focus on nutrition, so your first sentence seems to me a false dichotomy.200 calories is 200 calories, however, it is much more beneficial for your general wellbeing to be focusing on the nutritional content in food and not just the number of calories!
Let's say you are obese and can choose between losing weight by eating an appropriate number of calories without changing how much you focus on nutrition beyond what happens naturally OR changing your diet to be the same number of total calories as you are currently eating but foods you perceive as healthy (because let's be honest, a lot of people who have not been eating healthful diets think of it as avoiding "bad" foods and adding "good" foods instead of actually learning about how nutrition works). I think the more positive change for health, by far, will be losing the weight.
Food choice MAY affect how easy it is to lose and sustain weight loss, but that will be a personal thing, and will require you figuring out a diet that makes you happy, something that may take a while if you weren't interested in a nutritious diet at all before starting to lose. (I know it was fortunate for me that I already enjoyed eating a healthful diet, even if I needed to eat less for it to be truly healthful.)3
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