Does it matter how you use your calories?

MichelleLibberton

I'm not in any way suggesting that this is a good idea as I'm all for natural, unprocessed foods. But if you wanted processed/sugary foods; sweets, chocolate, cakes, etc, could you in theory eat just these, whilst keeping within your daily calorie allowance, and still lose weight?

mjl54

I'm not in any way suggesting that this is a good idea as I'm all for natural, unprocessed foods. But if you wanted processed/sugary foods; sweets, chocolate, cakes, etc, could you in theory eat just these, whilst keeping within your daily calorie allowance, and still lose weight?

yes you could still lose weight its not the healthiest route to take though.

nomeejerome

A calorie deficit is all you need for weight loss and exercise for fitness.

A person can still be healthy while having some of those items. Moderation.

jacksonpt

It depends on your goals.

If your goal is simple scale weight loss, then yes... most people can use their cals however they want and still see results (at least short term). Once your goals get beyond simple weight loss, how you use your calories becomes more important.

HeidiCooksSupper

yes BUT.

Sugary sweets are likely to make you feel more hungry.
Lack of fiber will make you constipated.
Long term, vitamin deficiencies will develop.
Sugar spikes will affect you moods.

Escape_Artist

A calorie deficit is all you need for weight loss and exercise for fitness.

A person can still be healthy while having some of those items. Moderation.

Beat me to it :noway:

JLArispe

I don't think you can lose the weight. Think about it all that sugar turns into fat and then in turn stores itself into your body. You will then be tired to workout, because you are not feeding your body the vitamins and nutrients it needs, hence gaining weight.

evgenythe2nd

doesn't matter what you eat.

MoreBean13

Yeah in theory it would allow you to lose weight. However, you probably won't like the end result when you get to your goal.

SailorKnightWing

You will lose weight, yes. The most important part of losing weight is keeping within your calorie goal. The most important part of being healthy is meeting all of your macronutrient and micronutrient goals.

That being said, if you meet (or are close to meeting) all of your macros and micros and still have some calories left, feel free to shove that amount of calories of chocolate into your face. Nothing bad will happen. Unless you're allergic to chocolate.

evgenythe2nd

eat cheesecake, has carbs, fat and protein.

brower47

Yeah in theory it would allow you to lose weight. However, you probably won't like the end result when you get to your goal.

^^ what she said. Google the 'twinkie diet'. It's been done in the past.

Escape_Artist

I don't think you can lose the weight. Think about it all that sugar turns into fat and then in turn stores itself into your body. You will then be tired to workout, because you are not feeding your body the vitamins and nutrients it needs, hence gaining weight.

No, that's not how it works

Calories in vs calories out, it's as simple as that actually.

XxCaz89xX

Personally I think it does matter ..... That's like saying I could then eat 1200 calories worth of Mcdonalds everyday say a big mac meal and still lose weight then? No...

chandanista

I've had occasional fast food burgers, Reeses Pieces, and donuts throughout my journey. They all fit into my lifestyle, and I am happy having them there. Moderation is the key.

42 pounds down this year.

jonnythan

Nutrients matter, not labels like "clean" or "processed."

Focus your diet around getting the nutrients your body needs. Get your protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. When you get them doesn't matter. How you get them doesn't matter.

I eat ice cream every night. The other night I took two Pillsbury cinnamon rolls and covered them in ice cream and the entire canister of frosting. I had already met my nutrient goals for the day, so I splurged on something delicious with my leftover calories.

jonnythan

Personally I think it does matter ..... That's like saying I could then eat 1200 calories worth of Mcdonalds everyday say a big mac meal and still lose weight then? No...

You could, absolutely. Your diet would be lacking in fiber and vitamins and minerals, but you would definitely lose weight.

nicola1141

Yes you can. However, it would be hard because you'd be eating a lot less food for those calories, so would probably be very hungry i.e. one Big Mac meal and you're pretty much done for the day, so you wouldn't be able to eat much (if anything) for breakfast or lunch if that was your planned dinner.

ELVISDEAN

this changed my life..I have tried all the different ratios and combinations..I once ate a pint of ice cream and loads of pizza everyday for nearly 3 months and lost 30 pounds...but its the QUALITY of the calories that affect the quality of your body inside and out...so now i still eat ice cream and pizza but I eat loads of fruits veggies and greens rice potatoes pasta etc. and the quality of my ENERGY and physique has skyrocketed...eat have fun FOOD is glorious...but dont ever get caught up at just looking at the scale:)
ELVIS

Turnaround2012

yes BUT.

Sugary sweets are likely to make you feel more hungry.
Lack of fiber will make you constipated.
Long term, vitamin deficiencies will develop.
Sugar spikes will affect you moods.

^^ Good point! - This

MichelleLibberton

Thanks everyone, pretty much what I expected. But I'm definitely not going to test the theory