Is a calorie in a calorie out?
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brianblackburn16
Posts: 5 Member
So it seem when anyone tries a diet they choose a typical diet like Keto, vegan, or what ever else. And I’ve been on that train many times and have tried every diet....... for a couple weeks lol. 25 days ago I started my new diet at 245lbs and I ate very clean and Whole Foods and my calories was normally around 600cals. Although it was a breeze at first I got to where I hated it with everything in me. Not enjoying foods I loved made it feel impossible to stick too. Now I really eat mostly Whole Foods but there is some fast foods and other thing that don’t belong in most diets. But I’m down 15lbs now and still loosing and feel great about it.
But my real question is a calorie in a calorie out? As in is all someone needs to do is cut calories and they will loose weight instead restricting the types of food they eat? I feel guilty about eating 1200cals of pizza and other foods but I still remain under my calorie limit. But if I remain on this path will I continue to loose and it this a good idea? Like I said I still eat mostly healthy I just allow those tasty foods when they arrive as long I stay under my goal lol.
Any advice or answers would be awesome!
But my real question is a calorie in a calorie out? As in is all someone needs to do is cut calories and they will loose weight instead restricting the types of food they eat? I feel guilty about eating 1200cals of pizza and other foods but I still remain under my calorie limit. But if I remain on this path will I continue to loose and it this a good idea? Like I said I still eat mostly healthy I just allow those tasty foods when they arrive as long I stay under my goal lol.
Any advice or answers would be awesome!
6
Replies
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Are you only eating 600 calories a day?! That's way over-restrictive, unhealthy, and extremely dangerous no matter how "healthy" the foods you are eating are.
To answer your question - in terms of just weight loss (not health or nutrition) it does not matter what you eat, just how much of it you eat. I've lost almost 50 lbs without doing keto, low-fat, clean eating or any other diet with a name. I just eat what I want in in a reasonable amount and I lose weight. It's that simple.21 -
Do you mean that you’ve only been eating 600 calories per day? If so, you are severely undereating.
To answer your question, yes, as long as you are in a calorie deficit, you will lose weight no matter what foods you eat.10 -
I eat now around 1500 a day. I was just saying when I started that’s what I took in but that’s not the case now. Thanks though for taking my question! I appreciate it!1
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You should look at the amount of calories that you should be eating for a woman i'm sure it's around 1500 ??? but i'm not sure and if you are active you should eat more! So some good news for you. However 600 cal's way to low.0
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Yes, a calorie is a calorie. The food doesn’t matter.
But there are less calories in certain foods and certain foods are more filling. So...
Eat a healthy variety of foods and save some room for splurges. I like red wine, and I fit it into my diet. You should fit in treats for yourself too.5 -
Calories are what counts for weight management.
But:
Calories for weight management + well-rounded balanced eating for nutrition** + fun exercise for fitness = best odds of continuing long-term good health.
** Well-rounded balanced eating does not mean "clean eating" or "whole foods" necessarily. It means food with enough protein, enough healthy fats, enough fiber, and plenty of micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, other beneficial phytochemicals). It also includes some treats . . . however you define treats: Balance is psychological as well as physical.
Best wishes!10 -
OP are you male or female? If male (I’m going solely by user name) then even 1500 cals is likely too low for you.
What are your stats - age, height, weight, goal weight?
What rate of loss did you choose?
What calorie goal did MFP provide?
To answer your question yes a calorie is just a calorie in terms of unit of energy and it’s impact on your energy balance (ie weight).
Many successful people here aim for a primarily nutrient dense diet that allows for treats in moderation. Nothing wrong with pizza, Oreos, fast food, etc if it is part of an overall balanced diet.3 -
Yes, it doesn't matter what the calories are. There was a guy who did a study where he ate nothing but Twinkies, and he lost weight as expected.
There are some slight differences between the amount of calories required to digest different foods, but for most people the percentage of daily calories out going to digestion is basically meaningless. Worrying about it is majoring in the minors.
Now, different foods do have a different effect on health, but as long as you are getting enough nutrients from a variety of foods, you can eat a few meals of junk food without needing to feel guilty about it.3 -
jasonpoihegatama wrote: »You should look at the amount of calories that you should be eating for a woman i'm sure it's around 1500 ??? but i'm not sure and if you are active you should eat more! So some good news for you. However 600 cal's way to low.WinoGelato wrote: »OP are you male or female? If male (I’m going solely by user name) then even 1500 cals is likely too low for you.
What are your stats - age, height, weight, goal weight?
What rate of loss did you choose?
What calorie goal did MFP provide?
To answer your question yes a calorie is just a calorie in terms of unit of energy and it’s impact on your energy balance (ie weight).
Many successful people here aim for a primarily nutrient dense diet that allows for treats in moderation. Nothing wrong with pizza, Oreos, fast food, etc if it is part of an overall balanced diet.
I am a 21yo male and mfp told me to eat around 1900 since I’m fairly active. But I typically eat below 1500. But I do go over but very rarely. 1500 has me very satisfied so I like it lol. Thanks for all the help!
4 -
1500 is the absolute lowest you should be eating and that's if you're short and sedentary.3
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brianblackburn16 wrote: »I am a 21yo male and mfp told me to eat around 1900 since I’m fairly active. But I typically eat below 1500. But I do go over but very rarely. 1500 has me very satisfied so I like it lol. Thanks for all the help!
You may feel satisfied, but your body isn’t actually getting the nutrition it needs. When that catches up with you, you will regret it. Eat the 1900.8 -
brianblackburn16 wrote: »jasonpoihegatama wrote: »You should look at the amount of calories that you should be eating for a woman i'm sure it's around 1500 ??? but i'm not sure and if you are active you should eat more! So some good news for you. However 600 cal's way to low.WinoGelato wrote: »OP are you male or female? If male (I’m going solely by user name) then even 1500 cals is likely too low for you.
What are your stats - age, height, weight, goal weight?
What rate of loss did you choose?
What calorie goal did MFP provide?
To answer your question yes a calorie is just a calorie in terms of unit of energy and it’s impact on your energy balance (ie weight).
Many successful people here aim for a primarily nutrient dense diet that allows for treats in moderation. Nothing wrong with pizza, Oreos, fast food, etc if it is part of an overall balanced diet.
I am a 21yo male and mfp told me to eat around 1900 since I’m fairly active. But I typically eat below 1500. But I do go over but very rarely. 1500 has me very satisfied so I like it lol. Thanks for all the help!
Eat the 190011 -
For weight loss, calories are the only thing that matters.4
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Per your diary you are to low n calories most days. Not sure why you want to strive to be under the the 1900 calories gave you to lose weight and then make that even lower by going under 1500 being an active 21 year old. Assuming you are trying to lose weight faster. Also your protein needs are quite low. Low protein, chronically low calories = muscle loss, plus potential side effects.
Sticking this thread link right here.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10569458/why-eating-too-little-calories-is-a-bad-idea/p17 -
Another eat the 1900 post. And that’s 1900 plus at at least half your exercise calories back. Your going to crash hard eventually or if do you manage to push thru it your going to start losing your hair nails and all sorts of nasty stuff. I was 240 pounds at 5 foot 8, 35 years old and never ate below 2700 (that’s includs exercise calories) and still lost rapidly.6
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Yeah eat the 1900 +some exercise calories.
I would have difficulty being satisfied on 1500 cals and I'm petite.2 -
Eat the 1900! All of them. You'll thank us later if/when you learn why. If you don't want to learn why, just eat the 1900 and trust the consensus.
You're not doing yourself any favors by trying to accelerate the goal.
Eat the 1900!2 -
you need to eat AT LEAST the 1900 recommended by MFP AND at least half of your exercise calories. You may want to consider talking to a professional.
but no i never felt the need to do any fancy diet. The first two times i went on a weight loss journey (both times loosing 100lbs) i was working with dieticians who helped me develop a plan. no foods were out of the question. This third go i've lost 43pds on my own using the skills learned during the previous two journeys.2 -
A caloric deficit will cause weight loss but what you eat is definitely as important as how much.
You've already figured out that lower calorie foods mean more on the plate, but consider the effect the food also has on the body.
Too much sodium is bad for your blood pressure. Too much saturated fat is bad for your cardio vascular system. Too much simple sugar (carbs) is bad for your overall system (and can lead to Diabetes). Too much refined sugar (in all it's forms) can also make it more difficult to lose weight because of the effect it has on your ability to burn fat.
Everything in moderation. The idea when dieting is to adopt an eating and exercise plan that you can stick to for life, not just a short period of time. The biggest problem with "diets" is that people try to accomplish weight loss through calorie reduction in a short period of time.
Sustained weight loss is only achieved by adopting better eating habits and adding more exercise.26 -
1900 may be too low for an active 21 yo but you should definitely start eating the full amount NOW and then adjust depending on how fast you are losing weight.
This is not something to get through as fast as you can. This is one of the reasons why so many diets fail or end in weight regaining. You are risking more than that because you are risking your health. 1500 is the minimum for
SOME men but it is NOT the minimum for you. I doubt 1900 is the minimum for you.2 -
It sounds like you are eating healthy most of the time so the occasional treat isn't gonna hurt you. But as for the rate at which you are trying to lose... It's always tempting to lose faster so alot of people eat below the amount recommended for health. This is a mistake. Losing weight too fast means you may very well lose muscle mass. At first that might not seem like a big deal but trust me it is. I lost 100 lbs at a rate of around 1.7/week. Sounds safe right? Well now my maintenance calories are about 1350. I still need to lose 10 - 15 lbs. I'm working on trying to build muscle but it is much harder to build than to retain. Take your time and learn along the way. The goal here is to lose weight permanently and believe me you won't keep it off if you don't lose slow and steady. Good luck my friend.1
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A caloric deficit will cause weight loss but what you eat is definitely as important as how much.
You've already figured out that lower calorie foods mean more on the plate, but consider the effect the food also has on the body.
Too much sodium is bad for your blood pressure. Too much saturated fat is bad for your cardio vascular system. Too much simple sugar (carbs) is bad for your overall system (and can lead to Diabetes). Too much refined sugar (in all it's forms) can also make it more difficult to lose weight because of the effect it has on your ability to burn fat.
Everything in moderation. The idea when dieting is to adopt an eating and exercise plan that you can stick to for life, not just a short period of time. The biggest problem with "diets" is that people try to accomplish weight loss through calorie reduction in a short period of time.
Sustained weight loss is only achieved by adopting better eating habits and adding more exercise.
Actually, the link between sodium and blood pressure has been debunked. If you HAVE high blood pressure, controlling sodium helps to manage it. But excess sodium does not CAUSE.
Similarly, sugar doesn't cause diabetes. Obesity and genetics do. Sugar has no impact on your ability to burn fat. Again, that comes down to deficit.
While it is harder to maintain weightloss without exercise, it's by no means impossible.11 -
A caloric deficit will cause weight loss but what you eat is definitely as important as how much.
You've already figured out that lower calorie foods mean more on the plate, but consider the effect the food also has on the body.
Too much sodium is bad for your blood pressure. Too much saturated fat is bad for your cardio vascular system. Too much simple sugar (carbs) is bad for your overall system (and can lead to Diabetes). Too much refined sugar (in all it's forms) can also make it more difficult to lose weight because of the effect it has on your ability to burn fat.
Everything in moderation. The idea when dieting is to adopt an eating and exercise plan that you can stick to for life, not just a short period of time. The biggest problem with "diets" is that people try to accomplish weight loss through calorie reduction in a short period of time.
Sustained weight loss is only achieved by adopting better eating habits and adding more exercise.
May I ask how many years you've been in maintenance? I'm almost 6 years in and I've never factored exercise into my weight management plan. I do some seasonal walking but it doesn't burn a lot of calories in the scheme of things.
Better eating habits is also a pretty subjective term. I've experimented with all sorts of different eating plans in maintenance-everything from primal eating, to WFPB (which are almost complete opposites of each other). I have around 7 years of data at this point, with twice a year blood-work panels and health screenings, and it hasn't mattered what I was eating-my weight is the biggest factor for influencing my health markers.10 -
OP, you're a young guy and I'm guessing you're at least mildly interested in aesthetics when you are done with your weight loss journey.
The goal during weight loss is to preserve lean muscle mass, because once muscle is lost, it is extremely difficult to rebuild. When you undercut the numbers MFP gives you, you create an extreme deficit that will cost you more of your lean muscle mass. The results won't be pretty. Instead, a person should pursue a moderate deficit, make sure they are getting adequate protein, and do some weight-bearing exercise. 9 -
if you eat more sodium then counterbalance it by adding more potassium(lower blood pressure). Ya need good balance of both.2
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kimondo666 wrote: »if you eat more sodium then counterbalance it by adding more potassium(lower blood pressure). Ya need good balance of both.
Be very careful supplementing potassium - too much can cause serious immediate health issues like vomiting, paralysis, heart palpitations/failure and death.6 -
kimondo666 wrote: »if you eat more sodium then counterbalance it by adding more potassium(lower blood pressure). Ya need good balance of both.
Be very careful supplementing potassium - too much can cause serious immediate health issues like vomiting, paralysis, heart palpitations/failure and death.
Sounds like the complications from half or more of the drug commercials you see on TV. There must be another drug out there to deal with that right?2
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