Calories are NOT equal

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Replies

  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
    With regards to weight loss, a calorie is a calorie, in my opinion. With regards to nutrition and over all wellness, all calories are NOT equal.

    Agreed. :drinker:

    :drinker:

    Ahhh....an important distinction & straight to the point! :drinker:
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
    Now that's this has been settled...let's make with the gifs!!!

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  • Facialmom
    Facialmom Posts: 1 Member
    calorie to calorie for weight, proper nutrition for health, our body does care what we put in it!
  • davert123
    davert123 Posts: 1,568 Member
    I think the idea of education is good - in that some foods may make you feel better than others and its good to balance your nutrients as per MPF. I personally feel better if i keep away from simple carbs and loads of fat. In a way I know this because I was educated into the possibility that different foods make me feel differently - without this i would have just felt good or crap and wouldn't have known to look at food.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    Ha ha!

    These forums just crack me up.....

    I've been single-digit lean on a diet consisting of stuff like cornish pasties. It's all a load of bollocks.

    OP: Just do whatever you need to to stick with something and get some results. But don't be coming with that missionary bullsh!t - I ain't buying what you're selling
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
    Ha ha!

    These forums just crack me up.....

    I've been single-digit lean on a diet consisting of stuff like cornish pasties. It's all a load of bollocks.

    OP: Just do whatever you need to to stick with something and get some results. But don't be coming with that missionary bullsh!t - I ain't buying what you're selling

    tumblr_loixfqrspv1qgtnyjo1_400.gif
  • Hannah_Hopes
    Hannah_Hopes Posts: 273 Member
    Oh why do people think this type of topic will end well...

    IIFYM go for it :drinker:
  • Joanne_Moniz
    Joanne_Moniz Posts: 347 Member
    I have been surprised to find so many people staying under their calorie goal, yet when you see what they eat is shocks me. Yes, they stayed under, BUT they ate crap! Fast food, processed foods, white breads, and soda.

    This site is great for calorie counting and nutrition data, but it doesn't teach how to eat to fuel your body the best way possible. You body is not going to burn/use those crap calories the same way healthy foods will. When you eat healthy, your body burns it fast and uses pretty much every bit of that food, but when you eat processed, high sodium and fat foods, you will more then likely store some of that food into fat. Proof? Give a person the same number of calories but one eats all the healthy/clean foods while the other eats the junk. Whose body looks better? Also, it's not just weight gain that's affected, it's your hair and skin health too.

    When you eat healthy, you feel healthy :)

    What do YOU think?
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I have been surprised to find so many people staying under their calorie goal, yet when you see what they eat is shocks me. Yes, they stayed under, BUT they ate crap! Fast food, processed foods, white breads, and soda.

    This site is great for calorie counting and nutrition data, but it doesn't teach how to eat to fuel your body the best way possible. You body is not going to burn/use those crap calories the same way healthy foods will. When you eat healthy, your body burns it fast and uses pretty much every bit of that food, but when you eat processed, high sodium and fat foods, you will more then likely store some of that food into fat. Proof? Give a person the same number of calories but one eats all the healthy/clean foods while the other eats the junk. Whose body looks better? Also, it's not just weight gain that's affected, it's your hair and skin health too.

    When you eat healthy, you feel healthy :)

    What do YOU think?

    In my experience eating too much crap makes you fat. I can put away 2000 calories of cake and cereal and still be ravenous. It's more of a struggle to do that with chicken and veggies.

    A calorie is a calorie BUT there is increasing recognition that the way your body processes and obtains calories from different foods might be different from the values obtained when someone in a lab puts them in Bunsen burners to calculate the heat given off.

    So that if the food packet says '100 calories', for cake your body might obtain close to 100 calories, whilst for raw carrots or almonds your body might obtain more like 70 calories.

    These differences can add up and for us calorie counters can make calculations and projections about weight changes less accurate.

    Having said that I am full of envy for people who can fit all these yummy foods nicely into their daily goals and still stay within check. I can't.

    Pretty much this. I absolutely believe it. I still eat 80/20 pretty much, just because I would never stick to a new lifestyle that wouldn't allow for treats, and that would make me binge, which would be way worse.
  • Joanne_Moniz
    Joanne_Moniz Posts: 347 Member
    AMEN... If everyone realized this, we would not have the obesity problem we have now! A calorie of one food is NOT a calorie of another. You are absolutely right.


    Joanne Moniz
    The Skinny on Obesity
  • Joanne_Moniz
    Joanne_Moniz Posts: 347 Member
    When you eat healthy, you feel healthy :)

    What do YOU think?
    I agree, but read this: http://impruvism.com/clean-eating/

    So you see, what you consider healthy I may consider awful and the other way around. And that's why I eat what makes me feel good and don't listen to what's currently considered "healthy". I remember some years ago margarine with phytosterols was "it" and advertised everywhere as a superfood, today it's grass fed butter, tomorrow it's gonna be something else...
  • Joanne_Moniz
    Joanne_Moniz Posts: 347 Member
    That's right... Margarine is fake food. We need to stop listening to "Big Food" which is there to make money. We need to be educated as to what is REAL food and eat REAL food. It's not that difficult.
  • poma91
    poma91 Posts: 181 Member
    a calorie is a calorie
    ^This

    And besides it's all about the calorie deficit if your aim is losing weight (notice I said weight not fat)
    Of course this does not mean that I am against healthy eating or totally for junk food. I think that finding the balance is the key. For me personally I worry more about macros than calories
  • I get it, I get that provided I maintain a calorie deficit I can lose weight. I get that if I eat fewer refined foods and sugars, I might be working towards maintaining better health in the long run, but it doesn't make that much of a a difference where my calories come from.

    Sadly, as a sugar/refined carb junkie I have also learned of late that by seriously restricting my carb/sugar intake, I can control my 5,000 calorie cake and chocolate binges. Protein and fat keep me satiated and that uncontrollable urge for sugar doesn't come. So far so good. I've even cut down on sweeteners in my tea, a feat I have failed to achieve in a lifetime of trying to control binges, lose weight and keep it off.

    I am heartened to hear that dipping into those kinds of foods won't necessarily ruin my weight loss overnight, however - there is a good chance that if I dip in and eat some, it could kick off a 3 day binge where I hate myself for my lack of willpower. Will I ever be able to eat one thin slice of cake or two squares of chocolate without falling into the trough? I'm not sure. For my insulin-addled body, perhaps not....
  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
    AMEN... If everyone realized this, we would not have the obesity problem we have now! A calorie of one food is NOT a calorie of another. You are absolutely right.


    Joanne Moniz
    The Skinny on Obesity

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  • celadontea
    celadontea Posts: 335 Member
    It comes into play when you look towards the real reason someone wants to lose weight in the first place. Is it ever "just to be thin"? For most sensible people that is not the only underlying goal of weight loss. It is improved health, preventing disease, curing diabetes, etc. A deficit will cause weight loss, but a good diet full of whole foods without sodas, artificial sweeteners and empty calories will provide long lasting health.
  • I have been surprised to find so many people staying under their calorie goal, yet when you see what they eat is shocks me. Yes, they stayed under, BUT they ate crap! Fast food, processed foods, white breads, and soda.

    This site is great for calorie counting and nutrition data, but it doesn't teach how to eat to fuel your body the best way possible. You body is not going to burn/use those crap calories the same way healthy foods will. When you eat healthy, your body burns it fast and uses pretty much every bit of that food, but when you eat processed, high sodium and fat foods, you will more then likely store some of that food into fat. Proof? Give a person the same number of calories but one eats all the healthy/clean foods while the other eats the junk. Whose body looks better? Also, it's not just weight gain that's affected, it's your hair and skin health too.

    When you eat healthy, you feel healthy :)

    What do YOU think?




    I do agree its about the quality of calories your eatting for overall health.
  • beachbebe
    beachbebe Posts: 47 Member
    Yikes! Please don't reply to me unless you leave hate off the keyboard. This is tuff enough! :sad:

    That said, I'm trying to eat more healthy calories and welcome friends who support this goal. :flowerforyou:
  • danofthedead1979
    danofthedead1979 Posts: 362 Member
    Calories are a measure, like inches or litres. It is nonsense to sat they are unequal. Try comparing two inches and tell me they are unequal!

    Eating healthy is good, eating unhealthy is bad, nothing to do with calories or weight loss, simply the effect on your health. Consider this though, if you cut out all the unhealthy stuff from your diet and eat only 'healthy' food, you are likely to fail as the change may be too radical. If you fit your unhealthy stuff within your daily calorie allowance in smaller quantities and in a mix with more 'healthy' food, you are more likely to succeed and you will lose weight. And simply losing weight will benefit your health.
    How about we discuss the fact that 1lb of fat doesn't weigh the same as 1lb of muscle.

    'How about we discuss the fact that 1lb of fat doesn't weigh the same as 1lb of muscle.'
    is this a joke?
  • Wildflower0106
    Wildflower0106 Posts: 247 Member
    Bullsh!t! Well at least for me... I actually have a lot of sensitivities to so called "healthy" foods. I eat 80/ 20. I lost weight, decreased body fat percent, no longer have to take perscription medications and no longer have any health problems. I look at my overall diet and not just one or two specific foods. My overall diet is healthy and nutritious and I easily meet macros but I am still able to enjoy foods I love. I am a hobby baker, I will be making double fudge peanut butter brownies today! They will be delicious and I will have one but it isn't unhealthy because the rest of my day is full of fresh veggies and lean proteins. Of course some weekends will be "junkier" but again my overall diet is fresh and nutritious. I have been maintaining for two years (I also have not had any health issues), I must have made a few good decisions along the way.
  • nikkylyn
    nikkylyn Posts: 325 Member
    I Agree healthy foods are better. But for most of us we will fail If we attempt to never eat fast food or sweets soda etc again. As Long as you limit the bad stuff u can enjoy it sometimes. To Say I can never have a soda or candy bar again is just CRAZY!!!
  • Mother_Superior
    Mother_Superior Posts: 1,624 Member
    Nice to see a fresh discussion on MFP for once. /sarcasm

    Here are a couple of excellent resources for learning about proper nutrition, and the importance of both calories and nutrient density in food:

    http://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/ - Steve Troutman
    http://impruvism.com/healthy-diet/ - Armi Legge
  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
    Bullsh!t! Well at least for me... I actually have a lot of sensitivities to so called "healthy" foods. I eat 80/ 20. I lost weight, decreased body fat percent, no longer have to take perscription medications and no longer have any health problems. I look at my overall diet and not just one or two specific foods. My overall diet is healthy and nutritious and I easily meet macros but I am still able to enjoy foods I love. I am a hobby baker, I will be making double fudge peanut butter brownies today! They will be delicious and I will have one but it isn't unhealthy because the rest of my day is full of fresh veggies and lean proteins. Of course some weekends will be "junkier" but again my overall diet is fresh and nutritious. I have been maintaining for two years (I also have not had any health issues), I must have made a few good decisions along the way.

    tumblr_mf28kdYQJL1rlm565o1_400.jpg

    also, your 130lbs lost and maintained for 2 years sorta debunks that nonsense above about "bad" calories being responsible for obesity, huh?

    :drinker:
  • eric_sg61
    eric_sg61 Posts: 2,925 Member
    I eat pretty much what I want, when I want
    This ^^.
  • cherylad
    cherylad Posts: 11 Member
    How about we discuss the fact that 1lb of fat doesn't weigh the same as 1lb of muscle.


    oh gawd....let's PLEASE not have this discussion again.

    OP. A calorie is a calorie...unit of measure of energy and the body does not care where it came from, it only burns the calorie to keep us alive (as previously stated by my esteemed colleagues). Now, if you want to have the discussion of achieving daily vitamin and nutrient goals, sure, you have a point. MFP and my FL have GREATLY helped me identify where my intake was lacking in that arena. I would offer, speaking for myself only, that sometimes I want a greasy *kitten* cheeseburger on a white bun with extra BAAAAACON! I may or may not be under my calorie goal that day because of it....but that cheeseburger kept me in the game. In fact I had one last night! It was glorious and I heard Angels singing in the background as I ate it! I was still under my calorie goal because I lift and run like a EFF'n BEAST!

    I kept reading the topic because the macro/micro topic is really of interest to me at this point and I'm very curious about it. Plus I've been at the same point for a while (after a 10 pound bump following a period of intense stress) so that is frustrating me.

    BUT ... I'm replying now because this post made me crack the hell up. I agree as well, but showing to give some love. Hysterical.
  • sinistras
    sinistras Posts: 244 Member
    Well, I agree with you OP.

    Yes, it also shows in your skin. Not kidding mine glows, when it use to be full of break outs and dull and dry, because I don't eat near the junk anymore. Some calories give you more bang for the buck.

    So the rest of ya can all go on your "calorie is a calorie" thing but at least my calories are giving me super model skin, strong nails, and thicker glossier hair. :-D Neener neener NEENER.
  • Often times I eat bad food too.
    Sorry OP but get off your high horse, not everyone has the means or the money/lifestyle to afford to switch fully to grilled chicken and veg but a lot of people want to lose weight. You do it healthy? good. But still respect the people that don't, because they care equally about how they look and should not be ridiculed for eating "crap". You are trying really hard to diminish somebody's success and that is ugly.
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    :huh:
  • eric_sg61
    eric_sg61 Posts: 2,925 Member
    Well, I agree with you OP.

    Yes, it also shows in your skin. Not kidding mine glows, when it use to be full of break outs and dull and dry, because I don't eat near the junk anymore. Some calories give you more bang for the buck.

    So the rest of ya can all go on your "calorie is a calorie" thing but at least my calories are giving me super model skin, strong nails, and thicker glossier hair. :-D Neener neener NEENER.
    1883391_o.gif