Calories in clean food vs junk food?

FionaHoggx

Hi

If I were to eat 1200 calories in junk food vs eat 1200 clean what difference would it make?

I know that eating clean is the best way to go just interested in the difference??


Thanks so much (:

bethannien

I think the general consensus is that a calorie us a calorie, however, "junk" food doesn't leave you feeling satiated, generally speaking. Eat a combination of foods you like and foods with good fats, protien and fiber. Clean eating seems to have too many definitions.

lynn_glenmont

Assuming that by "what difference would it make" you mean "what difference would it make in progress toward weight loss goals," and discounting any potential psychological effects such as triggering a shame/guilt spiral from eating junk food that leads to binging or abandoning your plan or hiding in your room and not moving a muscle, it won't make any difference what the source of your calories is.

rclarkin

Ahhh, sweet old IIFYM (If it fits your macros)

The thing about "Junk Food" is that it usually lacks in micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and they contain a lot of crap like preservatives.

Whole foods are more filling, and are overall better fuel for the body (They are rich in micronutrients)

The thing I love about IIFYM is that you can moderately eat junk food and as long as it fits into your macronutrients (Carbs, Protein, Fats) it won't hurt you and you won't have to feel guilty about it!

Acg67

Hi

If I were to eat 1200 calories in junk food vs eat 1200 clean what difference would it make?

I know that eating clean is the best way to go just interested in the difference??


Thanks so much (:

None, since clean eating is a farce.

cwolfman13

I'm assuming by "clean" you mean nutritionally dense whole foods...in general, if you did that you would be seriously lacking in basic nutrition. I'm all about having a diet rich in nutrient dense foods, with a smattering of junk thrown in their for good measure...but just eating **** all day...well, you'll probably feel like **** and look like **** too.

meskew87

General wisdom says no difference metabolically - a calorie is a calorie is a calorie, right? I'm not sure that I totally buy that though, but thats based purely on a gut feeling. I can't imagine I would feel good or function at a high level if I ate 1200 calories of cake a day. If we know it affects how we feel, surely it must be affecting the rest of our bodies in ways we might not fully understand yet.

Practically speaking, you will most likely feel a lot more satisfied eating 1200 calories of meats, veggies, and fruits because they are much more filling per calorie. My thought is, eat "nutritionally dense" most of the time and don't freak out about a splurge on something you consider "junk" every once in a while

TMLPatrick

There's been a lot of studies on this, but there's no conclusive evidence that "clean" food calories have any difference from "junk" food calories. The only real difference is the additional nutrients.

j6o4

if you can hit your macros and micros while eating junk food and still stay full for the whole day, then there is no difference.

Serah87

The thing I love about IIFYM is that you can moderately eat junk food and as long as it fits into your macronutrients (Carbs, Protein, Fats) it won't hurt you and you won't have to feel guilty about it!

Yep. :happy:

LJSmith1989

General wisdom says no difference metabolically - a calorie is a calorie is a calorie, right? I'm not sure that I totally buy that though, but thats based purely on a gut feeling. I can't imagine I would feel good or function at a high level if I ate 1200 calories of cake a day. If we know it affects how we feel, surely it must be affecting the rest of our bodies in ways we might not fully understand yet.

Practically speaking, you will most likely feel a lot more satisfied eating 1200 calories of meats, veggies, and fruits because they are much more filling per calorie. My thought is, eat "nutritionally dense" most of the time and don't freak out about a splurge on something you consider "junk" every once in a while

But as you wont eat 1200 calories of cake!!
IIFYM

leaaa92

This helped me decide on what to eat to fulfill my calories. Also, junk food usually doesn't have the essential nutrients that your body needs.

randomtai

This is not gonna end well.

Quieau

Preservatives aren't ALL they add ... there are chemicals added to junk food and processed fast food to make you want more. Intentionally! MSG is in EVERYTHING you eat in restaurants and frozen dinners and cans and bags (unless it says otherwise). It comes under many different names and (autolyzed yeast extract, hydrolyzed protein, etc.) and you can learn all about it at MSGTruth.org (I was just having a similar conversation on another thread, so going to share this here too). The calorie may be a calorie but the added chemicals can really mess with your metabolism and your hunger. MSG is among the worst. Why do they add it to foods? From MSGTRuth.org:

Why do food companies add MSG to foods?

There are several reasons:

MSG tricks your tongue into making you think a certain food is high in protein and thus nutritious. It is not a "meat tenderizer". It is not a "preservative". The food industry is trying to confuse the issue by focusing on the "fifth" taste sense they call umami. Free glutamic acid is detected by the taste buds as a simple way to signal the presence of protein in a food, just as there are fat receptors to detect fats and receptors that sense carbohydrate or sweet flavors. The purpose is to help us discern real food from inedible matter. It changes your perception of not simply taste but the nutritious qualities of what you put into your mouth. However, and here is the main problem with free glutamic acid - It is the very same neurotransmitter that your brain and many organs including your ears, eyes, nervous system and pancreas in your body use to initiate certain processes in your body.

MSG stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin. So many diets these days are concerned about the Glycemic Index of foods and yet none of them address the fact that MSG and free glutamic acid stimulate the pancreas to release insulin when there doesn't even have to be carbohydrates in the food for that insulin to act on. The food industry has found their own "anti-appetite suppressant". It's a convenient way to keep consumers coming back for more. The blood sugar drops because of the insulin flood. And you are hungry an hour later. Sound familiar?

The body changes excess glutamate to GABA. GABA may be addictive. It is calming and affects the same receptors in the brain as valium.

Cost. The illusion created by adding MSG to a food product enables the food processor to add LESS real food. The illusion of more protein in a food allows the food producer to put LESS protein in it. The consumer perceives the product - say chicken soup - to have more chicken in it than is actually there. Example: A well-known brand of dehydrated chicken noodle soup. Is that chicken in there, or a piece of confetti?

=============================
So while a calorie is a calorie as a unit of energy, not all calories are created equally. Some nourish, some really mess you up and make your road a lot tougher than it has to be.

MSGTruth.org

EDIT: Think about this: Rats aren't fat naturally.Scientists inject them with MSG to make them fat so that they can do obesity related research on them. What do you think that means for those who eat MSG several times a day? Just something to think about.

Cindyinpg

Hi

If I were to eat 1200 calories in junk food vs eat 1200 clean what difference would it make?

I know that eating clean is the best way to go just interested in the difference??


Thanks so much (:

None, since clean eating is a farce.

I second this. Figure out a sustainable calorie deficit for your goals, (which is unlikely to be as low as 1200 anyway) eat foods you enjoy, calculate your macro and micro needs for overall health and then exercise for fitness (not to mention the added bonus of being able to eat more). It doesn't need to be complicated. :flowerforyou:

Acg67

Preservatives aren't ALL they add ... there are chemicals added to junk food and processed fast food to make you want more. Intentionally! MSG is in EVERYTHING you eat in restaurants and frozen dinners and cans and bags (unless it says otherwise). It comes under many different names and (autolyzed yeast extract, hydrolyzed protein, etc.) and you can learn all about it at MSGTruth.org (I was just having a similar conversation on another thread, so going to share this here too). The calorie may be a calorie but the added chemicals can really mess with your metabolism and your hunger. MSG is among the worst. Why do they add it to foods? From MSGTRuth.org:

Why do food companies add MSG to foods?

There are several reasons:

MSG tricks your tongue into making you think a certain food is high in protein and thus nutritious. It is not a "meat tenderizer". It is not a "preservative". The food industry is trying to confuse the issue by focusing on the "fifth" taste sense they call umami. Free glutamic acid is detected by the taste buds as a simple way to signal the presence of protein in a food, just as there are fat receptors to detect fats and receptors that sense carbohydrate or sweet flavors. The purpose is to help us discern real food from inedible matter. It changes your perception of not simply taste but the nutritious qualities of what you put into your mouth. However, and here is the main problem with free glutamic acid - It is the very same neurotransmitter that your brain and many organs including your ears, eyes, nervous system and pancreas in your body use to initiate certain processes in your body.

MSG stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin. So many diets these days are concerned about the Glycemic Index of foods and yet none of them address the fact that MSG and free glutamic acid stimulate the pancreas to release insulin when there doesn't even have to be carbohydrates in the food for that insulin to act on. The food industry has found their own "anti-appetite suppressant". It's a convenient way to keep consumers coming back for more. The blood sugar drops because of the insulin flood. And you are hungry an hour later. Sound familiar?

The body changes excess glutamate to GABA. GABA may be addictive. It is calming and affects the same receptors in the brain as valium.

Cost. The illusion created by adding MSG to a food product enables the food processor to add LESS real food. The illusion of more protein in a food allows the food producer to put LESS protein in it. The consumer perceives the product - say chicken soup - to have more chicken in it than is actually there. Example: A well-known brand of dehydrated chicken noodle soup. Is that chicken in there, or a piece of confetti?

=============================
So while a calorie is a calorie as a unit of energy, not all calories are created equally. Some nourish, some really mess you up and make your road a lot tougher than it has to be.

MSGTruth.org

LMAO. that is certainly an unbiased site. Hope you don't eat broccoli, parmesan cheese or anything like that due to the glutamate content

Snow3y

lets see.. Eat 1200 calories in mc D's, lose weight.. But prepare for blood sugar problems, heart problems and multiple other health risks.

Stick to clean foods if you're on such a low calorie deficit. (why you're doing it so low I don't know...)

jjones62301

You can eat 1200 cals of junk food in about 12 mins.....OR you can eat 1200 cals of clean food in 12 HOURS. Personally I'd rather eat all day long than only eat for 12 mins out of the day!!!

Snow3y

Ahhh, sweet old IIFYM (If it fits your macros)

The thing about "Junk Food" is that it usually lacks in micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and they contain a lot of crap like preservatives.

Whole foods are more filling, and are overall better fuel for the body (They are rich in micronutrients)

The thing I love about IIFYM is that you can moderately eat junk food and as long as it fits into your macronutrients (Carbs, Protein, Fats) it won't hurt you and you won't have to feel guilty about it!

at her weight, with so little calories, it's almost impossible.

Quieau

LMAO. that is certainly an unbiased site. Hope you don't eat broccoli, parmesan cheese or anything like that due to the glutamate content

You're implying bias. Please point it out specifically. I'm always open to learning from those who observe something I miss. Please share?

Cindyinpg

Ahhh, sweet old IIFYM (If it fits your macros)

The thing about "Junk Food" is that it usually lacks in micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and they contain a lot of crap like preservatives.

Whole foods are more filling, and are overall better fuel for the body (They are rich in micronutrients)

The thing I love about IIFYM is that you can moderately eat junk food and as long as it fits into your macronutrients (Carbs, Protein, Fats) it won't hurt you and you won't have to feel guilty about it!

at her weight, with so little calories, it's almost impossible.

You can still apply IIFYM at a lower intake. An example is given here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/925464-fitting-it-in-giggity?hl=Fitting+it+in+giggity