Question about the QUALITY (not the QUANTITY) of calories

ElegantSlenderChic

Changing the quality of calories impacts my health and happiness.

Changing the quantity of calories impacts my weight.

Simplicity at its best.:flowerforyou:

justal313

I worry about the quality of my calories all the time...

"Will this donut taste as good as a beer"

"Will the caramel apple crisp this restaurant taste as good as the other half of my meal"

"What tastes better, 3 slices of microwaved bacon or two slices of pan fried pork bacon"

and..

Donuts taste better than standard mass produced american beer but not as good as a good microbrew

The other half of my meal can be taken home in a box to have for lunch tomorrow so I'll have that apple crisp.

With eggs, pork bacon. In breakfast muffins, hopping john and a few other recipes, I'll save the calories and use the turkey bacon, but if the bacon stands alone or is the star of a dish, it's real bacon or I will make, order, whatever something else.

justal313

It is easy to see who the trolls are. They have thousands of posts. But sometimes they make new identities. The same person has many identities. MFP advises to report these people.

There are many people who believe that it is possible that the food industry places people on these sites... food for thought.

Just start a thread about a weightloss product and see a bunch of new accounts start posting to it extolling it's virtues...

WendyTerry420

That said, micronutrients and macronutrients are food; MSG and other additives are NOT food and do not belong in our diet. While they may not affect the caloric burn, they do affect many of the other issues around eating and weight, and are best avoided entirely if not minimized severely. (MSGTruth.org)

Not food? Monosodium glutamate (MSG), also known as sodium glutamate, is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, one of the most abundant naturally occurring non-essential amino acids.

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/87559129809541157#.Up8sE9JDvTo

randomtai

It is easy to see who the trolls are. They have thousands of posts. But sometimes they make new identities. The same person has many identities. MFP advises to report these people.

There are many people who believe that it is possible that the food industry places people on these sites... food for thought.

um what? :huh:

Paranoid much? :laugh:

WendyTerry420

It is easy to see who the trolls are. They have thousands of posts. But sometimes they make new identities. The same person has many identities. MFP advises to report these people.

There are many people who believe that it is possible that the food industry places people on these sites... food for thought.

Food for the David Icke school of thought #justsayin

Reptilian Food Lackeys! Run away! Run away!

WendyTerry420

Same weight loss, but you will lose more muscle mass eating just the junk

Oh really? Do tell how this magical loss of muscle mass takes place if macros are held constant. Any how do you define "junk".

This is junk (aka "garbage")




This is food

Phoenix_Warrior

It is easy to see who the trolls are. They have thousands of posts. But sometimes they make new identities. The same person has many identities. MFP advises to report these people.

There are many people who believe that it is possible that the food industry places people on these sites... food for thought.

You know what would be really crazy? If different people had different opinions. ..

but no, we go straight to the facts. Aliens.

Sjenny5891

I work the Midnight shift so I end up with quite a bit of processed frozen dinners.
I not onlt lost 75 pounds, but I haven't had any problems maintaining on the same "diet"

twixlepennie

It is easy to see who the trolls are. They have thousands of posts. But sometimes they make new identities. The same person has many identities. MFP advises to report these people.

There are many people who believe that it is possible that the food industry places people on these sites... food for thought.

THIS!!!

:huh:

amy1612

It is easy to see who the trolls are. They have thousands of posts. But sometimes they make new identities. The same person has many identities. MFP advises to report these people.

There are many people who believe that it is possible that the food industry places people on these sites... food for thought.

Food for the David Icke school of thought #justsayin

Reptilian Food Lackeys! Run away! Run away!

Lolololol

askcupid117

bump to read later

SanteMulberry

I believe that excessive sugar and fat are bad for you, however my question isn't about whether certain things are good/bad/stupid/healthy to eat, my question is just on basic biology/physiology etc.

Question: (this is for the sake of argument, and I am not intending to try EITHER extremes of diet)

Will a person lose weight at the same rate if you eat 1500 cals of bacon and donuts per day, as if you ate 1500 cals of healthy foods (veggies, lean proteins, grains, whatever you deem to be healthy)?

People always say "calories in, calories out" but I wonder if it is really true. I know everyone has a theory, but does anyone have an actual personal experience where they changed from eating "whatever they wanted" to "eating clean" or "eating healthy," or changed in the reverse direction (possibly when starting to maintain?)

I know everyone likes to quote "calories in, calories out," but I am interested in personal experience instead of ideas and theories and internet blogs. Anyone with personal experience in changing the QUALITY of their diet, please tell me: when you changed the QUALITY of your diet, in what way did you change your diet, how did it affect your weight loss, if at all?

Just curious to what people's actual experiences have been with this.

Thanks in advance!

Voodoo Lady

I know that I got very sick when I went on a very low calorie diet with no concern for proper nutrition. After I recovered, I regained all the weight plus more. :frown: I have been on my present program for about 3+ years (but I didn't join MFP till last year) and in all that time, I have not gained an ounce--only gone down---SLOWLY (well a bit faster at first, but since I am within 30 pounds of my goal weight, the fat loss has slowed down to about 1 pound a month). But I'm in no particular hurry--I feel good. The fat loss that I am currently enjoying (and I know that it is mostly or all fat because of the difference it makes in my clothing size) is pretty well pain-free, as I like eating the way I eat. Lower carb (60-120 grams a day) no foods with added sugar, little to no grain, lots of veggies, lean protein, some dairy and some fruit. I could eat like this forever and plan to (except I will probably let my carbs drift up to between 120-150 when I lose all the body fat that I want). I do cardio two days a week and lift a bit of weight (dumbbells and body weight). This has been the most hassle-free, effortless weight loss I have ever experienced. Do yourselves a favor and PAY ATTENTION to the quality of what you put in your mouths.

SanteMulberry

Yep-I lost over 50lbs cutting back on calories and eating fast food 3-5 times a week, lots of frozen dinners, low fat/low calorie 'diet' foods, guzzling diet soda etc etc. I also didn't do any type of exercise while I was actively losing. Blood work done during this time has never been better, including no longer having a glucose level in the pre-diabetic range.


After I went into maintenance I tried 'clean eating' and the only thing I got out of it was I became obsessive over what I ate, for the first time in my life, stressed out and frustrated. I didn't magically feel better cutting out the foods I enjoyed and I didn't look better. I did lose my period and my hair started falling out though. My sleep got messed up too (I got sucked into the 'clean'/whole foods low meat/dairy thing and my fat intake dropped dramatically). I've ditched that and have gone back to eating how I like, watching calories, aiming to hit macros and enjoying life and maintenance.

Your mistake was going low protein and very low fat--it will make you sick (as evidenced by your hair falling out). Good thing you didn't stay on it. You need at least 45 grams of healthy fats per day to stay in the pink, long-term. The whole low fat/no fat thing has been awful for people.

twixlepennie

Yep-I lost over 50lbs cutting back on calories and eating fast food 3-5 times a week, lots of frozen dinners, low fat/low calorie 'diet' foods, guzzling diet soda etc etc. I also didn't do any type of exercise while I was actively losing. Blood work done during this time has never been better, including no longer having a glucose level in the pre-diabetic range.


After I went into maintenance I tried 'clean eating' and the only thing I got out of it was I became obsessive over what I ate, for the first time in my life, stressed out and frustrated. I didn't magically feel better cutting out the foods I enjoyed and I didn't look better. I did lose my period and my hair started falling out though. My sleep got messed up too (I got sucked into the 'clean'/whole foods low meat/dairy thing and my fat intake dropped dramatically). I've ditched that and have gone back to eating how I like, watching calories, aiming to hit macros and enjoying life and maintenance.

Your mistake was going low protein and very low fat--it will make you sick (as evidenced by your hair falling out). Good thing you didn't stay on it. You need at least 45 grams of healthy fats per day to stay in the pink, long-term. The whole low fat/no fat thing has been awful for people.

Yeah, definitely a learning experience Live and learn!

SanteMulberry

If we forgo the body's necessity for essential nutrients then my answer is below:


There is suggestive evidence that indicates there may be a link between certain nutrients and their ability to increase the body's motabolism. I'm not certain how legitimate this all is, but if there is truth, then it would make a difference in weightloss. If this is true, the the quality of the calories would matter greatly, however if this is false, then it wouldn't matter at all as your body breaks down most macro nutrients into the same pieces anyways regardless of their quality.... for the most part

However, from personal experience, I noticed significent differences when adjusting the quality of calories I consumed. the main one being, the amount of energy I had to actually go to the gym. After a few days of eating a more natural diet (fruits veggies etc) I found myself wanting to be active. This in turn boosted my weightloss. When I ate a more junk food style diet all I wanted to do was sleep. There were days that I would eat pizza and want to go to bed right after.


*both diets were at about the same caloric value, but I would a few more lbs eating healthy, which can most likely be attributed to my increased gym activity.

My experience to a T. I have not been able to be as active on other diets. My healthy, slow-loss diet has enabled me to do things I never thought I could.

SanteMulberry

Do we know each other? :laugh: :laugh:

Excluding the last sentence, this is MY story... how did you know?

When I first lost weight I ate whatever I wanted with in my calorie means and I lost weight. Then I switched to eating more balanced. I felt better overall, I still lost weight, but not fast.

The other thing I learned about myself is if I over exercised (I was training for a marathon) I NEVER lost weight or inches, no matter how many calories I burned or how I ate. Over exercising causes me to have a suppressed immune system making me sick.

Too much cardio destroys muscle mass (it is catabolic)--not good for calorie burning. It also "teaches" your body to be VERY efficient in the way that it uses calories--not good for calorie burning. Weight-lifting (either body weight or actual weights) on the other hand, causes bigger muscles (it is anabolic) which burn more calories. In addition to the immune-system dysfunction which you have cited, that's the real reason why you don't want to do too much cardio (unless you like it and are willing to put up with the liabilities).

bcattoes

Do we know each other? :laugh: :laugh:

Excluding the last sentence, this is MY story... how did you know?

When I first lost weight I ate whatever I wanted with in my calorie means and I lost weight. Then I switched to eating more balanced. I felt better overall, I still lost weight, but not fast.

The other thing I learned about myself is if I over exercised (I was training for a marathon) I NEVER lost weight or inches, no matter how many calories I burned or how I ate. Over exercising causes me to have a suppressed immune system making me sick.

Too much cardio destroys muscle mass (it is catabolic)--not good for calorie burning. It also "teaches" your body to be VERY efficient in the way that it uses calories--not good for calorie burning. Weight-lifting (either body weight or actual weights) on the other hand, causes bigger muscles (it is anabolic) which burn more calories. In addition to the immune-system dysfunction which you have cited, that's the real reason why you don't want to do too much cardio (unless you like it and are willing to put up with the liabilities).

Overtraining is never good. No matter what type of exercise it is.

bcattoes

From various studies I've seen etc, it seems that exercise plays a good role in mitigating diet.

So if you're not particularly fit, don't do much exercise, then yes it is important to not eat too many simple carbs etc.
If you are reasonably fit and do regular exercise, it seems to be less of an issue - presumably your body is already working well.

One problem in the 'health' community/industry is that there's an awful lot of data, but often that data may only relate to fairly narrow selections of people - however a lot take it as gospel for all.

Yes, this ^^ Exercise is a powerful tool.

SanteMulberry

Do we know each other? :laugh: :laugh:

Excluding the last sentence, this is MY story... how did you know?

When I first lost weight I ate whatever I wanted with in my calorie means and I lost weight. Then I switched to eating more balanced. I felt better overall, I still lost weight, but not fast.

The other thing I learned about myself is if I over exercised (I was training for a marathon) I NEVER lost weight or inches, no matter how many calories I burned or how I ate. Over exercising causes me to have a suppressed immune system making me sick.

Too much cardio destroys muscle mass (it is catabolic)--not good for calorie burning. It also "teaches" your body to be VERY efficient in the way that it uses calories--not good for calorie burning. Weight-lifting (either body weight or actual weights) on the other hand, causes bigger muscles (it is anabolic) which burn more calories. In addition to the immune-system dysfunction which you have cited, that's the real reason why you don't want to do too much cardio (unless you like it and are willing to put up with the liabilities).

Overtraining is never good. No matter what type of exercise it is.

^This is true. But it is somehow easier to overtrain with cardio than with weight-lifting because with weigh-lifting, you are typically following a program geared to you. With running or bicycling, for example, there are no set programs and the "runner's high" often seduces many into overtraining. I suspect that weight-lifters in competition are probably the only ones who need to worry about overtraining. I have known a number of non-competitive runners who have fallen into overtraining.