A Calorie is NOT just a Calorie

Hornsby

I've been struggling with knowing the truth if it matters where my calories come from.. found this AWESOME article that puts logic to it all. Worth the read

http://authoritynutrition.com/debunking-the-calorie-myth/

A great article.

For everyone who is dismissing it and backing their a calorie is just a calorie - did you lose your weight by eating a low calorie count of junk food or by eating healthy.

Well done on all of your successes. I am sure though at the heart of each of them what you ate was the result of the success you had.

Look at my pics. At my week 1 and current. Tell me my body comp is the same. This is the result of 1700 -2000 calories worth of "junk" in moderation. That means ice cream every night, mcdonalds, pizza. Marcos are my only focus. Not trivial labels. And yes, calories matter

Ice cream mac donalds and pizza all in one night? Wow you've been blessed with genetics!

No, just the ability to count. As long as the calories add up to less than the daily goal, weight will still be lost.

Who much are you spending on supplements? Surely it's easier to just eat healthy get your nutrients from errr food and put the calculator away.

But ...... and this is the important thing, if it's worked for you then fantastic.

Every success is a good success.

The science behind the article is accurate. The thing is you are obviously someone focused on a goal 'and more power to your elbow for it'.

A lot of people who are over weight don't have the same will power and the hard truth is some food (and not the good stuff) will promote hormone release in the body which create strong cravings for food.

I spend nothing on supplements.
zilch.
zero.

"focus" is a choice. Others can make that choice. It's that simple.

If your not taking additional nutrient supplements - good luck to you in the coming years!!!!

You won't be getting nutrients and vitamins from junk food, if you're not going to eat healthy food i.e. veggies and fruit then at least get your vitamins and nutrients from a supplement source.

I would not like to think what your omega 3/6 ratio is?

Most of track our Macro/Micro nutrients as well and make sure we get what we need. You may need to do some reading here...
http://iifym.com/

You guys work too hard at eating.

Still all the work it takes to track nutrients count calorie intake must be burning off some energy!

So you could just eat broccoli all day long and be fine? Afterall, it's "healthy", so they should have everything you need?

And yes, tracking nutrients is a part of MFP. Not sure why you are hear otherwise.

DamePiglet

I've been struggling with knowing the truth if it matters where my calories come from.. found this AWESOME article that puts logic to it all. Worth the read

http://authoritynutrition.com/debunking-the-calorie-myth/

A great article.

For everyone who is dismissing it and backing their a calorie is just a calorie - did you lose your weight by eating a low calorie count of junk food or by eating healthy.

Well done on all of your successes. I am sure though at the heart of each of them what you ate was the result of the success you had.

Look at my pics. At my week 1 and current. Tell me my body comp is the same. This is the result of 1700 -2000 calories worth of "junk" in moderation. That means ice cream every night, mcdonalds, pizza. Marcos are my only focus. Not trivial labels. And yes, calories matter

Ice cream mac donalds and pizza all in one night? Wow you've been blessed with genetics!

No, just the ability to count. As long as the calories add up to less than the daily goal, weight will still be lost.

Who much are you spending on supplements? Surely it's easier to just eat healthy get your nutrients from errr food and put the calculator away.

But ...... and this is the important thing, if it's worked for you then fantastic.

Every success is a good success.

The science behind the article is accurate. The thing is you are obviously someone focused on a goal 'and more power to your elbow for it'.

A lot of people who are over weight don't have the same will power and the hard truth is some food (and not the good stuff) will promote hormone release in the body which create strong cravings for food.

I spend nothing on supplements.
zilch.
zero.

"focus" is a choice. Others can make that choice. It's that simple.

If your not taking additional nutrient supplements - good luck to you in the coming years!!!!

You won't be getting nutrients and vitamins from junk food, if you're not going to eat healthy food i.e. veggies and fruit then at least get your vitamins and nutrients from a supplement source.

I would not like to think what your omega 3/6 ratio is?

Most of track our Macro/Micro nutrients as well and make sure we get what we need. You may need to do some reading here...
http://iifym.com/

You guys work too hard at eating.

Still all the work it takes to track nutrients count calorie intake must be burning off some energy!

Dude, do you even MFP??

jonnythan

You won't be getting nutrients and vitamins from junk food, if you're not going to eat healthy food i.e. veggies and fruit then at least get your vitamins and nutrients from a supplement source.

Evidence that this is the case, please?

Evidence will be in probably 10 years when your suffering from IBS, inflammation of this that and the other.

For god sack eat healthy food as well.

Junks great in moderation,

You can live off the stuff exercise enough and you'll burn all the glucose it turns into so you won't get fat but man it gives you nothing in return,

My favorite thing on MFP is when "not fit" newbies with a ton of weight to lose and "0 lbs lost" tell all the successful people they're unhealthy and need to start eating "healthy food."

Cranquistador

"The real measure of energy is jules"

zyxst

Marcos are my only focus.

Marcos is my focus, too.

DamePiglet

You won't be getting nutrients and vitamins from junk food, if you're not going to eat healthy food i.e. veggies and fruit then at least get your vitamins and nutrients from a supplement source.

Evidence that this is the case, please?

Evidence will be in probably 10 years when your suffering from IBS, inflammation of this that and the other.

For god sack eat healthy food as well.

Junks great in moderation,

You can live off the stuff exercise enough and you'll burn all the glucose it turns into so you won't get fat but man it gives you nothing in return,

My favorite thing on MFP is when "not fit" newbies with a ton of weight to lose and "0 lbs lost" tell all the successful people they're unhealthy and need to start eating "healthy food."

slow clap.gif

tinklemar

<

---

lost almost 60lbs doing the whole 'calorie is just a calorie' thing

Thanks. I was really feeling defeated today and needed that

_HeartsOnFire_

You guys work too hard at eating.

Still all the work it takes to track nutrients count calorie intake must be burning off some energy!

Nope, doesn't take long, it's the MFP phone app and a bar scanner. Crazy I know. It does it for me. I just look at the overall macros/micros during the day

mccindy72

You won't be getting nutrients and vitamins from junk food, if you're not going to eat healthy food i.e. veggies and fruit then at least get your vitamins and nutrients from a supplement source.

Evidence that this is the case, please?

Evidence will be in probably 10 years when your suffering from IBS, inflammation of this that and the other.

For god sack eat healthy food as well.

Junks great in moderation,

You can live off the stuff exercise enough and you'll burn all the glucose it turns into so you won't get fat but man it gives you nothing in return,

Get a clue. I have IBD, which means I CAN"T eat most fresh vegetables, gluten, dairy, corn, or many other things at all. Seriously. Don't talk about things you know nothing about.

SugaryLynx

And I'm just sitting here... petting ma ears

_HeartsOnFire_

You won't be getting nutrients and vitamins from junk food, if you're not going to eat healthy food i.e. veggies and fruit then at least get your vitamins and nutrients from a supplement source.

Evidence that this is the case, please?

Evidence will be in probably 10 years when your suffering from IBS, inflammation of this that and the other.

For god sack eat healthy food as well.

Junks great in moderation,

You can live off the stuff exercise enough and you'll burn all the glucose it turns into so you won't get fat but man it gives you nothing in return,

My favorite thing on MFP is when "not fit" newbies with a ton of weight to lose and "0 lbs lost" tell all the successful people they're unhealthy and need to start eating "healthy food."

slow clap.gif

Achrya

There is some serious hate on here.
I didn't actually read the article, but assuming it's about sugar:

If you have a normal insulin response to foods, you can probably get away with just restricting your calories and lose pounds.
Even if you don't, if you eat less, you will (eventually) lose weight, your energy must come from somewhere.
Nutrition is important for getting an ideal body composition.
If you don't exercise, fast acting carbs give you this insta energy that goes nowhere so it will quickly be turned to fat.
If you don't get enough protein, you may lose muscle mass instead of fat mass.
Exercise helps your cells accept insulin and helps your body use fat for energy.

As a diabetic, I personally would not fare as well if most of my calories come from carbs.

So people with a normal insulin response who exercise and/or cut calories will have a different experience than those who, like myself, are insulin resistant and/or don't exercise.

So a calorie is just a unit of energy, but for different bodies, carbs, proteins and fats may be processed differently.

If you have something that works for you, congrats, go with that.

But yeah, this is old news.

Calories = Calories is a very separate issue from macros and the various ways people go about handling their macro split.

waldo56

You guys work too hard at eating.

Still all the work it takes to track nutrients count calorie intake must be burning off some energy!

...... So a guy who has 50 lbs to lose and admits he is "not fit" comes to a calorie tracking website and tells a bunch of athletic, low-bodyfat people who have reached and maintained their goal weight for years that we work too hard at eating?

I humbly suggest that it is YOU who works too hard at eating, which explains why you have 50 lbs to lose.

This post is full of win.

delicious_cocktail

I love the intro to the article:

I think the notion of “calories in vs. calories out” is ridiculous.

Foods affect our bodies in different ways and go through different metabolic pathways.

Not only that, but the foods we eat can directly affect the hormones that regulate when and how much we eat.

Therefore, the types of foods we base our diet around are just as important as the amount of calories we are eating.

And since foods are different, calories are too!

A pound is not just a pound because iron and feathers.

Sorry, a pound is still a pound.

asciident

Skimmed article in original post. Saw a whole lot of logical fallacies. Closed tab.

Some people need to pay closer attention to macros than others... medical conditions, specific training regimens, etc. For MANY people, though, cal in cal out just works as long as they're honest with themselves about how much they're eating and how much they're burning.

Anyone who's been paying attention knows that each of the macros affects the body differently. They all have their own purpose, that's why virtually no one seriously recommends cutting one or more out altogether (which is different from going low on one of them). Of course saying "you eat too many calories" does not address the base reason for why that person is doing so. Because there are many reasons, a lot of them based in poor habits or mental/emotional issues. Most people on MFP agree that eating more protein and fat lead to feeling fuller or more satiated longer. We virtually all agree that health is not directly relational to weight. That's why we talk about "skinny fat" etc.

But weight, for many, maybe even most people? It is a matter of cal in cal out. This article is silly.

Hornsby

You guys work too hard at eating.

Still all the work it takes to track nutrients count calorie intake must be burning off some energy!

...... So a guy who has 50 lbs to lose and admits he is "not fit" comes to a calorie tracking website and tells a bunch of athletic, low-bodyfat people who have reached and maintained their goal weight for years that we work too hard at eating?

I humbly suggest that it is YOU who works too hard at eating, which explains why you have 50 lbs to lose.

_HeartsOnFire_

I really don't know what you are arguing at this point. This thread is about a calorie being a calorie. Most of this site follows the IIFYM approach. You track your macros/micros and make sure you get the appropriate amount as well as meeting your calorie goal. How you get there is of no matter. OBVIOUSLY, you will not meet all your needs eating twinkies all day, but we aren't talking about extremes, but if you meet all of your goals and have room to spare, or want to go over a bit for the day, or whatever your reasoning, a "junk" food in moderation will not effect your weight loss.

Now all I want to eat are twinkies...

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[/img]

Cranquistador

And I'm just sitting here... petting ma ears

strangely arousing.

fortally

because I thought if I ate HEALTHY calories as he's saying then I could eat a lot more calories.. but if its calories in vs out as you have all jumped the *kitten* all ove rme about then I will continue to do what im doing. was just trying to share something I thought was interesting. will never happen again

Eh - forum can be rough. Learning that myself.

That said - I did want to say thanks for the article. I have to say I'm on board with 'move more, eat less = weight loss.' - in other words, eat at a deficit. I believe it because I'm seeing it for myself. I very carefully track my calories and work out, and have lost 6 lb. since starting (1 month). It's coming off a bit TOO fast, actually, so I've adjusted and upped the calories a little because I'm in this for health, not skinniness.

However - I did read the whole article, and took away something a little different. Don't agree with the main idea (still a believer in thermodynamics), but I did appreciate the perspective of how a calorie makes my body FEEL, which then in turn influences my behavior. Over the long run those choices add up.

For example - if I eat a diet of white bread, potatoes, and ice cream (don't laugh - I lived on that for a long time) - I end up feeling like crap. Depression worsens, I move less and park my butt on the couch more. Over time I feel worse and worse. Do I gain weight? Not necessarily - and didn't for years - because I wasn't exceeding my TDEE. But I felt like crap, and eventually I DID start to gain weight because my habits were so poor and my calorie intake slowly began to exceed my TDEE.

But when I eat the SAME # of calories with a diet rich in lean meat, loads of veg. & fruit, healthy fats (etc.) - I FEEL better. Do I lose weight? No, not if I'm exceeding my TDEE. But I feel more alert, more energetic. I start moving more, eventually outright exercising. I end up fuller and more satisfied for longer stretches of time. My blood sugar stabilizes and I have more energy. THAT, in turn, leads to a tendency to eat fewer calories. Eventually the weight creeps down because of the choices I'm making, which are largely influenced by how I feel.

NOT an explanation based in "science" - the logic is based solely on my own experiences. But still has value for me.

So - sorry, think the author got it wrong on "a calories is NOT a calorie." But I do think there is something to be said for how different foods affect our metabolism and hormones, and that in turn can affect how you see food and the choices you make. THAT is what will lead to weight gain or loss. Not the calories themselves.

Worth a read, made me reflect a little, so thank OP.

delicious_cocktail

I also heart the image on the article so badddddd!



Seriously???????????????