Should I count calories or Not?

2

Replies

  • ew_david
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
    On a calorie counting website. Doesn't want to count calories.

    Legit.

    It's a finess website.

    Finess? Like the shampoo?
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    There is nothing hard about counting calories and it isn't that time consuming once you get into a rhythm..most people cycle through the same foods and recipes week in and week out so within a matter of weeks most of what you need will be in your recent or frequent options.

    Do most people cycle through the same foods and recipes week after week? I don't, but that would explain why so many others keep telling me how quick and easy it is.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    On a calorie counting website. Doesn't want to count calories.

    Legit.

    It's a finess website.

    Finess? Like the shampoo?

    Yes
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    "I could barely eat past 1200 last week. I think (and I could be wrong) I gained because of eating the wrongs foods high in cals (fast food, sweets etc) but not necessarily more (quantity) of them. "

    A calorie is a calorie is a calorie. It is a unit of energy. Food = fuel. "Wrong" fuel does not store any differently than "right" fuel. 1200 calories of lean boneless, skinless, chicken breast is the same as 1200 calories of Doritos. You may not get the other benefits of eating lean protein by eating Doritos, but it won't make you gain weight.

    Are you absolutely sure that once those foods enter the body their calories will be absorbed, used and/or stored in the same manner?
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    On a calorie counting website. Doesn't want to count calories.

    Legit.

    It's a weight loss and fitness website. Whilst a majority of members utilise the excellent calorie counting facility, it is not mandatory.

    Members who do not need to log food can happily enjoy the app, the forums and the friends community, all without scanning a barcode.
  • Heatherybit
    Heatherybit Posts: 91 Member
    "I could barely eat past 1200 last week. I think (and I could be wrong) I gained because of eating the wrongs foods high in cals (fast food, sweets etc) but not necessarily more (quantity) of them. "

    A calorie is a calorie is a calorie. It is a unit of energy. Food = fuel. "Wrong" fuel does not store any differently than "right" fuel. 1200 calories of lean boneless, skinless, chicken breast is the same as 1200 calories of Doritos. You may not get the other benefits of eating lean protein by eating Doritos, but it won't make you gain weight.

    Are you absolutely sure that once those foods enter the body their calories will be absorbed, used and/or stored in the same manner?

    1 calorie from spinach vs 1 calorie from a french fry, the body doesn't differentiate the calorie. Will you miss out on the fiber, the nutrients, etc from spinach vs eating the french fry? YES. But is the unit of energy the same? YES. If the body is in a deficit will the body metabolize the 1 unit of fuel the same? YES. Calorie is just a measure of energy. If you have more energy than you can use, you store it. And again the difference between the same unit of energy is the what other benefits and nutrients come with the delivery method.

    You can be skinny person eating 1200 calories of Doritos, you can be a skinny person eating 1200 calories of spinach.. the difference being the person eating spinach will have the added benefits of all the other great nutrients that spinach delivers.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    "I could barely eat past 1200 last week. I think (and I could be wrong) I gained because of eating the wrongs foods high in cals (fast food, sweets etc) but not necessarily more (quantity) of them. "

    A calorie is a calorie is a calorie. It is a unit of energy. Food = fuel. "Wrong" fuel does not store any differently than "right" fuel. 1200 calories of lean boneless, skinless, chicken breast is the same as 1200 calories of Doritos. You may not get the other benefits of eating lean protein by eating Doritos, but it won't make you gain weight.

    Are you absolutely sure that once those foods enter the body their calories will be absorbed, used and/or stored in the same manner?

    1 calorie from spinach vs 1 calorie from a french fry, the body doesn't differentiate the calorie. Will you miss out on the fiber, the nutrients, etc from spinach vs eating the french fry? YES. But is the unit of energy the same? YES. If the body is in a deficit will the body metabolize the 1 unit of fuel the same? YES. Calorie is just a measure of energy. If you have more energy than you can use, you store it. And again the difference between the same unit of energy is the what other benefits and nutrients come with the delivery method.

    You can be skinny person eating 1200 calories of Doritos, you can be a skinny person eating 1200 calories of spinach.. the difference being the person eating spinach will have the added benefits of all the other great nutrients that spinach delivers.

    I realize that in a lab a calorie is a calorie, but what evidence can you provide that all calories are equal once they enter a human body. Or even that the difference doesn't vary from one human to another?
  • rose313
    rose313 Posts: 1,146 Member
    You don't HAVE to count calories but I strongly recommend it. Start doing it even if you don't like it. Do it every day for a couple weeks and you will notice yourself getting into the habit of it. You will learn how to do it faster and before you know it you will have your frequent foods saved and it will take you 30 seconds to log a food. Use the barcode scanner. If you use a recipe at home save it in your meals and you can just click a box to log it next time. It is very easy once you get used to it. Plus, when you start losing weight, how will you know what's working if you can't look back and see what and how much you ate?
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    "I could barely eat past 1200 last week. I think (and I could be wrong) I gained because of eating the wrongs foods high in cals (fast food, sweets etc) but not necessarily more (quantity) of them. "

    A calorie is a calorie is a calorie. It is a unit of energy. Food = fuel. "Wrong" fuel does not store any differently than "right" fuel. 1200 calories of lean boneless, skinless, chicken breast is the same as 1200 calories of Doritos. You may not get the other benefits of eating lean protein by eating Doritos, but it won't make you gain weight.

    Are you absolutely sure that once those foods enter the body their calories will be absorbed, used and/or stored in the same manner?

    1 calorie from spinach vs 1 calorie from a french fry, the body doesn't differentiate the calorie. Will you miss out on the fiber, the nutrients, etc from spinach vs eating the french fry? YES. But is the unit of energy the same? YES. If the body is in a deficit will the body metabolize the 1 unit of fuel the same? YES. Calorie is just a measure of energy. If you have more energy than you can use, you store it. And again the difference between the same unit of energy is the what other benefits and nutrients come with the delivery method.

    You can be skinny person eating 1200 calories of Doritos, you can be a skinny person eating 1200 calories of spinach.. the difference being the person eating spinach will have the added benefits of all the other great nutrients that spinach delivers.

    I realize that in a lab a calorie is a calorie, but what evidence can you provide that all calories are equal once they enter a human body. Or even that the difference doesn't vary from one human to another?

    Once you've eaten those delicious calories, they will do different things in the body and not all of them will be used a fuel to burn.
  • Heatherybit
    Heatherybit Posts: 91 Member
    "I realize that in a lab a calorie is a calorie, but what evidence can you provide that all calories are equal once they enter a human body. Or even that the difference doesn't vary from one human to another?"


    Some nutritionists have tried to prove that there are greater heat losses (a calorie: measurement of energy needed to raise 1 gram of water 1 C) in metabolizing protein than carbohydrates. No studies have proven this and is unsubstantiated at this point.

    A study was done at Institute for Metabolic Research in Oakland, California where they had obese people in a metabolic ward. Each participant was given a liquid diet of precise calories. Study varied the levels in the macro ingredients: protein, fats, carbs.. and found it did not matter where the calories came from, the results were the same. Researchers have shown both in lab and in real life in various studies that calories burned like calories do, no matter where the calories came from.

    Unless there is substantial research proving calories coming from spinach vs a Dorito is different, a calorie will be a calorie. Again, as stated before..the added benefits of getting the calories from spinach vs Dorito due to other nutrients of course proves eating spinach is better for you than a Dorito, but it does not change the fact if it's the same number of calories, the body will metabolize it the same way.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    "I realize that in a lab a calorie is a calorie, but what evidence can you provide that all calories are equal once they enter a human body. Or even that the difference doesn't vary from one human to another?"


    Some nutritionists have tried to prove that there are greater heat losses (a calorie: measurement of energy needed to raise 1 gram of water 1 C) in metabolizing protein than carbohydrates. No studies have proven this and is unsubstantiated at this point.

    A study was done at Institute for Metabolic Research in Oakland, California where they had obese people in a metabolic ward. Each participant was given a liquid diet of precise calories. Study varied the levels in the macro ingredients: protein, fats, carbs.. and found it did not matter where the calories came from, the results were the same. Researchers have shown both in lab and in real life in various studies that calories burned like calories do, no matter where the calories came from.

    Unless there is substantial research proving calories coming from spinach vs a Dorito is different, a calorie will be a calorie. Again, as stated before..the added benefits of getting the calories from spinach vs Dorito due to other nutrients of course proves eating spinach is better for you than a Dorito, but it does not change the fact if it's the same number of calories, the body will metabolize it the same way.

    How does a study of liquid calories focusing on nothing but macros relate to difference between Doritos and spinach? It's not a good comparison. Liquid calories of any type to solid food is not a good comparison.
  • daynerz
    daynerz Posts: 227 Member
    Search intermittent fasting

    otherwise, weight loss is math, calories in Vs calories out

    If you have a problem with it being time consuming, plan ahead for the week on Sunday, It saves all the guess work or time u don't have during your week.
  • Heatherybit
    Heatherybit Posts: 91 Member
    How does a study of liquid calories focusing on nothing but macros relate to difference between Doritos and spinach? It's not a good comparison. Liquid calories of any type to solid food is not a good comparison.

    That is one of many studies. Nova had a great documentary that aired about this in the past. I just can't recall the name exactly.

    But I have yet to find one study to that shows a calorie from a dorito is different from a calorie from spinach.

    And back to the OP, she said she gained weight eating "wrong" foods even though she was eating 1200 calories. Unless her TDEE is below 1200, this conclusion is not feasible.
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
    On a calorie counting website. Doesn't want to count calories.

    Legit.

    It's a weight loss and fitness website. Whilst a majority of members utilise the excellent calorie counting facility, it is not mandatory.

    Members who do not need to log food can happily enjoy the app, the forums and the friends community, all without scanning a barcode.

    This.

    Those of us who don't calorie count can find plenty of reasons to be here.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    How does a study of liquid calories focusing on nothing but macros relate to difference between Doritos and spinach? It's not a good comparison. Liquid calories of any type to solid food is not a good comparison.

    That is one of many studies. Nova had a great documentary that aired about this in the past. I just can't recall the name exactly.

    But I have yet to find one study to that shows a calorie from a dorito is different from a calorie from spinach.

    And back to the OP, she said she gained weight eating "wrong" foods even though she was eating 1200 calories. Unless her TDEE is below 1200, this conclusion is not feasible.

    I don't know what the OP was eating. But I'd be interested in reading some of the studies that showed all calories eaten are equal inside every body. Do you have any links?
  • __freckles__
    __freckles__ Posts: 1,238 Member
    On a calorie counting website. Doesn't want to count calories.

    Legit.

    Only 1 tab out of 7 is for calorie counting. :heart:
  • _KitKat_
    _KitKat_ Posts: 1,066 Member
    How does a study of liquid calories focusing on nothing but macros relate to difference between Doritos and spinach? It's not a good comparison. Liquid calories of any type to solid food is not a good comparison.

    That is one of many studies. Nova had a great documentary that aired about this in the past. I just can't recall the name exactly.

    But I have yet to find one study to that shows a calorie from a dorito is different from a calorie from spinach.

    And back to the OP, she said she gained weight eating "wrong" foods even though she was eating 1200 calories. Unless her TDEE is below 1200, this conclusion is not feasible.

    I don't know what the OP was eating. But I'd be interested in reading some of the studies that showed all calories eaten are equal inside every body. Do you have any links?

    A calorie is a unit of energy, that is the definition. So yes a calorie is a calorie.

    A study from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
    http://m.ajcn.nutrition.org/content/79/5/899S.full

    Quote from a 2004 study..

    "THERMODYNAMICS

    A calorie, by its simplest definition, is a unit of energy and is equivalent to 4.184 absolute J. In the popular press and in the labeling of food products in the United States, a food calorie actually refers to a kilocalorie, or 1000 cal. That is, 1 food cal equals 1 kcal, or the amount of energy needed to raise 1 kg water from 15 to 16 °C.
    From a thermodynamic viewpoint, a calorie is of course a calorie. The first law of thermodynamics states that energy can be neither created nor destroyed, but only transformed."

    Nutrient density and source is relavent in regards to health, and the ability to feel full longer. Some people like to eat a large volume of food, for them low calorie filling foods high in fiber will keep them on track easier. At the molecular level there may be a difference but since we all use estimates it is irrelevant to the general publics weight loss.
  • __freckles__
    __freckles__ Posts: 1,238 Member

    Should I just eat healthy when I am hungry (I might be under 1500) or count?

    Try not counting calories for a while and see where it gets you. If you're losing too fast, add an extra snack or two to your diet.

    If that doesn't work, give calorie counting a try. I hate it too. It blows. But I'm doing it for bulking and cutting. In between and after I'm done I will kiss calorie counting goodbye.

    So it's trial and error. Figure out what works best for you.

    ETA: I lost all my pregnancy weight with both kids without counting calories. Used MFP for a long time without using the calorie counting feature. Gained a wealth of information and am happy I stuck around even though there are people here *ahem* insinuating you don't belong unless you're counting calories.
  • Heatherybit
    Heatherybit Posts: 91 Member
    This is one of my favorite studies, there are others, but I think the language in this study is easy to masterate.
    And no this study is not one of those mercola guy thing.

    http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/79/5/899S.full


    I do like that they mention the faulty conclusion of Atwater factors being accurate.
  • Heatherybit
    Heatherybit Posts: 91 Member
    How does a study of liquid calories focusing on nothing but macros relate to difference between Doritos and spinach? It's not a good comparison. Liquid calories of any type to solid food is not a good comparison.

    That is one of many studies. Nova had a great documentary that aired about this in the past. I just can't recall the name exactly.

    But I have yet to find one study to that shows a calorie from a dorito is different from a calorie from spinach.

    And back to the OP, she said she gained weight eating "wrong" foods even though she was eating 1200 calories. Unless her TDEE is below 1200, this conclusion is not feasible.

    I don't know what the OP was eating. But I'd be interested in reading some of the studies that showed all calories eaten are equal inside every body. Do you have any links?

    A calorie is a unit of energy, that is the definition. So yes a calorie is a calorie.

    A study from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
    http://m.ajcn.nutrition.org/content/79/5/899S.full

    Quote from a 2004 study..

    "THERMODYNAMICS

    A calorie, by its simplest definition, is a unit of energy and is equivalent to 4.184 absolute J. In the popular press and in the labeling of food products in the United States, a food calorie actually refers to a kilocalorie, or 1000 cal. That is, 1 food cal equals 1 kcal, or the amount of energy needed to raise 1 kg water from 15 to 16 °C.
    From a thermodynamic viewpoint, a calorie is of course a calorie. The first law of thermodynamics states that energy can be neither created nor destroyed, but only transformed."


    HA I was quoting the same study! It's my favorite.

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