Food quality effects

eggomylegos

Today I would like to indulge in a sugary dessert. I planned my meals ahead of time to allow it. The item has 650 calories. After three meals and the dessert, my caloric intake will be 1400. This is keeps me below all of my nutritional deficits goals.

My questions - Do sugary foods slow down or stop weight loss due to their poor nutritional quality? Or is it really the caloric deficit that changes the number on the scale?

Thanks, MFP!

jaegging

I don't know that it has a direct effect on weight loss, but I imagine that a diet that was consistently of a low quality would make it more difficult over time. I try to think of it like gasoline. The higher the grade, the better overall health of your cars working parts. You can get by one the cheap stuff for years and not notice much difference, but over time your efficiency probably wont be the same.

I still have a lot to learn, and I still eat way more processed junk than I want to, but I want this to be a permanent transition, so I'm taking it one day at a time!

CipherZero

My experience with a diet high in simple sugars is they're not satiating over long periods, making the hunger pangs return faster despite a similar calorie intake to a higher-protein diet. That makes over-eating much easier to do.
One study shows children before the late-adolescent period have NO top end for sweetness, i.e. there's no amount of concentrated sugar-water they were able to say was "too sweet". My hypothesis is a high-sugar diet in childhood sets someone up for a lifetime of preferring highly-sugared foods, so when the metabolic rate cycles down after the growth period of childhood the weight piles on.

annetteh145

If your proteins/carbs/fats/sugars are alll at goal I think you should be fine. But usually there's not much room for super fatty or sugary foods. I wouldn't worry as long as you don't do this all the time.

eggomylegos

If your proteins/carbs/fats/sugars are alll at goal I think you should be fine. But usually there's not much room for super fatty or sugary foods. I wouldn't worry as long as you don't do this all the time.

Yep! Still under all of my goals for the day. I should qualify that this is the only unhealthy dessert that I will have this week. For the previous 6 days (and the next 6), fruits and nuts are my primary snacks.

Thanks for the info!

(sorry for the edits, still learning to use the forums)

Gpistons

Im wondering what this dessert was btw lol

eggomylegos

Im wondering what this dessert was btw lol

Three fresh baked cookies