Calories in, calories out; is it so simple?

HereLieWe

I have a daily goal of 1200 calories, which makes it difficult to eat the things I like while dieting. Say I replace a meal with a dessert. For example, instead of having a 400 calorie breakfast of a smoothie and omelette, I have a 400 calorie breakfast of ice cream with whipped cream. It's the same amount of calories, and it allows me to settle my craving early in the morning. Is that any worse than having a healthy breakfast?

healthygreek

Workout for an hour a day and have breakfast AND dessert!

martinel2099

Ignoring nutrition yes, losing weight is as simple as calories in and calories out. However if we're going to talk nutrition it's very important to meet your protein, fats and carb goal for the day. Fitness pal has a recommended amount you should follow.

Here's a good video from an inteligent member of the community who can help you learn how to calculate your MACROS (protein, fat and carb intake)
http://youtu.be/7cc18wLJW3k

diannethegeek

Calories are what matter for weight loss (ignoring certain medical conditions).

Macro nutrients (fat, protein, carbs) help with things like hunger levels, mood, satiation, gym performance, muscle retention, healthy skin and nails, hormone balance, energy, etc. but are not strictly necessary to track for weight loss.

Micro nutrients help with health but are not strictly necessary to track for weight loss.

I still eat ice cream most nights. I also try to get plenty of protein, fat, veggies, lean meats, fish, etc. into my diet around that ice cream. It seems to work for me.

DianeinCA

In terms of weight loss, yes.

In terms of nutrition, no. (Because you might not have enough calories left in the rest of your day to hit your goals for protein, fat, etc.)

But if you simply replace X calories of one type of food with X calories of another, your weight loss should continue apace.

GauchoMark

losing weight IS as simple as in vs out...

HOWEVER - bad food choices will make the journey miserable. Here is the problem: if you waste your calories on things that have no nutritional value and high calories, you are going to be hungry again in an hour, plus your body is going to start craving nutritional needs after a while.

Just my experience, but if I eat healthy, I can be totally satisfied while on a caloric deficit. When I start eating junk is when I struggle with being hungry, cravings, and grumpiness.

For me, a "craving" is something you have after a couple of weeks of going without. A "want" is daily. If you have to satisfy a craving every morning, you aren't craving it because you didn't go without it for more than 24 hours. That is like saying, "Well, I haven't had a giant piece of chocolate cake since yesterday's dinner, so I need to satisfy this craving and have chocolate cake every night!" When I say it like that, it sounds ridiculous, right?

GirlWithCookies

I've been wondering the EXACT same thing. Based on what I read on this website I thought everything was calories in calories out — if, like the posters above me said, you ignore nutrition. But I just started seeing a counselor who specializes in compulsive overeating and she told me that not all calories are created equal. I can kind of see that, but she made it sound like if all I ate was healthy salad and grilled chicken then I could go over my allotted calories and it wouldn't matter. How can this be true??? I get 1450 calories a day. Even if I eat super healthy, won't eating over 1450 (like 2000, for example) calories a day at least slow down weight loss (ignoring how exercise factors in)?

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dorisopen9

But I just started seeing a counselor who specializes in compulsive overeating and she told me that not all calories are created equal

What the "calorie in calorie out" advocates fail to see is the role of insulin in regulating body fat. Insulin stops the body using fat stores and encourages it to make more fat. So a diet high in carbohydrates, in particular refined carbs like sugar, white flour and modified starches, will in most people cause high insulin levels.
Protein also triggers an insulin response but less than carbs, and fat does not influence insulin secretion.
So, not all calories are created equal for most people. Most, because some people have genetically developed away from this response.
The insulin response explains why an extremely low carb, moderate proteine, high fat diet leads to more weight loss than expected for most eaters and a lot of people lose weight on these diets even when eating "ad libidum". The genetics explain why some people need to restrict calories regardless of the composition of food and do well on a high carb diet full of refined carbs.

And just to make it more complicated: the amount of fibre in the diet has an effect on hormonal responses as well, it seems to reduce the insulin response to protein in particular.

Summary: find out what works for you and stick with it. But not all calories are created equal.

(And sugar can be the devil's if you are genetically prone to insulin resistance)

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dorisopen9

The peaks and troughs occur with longer periods of not eating. Unfortunately, we have for a long time been told to eat six small meals a day to "keep the blood sugar levels steady". Due to our modern eating habits, most people no longer go through these cycles anymore, so they have raised insulin levels most day. And once they have been raised for a while, it becomes a perpetuum mobile with ever increasing insulin levels and ever worsening insulin resistance every day.

The problem with caloric deficit and a reason why so many people put weight back on is that after a few weeks on low calorie intake the body will reduce its BMR. It also reduces BMR in response to weight loss; you will have to reduce your calorie intake further and there is a limit how far you can go. Once you are miserable and hungry and cold all the time, you start to eat more but the BMR remains low for up to a year after significant weight loss. Weight gain is programmed in. Our bodies cannot read the scales, they do not know that weight loss is required for future health, they want to protect you from starving to death during what they perceive as a period of famine.

Once again, this does not apply to all dieters but to a lot. Being fat and doing the jojo has nothing to do with weak will but a lot with hormones.

ChrisM8971

But I just started seeing a counselor who specializes in compulsive overeating and she told me that not all calories are created equal

What the "calorie in calorie out" advocates fail to see is the role of insulin in regulating body fat. Insulin stops the body using fat stores and encourages it to make more fat. So a diet high in carbohydrates, in particular refined carbs like sugar, white flour and modified starches, will in most people cause high insulin levels.
Protein also triggers an insulin response but less than carbs, and fat does not influence insulin secretion.
So, not all calories are created equal for most people. Most, because some people have genetically developed away from this response.
The insulin response explains why an extremely low carb, moderate proteine, high fat diet leads to more weight loss than expected for most eaters and a lot of people lose weight on these diets even when eating "ad libidum". The genetics explain why some people need to restrict calories regardless of the composition of food and do well on a high carb diet full of refined carbs.

And just to make it more complicated: the amount of fibre in the diet has an effect on hormonal responses as well, it seems to reduce the insulin response to protein in particular.

Summary: find out what works for you and stick with it. But not all calories are created equal.

(And sugar can be the devil's if you are genetically prone to insulin resistance)

Perhaps you can site some sources for that?

One of the reasons why a diet consisting of lower carbs and higher in protein can lead to a marginal increase in weight loss is the higher thermic (think thats the correct term) of protein meaning that more of the calories are used digesting it than for calories.

Are you suggesting that eating carbohydrates mean you gain weight even if you eat at a deficit on calories? In that case what energy source is your body using to run itself for the day?

marinadairy

As everyone else has been saying, yes, you may lose weight and lose nutrition at the same time.

Also, it's more filling to have a 1 banana than it is to have 3 cookies.

I would be satisfied with a banana but I would have to have a lot of cookies to feel the same way.

shmerek

I have a daily goal of 1200 calories, which makes it difficult to eat the things I like while dieting. Say I replace a meal with a dessert. For example, instead of having a 400 calorie breakfast of a smoothie and omelette, I have a 400 calorie breakfast of ice cream with whipped cream. It's the same amount of calories, and it allows me to settle my craving early in the morning. Is that any worse than having a healthy breakfast?

May I ask what your BMR is? With so few calories to eat you might not hit your macros with a breakfast like that.

dorisopen9

Are you suggesting that eating carbohydrates mean you gain weight even if you eat at a deficit on calories?

No.

You stop eating at a deficit because your body will adjust its energy expenditure to match the energy intake.
Once again: this does not apply to all, but to most.

CharleePear

Is this whole thread serious. So you want to lose weight, do you want to live a long life too? Look after your body man, it will thank you. Eating vegetables and fruit and not just junk and things is not just about hitting your macros easier its also about looking after your body and focusing on taking care of yourself before weightloss.

Also most people don't have a BMR of 1200...

pleasurelittletreasure

I wonder what quality of life I would have if I had 1200 calories of Glenlivet each day instead of proper food? I don't want to find out. (Okay, yes, part of me is curious. At least the first few 100 calories.)

Calories in / Calories out works in conjunction with real food. Nutrients. Something that makes your hair grow, your bones strong and your skin smooth. Otherwise, someone is selling something that I'm not buying.

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itsup2jojo

I think the problem with that is a 'dessert' breakfast spikes your blood sugar followed by a crash, where as a breakfast (which could be sweet) of a protein and complex carb would keep your blood sugar level, ward off hunger and give you a steady energy level to make until lunch.

josparkle

You know what, you 'could' have that breakfast but do you think it will 'settle your cravings'?

For me if I start off with sweet things then I tend to want more of them and a day can be a long time with less than 800 calories to deal with sugar cravings and to feel full. I tend to have c6-800 cals for dinner alone.

HereLieWe

Thank you, everyone. I appreciate all your posts.

To answer the questions:

Although I ate a great deal of ice cream today, I stayed within my calorie amount and I was able to get through lunch and dinner without overeating.

As an example, if I eat like this every day (which, obviously, I won't), will I lose weight because I am still having a calorie deficit?

RHachicho

Calorie deficit is a calorie deficit is a calorie deficit. However if you don't give your body what it actually needs it will demand it eventually and you will then no longer be in a calorie deficit. By all means treat yourself every now and then but keep things within reason.

brevislux

Weight-wise, it's the same. But you don't get any nutrients from ice cream. So yeah, if you just want to lose weight and don't care, you can do that and it won't make much difference. It doesn't mean that's a healthy choice.

MelodyandBarbells

Thank you, everyone. I appreciate all your posts.

To answer the questions:

Although I ate a great deal of ice cream today, I stayed within my calorie amount and I was able to get through lunch and dinner without overeating.

As an example, if I eat like this every day (which, obviously, I won't), will I lose weight because I am still having a calorie deficit?

Yes, you will. And ice cream is often an excellent source of the fat macro. Hence why people are able to tailor their diets to deliberately include ice cream everyday. Personally I couldn't do it unless I would go out to buy a single serving everyday. A tub of ice cream in the house would be an empty tub

Meerataila

Is this whole thread serious. So you want to lose weight, do you want to live a long life too? Look after your body man, it will thank you. Eating vegetables and fruit and not just junk and things is not just about hitting your macros easier its also about looking after your body and focusing on taking care of yourself before weightloss.

This here is good advice.

Also most people don't have a BMR of 1200...

I will when I hit goal weight. Or close enough as to make no difference.

CharleePear

Is this whole thread serious. So you want to lose weight, do you want to live a long life too? Look after your body man, it will thank you. Eating vegetables and fruit and not just junk and things is not just about hitting your macros easier its also about looking after your body and focusing on taking care of yourself before weightloss.

This here is good advice.

Also most people don't have a BMR of 1200...

I will when I hit goal weight. Or close enough as to make no difference.

Aww you are shorty too! I know, some people are that low, but most aren't. That's why I used the word most.

eminentclapper

The resting metabolic rate should also be taken into consideration, as that will determine your daily calorie needs, including when you're sleeping, lounging in front of the TV, etc.

Higher resting metabolic rate = higher daily calorie needs.

Your resting metabolic rate can be revved up in two ways: eat more or build more muscle. Best way is to start a medium to high intensity resistance training program and stick to about 1400 - 1600 calories per day, preferably with as high a proportion of non-refined foods as you can handle.

shmerek

The reason I asked about BMR was because eating only 1200 calories a day seems like such a tiny amount and obviously if their BMR is around that number they should be consuming more calories.