Is a calorie a calorie regardless of where it comes from?

qla3

If you stay within your daily calorie range is it still possible to loose weight if all the calories where from junk food?

fontaine3b

Calories are calories, but you have to watch everything else too!! Carbs, sugar, esp. salt!!!!

ingeborgv

Yes, you can. But in the long run, you'll probably be lacking in vital nutrients because healthy is sooo much more than low-cal.

ZebraHead

Carrots and twinkies = calories. One is good one is great, but only one is good for you. :bigsmile:

luv2ash

I disagree--I think it is important where your calorie comes from, because every food has more than just calories, it has carbs, sugar, protein, and that is what I see a lot of people doing on here--they come in under their calories, but I see what they ate, and I would not be happy about eating that stuff personally. Yea, they came in under net, but their carbs are almost 300, sugar is through the roof, and protein is barely up there.

EbonyGemstoneHealth

If you get most of your calories from junk food and lose weight,you'll end up feeling and looking like *beep* to put it in nice terms,a fact is a fact,junk food is lacking in all the nutrients and vitamins we need in comparison to whole foods,and should be eaten(if eaten at all) sparingly as a treat.

Panda86

Yes, a calorie is a calorie. But the real question is whether you just want to be skinny, or healthy. Some people are "skinny fat". I was like that. Thin but, I dunno, jiggly. I'm aiming for healthy now. It looks better.

qla3

Great feedback from all!!!

lordofultima

Well, you can definitely benefit from slow-digesting low-glycemic carbohydrates, as they won't spike your blood sugar and insulin level, and you'll be less likely to retain those carbohydrates in the form of bodyfat. A calorie is not a calorie, not in my eyes anyway. If you're limiting your calories every day, you have to make sure that those calories can be all they can be!

ErrataCorrige

Maybe you can lose weight initially, but you will be tired, cranky and hungry more often (which will lead to over eating and gaining more weight back). You organs won't work correctly. Your skin will look blotchy and be more prone to break outs. Your hair and nails will get brittle.

You wouldn't pour sand into the gas tank of your car and expect it to run right, so how can you expect it of a much more complicated machine like your body?

Buckeyt

Actually there is something called the Thermic Effect. Basically if the energy your body uses to process the food you eat. For example, when you eat Cazrbs, your body uses about 5% to process them. The numbers are similar with fats. However, when it comes to protein the numbers are drastically different, Up to 30% of the calories you consume in the form of protein are used to process that protein.

What this means is that 100 calories of Carbs, Fat and Protein really end up bein 95, 95 and 70 atfer being processed.

dawnemjh

The problem with eating 1200 calories worth of junk vs. 1200 healthy calories, is that you will exceed recommended sugar, carb, fat and sodium intake. Consistently eating junk foods can lead to serious medical conditions such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, hypertension and heart disease. So why would anyone want to do that???