Calorie count question

botography

I am new. I ended up with a low calorie per day allotment.... 1200. Believe it or not, without the food I crave I can actually go under this amount each day. Of course I get warning messages that I can mess with my metabolism. Not sure less might not be better in my case. I am a carb addict.

Here is my question: Is it the calories or the type of food eaten. If on a daily basis I ate 1200 calories of ice cream would I lose weight, if 1200 calories per day is my assigned goal. Is it the type of food or the calorie count.

No I am not going to try it but I am curious.

aladd2

I can eat 1200 calories of junk and exercise regularly and lose weight. However, it's better for you to eat healthy to take care of yourself & give you more energy.

dragonbug300

This website goes off of the simple mathematical assumption: (calories in) < (calories out) = (weight loss)
While this fundamentally is true, there is a slew of factors that affect weight loss.
There have been studies done where people who go on certain diets--especially raw foods--lost weight while eating the same number of calories.
This has to do with many factors:
1) simple carbs cause water retention = slower weight loss
2) sodium... for the same reason as carbs
3) fruits and vegetables require significantly more energy to digest than processed foods (which have essentially been stripped of nutrients before they get to our bodies, requiring less effort to digest)
4) these diets are usually higher in fiber
5) Toxins are stored in fat, and these organic/low carb diets have the body burning fat, ridding our bodies of fat-soluble toxins that have been stored over the years.

Well, I started to go into an unrelated tangent in the 5th one.
This is all theoretical. I've never tried a low carb/raw/vegan/paleo/etc. style diet.
But it all boils down to this:
What you put into your body matters more for long-term health and weight loss maintenance than short-term. However, short-term results can be visible quicker on these diets.
Yeah, you could lose weight on the twinkie diet. Due to various biological and psychological reasons, though, the weight loss would not be permanent.

bigredhearts

i personally believe its both the type of food and calorie count. Most of the prepackaged junk food you buy is high in sodium, sugars, and fats... Its not that you cant lose weight counting just cals but you wont be able to eat as much, have a much energy, feel as healthy, or be as full as you would if you were to eat foods that are better for you. now having a snack that is considered "junk" isnt the end of the world, but having it every day... well, let's just say its probably not a good idea for your overall health. the key is moderation

botography

Thanks for your replies. I woke up to a pound weight gain. I am not happy. I have been within 1200 calories. I have been eating smaller portions and no desserts (my downfall). I have a feeling I belong back on the Atkins diet.... it worked. I might be dipping into too many carbs somehow. I am not a happy camper this morning. I did more exercise yesterday than I have done in months. My body is holding on.

botography

How did you get your weight goals to publish on the bottom when you posted? Neat? Love to have something like that to remind me.

e1lindsay

you said you got messages that about your metabolism...that's usually MFP's way of saying that you're not getting ENOUGH calories...make sure you never net less than 1200 calories a day...if you exercise, eat back those calories! i was on a two week plateau, and upped my calories from 1360 to 1610 this week...and i lost 2.2 pounds! sometimes you have to eat more than you think....

PhoenixRising11

I'm changing the way I eat for life so that the weight I lose will stay lost and not pile back on. It's all stuff I still enjoy eating and I won't stop myself having a muffin if I really want one. I've just lost the craving I used to have for sweet stuff and good riddance!