Are calories REALLY all that matter?

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13

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  • jasmineheaven
    jasmineheaven Posts: 189
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    Yes Im one of those people but really I focus more on working out since my goal is to mainly get toned..not necessarily lose weight.
  • acstansell
    acstansell Posts: 567 Member
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    I stay concerned making sure my calories are right on target or below but my protein is high. The first two weeks I did this, I was feeling very run down. I made shifts in my diet to include more protein and reduce my carbs and I've seen a difference in my energy levels.
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
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    I think it really depends on the person. If I eat mostly protein, I can go almost to maintenance calories and still lose weight, pretty quickly even. I just can't afford it! If I eat a lot of sugar or sodium, I can eat well under my calories and not lose weight, or even gain quite a bit. I do think to a certain point, especially the more a person weighs, just limiting calories can be hugely effective. Once a person is close to weight goal and is working on more specific strength or endurance goals, what makes up your calories becomes more important.
  • ItsMeRebekah
    ItsMeRebekah Posts: 910 Member
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    I look at Calories, Fat, Protein, Fiber and Sodium. Salt is the hard one for me personally.
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
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    calories are generally all i look at. that being said, i LOVE to eat and i'm hungry all the time! so in order for me to be able to eat as much as i would like i typically make semi-healthy choices which end up helping me meet my protein, carb, and fat goals.

    This is me too. I love to eat. So I mostly eat whole, unprocessed food, so I get to eat a lot of it.

    With some exceptions. Foods that are naturally high in fat like nuts and avocado, I do eat in moderation. And I do watch my protein though, to make sure I'm getting enough.

    So with that mindset, I know I don't have to watch every gram of carb or fat or sugar etc.
  • Kymmu
    Kymmu Posts: 1,650 Member
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    I think if you have a healthy unprocessed diet of whole foods you don't have to obsess about calories.
    I believe sugar makes us fat, so I'm careful about that.
  • erin023
    erin023 Posts: 123 Member
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    I focus mostly on calories, but I make sure the things I eat are healthy calories (for the most part) and that usually takes care of the carbs, sodium, fat, etc so I don't have to worry about everything else.
  • brandysilvers
    brandysilvers Posts: 25 Member
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    This study done a Kansas State University says that a calorie deficit and dropping down to a healthy weight should improve your health no matter what you eat to get there. The professor lost weight eating little debbie and hostess snack cakes for 2/3 of his daily calories and his health markers for cholesterol improved, and his body fat pecentage went down. It doesn't mean he was healthy just healthier than he was at the higher weight.

    http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html
  • rpphillip
    rpphillip Posts: 230 Member
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    What? Of course a person at 140 is healthier than a person at 270. Your food choices alone don't determine your level of health.

    please , believe me I know some verey skinny people that are not any better off health wise than someone that isoverwaight. being thin and unhealthy dose not make you feel good or look good. you need both. that is why of shows like the Biggst loser , promote good eating habits and exercise , and you may be able to loose that waight easy now while you are young. but waite untill you are a little older and exercise is not so easy and you are still eating all that crap, then you will fine you are not so smart after all.
  • StatutoryGrape
    StatutoryGrape Posts: 365
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    I try to stay under on calories, fat, sodium, and carbs. If I go over on protein or fiber, it's all good. If I screw up my sodium for a day, I don't stress--I just drink a ton of water and flush it out.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
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    please , believe me I know some verey skinny people that are not any better off health wise than someone that isoverwaight. being thin and unhealthy dose not make you feel good or look good. you need both. that is why of shows like the Biggst loser , promote good eating habits and exercise , and you may be able to loose that waight easy now while you are young. but waite untill you are a little older and exercise is not so easy and you are still eating all that crap, then you will fine you are not so smart after all.

    Age typically reduces your TDEE through lower NEAT. It has nothing to do with food choices, and Biggest Loser does very little in the way of promoting healthy choices.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
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    If your only goal is to lose weight - yes calorie deficit is all that matters . It will cause you to lose weight.
    If you want to look good naked though adequate protein and fat intake is very important (along with strength training of course)
    Sodium only masks fat loss. It does not slow it down

    I track my Macros and calories, making sure to at lest meet the minimum for pro and fat. I also track sodium just so I know what to expect on the scale. Somedays I go over, get on the scale, and DON"T freakout because it is only water retention and I did not gain 5 lbs over night. Hehe

    No days are perfect. I do what I can and don't let it control my life anymore than it already does

    ^ This.
  • leodru
    leodru Posts: 321 Member
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    Primarily I watch calories - that being said I do find if I get in 6-8 servings of fruit and veg a day I will lose weight faster and even if over my calories I will still be down. I find diet soda triggers hunger in me so i try to avoid it. Ultimately I track calories but the content of what I eat does affect my weight lose - so from that perspective I dont consider all calories as equal because they have different effects on me nutrient wise.
  • rpphillip
    rpphillip Posts: 230 Member
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    If your only goal is to lose weight - yes calorie deficit is all that matters . It will cause you to lose weight.
    If you want to look good naked though adequate protein and fat intake is very important (along with strength training of course)
    Sodium only masks fat loss. It does not slow it down

    I track my Macros and calories, making sure to at lest meet the minimum for pro and fat. I also track sodium just so I know what to expect on the scale. Somedays I go over, get on the scale, and DON"T freakout because it is only water retention and I did not gain 5 lbs over night. Hehe

    No days are perfect. I do what I can and don't let it control my life anymore than it already does

    ^ This.

    yes agree:smile:
  • frugalmomsrock
    frugalmomsrock Posts: 1,123
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    I really focus on staying under on calories, total carbs, and sodium (and fat, but I don't sweat if I'm over; I often am because I eat a lot of almonds, peanut butter, and avocado), and over on fiber (like--way over; 71 g yesterday), iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium, and protein. I have trouble getting my potassium, but I try. I don't always get my iron all in either, but I pop a vitamin in the evening if I've fallen short.

    I use the app, so I can see more things to track. :)

    *oh, and I don't care if I go over on sugars because I eat a LOT of fruit and veggies.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,695 Member
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    please , believe me I know some verey skinny people that are not any better off health wise than someone that isoverwaight. being thin and unhealthy dose not make you feel good or look good. you need both. that is why of shows like the Biggst loser , promote good eating habits and exercise , and you may be able to loose that waight easy now while you are young. but waite untill you are a little older and exercise is not so easy and you are still eating all that crap, then you will fine you are not so smart after all.
    Like I mentioned in a previous post, actual health depends on many factors. Why is it that there are some healthy people who die from heart disease even though they eat healthy, exercise, sleep well etc. and then there are those who do none of that and live to be 90 and over while smoking, drinking heavily, etc.?
    While I do believe that nutrition is important, just thinking that eating healthy alone cures the majority of health issues is misdirected. You can eat healthy and be overweight, sedentary, and have bad health.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,695 Member
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    please , believe me I know some verey skinny people that are not any better off health wise than someone that isoverwaight. being thin and unhealthy dose not make you feel good or look good. you need both. that is why of shows like the Biggst loser , promote good eating habits and exercise , and you may be able to loose that waight easy now while you are young. but waite untill you are a little older and exercise is not so easy and you are still eating all that crap, then you will fine you are not so smart after all.
    Like I mentioned in a previous post, actual health depends on many factors. Why is it that there are some healthy people who die from heart disease even though they eat healthy, exercise, sleep well etc. and then there are those who do none of that and live to be 90 and over while smoking, drinking heavily, etc.?
    While I do believe that nutrition is important, just thinking that eating healthy alone cures the majority of health issues is misdirected. You can eat healthy and be overweight, sedentary, and have bad health.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • LA723
    LA723 Posts: 98 Member
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    Right now, I am concerned primarily with calories. I am eating healthier than I was before. I am also more conscious of my food choices. If I tried to track the other stuff, I'd drive myself crazy to the point of giving up. Maybe once I meet my weight goal I will evaluate my food choices IRT protein, fats, carbs, etc. It's not a priority to me right now, though.
  • jenniferijulia
    jenniferijulia Posts: 19 Member
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    Thanks for posting! I was curious about the same thing. It helps to learn from others with regards to nutrition and what works and what are healthier alternatives than just monitoring the calories. For someone who is rather new at doing this, it is a challenge to monitor the calorie intake after over-eating for so long. I was certainly curious about what effect sodium, sugar, protein levels would have on the loss of weight as well. It all comes down to common sense and healthy eating habits. We all know that fruits and veggies and proteins are good for us in controlled quantities, it is applying these lessons that is the hardes part. :)
  • Stacyanne324
    Stacyanne324 Posts: 780 Member
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    At this point I really only watch my calories and if I'm under I'm happy. If there is one other thing I keep an eye on it's sodium because it affects the scale and is something I struggle keeping in line. I am about halfway to my goal weight and once I get there and start working more on maintenance and toning I'll look to keeping my other levels in line too.

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