is a calorie just a calorie?

kbd388

Are all calories treated the same or does the type of food matter with weight loss? For example, I struggle to get to 2,100 calories per day. I might eat a corn muffin in order to add on an extra 200 calories. Should I be eating something "healthier" or does it not matter where the calorie comes from? Besides obviously the fat and carb content, which I stay under my goals without any trouble.

yarwell

if you are seeking just energy then a calorie is a calorie. I'll ignore the "why you want to do it" part ;-)

In terms of weight loss a calorie from carbs will make it more difficult to lose fat from your body than a calorie from fat.

So it may be better to retune your foods to higher fat versions rather than adding on high carb foods to give extra energy.

jsp2374

The way I look at it is this, I'm not on a diet I am changing my attitude and relationship with and about food. I am re-training myself to eat healthier portions and foods. So there are days I cap my calories out with ice cream or a treat. I want to be able to sustain what I am doing for a long time.

chrisdavey

hit macros/cals. Eat a variety of foods to cover micronutrients.

All good

chrisdavey

if you are seeking just energy then a calorie is a calorie. I'll ignore the "why you want to do it" part ;-)

In terms of weight loss a calorie from carbs will make it more difficult to lose fat from your body than a calorie from fat.

So it may be better to retune your foods to higher fat versions rather than adding on high carb foods to give extra energy.

uh...what?:indifferent:

samlankford

I believe that the body processes certain foods differently, so not all calories are the same.. as long as your putting healthy food into your body.. I stick to "michi's ladder", so pretty much veggies, fruit, lean protein (NO PORK FOR ME! body has freaked out every time I eat it, ever since I was little).. brown rice, sometimes i will eat wheat bread... although I do enjoy the sweets every now and then :-)

angieleighbyrd

I'm not an expert by any means.

I did read an article the other day that now says a calorie is not a calorie especially when it comes to weight loss. It was basically saying that your body doesn't metabolize all calories the same, that it doesn't digest them all the same and so on.

It was an article in prevention magazine.

I honestly think everyones body is different.

For me I don't believe a calorie is a calorie. Even if I stay in my calorie goal if I eat crap I gain.

mariobadr

In terms of weight loss a calorie from carbs will make it more difficult to lose fat from your body than a calorie from fat.

Um, what? Where did you read this?

In Response to the OP: Where your calories come from do matter. For one, there are a number of vitamins and minerals that come from certain foods that may not come from others. For another, different types of foods will have different satiety levels, so while a 200 calorie chocolate bar will keep you full for a short time, 200 calories of chicken will probably keep you full longer.

yarwell

It was basically saying that your body doesn't metabolize all calories the same

Indeed, carbohydrates cause your blood sugar to rise, you create insulin to put the sugar away in storage - potentially as fat.

While the insulin is elevated you don't take fat from your reserves as the process is inhibited - no point releasing more energy from fat tissue when you have a surplus from the carbs you just ate - so you don't lose weight till blood sugar falls and the insulin drops away.

earlyxer

No, a calorie is not just a calorie. You can't eat 14 Twinkies a day (at 150 cal each) and expect to reach your goals. There is much more involved, especially in refined vs unprocessed foods and the body's insulin response to them.

Imagine you have two peeled oranges. One you drop in a juicer, the other one you eat like an apple. There are the same calories and nutrients in each one. HOWEVER, your body's response to eating it vs drinking it is wholly different. The juiced orange has already had a large portion of the digestive process already done for you, so the sugar in it slams into your bloodstream in a rush. Your body looks at this sudden surplus of simple carbs and says, whoa! I can only store so much of this in my liver and tissue as glycogen - but I better not waste the rest! So I'll just convert this stuff to fat, put a little away here, a little away there - for later, of course. Now, EAT the orange (normally, not chewing it for half an hour to replicate the juicer), and your body breaks it down in your stomach over TIME. The sugar enters your bloodstream in a trickle, not a flood. Your body uses the carbs directly, and doesn't try to store it as fat. Get it?


You need to eat a diet that is high in protein, at least 40% of calories and 50% if you really want results. A high protein diet is the absolute basis of any serious fat-loss plan. Yeah, everyone says that it doesn't matter just so long as you hit your targets - but that's bull****. Ask any bodybuilder getting ripped for a competition and you will hear the same thing - high protein, because it works. Chicken breast, turkey breast, egg whites, white fish, lean red meat. Your carbs should be complex, preferably fibrous - broccoli, beans, asparagus, cauliflower, spinach, etc.

Meg_78

As a gainer, I know this problem intimately, some evenings I have been faced with 600 calories to fill after I have logged and eaten dinner. I personally don't think all calories are equal, I think you should still try to make the healthier choice if you can, unless you are having a treat, then you an do wtf you want, but for example, I could choose to eat a snickers bar, at around 300 calories, which is a quick fix, high in sugar, quite high in fat, and will not give you much sustenance, or I could have a Mc d's cheese burger, again high in sugar and fat, and won't sustain me for long, both of these may be tasty in their own way, but essentially they give me absolutely nothing., so I choose to have a medium sized home made muffin, and an orange, and that's around 300 cals too, and I know that the fat in my muffin is good fat, from walnuts and olive oil, that there are vitamins coming from the banana in the muffin, and the fresh orange, and there is fiber in there from the wholemeal, and the sugar is quite low, cause I cut it low myself, and to me this is a worthy 300 cals filled.

There are a lot of healthy choices to fill up calories with, I think a muffin is fine, just watch the sugars if its a sweet one, or esp, not a homemade one.

Meg

yarwell

Your carbs should be complex, preferably fibrous - broccoli, beans, asparagus, cauliflower, spinach, etc.

+1 for this. Low GI veg, low impact on blood sugar.

chrisdavey

It was basically saying that your body doesn't metabolize all calories the same

Indeed, carbohydrates cause your blood sugar to rise, you create insulin to put the sugar away in storage - potentially as fat.

While the insulin is elevated you don't take fat from your reserves as the process is inhibited - no point releasing more energy from fat tissue when you have a surplus from the carbs you just ate - so you don't lose weight till blood sugar falls and the insulin drops away.

Protein also causes insulin to rise.

insulin is the storage signalling hormone for muscle cells also.

And if you are in net cal deficit for the day, it doesn't matter. No need to be scared of the insulin fairy.

chrisdavey

Your carbs should be complex, preferably fibrous - broccoli, beans, asparagus, cauliflower, spinach, etc.

+1 for this. Low GI veg, low impact on blood sugar.

if you are diabetic

http://www.alanaragon.com/elements-challenging-the-validity-of-the-glycemic-index.html

AllTehBeers

when you're losing weight, as long as you create a calorie loss, you'll lose weight. If your goal was 1200 calories, you could probably eat only 2 big macs a day at 540 or whatever and still lose. Now how healthy it would be or how filling? That's something different.

Acg67

It was basically saying that your body doesn't metabolize all calories the same

Indeed, carbohydrates cause your blood sugar to rise, you create insulin to put the sugar away in storage - potentially as fat.

While the insulin is elevated you don't take fat from your reserves as the process is inhibited - no point releasing more energy from fat tissue when you have a surplus from the carbs you just ate - so you don't lose weight till blood sugar falls and the insulin drops away.

Protein is insulinogenic as well...

IrishChik

I want the most bang for my buck.

Meaning, whatever I use any calorie on I want it to provide me with some sort of value. Cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and so many other things run in my family. By following the food guide and my docs advice I eat the things that provide me with the most nutritional benefit.

For example, I have 100 calories. Do I snack on a 100 calorie pack (and this is just an example) of something prepackaged that's sugary and goodness knows what else is in it (yes, I have eaten them on occasion) or do I choose a boiled egg on top of some mixed greens with red wine vinegar and a dash of omega enhanced olive oil? So I might go a few calories over - but thats going to give me better nutrition and ingredients my body actually needs.

I also try to eat things that will keep me feeling full. Otherwise those 100 calories are just going to turn into 300 an hour later.

joejccva71

No, a calorie is not just a calorie. You can't eat 14 Twinkies a day (at 150 cal each) and expect to reach your goals. There is much more involved, especially in refined vs unprocessed foods and the body's insulin response to them.

Imagine you have two peeled oranges. One you drop in a juicer, the other one you eat like an apple. There are the same calories and nutrients in each one. HOWEVER, your body's response to eating it vs drinking it is wholly different. The juiced orange has already had a large portion of the digestive process already done for you, so the sugar in it slams into your bloodstream in a rush. Your body looks at this sudden surplus of simple carbs and says, whoa! I can only store so much of this in my liver and tissue as glycogen - but I better not waste the rest! So I'll just convert this stuff to fat, put a little away here, a little away there - for later, of course. Now, EAT the orange (normally, not chewing it for half an hour to replicate the juicer), and your body breaks it down in your stomach over TIME. The sugar enters your bloodstream in a trickle, not a flood. Your body uses the carbs directly, and doesn't try to store it as fat. Get it?


You need to eat a diet that is high in protein, at least 40% of calories and 50% if you really want results. A high protein diet is the absolutone basis of any serious fat-loss plan. Yeah, everyone says that it doesn't matter just so long as you hit your targets - but that's bull****. Ask any bodybuilder getting ripped for a competition and you will hear the same thing - high protein, because it works. Chicken breast, turkey breast, egg whites, white fish, lean red meat. Your carbs should be complex, preferably fibrous - broccoli, beans, asparagus, cauliflower, spinach, etc.

1. A calorie is a calorie for weight loss.
2. The analogy in your 2nd paragraph is mind boggling.
3. If you eat so many carbs that it causes you to eat a calorie surplus above your TDEE, you'll get fat. It could even come from fruits and veggies. You'll still get fat.

4. Please do more research before commenting.
5. As far as your "twinkie" thing. Go here --> http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html
6. High protein doesn't burn fat. It helps repair broken muscle tissue, and helps retain LBM when dieting.
7. And yes we are correct, it doesn't matter as long as you hit your targets and stay within your calorie intake goals based on the particular weight loss or weight gain goal you have.

8. Meal timing doesn't matter. IRRELEVANT.
9. Food type doesn't matter. IRRELEVANT.
10. Edited so I don't hurt anyone's feelings over the internet.

AllTehBeers

1. A calorie is a calorie for weight loss.
2. The analogy in your 2nd paragraph is mind boggling.
3. If you eat so many carbs that it causes you to eat a calorie surplus above your TDEE, you'll get fat. It could even come from fruits and veggies. You'll still get fat.

4. You don't know what you're talking about.
5. As far as your "twinkie" thing. Go here --> http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html
6. High protein doesn't burn fat. It helps repair broken muscle tissue, and helps retain LBM when dieting.
7. And yes we are correct, it doesn't matter as long as you hit your targets and stay within your calorie intake goals based on the particular weight loss or weight gain goal you have.

8. Meal timing doesn't matter. IRRELEVANT.
9. Food type doesn't matter. IRRELEVANT.

and Finally...

10. DO YOU EVEN LIFT?!

Yep. What he said.

yarwell

Protein is insulinogenic as well...

indeed it is, and can be converted to blood glucose and hence fat when eaten in excess.

yarwell

And if you are in net cal deficit for the day, it doesn't matter. No need to be scared of the insulin fairy.

seems more efficient to banish the insulin fairy and be able to pull on fat reserves 24/24 rather than just after the glucose has got out of the way. But I don't disagree. You need a deficit to cause a loss, if you were on a drip of insulin it wouldn't happen though, so low carb gives me the best chance I feel.