A Calorie is a Calorie?

wffolkes

I just wanted to weigh in with some useful information with regards to the quality of the foods we eat. I feel this article explains the quality of the source of protiens, fats and carbs.

http://www.builtlean.com/2012/05/17/carbohydrates/

http://www.builtlean.com/2012/10/03/complete-vs-incomplete-protein-sources/

albertabeefy

Per the MFP database, 1 cup of raw spinach is 7 calories and has 167 mg of potassium. 1 cup of potato (with skin) is 58 cals and has 316mg of potassium.

1 cup of RAW spinach is actually a very small amount though - I generally use at minimum 3-4 cups for a spinach salad, sometimes 6 (I'm a big guy).

But lets compare the cooked product: One cup of cooked spinach has 839mg of potassium compared to the potatoes 316, and has only 41 calories and yet more dietary fiber than the potato.

58 calories isn't that "high" in my opinion. And yes, spinach may offer a better ratio, but it's not very filling and you have to eat double the amount (2 cups) to get the same amount of potassium as 1 cup of potato.

When comparing cooked product, the spinach is as filling and eating the same amount gives you 2-and-a-half times the potassium with fewer calories and more fiber.

The best choice? Eat some of both.

I just wanted to post this in case anyone interpreted your post as "potatoes are bad."

I agree eating both is a great idea. And I never intended the post to be "potatoes are bad" (unless you're diabetic or insulin-resistant, then really, they are...) just that some food items are more nutrient-dense than others.

As has been mentioned by others, regardless of what we eat, getting our nutrients is important, especially for those in a caloric deficit - since many people find that getting proper nutrients while dieting can be very difficult.

squatsandlipgloss

Also, in a previous post you mentioned not caring that much about rice or potatoes. Potatoes are one of the best sources for potassium.

Potatoes are also one of the highest-calorie sources of potassium.

You get more potassium per gram from spinach, with 1/3 the calories. The other benefit is half of the carbohydrate in spinach is dietary fiber. I'm not saying potatoes are bad for you (unless you're diabetic, then I'm bluntly stating that), I'm saying some carbohydrate sources are better than others.

I like potatoes, (as long as they got lots of cheese on em :P) but it is not a food I really miss... But, knowing this, I might be adding some of that in as well, to go with my spinach-addiction.

TavistockToad

having a chocolate bar once a week isn't going to make you overweight if the rest of your diet is good

which is exactly the principle of IIFYM! its actually quite hard to get a LOT of junk into one day without going over carbs and fat!

i got a slice of apple pie with low fat ice cream in on monday though! yay!!

albertabeefy

i got a slice of apple pie with low fat ice cream in on monday though! yay!!

As a diabetic I'd have to skip the pie, but I often have a little ice cream... the difference is I have full-fat, no-sugar added ice cream. (First ingredient '100% heavy dairy cream') which is quite NOM for me. 14g of carbohydrate per half cup, so I have to have it with a very reduced-carbohydrate meal, or about 45 minutes prior to a good workout.

The point is nobody (not even us diabetics) have to deny themselves treats whilst still being healthy.

squatsandlipgloss

i got a slice of apple pie with low fat ice cream in on monday though! yay!!

As a diabetic I'd have to skip the pie, but I often have a little ice cream... the difference is I have full-fat, no-sugar added ice cream. (First ingredient '100% heavy dairy cream') which is quite NOM for me. 14g of carbohydrate per half cup, so I have to have it with a very reduced-carbohydrate meal, or about 45 minutes prior to a good workout.

The point is nobody (not even us diabetics) have to deny themselves treats whilst still being healthy.

Absolutely true... I would still eat chocolate, but always opt for the darker chocolate cuz of the lower carb count... And additionally I would stress about not going over 1,500 calories with it, etc, etc. I am doing groceries tonight and I think I might buy some things I haven't had in 4 months!

Running_Tanya

For weight loss a calorie is a calorie.

However most people are not interested in weight loss, they want fat loss. For fat loss, macros are important.

Protein = Building blocks for repair, recovery, and muscle growth.
Carbs = High output exercise fuel
Fat = Low output exercise/just sitting around fuel.

Almost everyone will benefit from eating more protein. The only exception are the cool kids who are already into eating lots of protein.

If you live a couch based lifestyle, carbs are no good. The more exercise you do, the more you benefit from more carbs (with one largely irrelevant for this discussion exception).

Thanks for this. I've lost weight but not fat. I look good in my clothes but wouldn't dare wear a swimsuit yet.

katy_trail

makes a huge difference definitely. there have been studies saying that foods that have fiber, the calories that come from fiber
aren't digested. that kinda makes sense for unsoluble fiber, but i don't know if i believe that.
makes a huge difference on how full and satisfied a person feels if they ate a meal with lean protein and fiber vs junk food and you can get so much more volume for the calories when it's mostly healthy food that you're eating.

EstherZue

I had the same mindset as you OP, because everyone who diets always cuts bread and pasta first. I grew up eating pasta and potatoes almost every day and very little meat, as a result I really suffered cutting the carbs and felt sick from too many eggs and turkey breast and chicken filets :sick:

Half way through my diet I decided to reintroduce carbs at 55% and lo behold, I'm still losing. I noticed when I have pasta, fish and beans for lunch, I absolutely kill the workout in the gym and lift double of what I thought I could, as opposed to the low-carb tortilla with egg whites and turkey breast that I used to have. Plus, if I eat wholewheat pasta and wholewheat bread I noticed that my next hunger feeling is different. It comes slowly over the course of one hour and I prepare myself to have lunch, whereas when I have toast for breakfast its like bam super hungry must eat now after 2 hours!

In the end I don't know whats really the "right"way to eat. There is so many theories, studies, etc. Its really confusing. So I now make my own decisions according to how well it works for me.

Eat more pasta! :flowerforyou:

squatsandlipgloss

I had the same mindset as you OP, because everyone who diets always cuts bread and pasta first. I grew up eating pasta and potatoes almost every day and very little meat, as a result I really suffered cutting the carbs and felt sick from too many eggs and turkey breast and chicken filets :sick:

Half way through my diet I decided to reintroduce carbs at 55% and lo behold, I'm still losing. I noticed when I have pasta, fish and beans for lunch, I absolutely kill the workout in the gym and lift double of what I thought I could, as opposed to the low-carb tortilla with egg whites and turkey breast that I used to have. Plus, if I eat wholewheat pasta and wholewheat bread I noticed that my next hunger feeling is different. It comes slowly over the course of one hour and I prepare myself to have lunch, whereas when I have toast for breakfast its like bam super hungry must eat now after 2 hours!

In the end I don't know whats really the "right"way to eat. There is so many theories, studies, etc. Its really confusing. So I now make my own decisions according to how well it works for me.

Eat more pasta! :flowerforyou:

Thanks for the great read It is true, there are a bazillion and one theories and studies on every single way of eating that supports that particular method. Everyone is able to believe what they want to believe. I wanted to believe that carbs were all bad for you. But when the eggs, mayonnaise and steak and the lack of fruit and carbs made me feel miserable, I knew, cutting carbs all the way doesn't work for me.

Introducing the "healthy" carbs back in for me has worked great for me. More energy and still losing. But I do feel like I am missing something to keep me sane - the simple carbs.

I had some pasta yesterday and it was. so. good. I planned to have white bread today and I am SO looking forward to it, you have no idea!!

1ConcreteGirl

SURPRISE!

volume77

bump

volume77

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reformed atkins girl.........happily maintaining

volume77

copy and paste from a topic i wrote

People fully don’t understand calories and macro nutrients. Some believe that if they follow a specific macro nutrient ratio they will lose more weight. To understand the link between calories and macro nutrients we first must understand what a calorie is.

calorie - A calorie equals the amount of thermal energy necessary to raise the temperature of one gram of water by 1 Celsius degree, at a pressure of 1 atm.

The Calories in food were determined by putting them in a container, then they putting the container in water and exploded the food. They would then determine the temperature of the water, the higher the temperature the more calories it has. Calories is just a unit energy. It’s a measurement of how much energy is used. It’s like how we use feet or meters to measure distance, we can use calories to measure energy. I will state this now, calories in food, and calories used in science aren’t exactly the same thing. For every calorie used in science there are 1,000 food calories. Food calories are identified with a capital C, “Calories”. The ones used in science are lower case “calories.” Due to the fact I am using word pad to write this, it has auto correct and capitalizes the first word of a sentence I will use calories and Calories interchangeably. I am referring to food calories in both cases.

Macro nutrients such as carbs, proteins, fats are NOT calories. They contain calories, but they are not calories. So yes, a calorie is a calorie just like a foot is foot, and a meter is a meter. If your body burns 2000 calories(energy) at rest, what would happen if you consumed 1,500 calories? Energy can’t be created or destroyed, only transformed. For your body to burn 500 calories more it has to use energy from the body, such as fats, proteins, or carbs. The energy is used to support your normal body functions. Since you’re using energy from the body it will contain less energy from protein,carbs,fats. Since you have less energy in the body you will weigh less. If you consume more energy than you burn it will be stored. The law of thermodynamics states “Energy can’t be created or destroyed, only transformed.” Turning food in to fat is a transformation of energy.

Some people do low carb for health reasons. Others do it because they think it burns more fat which will result in greater weight loss. It does burn more fat, but this doesn’t mean it will result in more weight loss. The reason is because if you're burning a lot of fat and consuming a lot of fat you're in the same spot initially, only a limited net change in body composition. So you can't out trick your body. Some low carbers shoot for ketosis. This just means the body isn’t using carbs so much as an energy source, they are using mostly fat. What some of these people fail to realize the more protein you eat the more protein you burn(prevents the body from using fat). The more fat you eat the more fat you’re storing. In the end it doesn’t make a difference. It will always boil down to calories.

A lot of people say “well I ate under my TDEE(Total Daily Energy Expeniture) and I didn’t lose weight doing x method.” How do you know what your TDEE is? Because some formula told you? Calorie tracking devices such as bodybugg, fit bit, or calculators don’t tell you anything about your metabolic situation. It can be highly suppressed. You maybe burning less calories than you think.

and a topic about health and food choices

Health and weight loss are directly proportional for the most part. Assuming you’re not dying of some type of immune disease. What are some of the greatest indicators of health? Blood pressure, triglycerides, cholesterol levels, insulin sensitivity, the ratio of LDL to HDL. You know what affects all these health indicators the most? WEIGHT. Lose weight and these health indicators will improve. What does weight loss have to do with the type of food you eat? NOTHING. Weight loss is about calories.

Then people try to argue the “you need your vitamins and minerals.” Go read a label on “Lucky Charms” cereal then tell me about vitamins and minerals. 11% vitamin A, 12% calcium, 12% vitamin C, 31% iron, 122 calories, 1.1g fat, 25g carbs, 1.5g fiber, 2.1g protein. Eat 10 servings, that’s 1,220 calories. Add some lean protein, and you’re set. How many of you track your vitamins and minerals and make sure you get the right amounts? If you don’t and preach “you won’t get your vitamins and minerals eating junk” then my friend, you’re a hypocrite. You’re probably not getting them either. Many authorities agree, you probably will get all your vitamins and minerals if you eat a well-balanced diet. Truth is, they also agree that no one eats a well-balanced diet all the time. They recommend vitamin and mineral supplements.

People also say “You won’t get enough protein.” Protein is also highly over rated. People don’t “BUILD” muscle. The muscles hold fluid called sarcoplasm. Most of the fluid is water. I know some pretty well built vegans. The more carbs you eat, the more carbs you burn, the more protein you eat, the more protein you burn. You think you will lose muscle if you don’t eat enough protein? You will just burn more carbs, they spare muscle. I did a self-experiment for a month. I ate noting but junk food to make a point to my friends. It’s all about calories. I lost 12lbs of fat in a month.

It’s healthier to be at a healthy weight and eat crap than it is to eat “healthy” and be overweight. There is a few caveats to what I am saying. Calorie dense foods don’t fill you up as much. A candy bar is like 200-300 calories. Try eating that much salad or broccoli. You’re probably wondering what I am ultimately trying to say. If you’re thinking I am saying “go eat junk food 24/7.” You’re missing the point. My point is junk food isn’t as bad as people think, if you eat a little, or a lot. It won’t prevent weight loss. It won’t deteriorate your health. I do agree if you do eat junk food all day it’s not “optimal.” Nothing what most of us do is “optimal.” This topic is mostly for people who think they can’t eat certain foods, if eating "bad foods" help you stick to your weight loss goals, then do it. Remember it’s healthier to be at a healthy weight and eat junk food than it is to be overweight and eat healthy food.

LIKE!

volume77

copy and paste from a topic i wrote

People fully don’t understand calories and macro nutrients. Some believe that if they follow a specific macro nutrient ratio they will lose more weight. To understand the link between calories and macro nutrients we first must understand what a calorie is.

calorie - A calorie equals the amount of thermal energy necessary to raise the temperature of one gram of water by 1 Celsius degree, at a pressure of 1 atm.

The Calories in food were determined by putting them in a container, then they putting the container in water and exploded the food. They would then determine the temperature of the water, the higher the temperature the more calories it has. Calories is just a unit energy. It’s a measurement of how much energy is used. It’s like how we use feet or meters to measure distance, we can use calories to measure energy. I will state this now, calories in food, and calories used in science aren’t exactly the same thing. For every calorie used in science there are 1,000 food calories. Food calories are identified with a capital C, “Calories”. The ones used in science are lower case “calories.” Due to the fact I am using word pad to write this, it has auto correct and capitalizes the first word of a sentence I will use calories and Calories interchangeably. I am referring to food calories in both cases.

Macro nutrients such as carbs, proteins, fats are NOT calories. They contain calories, but they are not calories. So yes, a calorie is a calorie just like a foot is foot, and a meter is a meter. If your body burns 2000 calories(energy) at rest, what would happen if you consumed 1,500 calories? Energy can’t be created or destroyed, only transformed. For your body to burn 500 calories more it has to use energy from the body, such as fats, proteins, or carbs. The energy is used to support your normal body functions. Since you’re using energy from the body it will contain less energy from protein,carbs,fats. Since you have less energy in the body you will weigh less. If you consume more energy than you burn it will be stored. The law of thermodynamics states “Energy can’t be created or destroyed, only transformed.” Turning food in to fat is a transformation of energy.

Some people do low carb for health reasons. Others do it because they think it burns more fat which will result in greater weight loss. It does burn more fat, but this doesn’t mean it will result in more weight loss. The reason is because if you're burning a lot of fat and consuming a lot of fat you're in the same spot initially, only a limited net change in body composition. So you can't out trick your body. Some low carbers shoot for ketosis. This just means the body isn’t using carbs so much as an energy source, they are using mostly fat. What some of these people fail to realize the more protein you eat the more protein you burn(prevents the body from using fat). The more fat you eat the more fat you’re storing. In the end it doesn’t make a difference. It will always boil down to calories.

A lot of people say “well I ate under my TDEE(Total Daily Energy Expeniture) and I didn’t lose weight doing x method.” How do you know what your TDEE is? Because some formula told you? Calorie tracking devices such as bodybugg, fit bit, or calculators don’t tell you anything about your metabolic situation. It can be highly suppressed. You maybe burning less calories than you think.

and a topic about health and food choices

Health and weight loss are directly proportional for the most part. Assuming you’re not dying of some type of immune disease. What are some of the greatest indicators of health? Blood pressure, triglycerides, cholesterol levels, insulin sensitivity, the ratio of LDL to HDL. You know what affects all these health indicators the most? WEIGHT. Lose weight and these health indicators will improve. What does weight loss have to do with the type of food you eat? NOTHING. Weight loss is about calories.

Then people try to argue the “you need your vitamins and minerals.” Go read a label on “Lucky Charms” cereal then tell me about vitamins and minerals. 11% vitamin A, 12% calcium, 12% vitamin C, 31% iron, 122 calories, 1.1g fat, 25g carbs, 1.5g fiber, 2.1g protein. Eat 10 servings, that’s 1,220 calories. Add some lean protein, and you’re set. How many of you track your vitamins and minerals and make sure you get the right amounts? If you don’t and preach “you won’t get your vitamins and minerals eating junk” then my friend, you’re a hypocrite. You’re probably not getting them either. Many authorities agree, you probably will get all your vitamins and minerals if you eat a well-balanced diet. Truth is, they also agree that no one eats a well-balanced diet all the time. They recommend vitamin and mineral supplements.

People also say “You won’t get enough protein.” Protein is also highly over rated. People don’t “BUILD” muscle. The muscles hold fluid called sarcoplasm. Most of the fluid is water. I know some pretty well built vegans. The more carbs you eat, the more carbs you burn, the more protein you eat, the more protein you burn. You think you will lose muscle if you don’t eat enough protein? You will just burn more carbs, they spare muscle. I did a self-experiment for a month. I ate noting but junk food to make a point to my friends. It’s all about calories. I lost 12lbs of fat in a month.

It’s healthier to be at a healthy weight and eat crap than it is to eat “healthy” and be overweight. There is a few caveats to what I am saying. Calorie dense foods don’t fill you up as much. A candy bar is like 200-300 calories. Try eating that much salad or broccoli. You’re probably wondering what I am ultimately trying to say. If you’re thinking I am saying “go eat junk food 24/7.” You’re missing the point. My point is junk food isn’t as bad as people think, if you eat a little, or a lot. It won’t prevent weight loss. It won’t deteriorate your health. I do agree if you do eat junk food all day it’s not “optimal.” Nothing what most of us do is “optimal.” This topic is mostly for people who think they can’t eat certain foods, if eating "bad foods" help you stick to your weight loss goals, then do it. Remember it’s healthier to be at a healthy weight and eat junk food than it is to be overweight and eat healthy food.

LIKE!

exactly how i feel.......................

Imperfect_Angel

For weight loss a calorie is a calorie.

However most people are not interested in weight loss, they want fat loss. For fat loss, macros are important.

Protein = Building blocks for repair, recovery, and muscle growth.
Carbs = High output exercise fuel
Fat = Low output exercise/just sitting around fuel.

Almost everyone will benefit from eating more protein. The only exception are the cool kids who are already into eating lots of protein.

If you live a couch based lifestyle, carbs are no good. The more exercise you do, the more you benefit from more carbs (with one largely irrelevant for this discussion exception).

THIS!! ????????????????

capperboy

http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/proof-is-in-the-eating-all-kilojoules-not-equal-20130220-2ervg.html

enthoma

May I recommend reading the book Fat Chance by Robert Lustig? Saying a calorie is just a calorie over simplifies the case. It is also biochemistry and trying to control hormones. Metabolic syndrome is a deadly disease that affects up to 40% of non-obese people.

Sqeekyjojo

A calorie IS a calorie. It's a specific scientific term for a specific amount if energy that will raise a specific amount of water by a specific temperature gradient. A kcal of sugar is identical to a kcal of fat or concrete in the amount of energy it contains.

However, people also need to be interested in what they get for their calorie. Do they get a nice taste and little else, or do they get essential vitamins, proteins, fats, etc?

And eating is a pleasure. Or is supposed to be, that's why we have all those nice chemicals buzzing around after eating.

The key to being as healthy as possible is to balance the two. To get more bang for your buck at the same time as making you content with what you have eaten.



I lost pounds last week. My intake was atrocious, but I lost. I'm willing to bet that I didn't improve my health in the process, though. And I enjoyed my week very much. This week will hopefully be healthier. It's the combination of the two that keeps me sane.

Oriole15

[/quote]
QUOTE

It is just really frustrating to have Mr. Atkins in the back of my head saying that carbs will make you fat -_- But seeing my slim friends around me eating white bread, pasta etc and stay slim, it doesn't add up.

UNQUOTE
[/quote]

All you need to know is that Atkins died an obese man (he died of a fall but that doesn't change he was over the 250 pound mark when he did) and he had a history of heart disease.