"Healthy" Eating vs. Eating in Moderation?

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tiffanylacourse
tiffanylacourse Posts: 2,985 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Okay - so I've read many message board quesitons and responses and a lot of the MFP members talk about eating whatever they want -as long as it is in moderation.

I guess my main question is this:
-Which is true - A calorie is a calorie? or Some calories are better than others?

This can be so confusing!

Thanks in advance for some solid answers! :flowerforyou:

Replies

  • jmoneycgt
    jmoneycgt Posts: 80 Member
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    You will lose weight either way.

    However, my body feels & performs better if I fill it with cleaner foods. Though I admit I will eat like total garbage sometimes, but there is definitely a difference in my performance at the gym and in normal life when I do. I try to keep a decent hybrid of good and bad to keep myself sane, but still rolling on all cylinders.
  • peuglow
    peuglow Posts: 684 Member
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    Here is my take:

    As a performance athlete, I need the right foods in my body to maximize my ability to do what I do best. Sure, I enjoy the occasional treat, but I try to eat clean, whole foods most of the time.

    That being said, there is no point in depriving yourself of the things you love. Meaning, this is a lifestyle, not a diet. If you can't live without chocolate, cut back the portions and get some dark chocolate.

    I'm sure many here will have helpful advice for you too. Good luck!!
  • deb3129
    deb3129 Posts: 1,294 Member
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    If all you are concerned about is weight loss, then a calorie is indeed a calorie. However, if overall good health is your concern, then the calories from an apple are certainly not the same as the calories from a bag of chips.
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
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    I think you can find a balance that makes eating in moderation a healthy way of eating. Eat 80% whole foods to get what your body needs and the rest should be for you to enjoy. I think when most people say "I lost weight eating cakes, cookies and alcohol," they really mean, "over months/years I lost weight incorporating the foods I love into a balanced and nutritious diet."
  • farway
    farway Posts: 1,264 Member
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    I guess my main question is this:
    -Which is true - A calorie is a calorie? or Some calories are better than others?

    This can be so confusing!

    :flowerforyou:

    Having read these boards for about a month I think the some calories are better is referring to nutritional value, not calorific content

    Thus calories in a jam doughnut could be same as calories in a cheese salad but I suspect we all know which is the wiser option
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    Eating in moderation doesn't mean you're not eating healthy. I eat about 2000 calories a day. I'm still eating healthy if 200 calories of that comes from Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

    I follow IIFYM. (If it fits you macros.) If I'm meeting my fat, carbs and protein goals, keeping in mind that I like to get several servings of fruit/vegetables a day, I'm eating healthy, even if one of those meals is pepperoni pizza.
  • Flawless_K
    Flawless_K Posts: 42 Member
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    I would prefer and suggest eating healthy. Personally, I am trying to greatly improve eating healthier foods in lieu of moderation. In the past, there was no such thing as moderation for me. I ate the foods I loved until I literally could not put another piece in my mouth. When I made the decision to make this "lifestyle change", I went cold turkey because I knew that the "moderation eating" would be a domino effect and I would slip into my old habits. I am trying to re-train my taste buds to crave the good stuff and not crave the things people say I can eat in "moderation".
  • csuhar
    csuhar Posts: 779 Member
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    When it comes to the consumption, storage (fat) and expenditure of energy, a calorie is a calorie. That's why, when I was going through chemotherapy, the doctor didn't flip out because my diet was mostly cheerios and jelly beans. The dietary priority the doctor gave me was to simply get in whatever calories I could manage to tolerate because eating is not an easy task when you're on chemo. So if you're talking the simple balance of caloric intake and output, calories are calories.

    But there's still much to be said for the SOURCE of the calories. If the source provides not only calories but a lot of extra junk, it may negatively affect your health. If the source provides you calroies but no nutritional value, then you may be doing yourself a disservice by consuming a calorie with not additional benefit when you could be eating consuming a calorie accompanied by vitamins, minerals, and other good things. While I could get the calories I needed from cheerios and jelly beans while I was doing chemo, they weren't going to give me proper nutrition, so the doctor recommended I try to consume a couple meal replacement shakes each day to take care of the total nutrition picture, not just caloic intake.

    Some places, you'll find that there's a breakdown of calories per gram for various sources. Generally, it seems to be broken down to Fat (9 calories per gram), Protein (4 calories per gram), and Carbohydrates (4 calories per gram). Eating foods with fat is not generally, in and of itself, bad for you. But there is the issue that for that 1 gram of fat, you need to remember you're eating twice the number of calories. That makes it easier to eat more calories when fat's involved.

    So generally, when talking calories and your weight, a calorie is a calorie. The issue is what comes WITH the calories.
  • gdrake64506
    gdrake64506 Posts: 9 Member
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    I have been a member for only a couple of months. I start reading the message boards about 30 days ago. They are helpful. Some people on MyFitnessPal know a lot about nutrition. On the other hand some of the folks just make it up as they go along and their advice is more or less what some people refer to as 'old wives tails'. A calorie is a calorie no matter where you get it. However, some foods give you more vitamins, carbohydrates, minerals, fat, or cholesterol per calorie than others. Therefore, if you have a heart condition you may need to get your calories from low cholesterol food items. If you have diabetes you will need to get your calories from food choices that will have fewer carbohydrates. Losing weight in a health way means we need to look beyond a simple calorie count.
  • tubaman58
    tubaman58 Posts: 151
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    Many strong opinions......
    The big question is
    What is your goal?
    If all you are concerned about is losing weight, then calories are calories....

    Eating healthy can help you control calories....
    Green beans don't have many, so you can eat a lot....

    Chips make you want more chips and it is hard to stop ...

    etc...

    The bottom line is to set a goal and find what works for YOU.....
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
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    Eating in moderation doesn't mean you're not eating healthy. I eat about 2000 calories a day. I'm still eating healthy if 200 calories of that comes from Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

    I follow IIFYM. (If it fits you macros.) If I'm meeting my fat, carbs and protein goals, keeping in mind that I like to get several servings of fruit/vegetables a day, I'm eating healthy, even if one of those meals is pepperoni pizza.

    Yup.
  • jilliew
    jilliew Posts: 255 Member
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    I personally find that by eating 1700 "healthy" calories I lose more weight. This is because if I eat "unhealthy" calories, I can't stop at 1700 calories. For me it's a craving thing - almost like an addiction. If I have an apple with peanut butter to satisfy my sweet tooth, I am satisfied with one apple . If I eat the same calories in chocolate, I find myself craving more and, as I have a serious willpower problem, I can't stop!
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
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    At this point, I am personally working on the moderation point... why? Because I want to get my husband to eat better as well. I can't do that if I make "clean" foods, he doesn't eat it and then goes out to buy a burger at McDonald's, which defeats the purpose entirely of the family eating healthy... at least no matter if I am cooking "clean" or just typical... I can have some sembalence of control of what goes into the pot.... And yes, the weightloss is for me... but I can do that, initially by portion control and exercising...
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    They are not mutually exclusive
  • dixedreg
    dixedreg Posts: 276 Member
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    Eating in moderation doesn't mean you're not eating healthy. I eat about 2000 calories a day. I'm still eating healthy if 200 calories of that comes from Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

    I follow IIFYM. (If it fits you macros.) If I'm meeting my fat, carbs and protein goals, keeping in mind that I like to get several servings of fruit/vegetables a day, I'm eating healthy, even if one of those meals is pepperoni pizza.

    Yup this. Pretty much there it is.

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