Is what you eat really important??

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  • renkatrun
    renkatrun Posts: 111 Member
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    http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/10/alzheimers-junk-food-catastrophic-effect

    "There is evidence that poor diet is one cause of Alzheimer's. If ever there was a case for the precautionary principle, this is it ...
    The association between Alzheimer's and type 2 diabetes is long-established: type 2 sufferers are two to three times more likely to be struck by this form of dementia than the general population. There are also associations between Alzheimer's and obesity and Alzheimer's and metabolic syndrome (a complex of diet-related pathologies).

    Researchers first proposed that Alzheimer's was another form of diabetes in 2005. The authors of the original paper investigated the brains of 54 corpses, 28 of which belonged to people who had died of the disease. They found that the levels of both insulin and insulin-like growth factors in the brains of Alzheimer's patients were much lower than those in the brains of people who had died of other causes. Levels were lowest in the parts of the brain most affected by the disease.

    Their work led them to conclude that insulin and insulin-like growth factor are produced not only in the pancreas but also in the brain. Insulin in the brain has a host of functions: as well as glucose metabolism, it helps to regulate the transmission of signals from one nerve cell to another, and affects their growth, plasticity and survival....

    Plenty of research still needs to be done. But, if the current indications are correct, Alzheimer's disease could be another catastrophic impact of the junk food industry, and the worst discovered so far. "


    (Just in case you want an opinion based on something other than anecdotes from people who have lost weight and feel fine by counting calories in/calories out... The article is worth reading in its entirety. There have been a lot of reputable articles about this over the past month.)
  • Nina2503
    Nina2503 Posts: 172 Member
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    It probably doesnt matter where your calories come from if all you want to do is lose weight, but will you be healthy and will it be a balanced diet?

    Personally I find junk type/heavily processed foods less value for calorie content in both size and nutrition and for me it is about getting the best value for my calories both nutrionally and for not feeling hungry, and by eating unprocessed food and fruit/veg I find I achieve that.
  • renkatrun
    renkatrun Posts: 111 Member
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    The issue is not junk food=weight gain. The articles are out there if people want to take the time to read up on the science - including "Big Fat Lies" (Taubes) etc.

    No one here is out to prove *you* right or wrong. - In fact, I really doubt many here are seriously looking to you as an authority or expert.
  • dawnshot
    dawnshot Posts: 137 Member
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    ' You Are What You Eat' Simple as that
  • tommygirl15
    tommygirl15 Posts: 1,012 Member
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    You are what you eat
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
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    I think it is for basic health and nutrition, but if all you care about is weight loss, then al long as you stay at a calorie deficit, then you'll lose weight no matter what you eat.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    As you can see this is a topic that causes a lot of debate. If you're new to this, then start with the calories. Then once you have the calories under control start swapping less healthy foods for healthier alternatives. You will probably find, as I did, that healthier foods leave you fuller longer, but that doesn't mean you have to completely cut out all the things you enjoy.
  • katevarner
    katevarner Posts: 884 Member
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    If the OP is even still reading, please don't deprive yourself of some treat if it will knock you off course, but in the long run, I believe (and no, I'm not going to list the studies, you can google) that it is better to make them occasional treats, even if you eat one every day, than to live on junk. I feel better when I eat pretty clean, but I also have some sugar every day, either in the form of fruit or some sort of dessert, but I keep it within my macros, and when I was trying to lose, I kept it within my calorie deficit. For weight loss itself, just keep a deficit and exercise, but if you are trying to improve your health, a diet of processed foods is not optimal.
  • SorchaRavenlock
    SorchaRavenlock Posts: 220 Member
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    I think a well-balanced diet is really the best way to go. And that can include a bit of junk food, as long as you limit yourself to only a small amount of it ,or just as an occasional treat. I do think that if we cut out our favorite foods completely, that's when we feel deprived and finally end up giving up on healthy diets, so it's better to have a little now and then than to end up giving in at a weak moment and binging. Otherwise, try to get plenty of fruits and veggies each day, as well as enough protein and carbohydrates. Try to start with the healthy foods that you like the most, and it will become easier to change your habits as you start to realize that eating healthy can still mean eating foods that you'll enjoy.

    I fully agree with this. Try to eat mostly healthy to give your body the nutrients you need, and have the occasional/small treat so you won't feel deprived. That way you have the best of both worlds :)
  • Vailara
    Vailara Posts: 2,454 Member
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    Hello everyone! I know this sounds like a ridiculous question, but I'm curious... Does what you eat really matter? I've heard that you can lose/maintain weight by eating a certain number of calories. But what about the source of those calories? I mean... I tend to feel better when I eat veggies/fruits, staying away from junk food. But I feel that, as long as I stay within my daily limit, I can have a splurge of chocolate, cookies, candy, whatever. Is that inhibiting me from losing weight? Will it eventually cause me to gain? Like I said, I enjoy fruits and veggies (eating healthy, in general) but sometimes I don't feel so bad about eating crap. And that confuses me. Any advice?

    I think it's confusing because it's two separate things - limiting calories, and eating healthy foods. If you limit your calorie intake (eat less than you burn), then you can lose weight regardless of WHAT you eat. Eating healthily won't necessarily make any difference to your weight at all. I'm not the only one who has gained weight while eating healthily.

    However, it's probably good to aim to eat fairly healthily, regardless of whether you want to lose weight, gain weight or maintain. What makes it a little more important if your losing weight (in my opinion), is that because you're eating less calories overall, it's more difficult to get the right amount of all the things you need from those fewer calories. Moderation and variety are the way to go, I think!

    I don't think the occasional calorie-counted splurge would inhibit weight loss. I know some people find that a little bit of what they like makes it difficult for them to control how much they eat, so it could be that you end up eating too much. On the other hand, knowing that you can have the odd treat might make it easier for you to stick to the diet. Personally, I don't feel it works for me to be too restrictive. I'm trying to find something I can stick to long-term, so I need to know that I can sometimes have things I particularly like.
  • angiechimpanzee
    angiechimpanzee Posts: 536 Member
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    The comments so far are ridiculous.

    I ate nothing but junk food and posted my diary daily to prove a point. It's all about calories. You know the results? Lost 12lbs and no loss in LBM(Lean body mass)

    An issue that can arise is when you eat high sugary foods, you will want more. I say "sugar feeds sugar" if you can stick to your limit eating the junk you mentioned, then do it. People talk about "health."

    People eat health and get cancer sometimes, sometimes people eat junk all their lives and live long. Some drink and get liver disease, some drink and live a long life. The oldest women in the world stopped smoking at 101yrs old. How is that for health? Health is mostly genetic. One of the oldest men in the world accredited his long life to drinking bourbon.

    Lack of protein?
    Another myth, we don't need as much protein as we think. I lowered my protein amount greatly, no loss in muscle mass.
    I agree with everything EXCEPT what you said about health being mostly genetic and diets not being important. So many studies have shown that countries with healthier eating habits live longer and have less medical issues. Sure, there are always those isolated cases of the woman who smoked and lived to be 100 or whatever. That does NOT mean that everyone, or even the majority of people who smoke, will live to be anywhere near 100. In fact, it's quite the opposite. There are exceptions to every rule but that doesn't mean those rules don't still stand firm in their legitimacy.
  • AmyFett
    AmyFett Posts: 1,607 Member
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    To me, it doesn't matter as long as you eat the right amount of calories. I do feel better when I eat healthy stuff opposed to junk though.
  • elysecea
    elysecea Posts: 161 Member
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    Its simple...calories in and calories out...what works for some people does not necessarily work for others, find what works best for YOU.
  • mrsRhughes
    mrsRhughes Posts: 122
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    Wow- I just have to shake my head at some people! WHY are there such angry, sarcastic people in the world? Anyway ....

    TO THE ORIGINAL POSTER!

    Quality of food DOES matter - for you health, the proper functioning of your body, the way you feel, for your skin, AND the way you look. You have to find what works for YOU in order to make this whole thing a lifestyle. For me, I personally have found over the years that an 80/20 "rule" works PERFECTLY for me! 80% of the calories I consume daily are from what I consider "healthy" foods. I allow for 20% to be treats, dessert, wine (when I'm not pregnant like I am now!), etc. This has always allowed me to feel satisfied and not like I'm craving anything!

    Good luck on your journey to great health! xo
  • elysecea
    elysecea Posts: 161 Member
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    I know that when I eat a healthier diet I feel better physically. I have more energy my mood is better and I am all around BETTER, although I am a chocolate junkie the last 2 months I have been HORRIBLE with my diet, and I could feel it!! This is day 5 of my restart and I feel so much better on a structured plan. I am not saying its perfect I eat my dove chocolates, it keeps me sane :) . I have the exercise thing down pat...now I just have to get my diet there. I find that after the first week its so much easier. GOOD LUCK
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    If you don't get enough protein, then you can have some issues. Also, eating a variety of different types of vegetables helps you get a variety of nutrients. There are also the issues of eating in a style that doesn't cause you to be hungry. Personally, I try to incorporate all three macro-nutrients at every meal and I have doubled my protein intake. I still don't eat as many veggies as I should, but that's a personal challenge, and I've improved immensely from where I was when I started in July. On the issue of carbs, I try to do a simple carb and a complex one. The simple carb helps you feel fuller quicker, then the complex carb helps me from eating more before the protein and fats finally hit the system. My diet wouldn't work for some people, but I have been doing this long enough now that I can feel the difference when I am not getting enough nutrients versus days when I'm spot-on for a stretch. And it *does* seem to take a stretch of a few days to make a difference.
  • emtjmac
    emtjmac Posts: 1,320 Member
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    Of course it's important. Eat healthy but it's ok to treat yourself with whatever you want within reason.
  • davidlbass
    davidlbass Posts: 159 Member
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    Doesn't really matter on your weight loss. Calories are calories. I've stayed pretty much on my standard diet of the foods I loved and lost 75 lbs. Have added more vegetables just to eat a little healthier but still eat lots of red meat, pastas, bread and even GASP desserts occasionally. Any diet that makes me give up foods that I love will eventually cause me to start binging and fall off the wagon, roll into a ditch, get stuck under a rock and never be able to catch the wagon again. How many people have you known bragging about losing weight on low carb diets just to end up even heavier than before?

    If a diet has a name its doomed to failure.
  • TonyStark30
    TonyStark30 Posts: 497 Member
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    Its all down to how you feel, I've done the spinanch and salmon route, i've done the big meals but no snacking route, i've done the eat junk and work hard in the gym route, if the weight loss is your goal sometimes you have to move between them just to keep going, do what ever keeps you on track.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    The comments so far are ridiculous.

    I ate nothing but junk food and posted my diary daily to prove a point. It's all about calories. You know the results? Lost 12lbs and no loss in LBM(Lean body mass)

    An issue that can arise is when you eat high sugary foods, you will want more. I say "sugar feeds sugar" if you can stick to your limit eating the junk you mentioned, then do it. People talk about "health."

    People eat health and get cancer sometimes, sometimes people eat junk all their lives and live long. Some drink and get liver disease, some drink and live a long life. The oldest women in the world stopped smoking at 101yrs old. How is that for health? Health is mostly genetic. One of the oldest men in the world accredited his long life to drinking bourbon.

    Lack of protein?
    Another myth, we don't need as much protein as we think. I lowered my protein amount greatly, no loss in muscle mass.
    I agree with everything EXCEPT what you said about health being mostly genetic and diets not being important. So many studies have shown that countries with healthier eating habits live longer and have less medical issues. Sure, there are always those isolated cases of the woman who smoked and lived to be 100 or whatever. That does NOT mean that everyone, or even the majority of people who smoke, will live to be anywhere near 100. In fact, it's quite the opposite. There are exceptions to every rule but that doesn't mean those rules don't still stand firm in their legitimacy.

    Well said. I don't always agree with you, Angie, but I agree with this comment. :flowerforyou:


    Pu_239:
    Also, I am one of those persons with the "rare opportunity" to gain LBM while in a deficit. That generally requires the person to be extremely obese, doing strength training, and eating plenty of protein. I am *so* glad that I learned that early on and try to educate others when I have the chance.

    It is also interesting that you mention sugar because in addition to doubling my protein intake, I put sugar back in my diet. I avoided eating any sugar, except fruits, in the beginning because I believed the myth that you have to cut it out of your diet. So we are like mirror-imaging each other. :laugh:

    I work very hard at deliberately tearing my muscle fibers, so there is no way that I'm not putting extra protein in my body to rebuild the muscles and help them grow. I have been using the same online calculator to figure my body fat/lbm with my measurements. According to that (which I am sure is not totally accurate, but close and showing a trend) I have decreased my body fat by 10% and gained 11 pounds of lean body mass. Obviously, I have not gained 11 pounds of muscle in three and a half months, but the point is the trend. Also, since I bumped up my protein intake, I can feel a big difference in how I feel on rest days.

    But also, I believe that the macro ratio can and, in some cases should, be different for different people. I am 50/25/25 with a high enough calorie allowance to give me at least 72 grams of protein (my bare minimum) and in some cases, like yesterday), I can hit 97 grams of protein on a rest day with a lower calorie total. :drinker:

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