is it really all about the calories?

For me, it's just about the calories. I know that packaged and processed foods can contain alot of sodium so I choose to just steer away from them anyway. Some people have to watch their sodium or sugar intake, if they have a health condiiton that requires them to do so. Maybe others that do alot of weight lifting and strength training like to make sure they are getting as much protein as they can. For just losing weight, with no underlying conditions, calorie monitoring should be enough.

It depends on what you want. If all you care about is weight loss it's all about calories. If you want to lose fat not muscle it's about calories macros and strength training. If you want to lose fat and be healthier it's about, calories, macros, strength, cardio, sodium, micronutrients, and rest.

But honestly start with the calories and add the rest in as you make progress. Baby steps work, big steps never have for me.

Kinda depends on the camp you are in. Some peeps are "calories in and calories out" thus in theory, if you ate only cookies but watched calorie intake, you'll lose weight. There's a professor in Kansas in 2010 who ate only Twinkies and lost 27lbs in 10 weeks.

I mostly care about calories and protein - since I weight lift. I count sodium to ensure I'm not eating too much - raises my blood pressure, plus it's scary how much sodium is in stuff.

People have varying opinions about this. I've had people tell me that I can eat all I want as long as it's natural/unrefined/unprocessed. Been there, done that, and put on weight like crazy.

To me, yes, it's calories, but the higher quality the food, the higher quality your health over the long term. I've known of people to be total junk foodies who were fine in their 20s, not so fine in their 40s.

Know just a simple question is it all about calories but if thats so. than why do people even count sodium sugar and in most cases CARBS isnt it true that some people cannot lose weight if they get to many carbs?? im just asking???i wanna know everyone's opinion on this? ofcourse calories do play a big roll though. do you think that its all about the calories or not ?

Because people like to make things more complicated.

Fat loss is really all about the calories.

Making your lean body mass pretty for when the fat is gone is all about exercise, especially lifting weights.

There is no mystery to weight loss, everyone thinks something is wrong, their metabolism is broken, they have low thyroid, they have menopause or whatever issue, they are as unique as a snowflake, whatever. I thought a lot of these things once too but once the doctor helped resolve the health issues for me I learned there is still no magic pill. Most people eat more than they need to and are not at good at estimating calories as they think they are. Most people have a lower BMR than they think they do. The only way to know for sure is to go to a lab and have it tested. It doesn't seem fair to have to eat less and feel a little hunger. It's hard to face the truth of it, very hard. It's not fun. It's drudgery at times. But if you learn to enjoy your smaller amounts of food (necessary to lose weight, since the reason we got fat in the first place was eating too much whether we knew it or not), and rejoice in your victories it can be done.

Bump

Weight loss is all about energy balance.
Macronutrients will effect body composition and in that regard, it would be foolish to ignore tracking carbs/protein/fats and it would foolish for health reasons to disregard micronutrients.

But all that being said, a calorie is still a calorie stricly in terms of energy.

Create a calorie deficit and you will lose weight. At the end of the day it comes down to calories.
But if you eat crap all day with your calories you won't be a very healthy thin person!

At the end of the day it's calories in - calories out. If your calories in consists of garbage you will probably look and feel like garbage, but if it adds up to less than you burn you will still lose weight.

I don't think this is true. Calories - absolutely important. But what your body does with calories depends on how your body processes and stores them. That's insulin response to calories/carbs. And yes, that varies depending on how quickly they are digested by your body.

At the end of the day it's calories in - calories out. If your calories in consists of garbage you will probably look and feel like garbage, but if it adds up to less than you burn you will still lose weight.

I don't think this is true. Calories - absolutely important. But what your body does with calories depends on how your body processes and stores them. That's insulin response to calories/carbs. And yes, that varies depending on how quickly they are digested by your body.

You need to elaborate on why you disagree with the law of physics that energy cannot be created or destroyed.

Yes,

Its all about the calories. And protein.

Calories are the overall governor, but the body acts weird and does not do favorable things composition-wise when it isn't receiving enough protein. Enough is a lot higher than most think (MFP's goals and the RDA for protein are laughable, useful for bedridden old ladies, but too low for everyone else).