Does it matter what your calories are?

sweetfiona
sweetfiona Posts: 7 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Both hubby and I are using MFP - he has 1500 cals generally against my 1200. We both eat the same kind of calories for meals but he is picking in the evening!! So frustrating as I have none left!! Anyway, he claims that he can eat 'rubbish' as well as the healthy food to reach the 1500. I say he should be eating healthy choices - fruit, nuts etc. He says it doesnt matter what the calories are as they are still calories regardless. I cant see how eating 1500 calories as chocolate n crisps would enable you to loose weight at the same rate as 1500 of healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper. He doesn't obviously do this but it started a discussion about it - just wondering.

So, can you eat rubbish and loose weight as long as you dont go over daily calories? I'm not asking about nutritional values - obviously I know that its not as good for you - BUT can you loose weight??:happy:
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Replies

  • Erienneb
    Erienneb Posts: 592 Member
    There's a big camp of people that subscribe to the "if it fits your macros" mentality.

    For me, I couldn't go from eating junk all day to eating perfectly "clean" all day in one go. Plus the standard of what is "good" and "healthy" can vary a bit person to person.

    Do I eat fast food, candy, junk sometiems? Yes. Because that's what's realistic for me. Am I still losing weight? Hell yes.
  • WeepingAngel81
    WeepingAngel81 Posts: 2,232 Member
    I'm not an expert, but I would think not. Calories from chocolate are going to be much different than from an apple or a healthy snack. There are differences between healthy sugar, such as those found in fruits and veggies, and unhealthy sugar such as the rubbish food. If I remember from some training I had a few years ago with a nutritionist, different foods can be stored in different ways in your body which means he can eat the rubbish but it will still store as fat. Again...not an expert...just what I remember being told.
  • Tanja_CHH
    Tanja_CHH Posts: 216 Member
    Calories in versus calories out for weight loss.
    Eating healthy, filling macros, eating over your bmr and under your tdee and working out for health.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Both hubby and I are using MFP - he has 1500 cals generally against my 1200. We both eat the same kind of calories for meals but he is picking in the evening!! So frustrating as I have none left!! Anyway, he claims that he can eat 'rubbish' as well as the healthy food to reach the 1500. I say he should be eating healthy choices - fruit, nuts etc. He says it doesnt matter what the calories are as they are still calories regardless. I cant see how eating 1500 calories as chocolate n crisps would enable you to loose weight at the same rate as 1500 of healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper. He doesn't obviously do this but it started a discussion about it - just wondering.

    So, can you eat rubbish and loose weight as long as you dont go over daily calories? I'm not asking about nutritional values - obviously I know that its not as good for you - BUT can you loose weight??:happy:

    Your husband is correct for the most part. Taken to extremes (a diet of all junk for example) is not a good idea, but thankfully most people don't actually do this.

    EDIT: I am strictly referring to weight loss. I am not referring to health or body composition but if your husband is eating a mixture of "junk food" along with some "nutritient dense" food then I wouldn't worry about it. If he's literally eating a diet composed entirely of nutrient sparse food then he could have problems, but he'll still lose weight.
  • Mimisam45
    Mimisam45 Posts: 132 Member
    It depends on how you want to feel!! I would think that "junk in" would make you feel like junk! And you can eat a lot more if you choose heathy foods!!! You also don't have the continued cravings for more junk.

    Also remember that the insulin rush from the junk carbs will store as fat.
  • Guamybear
    Guamybear Posts: 1,061 Member
    If it fits..he can eat it.. if your still hungry eat more.. 1200 is not enough..
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Sorry, your husband is right. Can you not give him bigger portions of your common food so that he has no allowance left by the end of the day, lol?
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
    yep your husband is right. thats actually the way i did it when i first started here. ate junk but just smaller portions. as time went on i found i felt better when i ate real food, but i still lost the same amount of weight.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Yes, calorie intake is paramount, far above everything else. You can lose significant weight, even healthily despite horrible food choices. Of course, it's not optimum for your health over the long term (or your body composition) and probably won't be sustainable (500 calories of cake won't fill you up nearly as long as 500 calories of chicken for example).

    Having said that, it is definitely possible, just read: http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html
  • fresh_start59
    fresh_start59 Posts: 590 Member
    Calories in versus calories out for weight loss.
    Eating healthy, filling macros, eating over your bmr and under your tdee and working out for health.

    ^ This in a nutshell. It is something I always knew, but have long denied because it meant doing something I did not like.

    This time around I am trying to do a compromise. I'm eating healthier (not always healthy), trying hard to fit my calories into my macros (which can be a challenge unless there's baked chicken waiting in the fridge), not looking for the quick fix (super low calorie), and I'm forcing myself to walk every day and hope to increase my exercise over the next couple of months.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Slight oversimplifcation, but basically

    Calories = weight loss
    Macronutirents = energy (carbs), healthy body functions (fats), body composition (protein)
    Micronutrients = health


    You can get all the above by generally eating nutrient dense foods but also include less nutrient dense foods as long as your calories/macros allow it.
  • Crankstr
    Crankstr Posts: 3,958 Member
    no
  • chimp517
    chimp517 Posts: 185 Member
    if it fits your macros! For low calorie diets it would be wise to make better choices so you stay satiated throughout the day though. But 1500 calories in chocolate chips is still 1500 cals.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,458 Member
    You are both undereating....a man should never be set at 1500 cals, and you should be at a much higher number too. The fact you are both hungry should tell you something.


    Here, read this:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
  • Sexyf28
    Sexyf28 Posts: 47 Member
    I actually put that to the test last week! I ate my calorie goal but ate fast food for every dinner. I did not lose like I did when I ate healthy. Not even close! So yes, it matters
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    I actually put that to the test last week! I ate my calorie goal but ate fast food for every dinner. I did not lose like I did when I ate healthy. Not even close! So yes, it matters

    Did you hit the same macros?
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
    For pure weight-loss, it doesn't matter.

    For muscle retention you'd need adequate protein (as well as lifting) and eating typical "junk food" doesn't usually provide much protein.

    Home-cooked meals, with lots of veg and high fibre & protein, are usually a lot more filling. This makes it easier for a person to stick to their calorie goal. If you're on 1200-1500 a day, why would you make that up with 1 or 2 "unhealthy" meals, when you could have 3 or 4, low calorie, more satisfying meals.

    Also, many people report feeling lethargic and other negative symptoms when they eat a diet full of "junk". Maybe because they're getting more nutrients when they're eating better.

    Note: I use quotations with junk and unhealthy etc because I don't believe any food on it's own is unhealthy. If you hit your macro and micro needs for the day (everything in moderation and all that) it shouldn't be a problem if you have a few treats - although personally I can't see much room for treats in a calorie intake that low (just my opinion)
  • cmcollins001
    cmcollins001 Posts: 3,472 Member
    That was the focus of the "Twinkie Diet" http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html

    This was to prove you can lose weight just by calorie intake.
  • badmojo108
    badmojo108 Posts: 72
    I actually put that to the test last week! I ate my calorie goal but ate fast food for every dinner. I did not lose like I did when I ate healthy. Not even close! So yes, it matters

    I am also convinced that the nutritional info posted for many fast food items are lower than the food you actually get.
  • cmcollins001
    cmcollins001 Posts: 3,472 Member
    I actually put that to the test last week! I ate my calorie goal but ate fast food for every dinner. I did not lose like I did when I ate healthy. Not even close! So yes, it matters

    One week is does not a test make.
  • sweetfiona
    sweetfiona Posts: 7 Member
    Thanks everyone - great answers - maybe I need to dig deeper tho for a factual answer. Any nutritionalists out there?

    Can I just add that the calories we are on are suggested by MFP! Also that at no point did I say we were hungry!! You don't have to be hungry to eat chocolate!! Maximum of 'rubbish' he is eating is 300 cals so I'm not worried about his or mine for that matter diets. It was just a topic that came up. We are general happy with it all - I have treats etc as does he (maybe just a few more) and obviously exercise cals come in too. Was just a question really - not in relation to what we eat moreso what was fact about calories from 'bad' food verses good food and weightloss from either/both. Thanks though.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Thanks everyone - great answers - maybe I need to dig deeper tho for a factual answer. Any nutritionalists out there?

    You should definitely dig deep on anything you want to know. However....

    I am genuinely curious: You've had just about every person in this thread tell you that your husband is correct and now you are seeking to find a nutritionist or someone with credentials so you can get a "factual answer".

    Is this because you came in here thinking he was wrong and you were right?

    You received factual answers from those who said that the caloric balance is what contributes to weight gain/weight loss (ie almost everyone in this thread)..

    Please understand I'm not trying to belittle you when I say the above even though you may not be comfortable with my answer.

    Here is something good for you to read:
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/hormonal-responses-to-a-fast-food-meal-compared-with-nutritionally-comparable-meals-of-different-composition-research-review.html
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17536194
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    If you eat less calories than you burn you will lose weight.. regardless of where those calories come from..

    What you are talking about is eating *healthy* versus eating *unhealthy* eating garbage all the time is not healthy and he will pay for that in the future. I'm a big component of eating healthy. It's a mjor life change and require baby steps and remembering that haveing something unhealthy once in a while will not hurt you.

    Also. When you eat healthy your body will come to expect it and you will crave strawberries instead of burgers. (like I do) You don't get the proper nutrients you need if you eat a lot of junk and if you aren't giving your body the nutrients it needs, it will hold onto the fat and burn muscle.

    Chocolate and fast food may fill you up, but it doesn't meet the nutrional requirements your body needs to functions properly and maintain health.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    Thanks everyone - great answers - maybe I need to dig deeper tho for a factual answer. Any nutritionalists out there?

    You should definitely dig deep on anything you want to know. However....

    I am genuinely curious: You've had just about every person in this thread tell you that your husband is correct and now you are seeking to find a nutritionist or someone with credentials so you can get a "factual answer".

    Is this because you came in here thinking he was wrong and you were right?

    You received factual answers from those who said that the caloric balance is what contributes to weight gain/weight loss (ie almost everyone in this thread)..

    Please understand I'm not trying to belittle you when I say the above even though you may not be comfortable with my answer.

    Here is something good for you to read:
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/hormonal-responses-to-a-fast-food-meal-compared-with-nutritionally-comparable-meals-of-different-composition-research-review.html
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17536194
    SideSteel beat me to posting the above link. If you read it I think you'll find it enlightening.

    As usual, I see much of the polarized "all or nothing" thinking in this thread. There IS a middle ground between "eating healthy" and "eating junk all day". If you're hitting your micro and macronutrients (especially protein and fats) and staying within your calories, there's nothing wrong with indulging in things that orthorexics consider "unclean" or "unhealthy". You will still lose weight (the caloric deficit is what determines this) and, assuming the above statement re: macros/micros is true, you'll be nourishing your body in a healthy manner. The only time I'd say otherwise is if one is a person who absolutely cannot exercise self-restraint when indulging in "treats" - in that case, it's probably best to exclude them entirely from your diet. Binging is not conducive to maintaining your caloric deficit or healthy eating habits.
    ...Also. When you eat healthy your body will come to expect it and you will crave strawberries instead of burgers. (like I do) You don't get the proper nutrients you need if you eat a lot of junk and if you aren't giving your body the nutrients it needs, it will hold onto the fat and burn muscle...
    Maintaining lean muscle is facilitated by adequate protein intake and strength training. Eating strawberries instead of burgers, while it may assist in maintaining a caloric deficit, does absolutely nothing toward maintaining lean body mass and encouraging fat loss. Strawberries are pure carbs and contain no protein.
  • EvilShenanigansTX
    EvilShenanigansTX Posts: 143 Member
    Thanks everyone - great answers - maybe I need to dig deeper tho for a factual answer. Any nutritionalists out there?

    You should definitely dig deep on anything you want to know. However....

    I am genuinely curious: You've had just about every person in this thread tell you that your husband is correct and now you are seeking to find a nutritionist or someone with credentials so you can get a "factual answer".

    Is this because you came in here thinking he was wrong and you were right?

    You received factual answers from those who said that the caloric balance is what contributes to weight gain/weight loss (ie almost everyone in this thread)..

    Please understand I'm not trying to belittle you when I say the above even though you may not be comfortable with my answer.

    Here is something good for you to read:
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/hormonal-responses-to-a-fast-food-meal-compared-with-nutritionally-comparable-meals-of-different-composition-research-review.html
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17536194

    100% agree. Could not respond to OP any better.
  • Gramps251
    Gramps251 Posts: 738 Member
    I'm not an expert, but I would think not. Calories from chocolate are going to be much different than from an apple or a healthy snack. There are differences between healthy sugar, such as those found in fruits and veggies, and unhealthy sugar such as the rubbish food. If I remember from some training I had a few years ago with a nutritionist, different foods can be stored in different ways in your body which means he can eat the rubbish but it will still store as fat. Again...not an expert...just what I remember being told.

    A calorie is a calorie. (by definition) Chocolate has them and an apple has them.

    You lose weight by having a calorie deficit.
  • Gramps251
    Gramps251 Posts: 738 Member
    I actually put that to the test last week! I ate my calorie goal but ate fast food for every dinner. I did not lose like I did when I ate healthy. Not even close! So yes, it matters

    Did you hit the same macros?

    Also, weight loss isn't linier. your example doesn't prove anything.
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
    Yes, but it's sad that all one would care about is weight loss when there are so many other health benefits to be gained by properly fueling your body.

    This is a total aside, an totally anecdotal, but for me, when I was eating completely clean, I lost 35 pounds in under four months and never counted a calorie. Since then, for the last 4 months, I've been eating over BMR but under TDEE and have only lost 10 pounds and one size. So while that's counter-intuitive, tracking, exercising, and doing the MFP has been far LESS successful for me than just eating totally clean with no tracking. I don't know why this happened, and it doesn't make sense. No, I am not gaining muscle and losing body fat, as I have been taking measurements.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Yes, but it's sad that all one would care about is weight loss when there are so many other health benefits to be gained by properly fueling your body.

    This is a total aside, an totally anecdotal, but for me, when I was eating completely clean, I lost 35 pounds in under four months and never counted a calorie. Since then, for the last 4 months, I've been eating over BMR but under TDEE and have only lost 10 pounds and one size. So while that's counter-intuitive, tracking, exercising, and doing the MFP has been far LESS successful for me than just eating totally clean with no tracking. I don't know why this happened, and it doesn't make sense. No, I am not gaining muscle and losing body fat, as I have been taking measurements.

    You were creating a larger energy deficit in the former scenario.
  • Belinda658
    Belinda658 Posts: 181 Member
    I actually put that to the test last week! I ate my calorie goal but ate fast food for every dinner. I did not lose like I did when I ate healthy. Not even close! So yes, it matters

    Did you hit the same macros?

    Also, weight loss isn't linier. your example doesn't prove anything.

    Why is it so hard for so many to understand that "if it fits your macros" is NOT the same as just eating lots of junk? If you ate fast food all week you probably went over on fats and carbs.

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