Calories in vs. calories out?
swall13
Posts: 19 Member
I am sure that this question has been asked before, but I have not been able to find a solid answer. So, will I still lose fat as long as I stay within my calorie goal, no matter what I eat? For example, yesterday I splurged and ate four oreos, however I burnt around 500 calories at the gym, so I stayed within my goal. Is it strictly calories in vs. calories out, or do things such as sugar content make a difference? I also want to make sure that I am not losing any muscle.
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Replies
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At the most basic level: yes. As long as you're not over eating you won't get fat. You could eat only Oreos every day and still lose weight, but you're not going to be very healthy, are you?0
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like exill said. i read once about a man who ate only junk food for two months, but still ate a deficit, and lost a ton of weight. you'll probably have a pretty bad bf% to LBM ration, but you can lose weight doing that.0
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And this would not be nutrittionally sustainable which would lead to all kinds of craving and overeating. As Exill indicates its not that simple.At the most basic level: yes. As long as you're not over eating you won't get fat. You could eat only Oreos every day and still lose weight, but you're not going to be very healthy, are you?0 -
I am sure that this question has been asked before, but I have not been able to find a solid answer. So, will I still lose fat as long as I stay within my calorie goal, no matter what I eat? For example, yesterday I splurged and ate four oreos, however I burnt around 500 calories at the gym, so I stayed within my goal. Is it strictly calories in vs. calories out, or do things such as sugar content make a difference? I also want to make sure that I am not losing any muscle.
calorie in/calorie out is purely about WEIGHT LOSS. if you're concerned about keeping muscle mass, it becomes more important to hit your specific macros.0 -
Ok, now that we all understand that weight loss is calories in/calories out, let's discuss how 4 Oreos is not really splurging. When I splurge on Oreos, it's usually a whole sleeve with milk. Mmmm...Oreos.0
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every thing you eat and do caue you to gain or lose weight. eat smart and move more.0
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Well, assuming you're perfectly measuring how much you burn vs. how much you consume... I still believe there are qualities foods and non-quality foods.
People have different sensitivities to food, so some people can lose weight eating twinkies and pizza, but some have to eat real food. I've seen from personal experience the type of food really matters for me and I've seen people verify this on bodybuilding channels. Body builders meticulously log their food and they know what their maintenance calories are. Some of those guys will just switch foods, hit the same macros, but instead of maintaining some how they're dropping lbs. Things like fiber, sugar, salt, micro-nutrition all play a part in how the body processes food.0 -
I am sure that this question has been asked before, but I have not been able to find a solid answer. So, will I still lose fat as long as I stay within my calorie goal, no matter what I eat? For example, yesterday I splurged and ate four oreos, however I burnt around 500 calories at the gym, so I stayed within my goal. Is it strictly calories in vs. calories out, or do things such as sugar content make a difference? I also want to make sure that I am not losing any muscle.
To preserve muscle, you need high protein intake (1 gram per lb of lean body mass) and real strength training.
As for anything else..... look through my diary. That should answer your questions.0 -
Ok so what I am understanding is that weight loss is calories in vs. calories out, however, fat loss is not. This is what I had suspected before. I do log my food and exercise very carefully, so as long as I am getting enough protein I should be fine, right?0
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Ok so what I am understanding is that weight loss is calories in vs. calories out, however, fat loss is not. This is what I had suspected before. I do log my food and exercise very carefully, so as long as I am getting enough protein I should be fine, right?
If you're getting enough protein and engaging in a heavy lifting program.
How much protein do you get, and what kind of strength training do you do?0 -
Yes0
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Yes
no.
he's specifically talking about dropping body fat while retaining muscle. that's not ONLY cal in/cal out.
it doesn't have to be a heavy lifting program - you just have to be active and do some sort of resistance work a couple times a week to preserve muscle. to build, you'd have to ramp that up a bit. otherwise, the protein part is about accurate, though the accepted range is between .7-1g/ pound of LBM, but that's splitting hairs. 1g works well enough0 -
Aw, c'mon, splurge was perfectly acceptable here. In fact, I give props to the fact that it wasn't a 'binge.' I cringe every time I read the word binge here (from the lunatic fringe).Ok, now that we all understand that weight loss is calories in/calories out, let's discuss how 4 Oreos is not really splurging. When I splurge on Oreos, it's usually a whole sleeve with milk. Mmmm...Oreos.0 -
At the most basic level: yes. As long as you're not over eating you won't get fat. You could eat only Oreos every day and still lose weight, but you're not going to be very healthy, are you?
Wanna make a bet on that? I did an experiment to see what a very low calorie diet would do for me. My BMR is normally 2,900 cal / day. I went down to 1,400 cal / day for 2 weeks. And I gained weight. And my gut got bigger. My body decided it was starving and lowered my BMR. A lot. I felt dizzy, light headed and in a fog all day. So, there is a limit to this whole calories in < calories out = weight loss.
I also FIRMLY believe that the type of calories matters. 1,800 cal / day of a balanced diet is MUCH better for weight loss than 1,500 calories of Snickers bars. I do think there are many combinations that meet the "healthy" criteria, but I prefer the lower carb, higher protein mix myself.
Tom0 -
Aw, c'mon, splurge was perfectly acceptable here. In fact, I give props to the fact that it wasn't a 'binge.' I cringe every time I read the word binge here (from the lunatic fringe).Ok, now that we all understand that weight loss is calories in/calories out, let's discuss how 4 Oreos is not really splurging. When I splurge on Oreos, it's usually a whole sleeve with milk. Mmmm...Oreos.
4 Oreos is an acceptable amount for, let's say, lunch at work. Pack some soup or a sandwich (or both if you wish) a banana and a 4 Oreos...personally, That's no different than a few graham crackers really, but nobody would "splurge" on 4 graham crackers.0 -
Well protein does matter less when you use steroids.0
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At the most basic level: yes. As long as you're not over eating you won't get fat. You could eat only Oreos every day and still lose weight, but you're not going to be very healthy, are you?
Wanna make a bet on that? I did an experiment to see what a very low calorie diet would do for me. My BMR is normally 2,900 cal / day. I went down to 1,400 cal / day for 2 weeks. And I gained weight. And my gut got bigger. My body decided it was starving and lowered my BMR. A lot. I felt dizzy, light headed and in a fog all day. So, there is a limit to this whole calories in < calories out = weight loss.
I also FIRMLY believe that the type of calories matters. 1,800 cal / day of a balanced diet is MUCH better for weight loss than 1,500 calories of Snickers bars. I do think there are many combinations that meet the "healthy" criteria, but I prefer the lower carb, higher protein mix myself.
Tom
your BMR is probably not 2,900 cal...0 -
Well protein does matter less when you use steroids.
that dude does not look like a roider.
and protein doesn't matter quite as much as many believe. it's only 20% of my diet0 -
Well protein does matter less when you use steroids.
that dude does not look like a roider.
and protein doesn't matter quite as much as many believe. it's only 20% of my diet
And this is why using percentages for macros is silly. Your goal is 150 grams of protein a day, which is probably pretty close to 1g per lb of lbm. I imagine you're also eating maintenance calories at 3000 a day, which actually decreases your protein needs.0 -
Ok so what I am understanding is that weight loss is calories in vs. calories out, however, fat loss is not. This is what I had suspected before. I do log my food and exercise very carefully, so as long as I am getting enough protein I should be fine, right?
You need to look at your other nutrients, not just protein. A balanced approach is best.0 -
It's unlikely someone would choose to splurge on graham crackers, I agree, but a splurge is relative. Maybe swall severely limits her sugar intake. Four Oreos could be a very big splurge.4 Oreos is an acceptable amount for, let's say, lunch at work. Pack some soup or a sandwich (or both if you wish) a banana and a 4 Oreos...personally, That's no different than a few graham crackers really, but nobody would "splurge" on 4 graham crackers.0 -
Well protein does matter less when you use steroids.
that dude does not look like a roider.
and protein doesn't matter quite as much as many believe. it's only 20% of my diet
And this is why using percentages for macros is silly. Your goal is 150 grams of protein a day, which is probably pretty close to 1g per lb of lbm. I imagine you're also eating maintenance calories at 3000 a day, which actually decreases your protein needs.
totally true and a valid point. total grams ARE more important than ratios, but many people do base their intake on ratios - whether generally meaningless or not.
point is, some people eat 300g of protein a day. I used to myself. in no world is that necessary - even if you are bulking.0 -
totally true and a valid point. total grams ARE more important than ratios, but many people do base their intake on ratios - whether generally meaningless or not.
point is, some people eat 300g of protein a day. I used to myself. in no world is that necessary - even if you are bulking.
I can't imagine that being necessary for anyone, except maybe a pro where every half-ounce of muscle really matters and they have a ton of lbm.0 -
it is mostly cals in vs cals out BUT carb sensitivity can be a factor, the thermogenic effect of some foods can be a factor,I am sure that this question has been asked before, but I have not been able to find a solid answer. So, will I still lose fat as long as I stay within my calorie goal, no matter what I eat? For example, yesterday I splurged and ate four oreos, however I burnt around 500 calories at the gym, so I stayed within my goal. Is it strictly calories in vs. calories out, or do things such as sugar content make a difference? I also want to make sure that I am not losing any muscle.0 -
I currently weigh around 140, and so I try to eat at least 90 grams of protein but that is sometimes hard. I currently am running around 5 miles every day without any resistance training, but it seems like I need to add some in or else I will lose muscle. Oh and I am woman btw haha.0
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I currently weigh around 140, and so I try to eat at least 90 grams of protein but that is sometimes hard. I currently am running around 5 miles every day without any resistance training, but it seems like I need to add some in or else I will lose muscle. Oh and I am woman btw haha.
one of the biggest myths out there is that women shouldn't do resistance work for fear of getting "bulky"
women can't get bulky like men unless they're specifically TRYING to. so yes, start lifting some weights!!
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I just recently started trying to get fit and the hardest part for me has been my sugar cravings. I just cant seem to get past the sweets so that's part of why I posted this. But it seems like as long as I have a balanced diet, I should be able to have sweets in moderation as long as I don't go over my calorie limit....Right?0
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I just recently started trying to get fit and the hardest part for me has been my sugar cravings. I just cant seem to get past the sweets so that's part of why I posted this. But it seems like as long as I have a balanced diet, I should be able to have sweets in moderation as long as I don't go over my calorie limit....Right?
Yup. Don't deny yourself stuff you're craving; that's a recipe for giving up. Just plan ahead to allow yourself to have the stuff you crave in moderate amounts that you can fit into your plan.0 -
i guess it depends on the kind of body you want and the kind of body thats best for your sport.I currently weigh around 140, and so I try to eat at least 90 grams of protein but that is sometimes hard. I currently am running around 5 miles every day without any resistance training, but it seems like I need to add some in or else I will lose muscle. Oh and I am woman btw haha.0 -
I currently weigh around 140, and so I try to eat at least 90 grams of protein but that is sometimes hard. I currently am running around 5 miles every day without any resistance training, but it seems like I need to add some in or else I will lose muscle. Oh and I am woman btw haha.
Yeah, definitely devote time to strength training. That's where that firm, toned look comes from. Muscle is what creates perky butts, flat abs, and shapely thighs. Look at this pic: the girl on the right weighs MORE but is thinner and shapelier. That's a result of the muscle she built.
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