Calories are Calories!

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  • metizzy2
    metizzy2 Posts: 122
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    You’ve probably heard that eating unhealthy foods like sugar, fatty foods, fast foods, & alcohol will make you gain weight and that eating healthy foods like vegetables, fruits, and low fat foods will prevent you from gaining weight.

    This is all totally untrue, the truth is that it’s not what you eat that makes you gain weight it’s how much of what you eat that makes you gain weight. You’ll gain weight if you eat too many calories worth of healthy or unhealthy foods.

    Not to be contrary (okay, I am being contrary), 200 calories from eating fruits, veggies, lean meats, and whole grains will be a gazillion times better for you then eating 200 calories of processed, fatty, sugary, nutrient low food. Foods are not created equal, nor are calories.

    I TOTALLY agree with you!!
  • metizzy2
    metizzy2 Posts: 122
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    I agree with Olivia! All Foods are not created equal. You may eat 3 cheeseburgers 3 fries and 2 apple pies daily but in the end will exercising prevent you from getting Diabetes or Heart Disease? NO!!! My Father was in the Army jogged 6 miles everyday was a health freak in terms of exercising and taking Vitamins daily but he ate horribly ate times and stayed slim from all the jogging and working out! But he died from clogged arteries!!! So in the end all that jogging didn't help and those bad food choices killed him!!! And to think about it he didn't eat bad everyday but it all adds up!!! To live a longer life you must eat healthy and exercise regularly. Not only do we want to lose weight we want to live too!!

    Well said!!
  • antiadipose
    antiadipose Posts: 447
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    I agree with Olivia! All Foods are not created equal. You may eat 3 cheeseburgers 3 fries and 2 apple pies daily but in the end will exercising prevent you from getting Diabetes or Heart Disease? NO!!! My Father was in the Army jogged 6 miles everyday was a health freak in terms of exercising and taking Vitamins daily but he ate horribly ate times and stayed slim from all the jogging and working out! But he died from clogged arteries!!! So in the end all that jogging didn't help and those bad food choices killed him!!! And to think about it he didn't eat bad everyday but it all adds up!!! To live a longer life you must eat healthy and exercise regularly. Not only do we want to lose weight we want to live too!!

    ive seen many ""skinny""-looking ppl with zero energy, bad skin, short breaths who will eventually go on blood pressure medication, cholesterol medication, insulin... u name it they got it.

    and u hear ppl say "wow but they look so fit!!!" id rather not look like an athlete but still have healthier insides.

    sorry for you father hun =(
    but from that story we must learn something.
    theres so many topics on here talking about the same thing... i guess u gotta ask urself "WHY AM I DOING THIS?!"

    and im sorry but when i as myself that, my response "because i wanna live a long healthy life! i wanna never depend on meds... and i wanna still jog and chase my grandkids when im 80 =]"
  • metizzy2
    metizzy2 Posts: 122
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    While a calorie may be a calorie, they are not exactly equal. For example, if you consume 1200 calories at McDonald's for lunch, how long will it take for you to be hungry again? If you spread 1200 calories of fruits and vegetables throughout the day you may not even need anything else, although I would recommend some other types of food! ;)

    The point is, if you save up all your calories and go to McDonald's you are going to be hungry ALL DAY.

    Now, try spreading one meal at McDonald's into three or four meals and see how you feel!

    All foods are not created equal!!
    Your post reminded me of my 19 yr old son today. He is in excellent shape and eats whatever and whenever he wants without gaining a pound. Today for lunch he went to Moe's (a mexican grill) and had a HUGE burrito and corn chips, then a couple of hours later he went to Chick Filet and ordered a spicy chicken sandwich AND a large strawberry shake WITH whipped cream. We figured out his calories, just from Chick Filet, and it was 1200!!!!!! That's what I consume in a day (without exercising). Interesting thing is that he slept right through dinner, and here it is 11pm..and he just woke up. All that junk food made him very tired!!!! He has a fast metabolism and burns about 4000 calories a day as a karate instructor, but I told him that he needs to think about his heart....and that just because he's thin and athletic doesn't mean his arteries are clear.
  • imagymrat
    imagymrat Posts: 862 Member
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    All I can tell you is that I didn't get my body by eating cake and cheeseburgers....just saying :wink:
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
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    this is actually the MAIN issue of the world!!!!!!

    i know so many ppl who skip breakfast, nibble on lunch... then BAM FEAST ON DINNER. if a calorie was a calorie those ppl would have no problem! would they??? cuz technically that person above probably had 1500

    i had 1500 today


    Before Gym

    Fruit - Banana - 6", 1 approx 81g 72
    Better'n Peanut Butter - Peanut Butter, 1 tablespoons 50
    Fresh Fruit - Apricot, 35 g 17

    Breakfast (After Gym)

    Quaker Oats Old Fashioned - Oatmeal - 1/2 Cup Dry, 1/2 cup dry 150
    Bobs Red Mill - Whole Ground Flax Seed Meal, 1 Tbsp 30
    Aldi Fit & Acitve - Vanilla Nonfat Yogurt, 0.5 cup 70
    Coffee - Brewed from grounds, 1 cup (8 fl oz) 2
    Generic - Almonds - Raw, Whole, Each , 10 each 70
    Spices - Cinnamon, ground, 1 tsp 6
    Silk - Vanilla Soy Milk, 1 Cup 100

    Lunch

    Bumble Bee - Chuck Light Tuna (In Water) 5oz Can, 1 container (4 oz draineds ea.) 120
    Generic - Green Onions, 1 stalk chopped 3
    Tomatoes (Cherry) - Cherry Tomatoes, 10 tomatoes 40
    Spinach - Raw, 2 cup 14
    Cucumber - With peel, raw, 0.5 cup slices 8
    Pace - Chuncky Salsa Hot, 2 tbsp 10
    Oasis - Whole Wheat Pita (Large & Thin Pockets), 0.66 whole pita 79

    Snack

    Fit & Active (Aldi) - Apple Cinnamon Rice Cakes, 1 cake 50
    Better'n Peanut Butter - Peanut Butter, 1 tablespoons 50
    Prickly pears - Raw, 1 fruit without refuse 42

    Dinner

    Members Mark - Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 0.25 Tbsp 30
    Boca Meatless Burger - Original Big Burgers, 2 burger 200
    Onions - Raw, 0.25 cup, chopped 17
    Generic - Raw Bell Pepper - Green/Red/Yellow/Orange, 0.5 medium 15
    Generic - Potatoes - Roast, 50 g (3oz.) 50
    Birds Eye - Steamfresh Frozen Vegetables: Broccoli, Cauliflower & Carrots, 1 Cup (84g) 40
    Generic - Portabella Mushroom, 0.25 whole 11
    Tomatoes (Cherry) - Cherry Tomatoes, 5 tomatoes 20

    Snack

    Fresh - Watermelon, 2 cup 92
    Generic - Almonds - Raw, Whole, Each , 10 each 70
    Lindt & Sprungli Dark Chocolate Excellence - 70% Cocoa Intense Dark, 1 squares 55


    Totals 1,583
    Your Daily Goal 1,910
    Remaining 327

    i didnt eat the rest of my exercise cals. because im STUFFED! lol who wouldnt be. ive been eating alll day. seriously LOOK!


    **********im seriously willing to eat 1500 calories of healthy food. vs some1 who eats 1500 calories of not so healthy food.***********

    plz! id love to prove this theory because everything ive learned goes against this!
    whoever eats the unhealthy 1500 will not have the energy to work out half as much as i will ... therefore wont lose weight!

    I UNDERSTAND THE OPs POINT COMPLETELY!
    BUT WHY PROMOTE THIS?!?!?!?!

    how did we all find this site?! we searched something on another.

    some poor soul will search "is a calorie a calorie?!"
    and they will see this thread!

    and instead of eating healthy, they wont! thats why im so heated lol

    Thanks Andi.......I am cutting this to a word doc........you rock!
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
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    All I can tell you is that I didn't get my body by eating cake and cheeseburgers....just saying :wink:

    :bigsmile:
  • AnnaPixie
    AnnaPixie Posts: 7,439 Member
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    I agree with you Angie. The bottom line is you need to eat less than you're expending.

    However, good health is based on good nutrition. I think we all know, and agree, on that?

    But, I might add, good nutrition is a totally separate issue but why everyone here is up in arms. They have confused your point and taken your coconuts literally!!! :laugh:

    I think the health fanatics of this world can lead pure and perfect lives all they like and be happy. Good luck to them :bigsmile: Are they guaranteed to live longer?? Nope! My perfectly athletic friend who ran a marathon once a month dropped dead from a ruptured aorta last month - age 43!

    Personally, I'm happier knowing I can still eat a kit kat or some ice cream and have a glass of wine and still lose weight if its within my calorie count. I'm MUCH happier sticking the 80/20 rule in life. 80% perfect, 20% debauched....lol :drinker:

    I'm realistic about my own lifestyle, so are you, I think :wink:
  • DeeDeeLHF
    DeeDeeLHF Posts: 2,301 Member
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    All I can say is what my personal experience has been and from my experience, a calorie is not a calorie.

    I do not know why and I know that it defies basic physiology but if I am eating really clean and healthy I can consume an extra 200 calories per day above my baseline and still lose/maintain. When I eat the garbage stuff or fake foods I have to stay really close to my baseline or I will gain. Plus, I feel like the garbage I am eating.

    My body simply runs better on healthy food. It digests better. It functions better and as a result I think it uses those calories more efficiently. Kind of like premium gas in a car.

    I have no real science to back me up but this is what I have found to be true over the past 5 years.

    D
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
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    I agree with you Angie. The bottom line is you need to eat less than you're expending.

    However, good health is based on good nutrition. I think we all know, and agree, on that?

    But, I might add, good nutrition is a totally separate issue but why everyone here is up in arms. They have confused your point and taken your coconuts literally!!! :laugh:

    I think the health fanatics of this world can lead pure and perfect lives all they like and be happy. Good luck to them :bigsmile: Are they guaranteed to live longer?? Nope! My perfectly athletic friend who ran a marathon once a month dropped dead from a ruptured aorta last month - age 43!

    Personally, I'm happier knowing I can still eat a kit kat or some ice cream and have a glass of wine and still lose weight if its within my calorie count. I'm MUCH happier sticking the 80/20 rule in life. 80% perfect, 20% debauched....lol :drinker:

    I'm realistic about my own lifestyle, so are you, I think :wink:

    Hmm, didn't realize we were argueing with OP. I thought we were all here to give our opinions........and opinion is all I have.

    I have been losing and exercising and changing my eating for 2 years. Last month I had a stroke (mini-TIA thank GOD) went tot he hospital and they ran a million tests.

    Turns out I had a hole in my heart.............a biggin too!!! :heart:

    I was PO'd to say the least that I had to have heart surgery. ME............I am the one eating right, exercising, losing weight, getting stronger...........while all these loved ones around me eat crap, smoke and do not exercise.

    The dr told me "Yes my dear, this is why we can bring you in RIGHT NOW!! and fix the problem, because you are otherwise healthy"

    The food we eat DOES matter...........I subscribe to the "eat the crap if ya want it" theory........because I know if I don't I will eat it sometime..............but like at 1 am and in a bucket!

    I am far from a clean eater, but I know for a fact that if you eat better, cleaner, healthier.........a calorie is NOT just a calorie.

    My waistline is proof. I have been eating 1400 cals a day of crap for a month and I have not gained one pound, but my shorts will not button. Explain it? Nope-just gonna stop the madness.

    OP........thanks so much for posting this as you are soley responsible for gettting me back on track! When I can button my drawers again I am going to be thinking of you! :smooched: :smooched:
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    Several people have pointed out that people are missing the OP's point - that yes, quality (nutrition) is important, but that this post is about quantity.

    The reason we've been so quick to point out that to lose weight in a healthy way and to truly be a healthy individual, you HAVE to consider not just quantity of calories, but the quality of those calories consumed (which is not the point the OP was getting at) is that there is a real danger in posting a post like this that says you can lose weight eating anything you want. Some people are desperate to lose weight and they don't *want* to have to work hard or change their habits to do so. These type of people will find anything they can to justify their habits - this could be consciously or unconsciously. A post like this could give these people, or perhaps new users of MFP who don't know anything about *healthy* weight loss the idea that quality is not important and quantity is all that matters, which is not true at all.

    So, yes, in a way the OP is absolutely correct. Although it would be completely unsatisfying and there's no way I would stick to it long-term, I could lose weight by restricting my calories while eating a very unbalanced diet. But MFP Is about losing weight in a healthy way, so most of us on here feel it is vital to point out that BOTH quantity and quality are important to take into consideration for healthy weight loss.

    To the OP's follow up comment - I agree that "treats" (fast food, whatever you want to call it) are okay occasionally in limited portion sizes because occasional, very small portions of not-so-great quality isn't going to hurt us, but this was not the conclusion that I (and most of the others, it seems) naturally felt that the original post pointed people to. To me it seemed the the original post was making the argument that we don't have to eat healthy at all to lose weight, which may be technically true, but would not be a healthy way to approach weight loss.
  • blakejohn
    blakejohn Posts: 1,129 Member
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    here's all I'll say

    1 Gram of fat 9 Calories

    1 Gram of protein 4 Calories

    1 Gram of carbohydrates 4 Calories
  • cparter
    cparter Posts: 754 Member
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    Careful Careful lemmons.

    Calories are calories, true. Calorie control is key so this we can all agree.

    However if a man is only worried about calorie control and lives on a tub of at each day as long as he does not succeed his calorie goal will he still be healthy at the end of the day?

    Ridiculous argument here since it fails to promote the other side of the coin. Which is eating wisely, reducing fat/sodium, balancing carbs/proteins while still maintain calorie control (restriction) based on a healthy weight loss goal all coupled by a good exercise program.

    Agree with the post all you desire but also think before you jump on the wagon. If you just go through with the idea that calories are calories and do not learn then blame yourself on that yo-yo system or that heart attack/continuous high blood pressure because the calories may have been good but the choices sucked.

    Throw your stones but wake up.

    Carlos
  • angiereid
    angiereid Posts: 158
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    for those of you upset about this post you need to read between the lines the point was not to make people eat whatever they want is was to let them realize that it is okay to eat what you want as long as you are smart about it and portion it out because no one should deprive themselves. i agree eating healthier calories is better but if i dont want to that day i know i can eat what i want and still lose weight because i exercise and watch my portion control.
  • angiereid
    angiereid Posts: 158
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    All I can tell you is that I didn't get my body by eating cake and cheeseburgers....just saying :wink:

    i realize that i guess i should have been more detailed when i wrote this being my point was to make people realize they dont have to say i can never have this again if i want to lose weight if we realize that calories are calories then we will know that we just need to control ourselves and occasional splurge or two will not defeat you, because if you are working hard to lose weight you need a reward to keep you motivated
  • johnphays
    johnphays Posts: 26
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    FYI this isn't true at all.

    While technically everything has calories, what you put into your body to make up those calories is EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY important!!

    Putting 1200 calories of pure sugar into your body vs putting 1200 calories of veggies, fiber, healthy carbs such as sweet potatoes, etc....makes a WORLD of difference, and can save or destroy your health!!

    This is an EXTREMELY dangerous and unhealthy way of thinking, and this myth needs to be tossed aside ASAP!!

    Be responsible, eat HEALTHY foods, and your body will SHOW you the difference!
  • cparter
    cparter Posts: 754 Member
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    for those of you upset about this post you need to read between the lines the point was not to make people eat whatever they want is was to let them realize that it is okay to eat what you want as long as you are smart about it and portion it out because no one should deprive themselves. i agree eating healthier calories is better but if i dont want to that day i know i can eat what i want and still lose weight because i exercise and watch my portion control.

    If this line would have been in the original post it would be better suited. The problem was the second poster and one other bragged about losing weight just by controlling calories but that basically assumed you were giving the green light so those people will be the ones with the heart attacks and clogged arteries. Every good deed should be done in its fullest or it will miss the track. Now that you have added this it makes your point drive home better although I promote weening or something that fills the same desire but from a healthier source. I promote that if you absolutely can not leave something alone then do it in moderation and account for it. The key is to keep track of your fat and salt in take. Balance you proteins, carbs and fat and move to keep your heart strong.

    I accept your idea now that you have finished the subject. My warnings are for those who jumped on the wagon like oh yeah that is what I am saying and I lost this and that eating bad so I am here as an example vice those who have learned that calories react different and they refuse to live by that principle.
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
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    All I can tell you is that I didn't get my body by eating cake and cheeseburgers....just saying :wink:

    i realize that i guess i should have been more detailed when i wrote this being my point was to make people realize they dont have to say i can never have this again if i want to lose weight if we realize that calories are calories then we will know that we just need to control ourselves and occasional splurge or two will not defeat you, because if you are working hard to lose weight you need a reward to keep you motivated

    Oh Hon, I think you started a great conversation!! I don't think most of us took this wrongly.

    All info is good info!
  • cparter
    cparter Posts: 754 Member
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    Also, review my post on rewards and you will see another opinion that promotes health.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/114960-what-should-be-a-reward-for-weight-loss
  • angiereid
    angiereid Posts: 158
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    thanks everyone for all your comments, i guess when i post things i should be detailed more and say what i am really thinking, i guess i just thought everyone would see where i was coming from, sorry to have made anyone upset, i really just wanted people to feel like this is a lifestyle not a diet.
    a crucial difference between this program and your typical "miracle" diet is that miracle diets tend to give you a big bang-maybe a quick or surprisingly substantial weight loss-that peters out fairly quickly. the beauty of this program is that it provides you with a series of ongoing victories. each day you take a few small steps, then build on them the day after that. sure, there are set backs-everyone has them-but those victories will add up, and pretty soon you'll be amazed at how different your life has become. and what could be more alluring than the prospect of waking up to your best life? so let's roll up our sleeves and get to work!!!!

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