Calories are Calories!
Replies
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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.0 -
here's all I'll say
1 Gram of fat 9 Calories
1 Gram of protein 4 Calories
1 Gram of carbohydrates 4 Calories0 -
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.
Carlos0 -
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.0
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All I can tell you is that I didn't get my body by eating cake and cheeseburgers....just saying
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 motivated0 -
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!0 -
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.0 -
All I can tell you is that I didn't get my body by eating cake and cheeseburgers....just saying
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!0 -
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-loss0 -
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!!!!0 -
Well said, Angie! I must admit, when I first read your original post, I was thinking, "Whaaat???" I get what you were trying to say now. But I think because of the confusion, a lot of good points were brought up!
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I don't think anyone was sincerely angry with you, Angie. We were all just under the impression that you thought you could eat WHATEVER you want within your calorie limit and still lose weight and be healthy. We wouldn't want you going around thinking you'd look skinny and fit after living off a very small amount of junk food for months! Not only was everyone trying to help you, but they were also trying to prevent others from reading your post (which admittedly lacked a few important details about choosing healthy foods!) and thinking that THEY could eat whatever they wanted! Many of us know what it takes to get the weight off, and that is something we want to share with others. A lot of us have been large our entire lives, and we know what kind of behaviors got us there and KEPT us there. One of those things is definitely clinging to foods that we know are bad for us just because it fits into our "DIET." Pure instinct lead us to cry "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" very loudly when we read this. Because we have most of us been there... And not only do we never want to go back, we want to help everyone who is there now join us on our journey towards health and fitness!
I think we have all gotten out point across here. Cutting calories is only half the battle! 0 -
Exactly, my father wasn't overweight by any means, but he died from sudden heart failure because of WHAT he was eating, not how much. The TYPES of things you're putting into your body are just as important as the calorie count, if not more so.
The basic weight loss computation is this: Take your base metabolic rate (BMR, not to be confused with BMI), add to that however many calories you burn that day, that's your total daily burn. Take 15-20% of that, subtract it off the total, and that is how many daily calories you should aim for as far as eating. Then make sure those calories are from healthy foods that do good things for your body, as opposed to bad things such as raising your glycemic index, clogging your arteries, etc...THAT is how you'll see results!0 -
Maybe, maybe not. You can easily eat 3000 calories doing this. I used eat about 2200 calories a day and I definitely ate most of them between 3pm and midnight.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 1500some 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
If someone is going to eat unhealthy because some people on the internet said it was okay, they have deeper issues than their weight. :laugh: We are all adults here and should be able to express our opinions without worrying that we will "give permission" to people who want to be stupid. If people want to be stupid, they will be and that's their issue not ours.
I have biceps to die for and 18% body fat and I do eat those things. Not every day, but once in a while. Most experts say you can eat healthy 80% of the time and be healthy. I think there is a place for all kinds of food in the diet. The place for some of them may be very small and very infrequent, but it's there, if you enjoy them and want to make a place for them.All I can tell you is that I didn't get my body by eating cake and cheeseburgers....just saying
Btw, clinical data doesn't support that belief that most of us have that eating saturated fat leads to cardiac disease. Most people who have cardiac disease either are overweight (thus over-working their heart) or have a genetic tendency to clogged arteries or both.
There actually is some science to back this up. While weight loss is about calories in vs. calories out as its bottom line, some people are sensitive to white carbs and those will slow down their metabolism. So, if that is you, when you eat processed carbs, your calories out goes down without you realizing it. So now your calories in is greater than your calories out when it seems like nothing has changed.I have no real science to back me up but this is what I have found to be true over the past 5 years.
This is also why diets get less effective over time. Because yo-yo dieting lowers your metabolism and long-term dieting lowers your metabolism. So does getting older. You can combat all these things with exercise and other things, but it does need to be factored in. If your BMR gets lower, then your total calories in needs to be lower too.0 -
i realize exactly what u meant by this thread. and im really sorry i was a monster. i really meant no harm.
im just completely surrounded by bad eaters. my parents' pill counter/weekly-holder-thingy has about 10 pills a day. NO EXAGGERATION.
both of my parents have had heart surgery!
im only 21! i want them to see my future children grow.
in no way in hell do i wanna lose a single pound. im maintaining.
i have been 145 before, now im 120. i feel great.
but i eat healthy so that i never have to go through what my parents go through.
diabetes, BP, cholesterol, heart disease, lack of energy, chronic pain =/
again sorry i was a monster.... it kinda just hit home with me.0 -
Btw, clinical data doesn't support that belief that most of us have that eating saturated fat leads to cardiac disease. Most people who have cardiac disease either are overweight (thus over-working their heart) or have a genetic tendency to clogged arteries or both.
and what in the world kinda data shows that?!?!?!?!0 -
Btw, clinical data doesn't support that belief that most of us have that eating saturated fat leads to cardiac disease. Most people who have cardiac disease either are overweight (thus over-working their heart) or have a genetic tendency to clogged arteries or both.
and what in the world kinda data shows that?!?!?!?!
found this nyu med article u might wanna check out regarding saturated fats and CAD (coronary artery dx) =]
http://www.med.nyu.edu/patientcare/library/article.html?ChunkIID=11986
and another from harvard med
http://www.mgh.harvard.edu/children/adolescenthealth/articles/aa_cholesterol_and_triglycerides.aspx
again... to the OP im seriously not trying to attack ur thread. but some things are just plain WRONG.
goodnight.0 -
Maybe, maybe not. You can easily eat 3000 calories doing this. I used eat about 2200 calories a day and I definitely ate most of them between 3pm and midnight.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 1500some poor soul will search "is a calorie a calorie?!"
and they will see this thread!
biceps to die for at 18% body fat eh? good for tooting your horn there, why the size of your biceps matter I have no idea. My point was the less crap you eat the more your body is willing to show it's true potential..nosh on your burger and enjoy, but i'd rather have my chicken breast. Oh and thought i'd mention i'm at 10.9% body fat, I'd show a pic of my biceps to die for, only I don't think they'd fit in my DP...lol! my pic is almost a year old, i've come a long way...since were tooting horns here..TOOT TOOT!
and instead of eating healthy, they wont! thats why im so heated lol
If someone is going to eat unhealthy because some people on the internet said it was okay, they have deeper issues than their weight. :laugh: We are all adults here and should be able to express our opinions without worrying that we will "give permission" to people who want to be stupid. If people want to be stupid, they will be and that's their issue not ours.
I have biceps to die for and 18% body fat and I do eat those things. Not every day, but once in a while. Most experts say you can eat healthy 80% of the time and be healthy. I think there is a place for all kinds of food in the diet. The place for some of them may be very small and very infrequent, but it's there, if you enjoy them and want to make a place for them.All I can tell you is that I didn't get my body by eating cake and cheeseburgers....just saying
Btw, clinical data doesn't support that belief that most of us have that eating saturated fat leads to cardiac disease. Most people who have cardiac disease either are overweight (thus over-working their heart) or have a genetic tendency to clogged arteries or both.
There actually is some science to back this up. While weight loss is about calories in vs. calories out as its bottom line, some people are sensitive to white carbs and those will slow down their metabolism. So, if that is you, when you eat processed carbs, your calories out goes down without you realizing it. So now your calories in is greater than your calories out when it seems like nothing has changed.I have no real science to back me up but this is what I have found to be true over the past 5 years.
This is also why diets get less effective over time. Because yo-yo dieting lowers your metabolism and long-term dieting lowers your metabolism. So does getting older. You can combat all these things with exercise and other things, but it does need to be factored in. If your BMR gets lower, then your total calories in needs to be lower too.0 -
Btw, clinical data doesn't support that belief that most of us have that eating saturated fat leads to cardiac disease. Most people who have cardiac disease either are overweight (thus over-working their heart) or have a genetic tendency to clogged arteries or both.
and what in the world kinda data shows that?!?!?!?!
found this nyu med article u might wanna check out regarding saturated fats and CAD (coronary artery dx) =]
http://www.med.nyu.edu/patientcare/library/article.html?ChunkIID=11986
and another from harvard med
http://www.mgh.harvard.edu/children/adolescenthealth/articles/aa_cholesterol_and_triglycerides.aspx
That isn't clinical data. That's a general information article written for lay people that just repeats the "saturated fat causes heart disease" myth that the medical community has been pounding for ages even though the studies don't support it.
This article talks about the recently published meta-study that looked at 20 previous studies and determined there is no link between saturated fat intake and heart disease:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=carbs-against-cardio
Some excerpts from this article:
"Processed carbohydrates, which many Americans eat today in place of fat, may increase the risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease more than fat does."
"The finding joins other conclusions of the past few years that run counter to the conventional wisdom that saturated fat is bad for the heart because it increases total cholesterol levels. That idea is “based in large measure on extrapolations, which are not supported by the data,” Krauss says."
"One problem with the old logic is that “total cholesterol is not a great predictor of risk,” says Meir Stampfer, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. Although saturated fat boosts blood levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol, it also increases “good” HDL cholesterol."
"In 2008 Stampfer co-authored a study in the New England Journal of Medicine that followed 322 moderately obese individuals for two years as they adopted one of three diets: a low-fat, calorie-restricted diet based on American Heart Association guidelines; a Mediterranean, restricted-calorie diet rich in vegetables and low in red meat; and a low-carbohydrate, nonrestricted-calorie diet. Although the subjects on the low-carb diet ate the most saturated fat, they ended up with the healthiest ratio of HDL to LDL cholesterol and lost twice as much weight as their low-fat-eating counterparts."
I think all of this makes sense. Heart disease and obesity in this country started skyrocketing when processed foods became a staple in our diets. In the meantime, we had this emphasis on eating low fat which has just made it worse because now people are eating foods high in sugar in order to avoid fat.0 -
this may be true but I can tell you from experience that 1200 calories of fat/sugar and white carbs DOES look differnent on my body than 1200 calories of lean meat/greens/fruits and veggies.
I agree. A test was done on these twin sisters that only ate candy bars. Their hair was falling out, teeth rotten, they were malnourished and overall disgusting. If you want to believe that a diet of 1500 calories of crap is going to run your body the same as 1500 calories of quality foods then you are misinformed. Just as a 7 series BMW would crap out on 87 octane fuel. Crap in/crap out. Simple as that. Calories ARE NOT created equal.
A treat once in awhile is just fine. But at some point you need to decide if you want to fuel your temple like a Dodge Neon or fuel it like a BMW.0
This discussion has been closed.
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