is a calorie a calorie?

kat239
kat239 Posts: 92 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all, im on 1200 calories a day with the aim to loose 2lbs a week. Thats what I put in MFP so if I ate 1200 worth of chocolate would I loose weight? I no this mad but I was just wondering(I don't even eat chocolate) is a calorie a calorie?

Replies

  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    There's numerous threads on this I suggest you try the search feature at the top of the page
  • Ainat266
    Ainat266 Posts: 12 Member
    As far as I am aware... a calorie is a calorie no matter where it's from. Obviously if you ate 1200 calories of chocolate and nothing else though you would not be meeting your body's nutritional needs, so its definitely not advisable!

    On a different note though, 1200 calories a day might not be enough for you dependent on your height, etc. From what I can gather 1200 is the lowest MFP will go, but that doesn't mean that it's healthy.... I'm only short and have a daily goal of 1420 according to MFP. Better to eat a bit more, and healthier and have a steady weight loss then to be hungry all the time and unable to maintain it.
  • nicoleisback
    nicoleisback Posts: 184
    In essence a calorie is a calorie, and if you eat ANYTHING long term at a large enough calorie deficit you will lose weight...but you will not be healthy. The other thing to consider, separate from calories, is other things that can affect your weight. An example is a high salt intake can cause water retention, which means more water weight and bloating for the same calories
  • gigglesinthesun
    gigglesinthesun Posts: 860 Member
    Google Twinkie diet
  • JaneAero
    JaneAero Posts: 95 Member
    Yes a calorie is just a calorie, all calories are one unit of energy, but all calories are nutritionally different. I dont think you would live long enough to lose a significant amount of weight eating just chocolate before your liver developed problems. Just my opinion. Google fatty liver disease, its not just alcohol that causes it but too much fatty food. You need a varied diet to stay healthy and eating bars of chocolate and nothing else could & most probably would raise your risk of having a heart attack or developing diabetes or becoming severely malnourished. Assuming someone could survive that long. I dont know. It doesnt sound healthy.
  • Sean_The_IT_Guy
    Sean_The_IT_Guy Posts: 168
    80d.gif
  • Sean_The_IT_Guy
    Sean_The_IT_Guy Posts: 168
    A calorie is a calorie, just like an inch is an inch, it's a unit of measurement.

    However, if you eat 1200 calories of white sugar a day for 6 months, for example, you'll lose weight, but be ravenously hungry, miserable, and malnourished.

    Eat what you like, but be aware that a diet rich in simple carbs, even if under your limit, will leave you hungry and more likely to further binge later in the day.
  • RaineyLaney
    RaineyLaney Posts: 605 Member
    A calorie is a calorie, but if you eat all junk food for the 1200 calories, you will be sluggish, not feel energized, lazy, etc. (meaning, you would probably not exercise and just lay in bed or be a couch potato.

    Now if you ate healthy, as in fruits, veggies, lean meats.. for the 1200 calories, you would full fill your nutrient needs, which in turn will make you feel lighter on your feet, more energized, happier (cuz you feel good inside, more spunk), Your more apt to go out for a walk, or even hit the gym, or do exercises at home. But you would not feel like laying in bed or being a couch potato.

    So, You most likely would lose the weight quicker by eating healthy, but not due to the calorie = calorie issue, but the lazy=energized issue.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    try the search feature and you will get about a thousand hits on this ..

    but yes a calorie is a calorie and if you eat 1200 of chocolate you will lose weight ...however, it is probably not the healthiest way of doing things....
  • JeffGDDG
    JeffGDDG Posts: 252 Member
    A calorie is a calorie and will determine IF you lose. That being said, the type of calories can determine WHAT you lose (ie fat, muscle loss, etc)
  • joyfuljoy65
    joyfuljoy65 Posts: 317 Member
    argh.jpg
  • bridgie101
    bridgie101 Posts: 817 Member
    Hi all, im on 1200 calories a day with the aim to loose 2lbs a week. Thats what I put in MFP so if I ate 1200 worth of chocolate would I loose weight? I no this mad but I was just wondering(I don't even eat chocolate) is a calorie a calorie?

    A calorie is the energy necessary to heat one cubic centimetre of water one degree celsius.

    It doesn't matter to the water where that fuel came from. A calorie is a calorie. You certainly could go on an only chocolate diet and lose weight. Not sure how long you could keep it up before the malnutrition kicked in, but it doesn't matter to the fire what kind of wood got thrown in it.
  • Wantingslim
    Wantingslim Posts: 37
    Bump
  • cmak2
    cmak2 Posts: 9 Member
    the " secret" weight loss formula is: fewer calories in, more calories out ( ie, exercise). That's what it takes to lose weight. Having said that, it's pretty obvious that healthy eating is the way to get there and if you eat chocolate, you have to add it to your calorie count for the day. And we all know different foods trigger different responses, such as high glycemic foods, high fat or sugar content foods, etc. Also a person's body type, metabolism, and genetics factor in.

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