Good Calories vs. Bad Calories - Any Such Thing?

MeShika
MeShika Posts: 10
in Health and Weight Loss
So I posted a topic last week, regarding how discouraged I was with my new change of life, with no obvious results, and got some GREAT feedback.
But here's today's question...MFP has alotted me with 1200 calories to consume in a day, and I was wondering, can I expect to see results as long as I stay within the 1200-ish mark, NO MATTER WHAT IT IS THAT I EAT???
Hopefully this isnt a dumb question, but I am so confused on this. Your insight is always appreciated!

Replies

  • gspea
    gspea Posts: 412 Member
    It isn't a dumb question. Yes you can eat 1200 calories in Ice Cream and still lose weight. BUT and it is a BIG BUT - that is not healthy for you. You are not getting the correct amount of nutrients. I eat anything but I eat the Ice Creams, cookies, sugar foods in a very very tiny portions. My dietician said the following:

    Take your plate and divide in half. One half should be green, colorful veggies. i.e. lettuce, peppers, carrots, cabbage, etc. The more colorful the better.

    The other half - divide that in half - Protein on one side and COMPLEX carbs the other. And your added fat should be mininmal.

    So your goal - 65gms protein, veggies, good Complex Carbs (not white rice, flour, sugar, etc - just think white) and fruits. And the occasional ice cream, cookie, treat, etc. That is the best approach to a consistent and maintainable weight loss.

    Good Luck...
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    I wouldn't call it good or bad calories. I would just say that we need nutritional balance. Obviously eating junk is not good for our health. That is just common sense. An appropriate mix of protien, fat and carbs is all there is to worry about in addition to total calories.
  • Astrofh18
    Astrofh18 Posts: 1
    I have a question too... i am making flax seed, wheat germ and chi seed smoothies but this alone takes up most my calories... are these a bad idea even though i know it's wicked healthy and most of those foods digest really fast? I just find myself using most my allowed calories on it
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    Not so much good or bad. More like different levels of calorie density and nutrient density.
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
    Go to this thread excellent thread below and set your calorie and macros. Then once you meet your protein and fat targets, along with your fiber and micronutrients, the rest can be discretionary. And yes, that means ice cream.:drinker:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    A lot of people are also insulin resistant (truly) or similar and don't know it. Look at the diabetes rates in the US and imagine the rates of pre-diabetes. So for them, food that spikes blood glucose too much for too long can lead to difficulty in losing weight compared to a diet that factors that in.

    The other biggie I can think of is folks who don't eat enough protein to grow or maintain the muscle they could be. Adding/maintaining the muscle affects weight loss and body composition, so protein is important to keep in mind, too, imho.

    So watch your macros. And do play around with the carbs one if you have any reason to suspect you may be pre-diabetic. It could stave off full diabetes, and that's a very good thing! (I'm pre-diabetic, btw, and I wish I could eat donuts and just worry about the calories!).
  • jessikabrook
    jessikabrook Posts: 45 Member
    Nope! You obviously need to work towards getting RDI's of micronutrients, but that doesn't mean you can't eat things that aren't 100% nutrient dense.

    It's okay to have a mixture of things, I think the problem mainly is when people value calorie dense over nutrient dense too much and it causes decifiencies and other issues. x
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    You'll lose weight staying under 1200 calories eating Twinkies all day (as the famous Twinkie Diet has shown). However, if you want to maximize fat loss and retain as much lean body mass and muscle as you can, you will pay real close attention to meeting those macros. Exercise also helps with this.

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