A Calorie is NOT just a Calorie

Yeah, people just get caught up in semantics mostly. People confuse a calorie is a calorie with not all calories are created equal all the time.

^This!!

It's before midnight here. I'll call that four in one day. I'm going to be on some cult deprogrammer top ten list this week. And they told me it was foolish to joust at windmills.

I am I, Don Quixote,
The Lord of La Mancha,
My destiny calls and I go,
And the wild winds of fortune
Will carry me onward,
Oh whithersoever they blow.

Whithersoever they blow,
Onward to glory I go!

I should save fewer calories for wine, I think.

Did you see that one lady? She was like "Holy quotes, batman!" when she saw this.

NOWAY!

Not that I can even begin to be bothered to read most of the replies on here, but this topic is so redundant it's practically completely impotent.

A calorie IS just a calorie. A calorie is a UNIT OF ENERGY. It is the approximate amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius. It is not one calorie of fat, nor one calorie of protein, nor a calorie of carbs. It can only be what it is. ENERGY.

Where the misunderstanding lies is the NUTRITIONAL VALUE in the foods that provide those calories.

YES, if you stuff your face with burgers at the appropriate deficit, you WILL lose weight. It's that simple.

If you stuff your face with healthy foods, you will get the NUTRITIONAL benefits that come along with it, but a 1,000 calories of broccoli still has the same amount of ENERGY as in 1,000 calories worth of junk. The composition of these foods are different, therefore have different effects on the body.

So - Calories = A unit of energy
Nutrition = The composition of the foods you eat

A CALORIE IS JUST A CALORIE.



Oh, and whilst we're at it... Muscle doesn't weigh more than fat either. 1lbs of muscle weighs the same as 1lbs of fat. The fat just takes up more room.


Edit for spellinz from angry typing.

I just don't understand why people would rather have 1,500 of junk that in the end will do more harm than good to your health than eating 1,500 of tasty, healthy food that will make you a healthier human being. Why would I like to eat 1,000 at one sitting on McDonalds instead of 1,000 calories of meat, veggies, nuts, and even dessert during the day?

And forgive my english...

yea, you just don't get it..no one is saying that…

what people are trying to say is that you can eat moderately healthy and still have things like pizza, cookies, fast food, etc, and you will lose weight, hit your goals, and be in good health ...

It would seem that's what some hear when all they read is "a calorie is a calorie" and "you can lose weight eating only at McDonalds". Which is the danger in posting that again and again and again with no further explanation.

Yeah, what you just said? That's what they're saying *now*. A colossal improvement from "eat whatever you want".

I did that.

again, you miss the point. Yes, technically, you can eat whatever you want, be in a deficit, and lose weight. I always advocate the 80/20 approach..80% healthy/20% whatever you want….so I am not sure who the "they" is that you are talking about …

I believe some people use that as an example to demonstrate it really is calories in vs calories out..but I have not seen anyone provided advice that one follow that approach….

The point is that "technically" isn't very good advice. And the non stop drone of nonsense could (and obviously DID) create the wrong impression. And it's misleading to have a whole gang of people trained to say it again and again, when they know (again, obviously by posts they've made here) that there's more to it than that.

Look at what you just said. If a calorie is a calorie, why do you advocate the 80/20 approach? And what's "healthy"? I've been told again and again that "there's no bad food". Then what's the 20? And why, in the name of GOD would you take offense to anyone saying that there's more to know than "a calorie is a calorie" after they acknowledge again and again that "technically" it's accurate?

As soon as you segregate calories into "Healthy" and "Whatever you want" you're saying - are you ready for this - A calorie is NOT a calorie! Congratulations.

Eddie, have you ever thought to step back from the computer and not type with so much emotion?


No one on this board advocates for extreme diets, living off mcdonalds or complete disregard for macronutrients. Where you get caught and upset is how we point out semantics such as, can you eat all your meals at McDonalds and still lose weight or all your calories from xx food and still lose weight. Of course the answer is yes. Heck, There has been a few days where I had nothing but Chipotle burrito bowls (phenomenal day in my life); I even had a good macronutrient break out between carbs, fats and protein. But those are exceptions and no one maintains that eating style.

Heck, if you look at all of us "cultist", we all live by the 80/20 IIFYM rule. The longer you are here, the more you will see that. So just because you are struggling with the extreme, doesn't mean we aren't saying the same thing as you. So seriously, step back and relax. We aren't going to advocate that a person should just eat Twinkies or cookies but rather if that person wants a Twinkie or a coke, if they can fit it in their calories, it not harmful to do that occasionally.

"I guess 42lbs and 8% BF loss is not sucess...how much do I have to lose to be considered a success?"

Actually my first GW was 165..hit it..
I am a success because I am here doing what I need to do to hit my goals...I could give a flying fart about my weight...it's about measurments from a tape and BF...I calculate I will be at maintenance for now as of June 15th (Yah just in time for pool side beer) and my bikini...

And I am not dieting...that implies I will stop doing what I am doing now when I hit maintenance...I will be here to count calories even at maintenance, I will hit my macros while in maintenance and still lift 3x a week...

My success is not way off I am living my success now..in the present because I am here and doing what I need to do to get where I want to be...that is success...as I will never be perfect I will always be a work in progress...and willing to accept that...

ETA: this got bumped in my list...blame the guy above me...

First you say that your 42 lbs and 8% body fat lost is success. Now you say your success is something else. And that you are not dieting. Fine. You can define success any way you want.

But if you are not dieting, then it makes me wonder what you have been successful at? And if you are deliberately eating at a caloric deficit, which is here the definition of dieting, and the only way that one can diet, then I'm at a loss for what you mean when you say you are not dieting. When you are on maintenance you will stop what you are doing now. Now, you are eating at a deficit. On maintenance you will presumably be eating at equilibrium.

Basically I feel about this the same way I do about smoking. I know lots of people who have quit smoking, again and again and again. They get upset with me when I tell them that it's ok to say that they are quitting smoking, but not to say that they have quit smoking. When they have gone four or five years without a smoke, then they can say that they have quit. Yo-yo dieting is probably even more common. Everyone wants to think they have succeeded at their diet just because they've lost some weight or body fat or whatever. But we say that all the fad diets are failures because people just gain the weight right back and more. Thus, a diet hasn't really worked until a person has gotten to a healthy weight and demonstrated that they can and will maintain that weight indefinitely. Short of that, claiming success may be a nice stroke for the ego, and might even be helpful in achieving success, but I think it's inaccurate.

"I guess 42lbs and 8% BF loss is not sucess...how much do I have to lose to be considered a success?"

Actually my first GW was 165..hit it..
I am a success because I am here doing what I need to do to hit my goals...I could give a flying fart about my weight...it's about measurments from a tape and BF...I calculate I will be at maintenance for now as of June 15th (Yah just in time for pool side beer) and my bikini...

And I am not dieting...that implies I will stop doing what I am doing now when I hit maintenance...I will be here to count calories even at maintenance, I will hit my macros while in maintenance and still lift 3x a week...

My success is not way off I am living my success now..in the present because I am here and doing what I need to do to get where I want to be...that is success...as I will never be perfect I will always be a work in progress...and willing to accept that...

ETA: this got bumped in my list...blame the guy above me...

First you say that your 42 lbs and 8% body fat lost is success. Now you say your success is something else. And that you are not dieting. Fine. You can define success any way you want.

But if you are not dieting, then it makes me wonder what you have been successful at? And if you are deliberately eating at a caloric deficit, which is here the definition of dieting, and the only way that one can diet, then I'm at a loss for what you mean when you say you are not dieting. When you are on maintenance you will stop what you are doing now. Now, you are eating at a deficit. On maintenance you will presumably be eating at equilibrium.

Basically I feel about this the same way I do about smoking. I know lots of people who have quit smoking, again and again and again. They get upset with me when I tell them that it's ok to say that they are quitting smoking, but not to say that they have quit smoking. When they have gone four or five years without a smoke, then they can say that they have quit. Yo-yo dieting is probably even more common. Everyone wants to think they have succeeded at their diet just because they've lost some weight or body fat or whatever. But we say that all the fad diets are failures because people just gain the weight right back and more. Thus, a diet hasn't really worked until a person has gotten to a healthy weight and demonstrated that they can and will maintain that weight indefinitely. Short of that, claiming success may be a nice stroke for the ego, and might even be helpful in achieving success, but I think it's inaccurate.

No dieting implies a short term change in eating habits. This is not a short term, this is for life.

Success for me is understanding and accepting why I got over weight and changing those habits.

I have done that, part of that success is the weight lost, bf gone, sizes small and me being stronger.

And as I said before

My success is not way off I am living my success now..in the present because I am here and doing what I need to do to get where I want to be...that is success...as I will never be perfect I will always be a work in progress...and willing to accept that...

See the thing is this...you as a faceless stranger on the www are not allowed to tell me if I am a success or not...you can't put your limitations on my life.

I am my own person and can define my success anyway I want. Funny how that works eh...

If you "can't" understand why the people here who are meeting their goals, educating themselves, getting better everyday at understanding why they gain weight/lose weight/maintain weight/meet bf% goals etc are successes you have a very narrow and unpleasant way of looking at life and all it has to offer and the happiness that these small things give those of us with a broader view...

You have my sympathy...


PS my ego doesn't need stroked trust me...my confidence level hasn't changed with my weight, I have always been confident in myself and my abilities to do whatever I set my mind to...see there is something else that makes me a success...maybe not in your world but it does in mine and at the end of the day that is all that matters to this woman (and by extension my husband, my son and the rest of my friends and family)

I wonder how much of this kind of thing would happen if MFP was "My Finance Pal" for tracking your finances.
I wonder if then people could more clearly see that "diet gimmicks" are like get-rich-quick schemes, where as long term management is just handling your resources responsibly.

I just don't understand why people would rather have 1,500 of junk that in the end will do more harm than good to your health than eating 1,500 of tasty, healthy food that will make you a healthier human being. Why would I like to eat 1,000 at one sitting on McDonalds instead of 1,000 calories of meat, veggies, nuts, and even dessert during the day?

And forgive my english...

yea, you just don't get it..no one is saying that…

what people are trying to say is that you can eat moderately healthy and still have things like pizza, cookies, fast food, etc, and you will lose weight, hit your goals, and be in good health ...

It would seem that's what some hear when all they read is "a calorie is a calorie" and "you can lose weight eating only at McDonalds". Which is the danger in posting that again and again and again with no further explanation.

Yeah, what you just said? That's what they're saying *now*. A colossal improvement from "eat whatever you want".

I did that.

again, you miss the point. Yes, technically, you can eat whatever you want, be in a deficit, and lose weight. I always advocate the 80/20 approach..80% healthy/20% whatever you want….so I am not sure who the "they" is that you are talking about …

I believe some people use that as an example to demonstrate it really is calories in vs calories out..but I have not seen anyone provided advice that one follow that approach….

The point is that "technically" isn't very good advice. And the non stop drone of nonsense could (and obviously DID) create the wrong impression. And it's misleading to have a whole gang of people trained to say it again and again, when they know (again, obviously by posts they've made here) that there's more to it than that.

Look at what you just said. If a calorie is a calorie, why do you advocate the 80/20 approach? And what's "healthy"? I've been told again and again that "there's no bad food". Then what's the 20? And why, in the name of GOD would you take offense to anyone saying that there's more to know than "a calorie is a calorie" after they acknowledge again and again that "technically" it's accurate?

As soon as you segregate calories into "Healthy" and "Whatever you want" you're saying - are you ready for this - A calorie is NOT a calorie! Congratulations.

Eddie, have you ever thought to step back from the computer and not type with so much emotion?


No one on this board advocates for extreme diets, living off mcdonalds or complete disregard for macronutrients. Where you get caught and upset is how we point out semantics such as, can you eat all your meals at McDonalds and still lose weight or all your calories from xx food and still lose weight. Of course the answer is yes. Heck, There has been a few days where I had nothing but Chipotle burrito bowls (phenomenal day in my life); I even had a good macronutrient break out between carbs, fats and protein. But those are exceptions and no one maintains that eating style.

Heck, if you look at all of us "cultist", we all live by the 80/20 IIFYM rule. The longer you are here, the more you will see that. So just because you are struggling with the extreme, doesn't mean we aren't saying the same thing as you. So seriously, step back and relax. We aren't going to advocate that a person should just eat Twinkies or cookies but rather if that person wants a Twinkie or a coke, if they can fit it in their calories, it not harmful to do that occasionally.

Gravitation feed increasing!

So sad this **** is still going on. It just shows how many people lack proper knowledge on nutrition and weight loss / gain.

So sad this **** is still going on. It just shows how many people lack proper knowledge on nutrition and weight loss / gain.

What's your thoughts on it?

You must be dying to say, otherwise why else would you have posted again on the thread?

I said what I had to say. If you comprehended what I just wrote previously you would of understood why I posted.