Are all calories the same?

theflatpick
theflatpick Posts: 106 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Suppose I skip 600 calories and opt for a DB Blizzard instead. Same amount of calories. Other than the obvious fact that I would lose out on any other nutritional value, do the calories count the same given that is what I am tracking?
I would assume calories from fat may be different than calories not from fat?

Just trying to get a handle on this!
Thanks

Replies

  • xsmilexforxmex
    xsmilexforxmex Posts: 1,216 Member
    As far as weight loss goes, yes - all calories are the same. Health wise, no.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Well as you said 600 calories from something else might be more nutritious - and "healthier" food usually keeps you fuller longer so you're not as likely to eat more later, but yes you could eat nothing but Blizzards and as long as you're in a calorie deficit lose weight.
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  • msbunnie68
    msbunnie68 Posts: 1,894 Member
    giphy.gif

    ssshhhh...creeping in to watch the fun....
  • Victorious45
    Victorious45 Posts: 1
    New research studies from multiple sources have indicated that calories are not created equal. In a New York Times article dated 5/9/14, Dr Ludwig, director of the obesity program at Boston Children;s Hospital states that a person can lose weight in the short term by counting calories but that all the high processed food wreck havoc on our metabolism and our behavior. Dr. Mozaffarian, assoc. prof. of medicine and epidemiology at Harvard Medical School, calories do burn the same energy in a lab but in the human body the foods influence metabolic rate, brain activity, blood sugar and hormones very differently. Its okay to treat yourself once in awhile but will your body be satisfied with what you are craving right now in thirty minutes.
  • NotJustADieter
    NotJustADieter Posts: 229 Member
    No- the refined sugars can mess with you chemically, spike your insulin and cause hormone releases that won't be there with a healthier non-refined choice. The hormones can decide if you retain fat or no, etc, the insulin levels can do the same.... not a good idea, in other words.
  • Julie2014Fit
    Julie2014Fit Posts: 10 Member
    The way your body will deal with 600 calories of processed junk, is totally different than clean and healthy; full of nutrients. It's probably full of saturated fat anyway. I mean if you must once in a while go ahead :grumble: but just don't make it a habit. Burning those 600 calories will take much more effort. They will do much more damage internally.
  • AwesomeGuy37
    AwesomeGuy37 Posts: 436 Member
    Suppose I skip 600 calories and opt for a DB Blizzard instead. Same amount of calories. Other than the obvious fact that I would lose out on any other nutritional value, do the calories count the same given that is what I am tracking?
    I would assume calories from fat may be different than calories not from fat?

    Just trying to get a handle on this!
    Thanks

    To answer simply.. yes.

    Since we are not scientists and discussing the decimal points of calories used in the digestion of different foods, I feel it would be simpler to not sweat the technical stuff and have a Blizzard instead of something along the lines of a more complex food.
  • mike_ny
    mike_ny Posts: 351 Member
    No, all calories are not the same, but it's close enough to pretend they are for weight loss since your measurements aren't exact anyway. So even though fat and protein take more energy to process than carbs and therefore have lower net calories and different foods can affect your metabolism, the variances are not great enough to make that much of a difference for calorie counting on a diet. Assuming all calories are equal works just fine for calorie deficit math.

    Be prepared for a couple hundred posts on this from people who seem to be way over the top and polar opposites on why they aren't all the same and why they are. The funny thing is they're both correct based on their viewpoints.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Suppose I skip 600 calories and opt for a DB Blizzard instead. Same amount of calories. Other than the obvious fact that I would lose out on any other nutritional value, do the calories count the same given that is what I am tracking?
    I would assume calories from fat may be different than calories not from fat?

    Just trying to get a handle on this!
    Thanks
    Yep, a calorie is a calorie when it comes to weight loss.

    However, what's important is how you feel when eating certain foods. For me, the sugar in the Blizzard would send me into lethargic land, but for others it would energize. When it comes to type of foods, it's all about what you like or don't like.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    Whether or not calories are equal is not what's important…

    The point is that different macronutrients have different metabolic pathways. Calories are a measure of energy, and just because one eats 500 calories of a substance doesn’t mean the body gets 500 calories of usable energy from it. Fat and carbs are metabolized more efficiently- protein requires more effort, yielding less net energy. Some substances, such as cellulose, aren’t digestible at all. It’s also likely that the body isn’t able to digest the entirety of everything one consumes.

    The different metabolic pathways mean the energy from different type of “calories” ends up in different forms in the body:

    Carbs ----> fructose and glucose
    Proteins
    > amino acids and alpha-keto acids
    Fats
    > acetyl-CoA

    How your body uses the end products, stores them, and deals with excessive/insufficient quantities of them is exceedingly important.

    In terms of weight loss, a calorie is a calorie is a calorie- unless you have a medical condition like diabetes, insulin resistance, PCOS, Hashimoto's, etc. In terms of health, calories are not created equal.
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  • PurpleCupcakes01
    PurpleCupcakes01 Posts: 141
    PURPLECUPCAKES was here:)
  • theflatpick
    theflatpick Posts: 106 Member
    Thanks for the answers! I see many different opinions. Not being a nutritionist or scientist, I didn't know if it was as obvious cut and dried answer, or complex! Seems complex.
    It just didn't seem like you could replace 1/3 of your calories every day with ice cream, or beer, or whatever and come out the same.
    Thanks!
    Steve

    P.S. Hey look! Purplecupcakes was here!
  • nosebag1212
    nosebag1212 Posts: 621 Member
    yes, all calories are the same
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    for weight loss yes they are all the same otherwise I wouldn't have lost almost 50lbs eating chocolate, fast food, French fries, bread, fruitloops, butter, bacon, eggs, lean chicken, veggies, seafood, steak, lean pork etc.

    So yes if I choose to have a blizzard for my dinner tonight vs steak, potatoes, carrots and I am under my calorie goals consistently yes I will lose more weight.
  • SymphonynSonata
    SymphonynSonata Posts: 533 Member
    In
  • Jestinia
    Jestinia Posts: 1,153 Member
    Suppose I skip 600 calories and opt for a DB Blizzard instead. Same amount of calories. Other than the obvious fact that I would lose out on any other nutritional value, do the calories count the same given that is what I am tracking?
    I would assume calories from fat may be different than calories not from fat?

    Just trying to get a handle on this!
    Thanks
    Yep, a calorie is a calorie when it comes to weight loss.

    However, what's important is how you feel when eating certain foods. For me, the sugar in the Blizzard would send me into lethargic land, but for others it would energize. When it comes to type of foods, it's all about what you like or don't like.

    This. The Blizzard would send me into eat all the food land. Especially if I had it early in the day. But if it doesn't bother others, great for them. Have at. And maybe take a multivitamin and eat some other foods that are high in other vitamins the multivitamin lacks, like potassium.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    It depends on the actual question, as a measurement of energy - yes

    Are all calories processed the same by our body - no.
  • larcybelle
    larcybelle Posts: 6
    Check this article out. It made me think very differently about weight gain and loss .......
    http://www.fatfiction.co.uk/home/
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    I'm a Blizzard lover and will probably have a mini snickers blizzard today. Did you know that a small snickers blizzard, 610 calories actually has 14g of protein? I was surprised to see protein content in zhe blizzard :laugh:

    You will indeed lose weight regardless of source of calories. Having what you really want every once in a while may be better for long term compliance to a reduced calorie plan :smile: Deprivation does not work for many. Over and over again.

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