A calorie is just a calorie?

ohlookabear
ohlookabear Posts: 28
in Health and Weight Loss
Let's say that somebody (1st) is losing weight doing low carb, vlcd, south beach, atkins and any diet you want... and the other person(2nd) is losing weight through MFP.. but then the diet person is coming on MFP trying to lose last lbs.

Are those 2 people able to maintain the same way (calorie counting) even though one of them has lost weight in crazy ways (judging by the fact that that 1st person's metabolism was not affected)?

Real question is: 1st and 2nd persons are eating now same (2000 calories) and both are maintaining.. Is the 1st person actually able to maintain even tho he went through those diets to lose weight but his metabolism is back to normal? Is fat gain/loss all about metabolism's power to burn calories?

Replies

  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    I'm sorry, what?
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    Let's say that somebody (1st) is losing weight doing low carb, vlcd, south beach, atkins and any diet you want... and the other person(2nd) is losing weight through MFP.. but then the diet person is coming on MFP trying to lose last lbs.

    Are those 2 people able to maintain the same way (calorie counting) even though one of them has lost weight in crazy ways (judging by the fact that that 1st person's metabolism was not affected)?

    I wouldn't see why not. A lot of us did "something else" before MFP. Like anyone else I imagine they would need to learn what calorie counting is all about and build it as a skill, and learn proper nutrition that works for themselves and that can be properly sustained over time
  • nusiax
    nusiax Posts: 39 Member
    the truth is a calorie is just a calorie. so if you have a set calorie limit per day, it does not matter what you eat, as long as you stay within that calorie range.

    But there are other benefits. Vegetables have lots of vitamins and minerals we need daily to survive. And meats have greats amount of proteins, dairy has lots of calcium, etc. This is simplified. But if you choose to eat you daily limit on foods with empty calories, meaning they have not extra value, over time your body will run down, as we need vitamins, proteins and Minerals to survive.

    I have issues with getting enough Potassium daily. So I use a great deal of my calories eating foods that are high in Potassium.

    Calorie is a measurement of energy. A sugar calorie burns faster and gives you quick energy. etc. So we try to create a balance diet based on our likes and dislikes. And it is hard to change. But no matter what diet you follow, Atkins, South Beach, Paleo, etc you still have to eat a balance to maintain your health.
  • 365andstillalive
    365andstillalive Posts: 663 Member
    In reality, it's all about a calorie deficit, so yes.

    The only difference I could really see there being would be if through the fad dieting (if it went on for a prolonged period of time) the person had been eating consistently way below their BMR and had effectively slowed their metabolism, they would likely lose weight a bit slower than the first person, or if they'd eaten at say an extreme like 600 calories and then increased to 1200-1600 they might see the return of some water weight before they legitimately begin to drop lbs . But in reality, there's so many factors, and weight loss is such a personal journey because everyone's body reacts to things differently.
  • Taiser
    Taiser Posts: 81 Member
    Not sure if I understand the question but I'll give it a shot... so

    Yes and no...

    A calorie is a calorie, but some food has complex nutrients and other factors that require more energy to burn it... not the calorie itself but the food item so if something has 100 calories, like sugar and you compare it to something more complex that has 100 calories then your body requires more energy to burn that 100 calories. It's not a huge amount of difference and I've never bothered to really count the difference but for hard core dieters it can make a difference. They call it negative calorie foods... unfortunately chocolate and butter aren't on the list... :(

    More info here if interested...

    http://www.naturalnews.com/030912_negative-calorie_foods_burn_fat.html
  • snoringcat
    snoringcat Posts: 131 Member
    Well I'm doing a bit of both - I'm on a lower carb diet (not carb free though) AND am counting calories. So the calories I am 'allowed' are mostly protein/fat & much less from carbs.

    The calories i eat from protein/fats keep me feeling fuller for longer so I don't feel the hunger pangs i get when eating calories from carbs.
  • 1princesswarrior
    1princesswarrior Posts: 1,242 Member
    Let's say that somebody (1st) is losing weight doing low carb, vlcd, south beach, atkins and any diet you want... and the other person(2nd) is losing weight through MFP.. but then the diet person is coming on MFP trying to lose last lbs.

    Are those 2 people able to maintain the same way (calorie counting) even though one of them has lost weight in crazy ways (judging by the fact that that 1st person's metabolism was not affected)?

    I wouldn't see why not. A lot of us did "something else" before MFP. Like anyone else I imagine they would need to learn what calorie counting is all about and build it as a skill, and learn proper nutrition that works for themselves and that can be properly sustained over time

    This. But in you scenario the 2nd person supposedly has learned this using MFP so theoretically the transition to maintenance would be easier than the 1st person who may not have prepared for what to do after their diet had ended. This is the reason so many diets fail. They do not teach a sustainable lifestyle change.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    the truth is a calorie is just a calorie. so if you have a set calorie limit per day, it does not matter what you eat, as long as you stay within that calorie range.

    However you will get different outcomes at different percentage protein, for example, so the composition of the calories does have an effect.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    The "crazy diet" problem is it teaches nothing about nutrition and proper portion control.

    So the person that loses weight gradually using MFP gains valuable education about nutrition, portion control, and health.

    The person that goes on crazy fad diets learns to follow whats written on the fad diet book or website.

    Upon no longer trying to lose weight, the MFP person will know what calorie range to shoot for, what foods to choose, and what an appropriate meal looks like. The crazy diet person will be completely lost , sometimes without even realizing it.

    As for a calorie being a calorie, it is ALWAYS a calorie.

    You do need more intake than just calories. Proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water are just some of the things you should be ingesting besides calories.
  • rhermida3
    rhermida3 Posts: 3
    In my opinion, the phrase "calories in, calories out" is somewhat misleading, or at least it has the potential to be misleading. From where I sit, it is true as far as it goes, but you need to set some qualifications.

    Different foods influence your set point in different ways, which in turn is correlated with feelings of hunger given a certain raw number of calories consumed. Which in turn is correlated with the probability of you a) eating bad foods, b) overeating, c) eating in general and taking in calories, etc...

    Yes, "all else being equal" a calorie is a calorie is a calorie (for weight loss), but how those calories come in is likely to impact the likelihood of "all else actually being equal", especially over the long term.

    This isn't even addressing the distinction between weight and health (which are correlated, but not perfectly so), and is often the more important question once you consider making changes that are meant to reflect a lifestyle change.

    My two rapidly inflating cents :)
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
    When you get to the body sculpting stage is when you really need to focus not just on the calories in vs calories out, but also the type of food you are eating.


    Same can be said about serious athletes and getting the best bang for your buck when it comes to performance and workouts.


    but for the most of us who are just looking to drop the pounds, it is cals in vs cals out. It goes deeper than that though because a 350 calorie sandwich will be much more fulfilling, and sustaining, than a like candy bar.
  • ohlookabear
    ohlookabear Posts: 28
    The "crazy diet" problem is it teaches nothing about nutrition and proper portion control.

    So the person that loses weight gradually using MFP gains valuable education about nutrition, portion control, and health.

    The person that goes on crazy fad diets learns to follow whats written on the fad diet book or website.

    Upon no longer trying to lose weight, the MFP person will know what calorie range to shoot for, what foods to choose, and what an appropriate meal looks like. The crazy diet person will be completely lost , sometimes without even realizing it.

    As for a calorie being a calorie, it is ALWAYS a calorie.

    You do need more intake than just calories. Proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water are just some of the things you should be ingesting besides calories.

    But both people (MFP person and crazy diet person) are basically in the same place right? I mean.. they can both maintain just by not going calorie goal? (judging by the fact that crazy diet person's metabolism wasn't hurt)

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