Does Where Your Calories Come From Matter?

Yes it matters, I can tell a difference when I eat more natural foods, less processed.. The more natural the better

I feel like i'm the only person in the world that feels like this, but I don't really feel all that different based on what I eat. A big mac vs. a salad? Yeah, i definitely feel better after the salad. But if I'm eating relatively low-calorie, I don't really feel better if I have a salad with protein vs. White Bread with Turkey.

It's what is does inside that is different. You are getting the nutrients your body needs to function when you eat a salad. White bread has all the nutrients removed and turkey cold cuts are full of sodium and also processed so the nutrients are removed.

I hear it doesn't matter what you eat to lose weight, as long as you eat less calories than you burn.

However, you might not feel as good and your body might not be as healthy, even if you weigh less, if you are only eating processed foods.

I think you should always take a multi-vitamin and eat a good amount of fruits, vegetables, and multi-grains.

Your body still needs minerals and you get these from good whole foods.
Your body also doesn't need a ton of extra fat and toxins which you get from super processed foods - like the kind that can sit in the pantry forever and never go bad. I try not to eat those foods.

I can't afford organic right now...I'd love to, but it's not in my budget. I do notice that organic carrots taste WAY better than non-organic, so occasionally I'll buy those organic, because they are pretty cheap still, and then I'll eat more veggies!

So, I try to keep it simple. I tried having a really strict vegan diet once, but then I found I wasn't eating enough. You have to do what works for you. If that means having the occasional lean cuisine, go for it! Even if it means having ice cream here and there...whatever...I think you should be allowed to eat anything, within moderation.

I will sometimes crave super junky food like really fried chicken. Then I'll get some. Then I'll feel so gross & greasy after eating it, I won't eat it for like 6 months. So it's all good.

I do think it matters but if you know yourself well enough to know a restrictive diet isn't going to work for you long term, making small changes are still going to make a difference. Eat as healthy as you possibly can without being deprived and don't beat yourself up about the little things.

Edited to add: Ha! Guess I took to long to respond - ditto to the above!

When it comes down to it, your body sees calories as calories -- not as 'muffin' or 'hot dog' or 'sushi'. However, choosing more nutrient rich food over food that is just a combination of fat/carbs/sugars is much better for you. You can lose weight on a twinkie diet, if you get your calorie intake/outtake just right, but it won't be as good for you as a diet that is rich in fiber, lean proteins, whole carbs, etc.

But as I have heard, there are no unhealthy foods, just unhealthy diets. Which is why although in the past few weeks I have had blueberry poptarts and hot pockets several times, I have still lost a few pounds. Calories in, calories out....don't eat too much junk food but it's okay to splurge a bit. You won't die from it.

You can smoke crack and lose weight to, does not mean its healthy for you. But you do get the point that better diet means better results which is what counts.

A few things based on the comments above....
1) For those of you saying that my diet seems very boring, you're right! But, I'm kinda picky so I stick with the healthy foods I like. And I know myself well enough to know I'm not going to do much, any cooking most of the time.

2) I see that some people say they feel better when they eat cleaner, but do you see a better result when it comes to your body? For instance, do you feel like you look better despite not having lost any/much weight? Because like I said above, I don't really notice a difference in how I feel if I eat raw/clean foods vs. just low calorie.

1) Good for you, we all need to find what works for us, there is no one solid answer to our goals just the one that works for you.
2) yes I no longer have that dragged out tired look, my family and wife think I am much easier going now and less stressed than before, my hair and fingernails are growing much faster, I have noticed fewer grey hairs around my temples, I rarely lack energy ever these days, my skin has cleared up and very rarely get any pimples.

But to get back on topic i know its confusing and frustrating for me cos i will look around at food diaries and see wendys and jack in the box and just genuine crap food on there daily and yet they are still losing. So i guess for some people it doesn't matter where the calories come from. But i know for me... it doesn't work that way, i have fast food and i will most def not see a budge in the scale that week.

Everyone can do it different ways, comparing yourself or your diaries does not work, you need to find what works for you. So its no ones place to judge what you put into your body, its up to you to make the right decisions all on your own, feel free to check out mine if you like, I try my best and I have lost 27 pounds in 3 months, but my primary goal is to feed my body right.

I don't feel like im looking to compare, im looking just to look. If someone has their food diary open and if im bored then sure i may have a look. But i am in no way judging anyone cos what it is that they're doing is working for them! :bigsmile:

I would start by asking yourself.. Do you want to lose weight? or Do you want to lose weight, be healthy, live longer, and have more energy?

A few things based on the comments above....

1) For those of you saying that my diet seems very boring, you're right! But, I'm kinda picky so I stick with the healthy foods I like. And I know myself well enough to know I'm not going to do much, any cooking most of the time.

2) I see that some people say they feel better when they eat cleaner, but do you see a better result when it comes to your body? For instance, do you feel like you look better despite not having lost any/much weight? Because like I said above, I don't really notice a difference in how I feel if I eat raw/clean foods vs. just low calorie.

I notice a difference for sure! Big difference in my hair skin and nails and my eyes seem clearer.

A friend of mine has lost over 40 pounds by taking a pill and she eats pretty much ALL processed foods (lean cusines, white bread, things with tons of sodium in them) and even though she has lost over 40lbs and im super happy for her, i think i even though i have only lost 15-120 (and am still 30 pounds heaver than her) i look more proportionate, my skin is brighter, i have more muscle tone .

I am in no way saying that like "haha im still big but i feel i look better than you" but i really think that it has a lot to do with the way we both eat as well as body shape.

I too have noticed all of the same things from eating clean, including increased energy. The sad thing about your friend is that she may lose the weight now, but as soon as she stops taking the pill she will gain the weight back and it will be harder to get it off later since her metabolism is getting screwed.

It absolutely matters.
Our own Denial and Rationalization, and Billions of dollars of advertising from some of the smartest marketers on the planet will try to tell us otherwise...but facts are facts.

Quality building materials build quality results. Shoddy foods lead to a shoddy body. The "twinkie guy", if he stuck to it, would develop diabetes in just a few short years. Everywhere you see processed foods, you see obese people--like myself--and health issues. Leaving processed foods, bad foods, instant foods behind was the best thing I've ever done for myself.

as to boredom? Invest in yourself...you're worth it...learn to cook good food. You'll feel better, you'll look better, and most important...You take control of what goes in you. Read the label on lean cuisine...the salt, chemicals etc?

Those are there to hide the fact that you're eating cardboard.