Are the calories of a banana used differently to the calories of cake?
Ooci
Posts: 247 Member
Does the body react to certain foods differently - let's say bananas versus donuts? Or does it not make any difference?
I'm aware of the low GI foods and yes I wholeheartedly agree that lentil soup with loads of veg is going to be a better lunch than a syrup sponge, in terms of sustaining you through the afternoon, and stopping you binge eating when you feel starving.
I suppose what I'm driving at is if you were inclined to go over on calories would be less likely to gain weight if you stuck to healthy foods or would it simply not matter?
As discussed in another thread I attend Slimming World and though I strongly disagree with their view on calorie counting ( they think calorie counting is unsustainable as a life plan and therefore doomed to fail for lifetime health habits) I am interested in their strong stance on Free Food rather than Syns. Free Food in SW is lean meat, fish, raw fruit, veg, pulses, potatoes, rice and pasta. You can eat as much as you want to fill you up but you mustn't boredom eat and your plate should be half veg, one quarter lean meat or fish, and one quarter the potato, rice, pasta or pulse choice. On top of that you're allowed 15 points of "syns" which you could use for extra bread (you're allowed 120g wholemeal bread per day anyway) or chocolate or wine or whatever - you don't get very much. for your 15 points though.
So, in the evening, if you're starving, Slimming World suggest you blitz up salmon with quark and dip sticks of celery or cucumber in, or have some spiced chickpeas roasted in Frylight, or some fruit, or ham roll-ups, or a hard-boiled egg, or a skinless chicken drumstick.
Would the body process 120 cals worth of those sorts of snacks differently to a 120 cal chocolate bar?
I'm aware of the low GI foods and yes I wholeheartedly agree that lentil soup with loads of veg is going to be a better lunch than a syrup sponge, in terms of sustaining you through the afternoon, and stopping you binge eating when you feel starving.
I suppose what I'm driving at is if you were inclined to go over on calories would be less likely to gain weight if you stuck to healthy foods or would it simply not matter?
As discussed in another thread I attend Slimming World and though I strongly disagree with their view on calorie counting ( they think calorie counting is unsustainable as a life plan and therefore doomed to fail for lifetime health habits) I am interested in their strong stance on Free Food rather than Syns. Free Food in SW is lean meat, fish, raw fruit, veg, pulses, potatoes, rice and pasta. You can eat as much as you want to fill you up but you mustn't boredom eat and your plate should be half veg, one quarter lean meat or fish, and one quarter the potato, rice, pasta or pulse choice. On top of that you're allowed 15 points of "syns" which you could use for extra bread (you're allowed 120g wholemeal bread per day anyway) or chocolate or wine or whatever - you don't get very much. for your 15 points though.
So, in the evening, if you're starving, Slimming World suggest you blitz up salmon with quark and dip sticks of celery or cucumber in, or have some spiced chickpeas roasted in Frylight, or some fruit, or ham roll-ups, or a hard-boiled egg, or a skinless chicken drumstick.
Would the body process 120 cals worth of those sorts of snacks differently to a 120 cal chocolate bar?
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nah, your body doesnt say, "hey! cake! let's process it this way! Oh, a banana? That is processed that way."
I think what SW is getting at is a balance of carbs/fats/etc, whereas if you just ignored their snack suggestions and ate cake, the portions are uncontrollable, filled with sugars/carbs that might throw off their "calculation" off of what makes a good-food day.
Not totally sure, just a thought.0 -
Brilliant, thank you. I always suspected it was a load of old cobblers.0 -
In a generally balanced diet, with a good variety of food including fruits and vegetables, NO, it does not make a difference for weight loss. Total calories is the first factor.
In some extreme cases, due to specific health conditions, macro nutrient partitioning (how much carbs vs fats vs proteins) might make a difference but total calories is still the first factor.
Look at your total diet - not the cake in front of you. You can have the occasional cake (if you can manage moderation) without any issue.
Satiety is a factor and if you expect to be full with a 200 cals of chocolate vs 200 cals of bok choi. The latter is more filling. But again, total diet view and choices override any single meal.
Long term adherence...0 -
Thank you. Helpful xxx0
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All very true, but I can eat a piece of fruit and be content. When I eat the cake, I want more. Maybe it's just me.0
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All very true, but I can eat a piece of fruit and be content. When I eat the cake, I want more. Maybe it's just me.
Like I said, satiety is a (personal) factor. Personally - activity levels and what I've been eating the prior days is more of an issue than any one item. If I've been eating poorly, no single fruit is going to calm my hunger.
Again, the overall factors leading to total diet diversity are more important than any single item.
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EvgeniZyntx wrote: »If I've been eating poorly, no single fruit is going to calm my hunger.
This really strikes a chord - thank you.
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Does the body react to certain foods differently - let's say bananas versus donuts? Or does it not make any difference?
I'm aware of the low GI foods and yes I wholeheartedly agree that lentil soup with loads of veg is going to be a better lunch than a syrup sponge, in terms of sustaining you through the afternoon, and stopping you binge eating when you feel starving.
I suppose what I'm driving at is if you were inclined to go over on calories would be less likely to gain weight if you stuck to healthy foods or would it simply not matter?
As discussed in another thread I attend Slimming World and though I strongly disagree with their view on calorie counting ( they think calorie counting is unsustainable as a life plan and therefore doomed to fail for lifetime health habits) I am interested in their strong stance on Free Food rather than Syns. Free Food in SW is lean meat, fish, raw fruit, veg, pulses, potatoes, rice and pasta. You can eat as much as you want to fill you up but you mustn't boredom eat and your plate should be half veg, one quarter lean meat or fish, and one quarter the potato, rice, pasta or pulse choice. On top of that you're allowed 15 points of "syns" which you could use for extra bread (you're allowed 120g wholemeal bread per day anyway) or chocolate or wine or whatever - you don't get very much. for your 15 points though.
So, in the evening, if you're starving, Slimming World suggest you blitz up salmon with quark and dip sticks of celery or cucumber in, or have some spiced chickpeas roasted in Frylight, or some fruit, or ham roll-ups, or a hard-boiled egg, or a skinless chicken drumstick.
Would the body process 120 cals worth of those sorts of snacks differently to a 120 cal chocolate bar?
Here is the only way my body "processes" it different........250 calories of a good Low GI food like lentil soup (Body says: Ooo tasty...ok, not hungry until the next meal") whereas when I eat 250 calories of say, cake here is what my body says (Body: "You FOOL, you have reactive hypoglycemia! You never learn.. enjoy your blood sugar of 58 and make sure to eat something with protein before the migraines kick in!) And then I have to eat another 300 calories worth of food to correct my blood sugar, so now I am 300 calories over where I thought I would be.
Anyone who DOESNT have blood sugar issues, would be fine.0 -
If all you're concerned about is weight, it doesn't make much difference. If you're also concerned about health and the ability to exercise, there are significant differences.0
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I'm glad I don't use SW.0
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a calorie is a unit of energy ..
so 100 calories of banana = 100 calories of cake
also viewing food as "free" and "syns " is just setting you up for a bad relationship with food.
hitting your calorie/macro/micro goal for the day is what is important, not individual food choice….
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TimothyFish wrote: »If all you're concerned about is weight, it doesn't make much difference. If you're also concerned about health and the ability to exercise, there are significant differences.
this.0 -
I agree calories are calories but when you eat something sweet ( cake cookie etc ) your body will crave more0
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Generally speaking, no. There may be a thermal effect difference, but it would be slight.
However, a lot of people do have medical issues such as insulin resistance, in which case food choice and balance are more important.0 -
I'm glad I don't use SW.[/
Mmm, I think it doesn't work for many. My observations over a year there show people lose weight initially and then plateau and leave. Apparently they often gain weight and then come back to SW to do it all again...
However it has taught me healthy eating, I just used to live on sugar and fat!
Thanks for all the other replies - so interesting to me as I've been struggling with these issues. Sorry to the people who've read it a million times before xxx0 -
Just make banana cake and be done with it.0
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TimothyFish wrote: »If all you're concerned about is weight, it doesn't make much difference. If you're also concerned about health and the ability to exercise, there are significant differences.
Great post, agree with this 100%0 -
I agree calories are calories but when you eat something sweet ( cake cookie etc ) your body will crave more
Your "body" doesn't crave more... you want the mouth feel, the sensation of tasting it, and a whole myriad of other sensory issues involved with eating the cake that involve pleasure.
I have a banging lentil loaf I made yesterday. After I finished my portion, I craved more, because it was so delicious and pleasant to eat. I didn't eat more because I'd had my portion. I had good sex with my husband earlier this week, I wanted more last night because I was thinking about it again, but he's sick. See how this works?
The cake has no magical properties. You like it, you think about it, you give in. You don't have to. You can pet a kitten and enjoy the experience and have a pleasure feed back and then walk away from the experience, but we're all TOLD that sugar is making victims of us and we buy into it. It's nice to have a scapegoat for lack of impulse control, but really, that's all it comes down to. A lack of impulse control.
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Why, the nutrients in a particular cake might just be what a person needs to meet their needs at a given moment in time.PerkisPower wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »If all you're concerned about is weight, it doesn't make much difference. If you're also concerned about health and the ability to exercise, there are significant differences.
Great post, agree with this 100%0 -
mamapeach910 wrote: »
The cake has no magical properties.
But it does increase dopamine, yes? Like sex - and I like both too ...
It can be pretty hard to resist these chemicals in our brains - I need my dopamine fix.
But, need to lose weight more, and the reward of seeing that number on the scale go down and down is strong enough to make me count my sugar calories and really limit them.
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The banana will also increase dopamine, so will a steak.mamapeach910 wrote: »
The cake has no magical properties.
But it does increase dopamine, yes? Like sex - and I like both too ...
It can be pretty hard to resist these chemicals in our brains - I need my dopamine fix.
But, need to lose weight more, and the reward of seeing that number on the scale go down and down is strong enough to make me count my sugar calories and really limit them.
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mamapeach910 wrote: »
The cake has no magical properties.
But it does increase dopamine, yes? Like sex - and I like both too ...
It can be pretty hard to resist these chemicals in our brains - I need my dopamine fix.
But, need to lose weight more, and the reward of seeing that number on the scale go down and down is strong enough to make me count my sugar calories and really limit them.
bold is different for every person. Cake does not do that for me.0 -
neanderthin wrote: »
The banana will also increase dopamine, so will a steak.
Well that's brilliant, thanks. Honestly the most empowering thing I've read in a while. I'll choose the healthy dopamine version, thanks!
And just because SW got a bit of a pasting in this thread - and probably deservedly so - my high dopamine moment - getting "Miss Slinky" last autumn. Better than any cake or steak!
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if you eat your partner's cake of course the calories belong to him
true dat0 -
neanderthin wrote: »
The banana will also increase dopamine, so will a steak.
Well that's brilliant, thanks. Honestly the most empowering thing I've read in a while. I'll choose the healthy dopamine version, thanks!
And just because SW got a bit of a pasting in this thread - and probably deservedly so - my high dopamine moment - getting "Miss Slinky" last autumn. Better than any cake or steak!
ummmm ok...what is "miss slinky" and how is that relevant to this thread..???0 -
mamapeach910 wrote: »
The cake has no magical properties.
But it does increase dopamine, yes? Like sex - and I like both too ...
It can be pretty hard to resist these chemicals in our brains - I need my dopamine fix.
But, need to lose weight more, and the reward of seeing that number on the scale go down and down is strong enough to make me count my sugar calories and really limit them.
Someone else already pointed this out, but it bears repeating: a LOT of things increase dopamine. Pain increases dopamine too. That's not something magical that keeps you coming back for more in and of itself.
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