Equal calories??

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kimhere
kimhere Posts: 35 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I keep seeing people say as long as you eat a calorie deficit you will lose weight. I eat all whole foods not processed and the way I see what people are saying is that if someone eats their calories in crap food it is the same? So one person can eat pizza and pop and still lose the same weight as someone who eats whole natural food? I don't believe all calories are equal so the calories in calories out doesn't make sense if you are eating horrible food.

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  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    edited February 2015
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    If a person spends their deficit on donuts and hot dogs, he or she will lose at the same rate as someone who spends theirs on whole foods or whatever healthy foods you have in mind.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    Yes, Exactly. It is math -- straight up adding calories. :heart:
  • sunburntgalaxy
    sunburntgalaxy Posts: 455 Member
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    IF your goal is to lose weight then yes, a calorie is a calorie. BUT will the person who eats 1200 calories of twinkies be as healthy as the person eating a more balanced diet - probably not. But strictly speaking if you are only talking about losing weight then yes a calorie is a calorie (but they are not created equal).

    That being said, I eat pizza and ice cream and brownies (just had a slutty brownie a few minutes ago - a very small one but still enough for me to be satisfied but under my calorie goal) and I have lost 70 lbs since last April (took some time off in December and January and ate a maintenance because of all the holiday stuff going on). I eat what you would say is healthy too - veggies, lean meats, whole grains, I just fit in both to stay in my calorie goal. I am very much an everything in moderation person so I don't like to look at stuff as healthy or unhealthy (because that seems mentally unhealthy to me, but that is just for me of course) and instead just try to not do what I used to do - eat insanely huge portions of everything (be it brownies or salads - man, I loved my giant salads but turns out they were probably really high in calories).

    Think of it this way - if you eat too many calories of natural foods, you will gain weight, just like you will if you eat too many calories of pizza and twinkies.

    Again - I am ONLY talking about losing or gaining weight - not about overall health here.
  • cheshirecatastrophe
    cheshirecatastrophe Posts: 1,395 Member
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    kimhere wrote: »
    I don't believe all calories are equal so the calories in calories out doesn't make sense if you are eating horrible food.

    Funny thing about science, it doesn't tend to care much about belief...

    From a weight loss perspective, a calorie is a calorie.

    For health, there are other considerations--vitamins, whole grains, antioxidants, protein, omega-3s, and so forth.
  • eric_sg61
    eric_sg61 Posts: 2,925 Member
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    The twinkie diet guy lost over 2lbs per week in 2010, the butthurt still resonates today
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    arditarose wrote: »
    If a person spends there deficit on donuts and hot dogs, he or she will lose at the same rate as someone who spends theirs on whole foods or whatever healthy foods you have in mind.

    this.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    ana3067 wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    If a person spends there deficit on donuts and hot dogs, he or she will lose at the same rate as someone who spends theirs on whole foods or whatever healthy foods you have in mind.

    this.

    Ahhh why did you have to quote that before I fixed my spelling error? Ha.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    You
    arditarose wrote: »
    If a person spends their deficit on donuts and hot dogs, he or she will lose at the same rate as someone who spends theirs on whole foods or whatever healthy foods you have in mind.

    Exactly. The bigger issue is that if you eat entirely calorie dense food, you likely will be hungrier throughout the day because you are eating less volume of food overall. And if you are hungrier, the chances of you over eating are a lot higher. This is why most people will recommend calorie dense food in moderation in combination with lots of nutrient dense foods to provide the bulk of your diet.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    arditarose wrote: »
    ana3067 wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    If a person spends there deficit on donuts and hot dogs, he or she will lose at the same rate as someone who spends theirs on whole foods or whatever healthy foods you have in mind.

    this.

    Ahhh why did you have to quote that before I fixed my spelling error? Ha.

    PRESERVED FOR POSTERITY.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    auddii wrote: »
    You
    arditarose wrote: »
    If a person spends their deficit on donuts and hot dogs, he or she will lose at the same rate as someone who spends theirs on whole foods or whatever healthy foods you have in mind.

    Exactly. The bigger issue is that if you eat entirely calorie dense food, you likely will be hungrier throughout the day because you are eating less volume of food overall. And if you are hungrier, the chances of you over eating are a lot higher. This is why most people will recommend calorie dense food in moderation in combination with lots of nutrient dense foods to provide the bulk of your diet.

    Which is what I was about to type next but you know...One step at a time.
  • kimhere
    kimhere Posts: 35 Member
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    Thanks everyone :) I'm not really in a lose weight goal right now just staying healthy. I just kept seeing people say that a calorie is a calorie. But it makes sense that it doesn't take nutrients and such into consideration. Like the skinny fat, lose weight but still Be unhealthy. I also eat foods in moderation and I don't see anything wrong with a yummy brownie now and then :) I have seen some crazy diaries where they are eating 1200 calories of all processed less nutritious foods and they are talking about losing weight. It wasn't making sense to me.
  • joolsmd
    joolsmd Posts: 375 Member
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    These people are very lucky. If I eat even a slice of pizza that fits well within my calorie limit, I put on weight, whereas others seem to be able to graze all day on high fat and high sugar foods and lose weight. I think my body is a nutrient snob. :)
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,021 Member
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    joolsmd wrote: »
    These people are very lucky. If I eat even a slice of pizza that fits well within my calorie limit, I put on weight, whereas others seem to be able to graze all day on high fat and high sugar foods and lose weight. I think my body is a nutrient snob. :)
    Your probably experiencing bloat and mistaking it for body fat, not the same thing.

  • joolsmd
    joolsmd Posts: 375 Member
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    neanderthin wrote: »
    joolsmd wrote: »
    These people are very lucky. If I eat even a slice of pizza that fits well within my calorie limit, I put on weight, whereas others seem to be able to graze all day on high fat and high sugar foods and lose weight. I think my body is a nutrient snob. :)
    Your probably experiencing bloat and mistaking it for body fat, not the same thing.
    No, unless I am bloated every week. Unfortunately for me any deviation from healthy food means weight back on.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,021 Member
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    joolsmd wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    joolsmd wrote: »
    These people are very lucky. If I eat even a slice of pizza that fits well within my calorie limit, I put on weight, whereas others seem to be able to graze all day on high fat and high sugar foods and lose weight. I think my body is a nutrient snob. :)
    Your probably experiencing bloat and mistaking it for body fat, not the same thing.
    No, unless I am bloated every week. Unfortunately for me any deviation from healthy food means weight back on.
    Allrightythen, if you say so.

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