Are all calories equal
Hermie123451982
Posts: 190 Member
if 2 people we the same weight and both eat 1400 calories a day but one gets the calories from fast food and the other gets his from healthy balanced foods would they loose the same amount of weight as they are still both only consuming 1400 total calories?
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Too many variables you haven't mentioned (activity, hormones, diet history, height etc)0
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If both people were otherwise identical, then yes.0
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A calorie is a calorie but other macros and nutrients also have impact on our bodies functions too, which contribute to overall health, if not specifically weight (i.e. fatigue, muscle mass, skin)0
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Idk... Maybe? But it perplexes me when people go on "diets" or consider themselves being healthy by eating the same crappy food just in smaller amounts. You will lose weight, but why not care about nutrients & what you're putting in your body? I am by know means super strict on my diet. Definitely a proponent of eating anything you desire in moderation. But I would say I consider 80% of the stuff I consume "healthy". But if my entire diet consisted of fast food & junk I would still feel like I was making poor choices. Worrying solely about weight loss is vain... But we're all a little vain so I get it0
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If 2 (same size) identical twins went on a 1400 calorie diet....one ate junk....the other ate healthy balanced meals....they would lose weight at essentially the same pace.
Here's the problem with a junk food diet. When you reduce your calories you need to make smarter choices to stay full, to get enough nutrients (macro & micro)....etc. We make better choices for health reasons.
Protein to support lean muscle (I want to lose fat, not muscle). Fat is beneficial to absorb vitamins and support other bodily functions. Fiber helps with digestion. These 3 things are filling also. An all junk food diet is going to leave me hungry most of the time.0 -
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A calorie is a unit of energy measurement. Yes, all calories are equal, just as all other units of measurement are equal to similar units (inch to inch, meter to meter, US/UK gallon to US/UK gallon, ounce to ounce, etc.).0
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Idk... Maybe? But it perplexes me when people go on "diets" or consider themselves being healthy by eating the same crappy food just in smaller amounts. You will lose weight, but why not care about nutrients & what you're putting in your body? I am by know means super strict on my diet. Definitely a proponent of eating anything you desire in moderation. But I would say I consider 80% of the stuff I consume "healthy". But if my entire diet consisted of fast food & junk I would still feel like I was making poor choices. Worrying solely about weight loss is vain... But we're all a little vain so I get it
You're making assumptions that people don't get a mix of different foods in. I don't see many people at all here recommending people eat a diet of 100% fast food. Also, because you believe something is crappy doesn't mean someone else does.
The question clearly says one person gets there calories from fast food. No assumptions made. That was the hypothetical situation
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Hermie123451982 wrote: »if 2 people we the same weight and both eat 1400 calories a day but one gets the calories from fast food and the other gets his from healthy balanced foods would they loose the same amount of weight as they are still both only consuming 1400 total calories?
All other things being equal, then yes.
Would one be "healthier" than the other? Maybe, but it depends on the actual macro and micro make-up of the food
Would one be hungrier than the other? Maybe, but it depends on the volume and satiety of the food chosen.
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As far as consuming them yes. As far as giving you energy for working out not so much.0
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Will you lose the same mount of fat? Yes. Will you lose the same amount of scale weight? Maybe, maybe not.0
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Would depend on how active they are. But assuming same burn, yes. Though their energy levels may vary depending on 'quality' and 'quantity' of food consumed, so it might not work long term for one to feel sustained on 1400 cals 'fast food'.Hermie123451982 wrote: »if 2 people we the same weight and both eat 1400 calories a day but one gets the calories from fast food and the other gets his from healthy balanced foods would they loose the same amount of weight as they are still both only consuming 1400 total calories?
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This person is smart.If 2 (same size) identical twins went on a 1400 calorie diet....one ate junk....the other ate healthy balanced meals....they would lose weight at essentially the same pace.
Here's the problem with a junk food diet. When you reduce your calories you need to make smarter choices to stay full, to get enough nutrients (macro & micro)....etc. We make better choices for health reasons.
Protein to support lean muscle (I want to lose fat, not muscle). Fat is beneficial to absorb vitamins and support other bodily functions. Fiber helps with digestion. These 3 things are filling also. An all junk food diet is going to leave me hungry most of the time.
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If you're talking purely for weight-loss then yes they are same thing. Weight loss and weight gain always comes down to calories in vs calories burned. That being said, eating calories from healthy whole foods is going to make you feel fuller, more energetic, and all around better than if you're getting the same amount of calories from fast food. It is possible to meet your caloric goals from fast food alone but you will be eating a smaller volume of high calorie, crappy food to get there. It's best to only eat fast food if you're in a pinch and have it still for into your calorie goal and hopefully your macros as well.0
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If they are both eating at a deficit, how will one gain muscle?0 -
You're taking a hypothetical situation the OP asked and said it bothers you when people do that so how can it bother you if it's hypothetical unless you're assuming someone is actually doing that.Idk... Maybe? But it perplexes me when people go on "diets" or consider themselves being healthy by eating the same crappy food just in smaller amounts. You will lose weight, but why not care about nutrients & what you're putting in your body? I am by know means super strict on my diet. Definitely a proponent of eating anything you desire in moderation. But I would say I consider 80% of the stuff I consume "healthy". But if my entire diet consisted of fast food & junk I would still feel like I was making poor choices. Worrying solely about weight loss is vain... But we're all a little vain so I get it
You're making assumptions that people don't get a mix of different foods in. I don't see many people at all here recommending people eat a diet of 100% fast food. Also, because you believe something is crappy doesn't mean someone else does.
The question clearly says one person gets there calories from fast food. No assumptions made. That was the hypothetical situation
... I'm saying I would not advocate it. It's my opinion. Why are you so concerned with nit picking my words & thoughts? Breathe. Everything will be okay. I'm sure you have way more important things to do today to make an argument out of a non-issue online with someone you don't know.0 -
That's not what I meant at all. No once is gaining muscle in a deficit. Just saying if they are doing the same workouts, they will lose the same amount of fat (as long as there is some macro balance with both diets). Some foods could make them hold water so the scale may not reflect the same amount of weight loss.
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Ok maybe I used the fast food example as a worst case scenario I was just curious as to what would happen if they both consumed 1400 but with very different eating habits would the results vary massively. Thanks for all your replys.0
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It depends. [Edit: for the record, "it depends" is always the correct answer to a hypothetical with inadequate facts to allow for a meaningful answer.]
Probably not, however, as there are going to be lots of other differences not mentioned.0 -
I would say no. Coincidentally, things could match up so it looks about the same, but there are too many other factors at play. Say they have a mild insulin resistance: the one eating lots of sugar is not going to lose as much weight as the one eating healthy vegetables and lean meats. The one eating crap is probably not going to have as much energy to work out. The one eating more protein will be able to build more muscle and speed their metabolism that way. Calories do matter, and staying within your recommended range is a great start to lose weight. But to see dramatic results, you really need to put good stuff in your body.0
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no i dont think so... eating a hundred calories of cake is not the same as eating a hundred calories of chicken.... fatty, sugary, high calorie foods cause weight gain because they stimulate the bodies fat storage genes0
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This. Also mentioning that nutrient dense options are usually lower in caloric value, so total volume of food is usually more versus options in fast food. So while some may go the fast food route, they may also have to learn how to refrain from snacking in between to keep calorie count in check.A calorie is a calorie but other macros and nutrients also have impact on our bodies functions too, which contribute to overall health, if not specifically weight (i.e. fatigue, muscle mass, skin)
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