Is A Calorie Really A Calorie?
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DeguelloTex wrote: »
Then what's your explanation?DeguelloTex wrote: »
Or under.1. Slight calorie deficit. Eating 800 calories and killing yourself in the gym is not going to get you there any faster. You need to fuel your body appropriately. I suggest the TDEE-20% method. www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc (If you have questions please feel free to ask them here). Make sure to weigh everything you eat! Guessing could put you well over your calories.
That.
No way in hell. All the rice I was eating? I started logging and the amount I ate went from big plate to tiny bowl.
If I had one I would have won the argument with him. lol0 -
1. Slight calorie deficit. Eating 800 calories and killing yourself in the gym is not going to get you there any faster. You need to fuel your body appropriately. I suggest the TDEE-20% method. www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc (If you have questions please feel free to ask them here). Make sure to weigh everything you eat! Guessing could put you well over your calories.
That.
How did you determine activity level? Because that's a TDEE calculator. So on something like MFP, when you choose "sedentary" or "lightly active", you're talking about your activity outside of workouts. With a TDEE calculator, you're trying to account for ALL activity. And then there are also multiple formula options (in section 1). I get anything from 2200 and some to 2300 and some for maintenance, depending on the formula, if I select "moderately active" (which is my best guess at describing my total activity, combining lifestyle and exercise). Lightly active drops me below 2000 and sedentary drops me to close to 1700.
So guessing your activity incorrectly, from daily steps to your exercise, will throw off your estimation of your maintenance. And individuals differ -- your metabolism may work faster than a calculator estimates, just as some people's may work slower.
"I think I ate around 2200" for a month is pretty plausible maintenance, especially since you didn't weigh and log and wear a Fitbit and so on for the whole time, and since a month isn't that much time.
That said, your boyfriend is right, if you really are obsessing, that is not healthy. If you can't learn to log AND have a healthy relationship with food, you may want to try non-logging methods, or IIFYM (where you're looking at macros and thinking more about nutrition, but accomplishing the same thing).0 -
and Won't your maintenance number constantly change depending on what you are doing... were you more active that month? Holding more/less water weight, tom, etc..
A calorie is a calorie.... just like an inch is an inch..
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To answer your question, yes, a calorie is a calorie. However, what you eat depends on how the food effects your body. For example, in the documentary, Fed up, they used 160 calories of almonds and compared it to 160 calories of Coke. Yes, it's the same amount of calories but the coke produces a lot of sugar that turned into fat, while the almonds produced fiber. So, you can eat 3,000 calories of veggies and fruits and be fine compare to 3,000 calories of processed fatty foods. Calories are a form of measurement however.0
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Well, you've been given the answer, but you apparently don't like it.DeguelloTex wrote: »
Then what's your explanation?DeguelloTex wrote: »
Or under.1. Slight calorie deficit. Eating 800 calories and killing yourself in the gym is not going to get you there any faster. You need to fuel your body appropriately. I suggest the TDEE-20% method. www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc (If you have questions please feel free to ask them here). Make sure to weigh everything you eat! Guessing could put you well over your calories.
That.
No way in hell. All the rice I was eating? I started logging and the amount I ate went from big plate to tiny bowl.
If I had one I would have won the argument with him. lol
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You only logged for a week?
The presumptions, arguments and conclusions you draw are just depressing. Enjoy your debate with your intelligent bf and I look forward to seeing his published paper.0 -
Sugar doesn't turn to fat. Excess calories are stored as fat.amwood1528 wrote: »To answer your question, yes, a calorie is a calorie. However, what you eat depends on how the food effects your body. For example, in the documentary, Fed up, they used 160 calories of almonds and compared it to 160 calories of Coke. Yes, it's the same amount of calories but the coke produces a lot of sugar that turned into fat, while the almonds produced fiber. So, you can eat 3,000 calories of veggies and fruits and be fine compare to 3,000 calories of processed fatty foods. Calories are a form of measurement however.
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1. Slight calorie deficit. Eating 800 calories and killing yourself in the gym is not going to get you there any faster. You need to fuel your body appropriately. I suggest the TDEE-20% method. www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc (If you have questions please feel free to ask them here). Make sure to weigh everything you eat! Guessing could put you well over your calories.
That.
Alright so using that one:
(As a reminder, real world results say my TDEE is about 2458)
Moderate Active - 2105 to 2229
Very Active - 2343 to 2481
I average about 9,000 steps a day. Not exactly what I'd consider "Very Active", but my calculated TDEE is slightly higher than the Very Active one from the calculator.
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This specific calculator says I have a BMR of 1403shadow2soul wrote: »
My TDEE is 1684
I should eat 1347 calories a day.
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I am so confused. If avocado with lime provides you with more than 100 absorbable calories and chocolate covered chips provide you with only 100 absorbable calories, then avocado with lime provides you with more absorbable calories than chocolate covered chips. Where does "fair" enter into the equation?
About the only discussion you can have is whether all calories from a particular food eaten in combination with other foods are absorbable or not. And whether the thermic effect of food (the calories needed to process and absorb the nutrients from a particular kind of food) are more for one kind of food as opposed to another. And what kind of measurement errors the various databases and tables have when it comes to various foods.
In general, though, these discussions are definitely on the fringes of the 80/20 rule, because in general if you eat less calories than you spend you lose weight, and the opposite. And the effect of all these marginal discussion is probably smaller than that of a couple of tablespoons of mayo!
BTW your boyfriend SOUNDS like he is eating well north of 3,000Cal. Which at age 24 for an active male is far from impossible.
You may also want to ask yourself if your actual maintenance level is much higher than you think. perhaps based on more activity/vigorous activity when you eat more.
Whether you need to obsess over everything or not... really that does depend on your own weight loss/life history!0 -
amwood1528 wrote: »To answer your question, yes, a calorie is a calorie. However, what you eat depends on how the food effects your body. For example, in the documentary, Fed up, they used 160 calories of almonds and compared it to 160 calories of Coke. Yes, it's the same amount of calories but the coke produces a lot of sugar that turned into fat, while the almonds produced fiber. So, you can eat 3,000 calories of veggies and fruits and be fine compare to 3,000 calories of processed fatty foods. Calories are a form of measurement however.
This is where my boyfriend was trying to go with the discussion, not that I would ever get to super high amounts of food. I'm not trying to stuff myself, but I do freak the fck out when I'm over by 100 cals or more.0 -
DeguelloTex wrote: »
Or under.1. Slight calorie deficit. Eating 800 calories and killing yourself in the gym is not going to get you there any faster. You need to fuel your body appropriately. I suggest the TDEE-20% method. www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc (If you have questions please feel free to ask them here). Make sure to weigh everything you eat! Guessing could put you well over your calories.
That.
No way in hell. All the rice I was eating? I started logging and the amount I ate went from big plate to tiny bowl.
When I was starting weight loss. I would eat UNDER. Because mentally, I talked myself into smaller portions to make up for not weighing. The mind is a powerful thing. I'd also address the 'obsession'. If it effects you negatively, maybe calorie counting isn't for you.
But understand that irregardless, a calorie IS a unit of energy. Each body requires a different amount. Some random Internet calculator isn't going to be able to pinpoint the number you need. My maintenance should be 1700 and I maintain above 2000. It's trial and error.
You're making this overly complicated and asking if there's some magical property to nutrient dense foods. Sure, they typically leave you more satiated on less calories. Sometimes so much so that you can have a ton of extra calories for 'junk' food and still maintain (your boyfriend ), on top of the fact males typivally have a substantially higher TDEE than females.
Stop worrying about the 'what ifs' and focus on your goals and how to facilitate them in a healthy manner.
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Unless you measure precisely how many calories you've consumed and precisely how many calories you've burned over a significant period of time, it's all anecdotal and shouldn't really be used to prove a point. Refer to the controlled scientific studies on the issue - calories in / calories out is how weight loss occurs.0
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amwood1528 wrote: »To answer your question, yes, a calorie is a calorie. However, what you eat depends on how the food effects your body. For example, in the documentary, Fed up, they used 160 calories of almonds and compared it to 160 calories of Coke. Yes, it's the same amount of calories but the coke produces a lot of sugar that turned into fat, while the almonds produced fiber. So, you can eat 3,000 calories of veggies and fruits and be fine compare to 3,000 calories of processed fatty foods. Calories are a form of measurement however.
Please, learn how the body actually uses macronutrients consumed under which circumstances (calorie deficit, balance, or surplus) from more reliable sources. Carbohydrates (including sugar) are the body's preferred source of immediate, available energy.
We are always in a state of burning and storing fat. At energy deficit, more fat gets burned than stored. At energy balance, the exchange is equal. At energy surplus, excess fat is stored. It's only an excess of calories that promotes a storage of excess fat.
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This specific calculator says I have a BMR of 1403shadow2soul wrote: »
My TDEE is 1684
I should eat 1347 calories a day.
The point I was trying to make is that your TDEE could very well be higher than what you are getting from the calculator. Like mine is for example. If I play around with the settings a bit on that calculator you linked to, I can get close if I say I'm very active (which I'm not), but the point is it's just an estimate that you have to adjust up or down based on actual results.0 -
Phoenix_Down wrote: »
The "what ifs" are what's *kitten* me up because I'm trying to maintain my micros as best I can, cut as much candy and junk food out of my diet, and get moving but have the fuel to do so. This past week my blood sugar kept dropping and I actually fainted on the train one day because the constant walking around + heat was draining me or something. Eating all day helps me keep my blood sugar in check but I also panic when dinner comes around and I only have 200 calories left because I was feeling low and ate an extra banana and some pepitas and drank some juice until I could walk again.
I sit on such a tight line blood sugar wise that any emergency that happens in the day will screw me over later because I'm *kitten* hungry and want to eat dinner!0 -
@MaiLinna your boyfriend is very supportive when it comes to your self-perception and shyness.
But he doesn't think you need to lose weight, so what he's saying here seems to be to put you off calorie-counting.
He may have a point. You don't really look overweight.
Keep up the walking and maybe do some bodyweight exercises that you've bookmarked, and you'll improve your confidence. Good luck.0 -
Phoenix_Down wrote: »
The "what ifs" are what's *kitten* me up because I'm trying to maintain my micros as best I can, cut as much candy and junk food out of my diet, and get moving but have the fuel to do so. This past week my blood sugar kept dropping and I actually fainted on the train one day because the constant walking around + heat was draining me or something. Eating all day helps me keep my blood sugar in check but I also panic when dinner comes around and I only have 200 calories left because I was feeling low and ate an extra banana and some pepitas and drank some juice until I could walk again.
I sit on such a tight line blood sugar wise that any emergency that happens in the day will screw me over later because I'm *kitten* hungry and want to eat dinner!
Do you have a doctor you could speak to about all this? Obviously, you'd need to tailor yourself around a plan that would allow you to keep your blood sugar at a safe level while still creating a deficit. It sounds kind of scary and I'd hate for you to take any advice that isn't from a medical professional about this ♡.0 -
You have uncontrolled blood sugar and faint from it and are debating on the internet as to whether you should eat bananas? What does your doctor say you should be eating in terms of carbs?0
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Yes.0
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Phoenix_Down wrote: »
The "what ifs" are what's *kitten* me up because I'm trying to maintain my micros as best I can, cut as much candy and junk food out of my diet, and get moving but have the fuel to do so. This past week my blood sugar kept dropping and I actually fainted on the train one day because the constant walking around + heat was draining me or something. Eating all day helps me keep my blood sugar in check but I also panic when dinner comes around and I only have 200 calories left because I was feeling low and ate an extra banana and some pepitas and drank some juice until I could walk again.
I sit on such a tight line blood sugar wise that any emergency that happens in the day will screw me over later because I'm *kitten* hungry and want to eat dinner!
The is a calorie a calorie argument / understanding put forward U dont have the energy go into because of the level of your analysis, its a waste of time. BUT do you have an actual issue, which its worth helping with other than the debate with your bf? You talk about low blood sugar levels, moving, running out of calories and cutting junk? is that the issue of was it something else? Did I miss the fact you ar a diabetic? Sorry for being lazy, but could you please calrify and then I can post somehing a bit more constructive.0 -
I dunno. Going to try to call a clinic tomorrow because I used to be 10x more sedentary and I thought my blood sugar problems had gone away. Apparently as soon as I become active again my blood sugar starts to drop again. My average blood sugar is between 75 and 80, but as soon as I drop below 70 I start getting sick. I also get sick if my blood sugar goes above 90. I need to talk to a doctor about it.0 -
I got really frustrated on Monday because I fainted on the train due to low blood sugar, and to get it up I drank some juice and ate a banana, and to keep it level from there I had pepitas. We were on our way out for dinner though, and once I felt better I was starving but scared to eat anything because the juice, banana, and pepitas had cost me 400 calories.
That's sorta what sparked the argument with my bf in the first place.0 -
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Somewhere in there it sounds like what you think is your maintenance level is far below your actual maintenance level.
And I don't know about you; but, if my girlfriend was fainting because of lack of food, I would probably object to her not eating later in the day!
Having said that, I do know a "dumb-*kitten*" who, let's say for example, back in November 2014 lost weight faster than expected and has long wondered WHY. Six months later, in reviewing some spreadsheets, he MAY have realized that between November 1 and 14 he was walking 14,000 steps a day on average. Between November 15 and 30? 22,000.
Your TDEE is not a magical constant.
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The answer is yes, a calorie is a calorie.
That being said, it's clear you have a medical condition and need to see someone as soon as you can. Fainting isn't normal.0 -
A calorie is a measurement of one of the many characteristic of the food you are eating.
The nutrient content is a different value of that food.
Blood sugar concerns and fainting are big deals and may require some very specific actions the are outside the box of just counting calories. You may need to be concerned about nutrients too!
It sounds like you need to see a medical professional soon.
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Yes a calorie = a calorie. Before I started counting calories I went on a fruits, veggies, and nuts fast and I gained weight (I was probably eating close to 3000 calories a day with this, "fast,") according to your boyfriends logic I would have lost weight no matter how much I ate.0
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