helpful answers needed... am I kidding myself???
emilywalker298
Posts: 9 Member
Heelllllppppppp!!
I'm currently keeping my calorie intake down to 1200 but does 100 calories of chocolate equal 100 calories of broccoli?? Obviously I'd rather eat the chocolate does it make that much difference to my diet or should I change my way of thinking???
I'm currently keeping my calorie intake down to 1200 but does 100 calories of chocolate equal 100 calories of broccoli?? Obviously I'd rather eat the chocolate does it make that much difference to my diet or should I change my way of thinking???
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Replies
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For weight loss, yes 100 calories of chocolate is the same as 100 calories of broccoli. Obviously 100 calories of broccoli is more food and will probably keep you full longer as well as the other obvious advantages of veg over chocolate, but don't worry, you can still eat chocolate and lose weight!0
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Yep. You've got 1200 to play with (more if you exercise) so if 100 of that is chocolate there's still room for broccoli too.0
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Calories are calories. Some foods like high fiber, protein and fat foods help to keep you feeling fuller longer. An individual thing.
Over time getting optimal nutrition is key to looking and performing your best. Poor nutrition is not optimal for building new cells. Some of your metabolism goes to recovery and building cells.. If you eat garbage that process is compromised. Dull skin, brittle bones, low blood count.
For me I eat both and exercise off the chocolate calories.0 -
100 cals of broccoli is a lot of food when compared to 100 cals of chocolate. If you're going for just weight loss, it's the same thing. But if you're going for health, then not quite the same. You don't have to change your thinking, you can have both! Everything in moderation and within your calorie goal.0
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I eat chocolate every night after I have my macros filled I treat myself.
Broccoli just doesn't cut it as a "treat"0 -
A calorie in chocolate is the same as a calorie in broccoli which is the same as one in potato, etc. etc.
The main differences between a calorie of one thing vs a calorie of another are the volume and the nutritional content. 100 calories of broccoli is more filling than 100 calories of chocolate by far because you get a higher volume for your calories. Think of this as the space the food takes up, this will generally translate - though not always ie. cotton candy takes up a lot of physical space but it will not fill you up - to being more filling. Broccoli has lots of good stuff in it, chocolate not so much - though that doesn't mean chocolate is "bad", just that you should do your best to make sure you're getting sufficient nutrition from your other foods before you start working in chocolate to what you eat. I don't even view it as a treat because that makes it seem like a big deal - if I have the calories and I really want chocolate, then I will eat the chocolate. But I try and prioritise foods with high nutritional values ahead of chocolate.0 -
Calorie-wise, yes. Nutritionally, no.
If you've met your protein/fat/etc goals and still have room for a treat (or heck, sometimes I don't meet them but come close), there's nothing wrong with having some chocolate or ice cream, or whatever dessert tickles your fancy. That's why some people on MFP follow 'IIFYM' (IF It Fits Your Macros).
For me, moderation = sustainability. I'm never not going to have chocolate again. So I'll fit it into my calorie goal. I'll be damned if I cut things out of my daily diet.0 -
Yes a calorie is a calorie in terms of energy and weight loss. The nutrient profile of those two foods is obviously different.
That said, 1200 cals is fairly low. Getting in all the nutrient dense, satiating foods AND leaving room for treats is often challenging on a 1200 cal day. If you exercise, make sure and eat back a portion of your calories that will give you some additional calories to work with.
What did you put in as far as a weight loss goal and how much are you trying to lose, for many people, 1200 is just too low.
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If you're eating a nutrient dense diet (not just "meeting your macros") then heck, have some dark chocolate!
Note that the 100 calories of chocolate is the "treat".0 -
Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »If you're eating a nutrient dense diet (not just "meeting your macros") then heck, have some dark chocolate!
Note that the 100 calories of chocolate is the "treat".
how can it not be nutrient dense without meeting macros....?????
ETA: unless of course you are equating IIFYM to elimination diets...0 -
Click on the "nutrition tab" on MFP to make sure you are giving your body the nutrition in needs. With only 1200 calories it is actually difficult to do. I stated taking a One A Day Multi-Vitamin to help make sure I accomplish that. Malnutrition is a big diet killer.
My advice to you would be to simply include a little bit of exercise daily so you can ALSO have your chocolate. No reason you can't have both but on only 1200 calories I don't think it's wise to sacrifice the broccoli for the chocolate on a regular basis....on the basis of nutrition not weight loss. 0 -
Yes a calorie is a calorie in terms of energy and weight loss. The nutrient profile of those two foods is obviously different.
That said, 1200 cals is fairly low. Getting in all the nutrient dense, satiating foods AND leaving room for treats is often challenging on a 1200 cal day. If you exercise, make sure and eat back a portion of your calories that will give you some additional calories to work with.
What did you put in as far as a weight loss goal and how much are you trying to lose, for many people, 1200 is just too low.
I've been on 1200 calories, and manage to find foods that fill me up. Light breakfast (200 calories), medium lunch (300 calories) and large dinner (500 calories) which leaves a couple of hundred calories for snacks. If I exercise diligently, I lose about a pound a week. If I don't exercise, I stall. Quit smoking in 2004 and my metabolism completely disappeared unless I exercise at least an hour a day. But that's just me.0 -
100 calories of chocolate equals 100 calories of broccoli. However the macros that come with them are different. If you hit all of your targets for the day and have room for chocolate- go for it.0
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Yes, a calorie is a calorie. I try for chocolate daily!0
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emilywalker298 wrote: »Heelllllppppppp!!
I'm currently keeping my calorie intake down to 1200 but does 100 calories of chocolate equal 100 calories of broccoli?? Obviously I'd rather eat the chocolate does it make that much difference to my diet or should I change my way of thinking???
well... you can't melt brocolli over strawberries or ice cream so no it's not the same thing at all
yaknow - one being a cruciferous vegetable and the other not
in terms of calorie intake and weight loss though .. yes it's exactly the same thing0 -
Yes a calorie is a calorie in terms of energy and weight loss. The nutrient profile of those two foods is obviously different.
That said, 1200 cals is fairly low. Getting in all the nutrient dense, satiating foods AND leaving room for treats is often challenging on a 1200 cal day. If you exercise, make sure and eat back a portion of your calories that will give you some additional calories to work with.
What did you put in as far as a weight loss goal and how much are you trying to lose, for many people, 1200 is just too low.
Emily - unless you're short, 1,200 calories a day may indeed be too aggressive. I need filling foods like broccoli to get me through the day without suffering. I exercise so there is room in the budget for a treat like chocolate.0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »Yes a calorie is a calorie in terms of energy and weight loss. The nutrient profile of those two foods is obviously different.
That said, 1200 cals is fairly low. Getting in all the nutrient dense, satiating foods AND leaving room for treats is often challenging on a 1200 cal day. If you exercise, make sure and eat back a portion of your calories that will give you some additional calories to work with.
What did you put in as far as a weight loss goal and how much are you trying to lose, for many people, 1200 is just too low.
Emily - unless you're short, 1,200 calories a day may indeed be too aggressive. I need filling foods like broccoli to get me through the day without suffering. I exercise so there is room in the budget for a treat like chocolate.
Heck, even if she's short she's only 19 and only has 11 lbs to lose (per goal)......0 -
Everything everyone else said about macros, but I would add to watch your sugar intake as well. Some people don't metabolize sugar very well and then those 100 calories treat your body differently. Having any metabolic disorder can make it harder to lose weight overall. That is really the only time I would be concerned.0
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Everything everyone else said about macros, but I would add to watch your sugar intake as well. Some people don't metabolize sugar very well and then those 100 calories treat your body differently. Having any metabolic disorder can make it harder to lose weight overall. That is really the only time I would be concerned.
Diabetics...
Metabolic disorders are rare.0 -
It can meet ones macros and not be nutrient dense.Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »If you're eating a nutrient dense diet (not just "meeting your macros") then heck, have some dark chocolate!
Note that the 100 calories of chocolate is the "treat".
how can it not be nutrient dense without meeting macros....?????
ETA: unless of course you are equating IIFYM to elimination diets...
In college I could have easily done a 40/30/30 split that wasn't very nutritious.
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Everything everyone else said about macros, but I would add to watch your sugar intake as well. Some people don't metabolize sugar very well and then those 100 calories treat your body differently. Having any metabolic disorder can make it harder to lose weight overall. That is really the only time I would be concerned.
Diabetics...
Metabolic disorders are rare.
Right, misspoke, any inability to metabolize sugar, pre-diabetes, PCOS etc.
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These calorie questions remind me of the old trick question, "Which is heavier, a ton of feathers or a ton of bricks?".0
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kshama2001 wrote: »Yes a calorie is a calorie in terms of energy and weight loss. The nutrient profile of those two foods is obviously different.
That said, 1200 cals is fairly low. Getting in all the nutrient dense, satiating foods AND leaving room for treats is often challenging on a 1200 cal day. If you exercise, make sure and eat back a portion of your calories that will give you some additional calories to work with.
What did you put in as far as a weight loss goal and how much are you trying to lose, for many people, 1200 is just too low.
Emily - unless you're short, 1,200 calories a day may indeed be too aggressive. I need filling foods like broccoli to get me through the day without suffering. I exercise so there is room in the budget for a treat like chocolate.
Heck, even if she's short she's only 19 and only has 11 lbs to lose (per goal)......
Good point...
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Everything everyone else said about macros, but I would add to watch your sugar intake as well. Some people don't metabolize sugar very well and then those 100 calories treat your body differently. Having any metabolic disorder can make it harder to lose weight overall. That is really the only time I would be concerned.
Diabetics...
Metabolic disorders are rare.
Right, misspoke, any inability to metabolize sugar, pre-diabetes, PCOS etc.
And why would we assume a 19 year old with 11 pounds to lose who made no mention of any medical conditions would need to be concerned about these things?
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I actually find that I lose more weight when I include chocolate in my diet.
However:
--I tend not to get enough fat to begin with
--my diet is already full of vegetables
--I generally eat 1.2 ounces of chocolate a day -or- nuts covered in a very small amount of actual chocolate
If you have a small serving, there is no reason why chocolate needs to send you over your sugar allowance, even if you DO have metabolic issues.0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »Yes a calorie is a calorie in terms of energy and weight loss. The nutrient profile of those two foods is obviously different.
That said, 1200 cals is fairly low. Getting in all the nutrient dense, satiating foods AND leaving room for treats is often challenging on a 1200 cal day. If you exercise, make sure and eat back a portion of your calories that will give you some additional calories to work with.
What did you put in as far as a weight loss goal and how much are you trying to lose, for many people, 1200 is just too low.
Emily - unless you're short, 1,200 calories a day may indeed be too aggressive. I need filling foods like broccoli to get me through the day without suffering. I exercise so there is room in the budget for a treat like chocolate.
I'm barely 5ft does that make a difference??? 0 -
yes, 100 calories is 100 calories. So from a weight loss standpoint, it makes no difference.
HOWEVER.... from a NUTRITION standpoint, it makes a huge difference in energy and overall health.0
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