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A quick refresher on a calorie is a calorie ....

ndj1979
ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
edited January 2022 in Debate Club
A quick rehash for everyone on this, as it seems to be coming up in the other nutrition debate threads.

All calories are the same in that they provide the same amount of energy; HOWEVER, all calories do not have the same nutritional profile.

so yes 100 calories of carrots = 100 calories of oreos from an energy standpoint; however, they do not contain the same nutritional profile.

so what matters at the end of the day is that one gets adequate nutrition, hits calorie targets, and meets macro needs.

in...before well yea I could eat 1000 calories of oreos, but who wants to do that....let me be clear, absolutely no one is making that argument....
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Replies

  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    But what if I WANT to eat 1000 calories of Oreos?
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
    But what if I WANT to eat 1000 calories of Oreos?

    then by all means go for it...

  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    Bump
  • trinty425
    trinty425 Posts: 108 Member
    I am really on board with it is not just how many calories you eat....but what kind of calories that really matters! I quit drinking soda and iced coffees because I realized I was just drinking sugar....and it was "wasted calories". They didn't give me nutrition....they didn't help me fill full. I feel much better eating a fresh salad with a tiny amount of dressing...than drinking a soda.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    So you're saying my diet should be 100% candy?
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
    trinty425 wrote: »
    I am really on board with it is not just how many calories you eat....but what kind of calories that really matters! I quit drinking soda and iced coffees because I realized I was just drinking sugar....and it was "wasted calories". They didn't give me nutrition....they didn't help me fill full. I feel much better eating a fresh salad with a tiny amount of dressing...than drinking a soda.

    all calories provide energy, and they cannot be wasted....

  • senecarr
    senecarr Posts: 5,377 Member
    So you're saying my diet should be 100% candy?

    A panel consisting 100% of dentists desperate to pay off their dental school loans says yes.
  • rpachigo
    rpachigo Posts: 96 Member
    But what about negative calories? I know they exist. I read it somewhere and it was confirmed :/
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,373 MFP Moderator
    rpachigo wrote: »
    But what about negative calories? I know they exist. I read it somewhere and it was confirmed :/

    They dont exist.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited March 2016
    trinty425 wrote: »
    I am really on board with it is not just how many calories you eat....but what kind of calories that really matters!

    What gets confused is that what you are saying here really has nothing to do with calories. Of course what foods you include in your overall diet matters, but that has nothing to do with calories (calorie is not simply a synonym for food, as some seem to use it, but a unit of measurement).

    So I'd say that two things are really important: (1) eating the correct amount of calories for your goals; and (2) eating a diet that covers your nutrient needs and serves your goals in terms of satiety and macro mix. Do (2) well may help out with (1), of course.

    But none of this contradicts the true statement that a calorie is a calorie (like a lb is a lb). People often seem intent on interpreting a calorie is a calorie as meaning there are no differences between foods (a food is a food), but of course that's not what it means (any more than a lb of gold is the same price as a lb of cat litter).
    I quit drinking soda and iced coffees because I realized I was just drinking sugar....and it was "wasted calories". They didn't give me nutrition....they didn't help me fill full. I feel much better eating a fresh salad with a tiny amount of dressing...than drinking a soda.

    I love iced coffee (I drink it black). Almost no calories and it does help me feel full, sometimes.

    For me, soda with calories would be wasted calories, as I wouldn't enjoy them, but I'd say that it's a false dichotomy to pit eating food high in nutrients vs. those maybe with fewer nutrients and more calories. I can eat a sensible, filling diet and still fit in some foods that are chosen simply for pleasure (or mostly), like cheese or chocolate.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    rpachigo wrote: »
    But what about negative calories? I know they exist. I read it somewhere and it was confirmed :/

    You should only eat them when in starvation mode.
  • rpachigo
    rpachigo Posts: 96 Member
    psulemon wrote: »
    rpachigo wrote: »
    But what about negative calories? I know they exist. I read it somewhere and it was confirmed :/

    They dont exist.

    What!?
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    rpachigo wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    rpachigo wrote: »
    But what about negative calories? I know they exist. I read it somewhere and it was confirmed :/

    They dont exist.

    What!?

    He's right, don't exist
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
    rpachigo wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    rpachigo wrote: »
    But what about negative calories? I know they exist. I read it somewhere and it was confirmed :/

    They dont exist.

    What!?

    it sucks when the woo is proven to be untrue...
  • rpachigo
    rpachigo Posts: 96 Member
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    rpachigo wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    rpachigo wrote: »
    But what about negative calories? I know they exist. I read it somewhere and it was confirmed :/

    They dont exist.

    What!?

    He's right, don't exist

    oh the humanity
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    rpachigo wrote: »
    But what about negative calories? I know they exist. I read it somewhere and it was confirmed :/

    That depends on whether it was read off an infomercial or a facebook post...
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,646 Member
    rpachigo wrote: »
    But what about negative calories? I know they exist. I read it somewhere and it was confirmed :/

    That depends on whether it was read off an infomercial or a facebook post...

    Which has more validity? Inquiring minds need to know. Do I believe my computer, or the things I see on tv in the middle of the night?
  • rpachigo
    rpachigo Posts: 96 Member
    your FB friends never lie of course
  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
    trinty425 wrote: »
    I am really on board with it is not just how many calories you eat....but what kind of calories that really matters! I quit drinking soda and iced coffees because I realized I was just drinking sugar....and it was "wasted calories". They didn't give me nutrition....they didn't help me fill full. I feel much better eating a fresh salad with a tiny amount of dressing...than drinking a soda.
    I was talking to a friend about this, and while I've given up sodas, I still love drinking calories. So tasty. I know I get more of a bang for the buck with vegetables, I acknowledge this.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    All calories are the same in that they provide the same amount of energy; HOWEVER, all calories do not have the same nutritional profile.

    and hence they have a different effect on the body. 800 calories of carbohydrate reduction does not have the same outcome as 800 calories of fat reduction.

    They're the same in a bomb calorimeter with no feedback loops, digestive system and hormonal control, for sure.
This discussion has been closed.