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

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Replies

  • Posts: 29,136 Member

    I'm pretty chill about it, but thank you for your concern, I think?

    This is not just a "debate" forum, it's a help forum as well. I can have an analysis about haughty replies that I think are more about self-aggrandizing posturing than actually wanting to help & educate people, without having a myocardial infarction - thank goodness!

    this is the debate forum ..

    if you want 100% support with minimal back and forth then go to the main forums and you will get 100% support for detoxes, cleanse, and every other woo woo idea about health and nutrition ...however, this forum was specifically set up for debate and back and forth...
  • Posts: 2,054 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »

    because fast absorbing carbs...

    Yup. When I went in for diabetes white rice was off the list, brown rice was on as white rice spikes the sugar levels more than brown because it has a higher glycemic index.
  • Posts: 29,136 Member
    Afura wrote: »

    Yup. When I went in for diabetes white rice was off the list, brown rice was on as white rice spikes the sugar levels more than brown because it has a higher glycemic index.

    I was actually joking...

    Unless you have a medical condition it does not matter....

    I eat white rice all the time...
  • Posts: 2,577 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »

    Katie was joking (not saying she was wrong, of course). What point are you making? I'm not following.
    When we measure food in grams, that is a measure of mass, not weight. When we measure food in pounds, that is a measure of force. To get the weight, the mass is multiplied by the gravitational force being exerted. What Katie is saying is that the weight of an object will differ between, say, Earth and the moon. But there are minor gravitational differences even on Earth, which depends on elevation. This means that the weight of an object will vary here on Earth. That's what she means by "a lb is not always a lb".
  • Posts: 15,357 Member
    When we measure food in grams, that is a measure of mass, not weight. When we measure food in pounds, that is a measure of force. To get the weight, the mass is multiplied by the gravitational force being exerted. What Katie is saying is that the weight of an object will differ between, say, Earth and the moon. But there are minor gravitational differences even on Earth, which depends on elevation. This means that the weight of an object will vary here on Earth. That's what she means by "a lb is not always a lb".

    So you're saying my food scale measures mass, but when I flip the switch to lbs, it no longer measures mass at all? It magically switches beyond just the units?

    We do realize we are in fact living on the planet Earth, right? Are some people measuring their food in a different gravitational field? Are astronauts living in the international space station confused about portion control and asking for help logging food on the MFP forums?
  • Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited March 2016
    When we measure food in grams, that is a measure of mass, not weight. When we measure food in pounds, that is a measure of force. To get the weight, the mass is multiplied by the gravitational force being exerted. What Katie is saying is that the weight of an object will differ between, say, Earth and the moon. But there are minor gravitational differences even on Earth, which depends on elevation. This means that the weight of an object will vary here on Earth. That's what she means by "a lb is not always a lb".

    I understood what she meant and why she said it, and enjoyed her comment. What mystifies me is why you think you are making a point that is meaningful to the discussion.
  • Posts: 2,054 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »

    I was actually joking...

    Unless you have a medical condition it does not matter....

    I eat white rice all the time...
    I love white rice, I don't like brown rice as far as taste/texture goes. Bleh.
    There was a study done, and albeit it was back in 2010 that showed a diet of 1-5 servings of white rice can cause an increased risk of type 2 diabetes - White Rice, Brown Rice, and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in US Men and Women - http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic1124294.files/White Rice, Brown Rice, and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes.pdf
  • Posts: 2,577 Member
    edited March 2016
    auddii wrote: »

    So you're saying my food scale measures mass, but when I flip the switch to lbs, it no longer measures mass at all? It magically switches beyond just the units?
    Yes. And as mentioned, elevation even on Earth (whether someone is living by the ocean or in a mountainous area) does make a difference in the weight of an object. This is due to the fact that the gravitational acceleration decreases with increasing altitude, which affects the weight of an object. That's just simply physics. See these links.
    http://www.colorado.edu/physics/2000/periodic_table/mass.html
    http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/about-us/42-our-solar-system/the-earth/gravity/93-does-gravity-vary-across-the-surface-of-the-earth-intermediate
    http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/circles/Lesson-3/The-Value-of-g


  • Posts: 15,357 Member
    Yes. And as mentioned, elevation even on Earth (whether someone is living by the ocean or in a mountainous area) does make a difference in the weight of an object. This is due to the fact that the gravitational acceleration decreases with increasing altitude, which affects the weight of an object. That's just simply physics. See these links.
    http://www.colorado.edu/physics/2000/periodic_table/mass.html
    http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/about-us/42-our-solar-system/the-earth/gravity/93-does-gravity-vary-across-the-surface-of-the-earth-intermediate
    http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/circles/Lesson-3/The-Value-of-g


    I don't think you understand how scales work.
  • Posts: 18,878 Member
    When we measure food in grams, that is a measure of mass, not weight. When we measure food in pounds, that is a measure of force. To get the weight, the mass is multiplied by the gravitational force being exerted. What Katie is saying is that the weight of an object will differ between, say, Earth and the moon. But there are minor gravitational differences even on Earth, which depends on elevation. This means that the weight of an object will vary here on Earth. That's what she means by "a lb is not always a lb".

    Ummm... grams are weight. Most definitely weight. There's no difference between grams and pounds besides a mathematical conversion.
  • Posts: 2,577 Member
    auddii wrote: »

    I don't think you understand how scales work.
    According to my college level physics book, "We can also weigh a body with a spring scale. The body stretches a spring, moving a pointer along a scale that has been calibrated and marked in either mass or weight units. (Most bathroom scales in the United States work this way and are marked in the force unit pounds.) If the scale is marked in mass units, it is accurate only where the value of g is the same as where the scale was calibrated."

  • Posts: 2,577 Member

    Ummm... grams are weight. Most definitely weight. There's no difference between grams and pounds besides a mathematical conversion.
    When I took physics in college we measured mass in grams, not weight in grams. Maybe physics has changed in the last few years, but I was taught that grams is a measure of mass, not weight.

  • Posts: 6,037 Member
    VeryKatie wrote: »

    AKA making a funny - a really nerdy funny...

    Lol! Clearly I was/am not quick enough to pick up on that... ;)
  • Posts: 6,037 Member
    Good point. When we weight food, we're either measuring the mass of the food or the force being exerted. This is basic physics.


    ???
  • Posts: 2,577 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »

    I understood what she meant and why she said it, and enjoyed her comment. What mystifies me is why you think you are making a point that is meaningful to the discussion.
    It may have been better suited to another thread, but I was expounding on the point made that I quoted.

  • Posts: 6,037 Member
    Afura wrote: »

    Yup. When I went in for diabetes white rice was off the list, brown rice was on as white rice spikes the sugar levels more than brown because it has a higher glycemic index.
    Nope. Once you add fat and protein (a complete meal) the glycemic index is null...
  • Posts: 6,037 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »

    I understood what she meant and why she said it, and enjoyed her comment. What mystifies me is why you think you are making a point that is meaningful to the discussion.


    This is a perfect example of overcomplicating the process...
  • Posts: 30,886 Member
    It may have been better suited to another thread, but I was expounding on the point made that I quoted.

    Ah. Your college class in physics may not have covered humor.
  • Posts: 6,037 Member
    When I took physics in college we measured mass in grams, not weight in grams. Maybe physics has changed in the last few years, but I was taught that grams is a measure of mass, not weight.
    What does this have to do in regards to a calorie being a calorie?

  • Posts: 2,577 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »

    Ah. Your college class in physics may not have covered humor.
    Lol, true (though I did have a fun professor).

  • Posts: 15,357 Member
    According to my college level physics book, "We can also weigh a body with a spring scale. The body stretches a spring, moving a pointer along a scale that has been calibrated and marked in either mass or weight units. (Most bathroom scales in the United States work this way and are marked in the force unit pounds.) If the scale is marked in mass units, it is accurate only where the value of g is the same as where the scale was calibrated."

    Right, so flipping my switch does not actually change how my scale mechanically works.

    And talk about majoring in the minors...
  • Posts: 9,151 Member
    If my scale shows pounds, will that convert the Canadian money I put on into British pounds?

    Aside: grams are for mass, not weight. People bastardized the meaning and made grams = weight.
  • Posts: 2,577 Member
    edited March 2016
    auddii wrote: »

    Right, so flipping my switch does not actually change how my scale mechanically works.

    And talk about majoring in the minors...
    Well, ndj's point in creating this thread was about the scientific technicality of a calorie being a calorie. Regardless of how a scale works on a mechanical level, it doesn't change the science involved when we "weigh" food.

  • Posts: 15,357 Member
    zyxst wrote: »
    If my scale shows pounds, will that convert the Canadian money I put on into British pounds?

    Aside: grams are for mass, not weight. People bastardized the meaning and made grams = weight.

    But as long as everyone uses that scale on the plant Earth, they are virtually the same for the average user.
  • Posts: 2,054 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    Nope. Once you add fat and protein (a complete meal) the glycemic index is null...
    Interesting, where is that information at? I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just interested in the knowing and understanding portion.
  • Posts: 836 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    Nope. Once you add fat and protein (a complete meal) the glycemic index is null...
    Afura wrote: »
    Interesting, where is that information at? I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just interested in the knowing and understanding portion.

    I too am confused. How does this work? Skittles by themselves are high GI; Skittles with a cheeseburger = complete meal?
  • Posts: 30,886 Member
    Afura wrote: »
    Interesting, where is that information at? I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just interested in the knowing and understanding portion.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12016989
  • Posts: 15,357 Member
    Afura wrote: »
    Interesting, where is that information at? I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just interested in the knowing and understanding portion.

    It's commonly called glycemic load.
  • Posts: 5,377 Member
    VeryKatie wrote: »

    I agree with all of the above! Except that a lb is a lb. Because a lb is not always a lb unless you're specific about it. There are lb-m and lb-f (pound mass and pound force) and while we are on Earth they are they same, technically that isn't true in other locations. Actually... I guess it even depends on how far below/above sea level the comparisons are being made too...

    Use grams and only worry about it for measuring out portions of astronaut ice cream. Oh wait, astronauts never actually eat astronaut ice cream.
  • Posts: 30,886 Member
    So make the Tang first and use cups rather than weighing the Tang in grams?

    Will keep that in mind!
This discussion has been closed.