Opinions on 1,300 calories of junk food vs healthy food!

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  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
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    vmbourg wrote: »
    I'd rather 1300 healthy for several reasons. 1) eating crap makes me feel like crap. That was the majority reason for me to change my diet. Sugar just gives me headaches. 2) lifestyle change, if I continue to eat crap to lose weight , what will happen when I'm not motivated to count calories? So I am working on changing food choices and behaviors in hopes to not have to lose this weight again. 3) Setting example s for my kids. My parents let us drink diet Cokes and eat pizza rolls, etc. I had to learn how to eat on my own as I got older. I want my kids to know how to drink water and eat healthy food.

    Eating crap sounds nasty.
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
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    1,300 calories of junk food vs healthy food
    What's everyone's opinion here? I'm curious. A lot of people think quality doesn't matter as long as you create a deficit in your diet, others thing it really does matter. Tell me what you think!

    First, 1300 cal is pretty low, unless you're rather short, or post-menopausal, or medically supervised.

    Second, for weight loss all that matters is that calories in are less than calories out.

    Third, for good health it matters a lot that those calories come from a wide variety of foods, with most of them being what would be considered 'healthy' (not excessive fat, sugar, sodium, has nutrients).

    Fourth, getting 1300 cal from healthy foods is going to give you a lot more to eat, make you more satisfied for longer, compared to 1300 cal from junk foods.
    To go to extremes...
    1300 cal of strawberries is 9 pounds / 144 ounces
    1387 cal of carrots is 5 pounds / 80 ounces
    1317 cal of boiled lentils is 2.5 pounds / 40 ounces
    1268 cal of baked chicken breast is 26 ounces
    1250 cal of large eggs is 15 eggs
    1309 cal of olive oil is 11 tablespoons
    1333 cal of Oreos is 25 cookies
    1300 cal of Twinkies is 10 Twinkies

    Which is going to provide the most nutrition, and which is going to keep you feeling un-hungry the longest?
    Can someone even eat 9 lb of strawberries in a day?!
    The high-fat, high-sugar, low-fiber, low-nutrition options (junk food) are quick to eat, will leave you wanting more, and don't give the body what it needs to maintain itself.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    ElleHeart22 wrote: »
    What's everyone's opinion here? I'm curious. A lot of people think quality doesn't matter as long as you create a deficit in your diet, others thing it really does matter. Tell me what you think!

    Matters for what?
  • bfanny
    bfanny Posts: 440 Member
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    A nice balance for me ;)
  • OliveGirl128
    OliveGirl128 Posts: 801 Member
    edited July 2017
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    vmbourg wrote: »
    I'd rather 1300 healthy for several reasons. 1) eating crap makes me feel like crap. That was the majority reason for me to change my diet. Sugar just gives me headaches. 2) lifestyle change, if I continue to eat crap to lose weight , what will happen when I'm not motivated to count calories? So I am working on changing food choices and behaviors in hopes to not have to lose this weight again. 3) Setting example s for my kids. My parents let us drink diet Cokes and eat pizza rolls, etc. I had to learn how to eat on my own as I got older. I want my kids to know how to drink water and eat healthy food.

    You can gain weight by eating 'healthy' food, just like you can gain weight eating 'junk' food. As I posted above-things like (healthy) nuts are very calorie dense and it's very easy for me to rack up the calories on them vs something like chips. There's all sorts of foods that people consider healthy, that are calorie bombs.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited July 2017
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    It matters for health.

    Realistically, no one (well, almost no one) is going to eat 1300 calories of so called junk food or 1300 calories of only the most nutrient dense food, it's going to be a mix. With low cals (like 1300), probably better to have less of the lower nutrient stuff and be more careful about adding in foods that will cover nutrient needs, but there's still room for some lower nutrient things you love, whatever that may be. My calories are higher, but even when they were quite low I did eat a nutrient-rich diet but added in some cheese, some added oils, some higher cal meats (not just the leanest ones always), so on, which I mention just because sometimes there's this weird box that foods get put in, either good or bad, and really it's all a mix. (I also sometimes have dessert items.)
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,436 Member
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    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10348650/cico-still-skeptical-come-inside-for-a-meticulous-log-that-proves-it

    Just sayin'.
  • saraonly9913
    saraonly9913 Posts: 469 Member
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    Headaches and hair loss
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    ElleHeart22 wrote: »
    What's everyone's opinion here? I'm curious. A lot of people think quality doesn't matter as long as you create a deficit in your diet, others thing it really does matter. Tell me what you think!

    It's basic math. Yesterday, and my diary is open, I consumed all my snacks other than the egg prior to noon. Afternoon, I did all my exercise and drank all my water. I had over 3000 calories consumed, which is double my daily goal. I exercised enough to burn away every single excess calorie I ate, and drank enough water to stay well hydrated and promote the discharge of all the excess sodium I had consumed recently. Today's weight was 2.4 lb less than yesterday's. That isn't due to the exercise. Rather, to the water. The exercise only neutralized the excess of calories for the day.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    At 1300 calories a day there will have to be some planning to get in appropriate nutrition to avoid health problems. Take care to get enough protein. Also with a calorie target like that, fats must be carefully watched. So right off the bat you will have to restrict all fatty foods like fries, chips, poutine, and Carl's Jr. burgers. You may be able to afford a small square of cheese or a tablespoon nuts.

    With the remaining calorie allowance you may have to choose between a giant leafy salad or a cookie.

    Both would work but it might turn out that the salad is more satisfying.

    ...
    This is how "junk" food gets squeezed out. In a calorie restricted diet there just may not be enough room.

    I might have the salad and enjoy one French fry off my husband's plate.

    Or solve a dessert dilemma as I did this weekend at a wedding. The caterer saw me lingering at the dessert table and asked if she could help. Brownie or lemon square? I explained I had to choose just one. She suggested I take half of each so I did.
  • perkymommy
    perkymommy Posts: 1,642 Member
    edited July 2017
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    The quality of the food you consume, whether within your limit or not, does matter. If I sat and ate choc chip cookies and ice cream all day but stayed within my calories I'd be unhealthy. If I ate that much in veggies, chicken, fish, fruits then I would be healthier. It's not just about losing calories for the outside of my body but how the inside of my body is being treated by the foods I eat.
  • beaglady
    beaglady Posts: 1,362 Member
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    It depends if eating the alleged 'junk' is an occasional thing, or a way of life. Personally, I go for the occasional junk as a treat, while eating home cooked meats and vegetables, occasionally some bread as 90% of my intake.

    Yesterday was one of those 'junk' days. We had friends over for afternoon drinks and snacks on our patio. We had a couple tall drinks, lots of crackers and way too much Brie cheese. Around 1200 calories for the afternoon, but I wasn't hungry for dinner, so my total calories for the day was within range. Would I do this every day? No. A couple times a month? Yes. It keeps me on track with my diet if I can occasionally have some days where I can relax and eat higher calorie foods. Protein was low for the day, but my weekly totals will be fine as long as I'm mindful for the rest of the week.

    I've been tracking for over a year, and have lost over 40 pounds so far. Being able to work in treats and 'junk' has allowed me to stay on track and lose more weight than I ever have previously, without feeling deprived and wanting to give up.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
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    @ElleHeart22, you've got lots of opinions and questions.... You asked the question originally, what are your thoughts?
  • ElleHeart22
    ElleHeart22 Posts: 27 Member
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    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    @ElleHeart22, you've got lots of opinions and questions.... You asked the question originally, what are your thoughts?

    Hmm, well to answer all the questions of what I meant by junk food, I meant for you to fill in the blank of whatever you think junk food is. Everyone has their own thoughts as far as what is junk and what is good. As far as me, I consider eating out, sweets, and empty carbs like potato chips and such to be junk food. Things that I might eat and the next day feel sluggish or be retaining a lot of water.

    I try to avoid junk food because I feel worse from it and look worse as far as puffiness in my face from water retention. Since I avoid it most of the time it's hard for me to tell if it affects my weight or not hence my asking of everyone else's opinion. Mostly I was putting this in the category of how does it affect weight loss, obviously as @Francl27 said no one should eat junk food all the time, they are right it is a duh, but when you put it into the category of how much junk food you eat and the results of weight loss, it's a different equation.

    Thanks for the answers everybody! You've filled my curiosity.
  • ElleHeart22
    ElleHeart22 Posts: 27 Member
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    kimny72 wrote: »
    I feel like this is a trap... :neutral:

    It would be great if OP could clarify the question - matters for what?

    Lol sorry, not trying to create a trap. I should've been more specific. I was talking about as far as weight loss goes.
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,573 Member
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    I guess too it depends on your definition of junk food. A lot of people would consider my Lean Cuisines junk food.

    Many people consider pizza junk food but it actually has about, per average slice: 285 calories, 12g protein, 20% calcium, 15% iron and close to 200mg potassium.

    Some people who would call a piece of pizza for a meal "junk food" and a "poor choice" would probably not think twice about eating "just one" Twizzler Pull & Peel candy as a treat while watching TV or something...which for it's very, very small size has 110 calories and nothing else by way of nutrients.

    It's all about perspective. All food serves a purpose for me - either because I simply enjoy it, or because it meets my goals. I don't consider anything junk food unless it's just simply something I hate. LOL
  • MommaGem2017
    MommaGem2017 Posts: 405 Member
    edited July 2017
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    If I ate 1300 calories of cookies and Doritos I would end the day feeling like crud and even worse the next day. Is there a place for snack foods? Sure. But a whole diet of it would likely raise my blood pressure, bloat, and negatively affect my sleep.

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