Calories are NOT the enemy!
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I was reading this I then immediately I thought of the YouTube video I ones watched.
There was a little boy of 3 or 4 years old ,I think in Indonesia but I'm not sure, he was very obese. His parents were saying that from his birth on he was eating. And he was always very heavy and they couldn't do anything about it.
A few months ago I saw a video of that same boy. He was helped by doctors or dieticians I don't know who but had lossed all the overweight and had a normal weight now.
A lot of people are thinking or saying that they can't lose the weight because all of their family are overweight.
I don't believe most of them. I'm overweight but I'm honest.
I know why. I ate too much.And when I did a diet I ate not enough. (crashdiet).
I'm now tracking my food for 2 weeks and I'm shocked to see how much calories I can eat and still lose weight.
I think first you must be honest about your weight. For a few people there are medical issues and then you must consult a doctor but even then you can lose weight.
But this is my opinion.
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What on earth is a bad calorie?8
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CyclingRoadie6 wrote: »What I mean by this, is that there are good calories and of course, there are bad ones too. What gets my shorts in a knot is hearing people say, "Oh, I shouldn't get that food because it has too many calories". When I hear that, it tells me that their perception of calories is not correct, which in turn could really affect their eating habits. It is those people who I believe know they are not eating well to begin with.
Re the two bold comments - oh the delicious unintentional irony!
Please take a few seconds to research what a calorie is then you wouldn't appear quite so clueless.13 -
CyclingRoadie6 wrote: »extra_medium wrote: »If you consume more calories than you burn, you'll gain weight. If you consume fewer than you burn, you'll lose weight. "Good" or "bad" has nothing to do with it, but you're correct they they aren't the enemy. It's just that you do have to pay attention to them whether you're looking to gain or lose weight.
The challenge with that is genetics. Good and bad have quite a bit to do with it, depending on how your body reacts to certain foods. Even if you eat at a deficit, some people are not able to lose weight.
My point is, if you see something that you really want to eat, than eat it. And yes, pay attention to what you want to enjoy, and then you can always enjoy a "healthier" option later.
1. Whilst some people may have disorders such as a slower metabolism that may make it harder for them to lose weight eating the same calories as someone with the same stats as someone with a fast metabolism does NOT mean they won't lose weight. They may just lose it slower. An appropriate deficit for that person will result in weight loss.
2. But therein lies the very problem - for many people "later" never comes. So no, quite often I don't just eat what I fancy, that's what led me to where I am now! And when you judge those people in your presence who are not eating whatever they really fancy, maybe they ate what they fancied for breakfast and are making the decision to not do this time, and this is their "later".3 -
What a fascinating and honest discussion, thank you everyone!1
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I almost never eat pizza. It's not very nutritious and it's a lot of calories, which means I'll be hungry at some point to make up for it. Really good pizza is worth it, but this is Seattle not New York, we have mushy cardboard with cheese. It's not worth it to me, I'd rather spend my calories on other things.
On the other hand, you could leave a trail of salt and vinegar chips and I'd follow it right into Hell, crunching all the way. Starbucks has these bags of really good ones, they're small and come to 270 kcal. I can have a treat without blowing my calorie budget for the day.2 -
janejellyroll wrote: »CyclingRoadie6 wrote: »My apologies @Iamnotasenior and @cmriverside . What I should have said is that certain individuals are genetically susceptible to being obese through a number of causes. Eating is only one of these.
I'm not even sure how it got to this point, because this was never a part of my original post.
Because you made the claim that if someone is "genetically overweight" eating "bad foods" will keep them from losing weight, even if they're in a deficit.
Or am I misunderstanding your argument?
I don't think that was his argument. This thread would have gone better if he'd never brought it up, it seems like it was more of a tangent. I think his main argument is everything in moderation, including moderation.2 -
NorthCascades wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »CyclingRoadie6 wrote: »My apologies @Iamnotasenior and @cmriverside . What I should have said is that certain individuals are genetically susceptible to being obese through a number of causes. Eating is only one of these.
I'm not even sure how it got to this point, because this was never a part of my original post.
Because you made the claim that if someone is "genetically overweight" eating "bad foods" will keep them from losing weight, even if they're in a deficit.
Or am I misunderstanding your argument?
I don't think that was his argument. This thread would have gone better if he'd never brought it up, it seems like it was more of a tangent. I think his main argument is everything in moderation, including moderation.
Yeah I didn't really get that at all...5 -
CyclingRoadie6 wrote: »extra_medium wrote: »If you consume more calories than you burn, you'll gain weight. If you consume fewer than you burn, you'll lose weight. "Good" or "bad" has nothing to do with it, but you're correct they they aren't the enemy. It's just that you do have to pay attention to them whether you're looking to gain or lose weight.
The challenge with that is genetics. Good and bad have quite a bit to do with it, depending on how your body reacts to certain foods. Even if you eat at a deficit, some people are not able to lose weight.
My point is, if you see something that you really want to eat, than eat it. And yes, pay attention to what you want to enjoy, and then you can always enjoy a "healthier" option later.
No. If you eat at a deficit you lose weight. "Good/bad" is subjective and literally has nothing to do with weight management.
There may be specific issues that impact metabolic rate, but genetics and disease states play a very small part in this - from clinical results this amounts to < 5%. This amounts to 80 kcals/day out of a 1600 kcal/day calorie budget.4 -
CyclingRoadie6 wrote: »What I mean by this, is that there are good calories and of course, there are bad ones too. What gets my shorts in a knot is hearing people say, "Oh, I shouldn't get that food because it has too many calories". When I hear that, it tells me that their perception of calories is not correct, which in turn could really affect their eating habits. It is those people who I believe know they are not eating well to begin with.
Re the two bold comments - oh the delicious unintentional irony!
Please take a few seconds to research what a calorie is then you wouldn't appear quite so clueless.
So much this! A calorie is a unit of measure. Specifically the energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water through 1 °C. A unit of measure is not inherently "good" or "bad", it just is.
Are grams, joules, kilowatts, megabytes, etc. inherently bad or good?
Also to suggest that people in a calorie deficit won't lose weight or are "genetically" incapable shows a fundamental lack of understanding on multiple fronts. Perhaps read some of the sticky/most helpful posts.6 -
A calorie is a calorie.
Too many over your Basal Metabolic Rate without exercise will cause you to not just put on weight but it will be FAT you put on.4 -
Calories are just calories. You can gain weight if you eat too much broccoli and plain chicken as well as if you ate too much pizza. You can eat pizza or drink beer and lose weight if you have not exceeded your maintenance calorie level.
If you want to lose weight you must eat less, burn more calories or both.
Counting calories is a useful tool for weight management.
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The point is, if you are reading the calories on a menu item, and those numbers deter you from enjoying yourself, it may be time to re-evaluate what really makes you happy.
The problem with this statement is that a lot of us here, are here, simply because we have used food as comfort, entertainment, reward, socialization, relaxation, stress-relief or have full blown food addictions. We don't have the ability to eat "some french fries" or one piece of pizza or stop at one beer and some of us are unable to exercise at a level required to burn off a 2,000-calorie entree. It's kind of like telling an alcoholic it's okay to have a drink as long "as it's in moderation" and it "makes him happy". One drink, or one slice of pizza may be the trigger that puts some of us into a full-blown, days-long, binge. Personally, I don't worry about what other people are eating (or not eating) and I just worry about myself and my own intake. Bottom line is that you don't know their story, their struggles or what they may have already overcome. Maybe their choice to read calorie labels and steer away from high-calorie foods is an effort to "be healthy" and maybe that IS THE VERY THING that has been a source of happiness for them. Don't presume to know why they are making those choices and unless someone is obviously suffering from an eating disorder (anorexia or bulemia), then don't comment on or judge their food choices. Someone telling me what to eat (or not eat) has never resulted in successful weight loss, eating healthier or making better food choices and in most cases, it made things worse.
For me personally, there is no high-calorie meal that makes me feel better than being able to zip up my jeans without the use of a crowbar or actually feel a little slack in the hip area of a pair of slacks that I used to spill out of or of seeing a photo of myself and not thinking "God, I am huge!" The countless tears I have shed in my life and the terrible way I felt about how I looked most of my teen years and adult life prevented me from doing so many things in my life because I was self-conscious about my weight, hated the way I looked or didn't have anything to wear because clothes shopping was an exercise in humiliation and sadness, usually followed up with tears and self-hatred. There is no donut or milkshake on the planet that tastes better than feeling good about myself. If I want a cookie, I'll have a cookie, but most of the time, I want to be happy more than I want a cookie and for me, happiness is not found on a menu, it is found in my mirror when I see a thinner, healthier, happier me looking back at myself. Live and let live and let people make their own choices about food without having to put your two cents in. They will be happier and so will you.12 -
I sort of understand where he's coming from in a sense but wouldn't it be more of sugar to worry about which is our biggest enemy and not so much the calories?
For Example:
19 pieces of candy corn only 140 calories but 30 grams of sugar
1 can of pepsi only 150 calories but 41 grams of sugar.
1 Chicken breast 140 calories but no sugar
1 can of tuna 160 calories and no sugar
Both similar but one loaded with sugar and the other none. I think that's sort of what he means by bad and good calories? Correct me if I'm wrong but I think we all know sugar is what makes us all gain weight. Maybe I'm wrong but I think this is sort of what he's getting at?
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I sort of understand where he's coming from in a sense but wouldn't it be more of sugar to worry about which is our biggest enemy and not so much the calories?
For Example:
19 pieces of candy corn only 140 calories but 30 grams of sugar
1 can of pepsi only 150 calories but 41 grams of sugar.
1 Chicken breast 140 calories but no sugar
1 can of tuna 160 calories and no sugar
Both similar but one loaded with sugar and the other none. I think that's sort of what he means by bad and good calories? Correct me if I'm wrong but I think we all know sugar is what makes us all gain weight. Maybe I'm wrong but I think this is sort of what he's getting at?
Sugar doesn't cause weight gain. Eating more calories than our bodies require is what causes weight gain.18 -
I sort of understand where he's coming from in a sense but wouldn't it be more of sugar to worry about which is our biggest enemy and not so much the calories?
For Example:
19 pieces of candy corn only 140 calories but 30 grams of sugar
1 can of pepsi only 150 calories but 41 grams of sugar.
1 Chicken breast 140 calories but no sugar
1 can of tuna 160 calories and no sugar
Both similar but one loaded with sugar and the other none. I think that's sort of what he means by bad and good calories? Correct me if I'm wrong but I think we all know sugar is what makes us all gain weight. Maybe I'm wrong but I think this is sort of what he's getting at?
Sugar isn't what makes us gain weight. Excess calories cause weight gain. While it's true that many people do consume excess calories in the form of sugar, if you choose 140 calories of candy corn instead of 140 calories of chicken and hit your calorie goal, you'll be fine.12 -
Okay so if you eat 2000 calories a day with 300 grams of sugar included then it's the same as 2,000 calories a day with no sugar? Sugar doesn't make you fat? That's the first time I've ever heard that.17
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Okay so if you eat 2000 calories a day with 300 grams of sugar included then it's the same as 2,000 calories a day with no sugar? Sugar doesn't make you fat? That's the first time I've ever heard that.
I wouldn't recommend that much sugar as it would crowd out other nutrients but in terms of weight loss yes it would be the same10 -
Okay so if you eat 2000 calories a day with 200 grams of sugar included then it's the same as 2,000 calories a day with no sugar? Sugar doesn't make you fat? That's the first time I've ever heard that.
For weight loss, it's the same.
Some people find find it harder to be in a deficit with that much sugar if sugar (or certain foods with sugar) prompts cravings, but that's not unique to sugar (many foods can trigger cravings and some people have no problems at all with it).
Others may find it hard to meet their nutritional needs overall if they have 200 grams of sugar (but this is going to be heavily influenced by the types of sugar-containing foods that are chosen).
But no, sugar doesn't make you fat. If someone is going to lose weight on 2,000 calories, then they'll lose weight on 2,000 calories with 200 grams of sugar.
If it's the first time you're ever hearing that, it's because sugar is as demonized today as fat was in the 1980s. It's very trendy to blame sugar for obesity right now.15
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