Calories are NOT the enemy!

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Replies

  • SLLeask
    SLLeask Posts: 489 Member
    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".
  • AudreyJDuke
    AudreyJDuke Posts: 1,092 Member
    What a fascinating and honest discussion, thank you everyone!
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
    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.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
    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.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,257 Member
    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.
  • Dazzler21
    Dazzler21 Posts: 1,249 Member
    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.