Are all calories the same?

sandlsales22 · June 2018

I weigh and measure everything. I count every cup of black coffee in MFP. No calorie goes unaccounted for! Ha! But I wondered... are all calories equal? Is 130 calories of sushi the same as 130 calories of crisps for example? Is anyone combining Keto and CICO? I’m not but slightly curious if there is any advantage of applying Keto to CICO? Thanks in advance

diannethegeek · June 2018

All calories are the same.
All foods are not the same.

jjpptt2 · June 2018

In terms of weight management? Yes.
In terms of health? No.
In terms of preference and satiety? No.
In terms of exercise performance? No.

You can't avoid CICO. Your body will obey CICO regardless of anything/everything else. CICO is not calorie counting, if that's what you're saying/thinking.

malibu927 · June 2018

Weightloss wise? They're the same, because they have the same measurement of energy. Nutrition wise? Not the same.

Keto will help with CICO if it helps you adhere to a deficit. Some people find themselves insatiable when they eat carbs, so it's easier for them to eat mostly fat/protein and keep their carb count low.

kommodevaran · June 2018

CICO is "calories in - calories out". Keto is just one way to manipulate CI. Are your thinking about counting calories? Counting calories is also just a method to control calories in/out, and it can be combined with keto.

AnvilHead · June 2018

I'll just link back to one of the (many) previous discussions on the topic: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10674744/are-all-calories-equal/p1

BusyRaeNOTBusty · June 2018

If you eat less than you burn, you'll lose weight, regardless of what you eat. So sure, eating the exact same amount of total calories regardless of content will produce approximately the same weight loss, not including water weight fluctuations, etc.

But, of course they aren't the same. Some calories have more nutrients, some make us feel fuller, some don't fill us up at all. I feel more full when I get enough fat and protein. Sugar soda does NOTHING to satisfy hunger yet 20oz has as much as a candy bar, and candy bars actually do satisfy my hunger. If I don't eat fruit or veggies I'm sure I'll feel crappy after a few days, and my skin might look like crap. But I also don't think you need to limit yourself to only "clean" foods, or do keto, or anything else to be successful. Find what works for you. If you like to eat high protein and it helps you stay under your calorie goals, great. If you like to have a bowl of ice cream every day and it helps you stay under your calorie goals (because you won't binge on other sweets knowing that ice cream is coming), then great.

cwolfman13 · June 2018

CICO is the energy equation and is applicable to any and all diets or WOEs. To lose weight your CI has to be less than your CO regardless of whether you're keto, paleo, low carb, South Beach, calorie counting, etc.

A calorie is just a unit of measure...in that respect, a calorie is a calorie, is a calorie just as an inch is an inch, is an inch, is an inch. As nutrition goes, foods are obviously different.

WholeFoods4Lyfe · June 2018

I follow a Keto diet. I also count my calories, because in order to lose weight you need to eat at a deficit.

There are several "types" of Keto, though I follow what is considered "clean keto", so limited/no processed foods, mostly whole foods diet. My goals are not limited to weight loss, I'm also interested in improving my overall health.

NovusDies · June 2018

Calories are a unit of measurement so it is kind of like asking if all inches or centimeters are the same.

ETA: Dang it @cwolfman13 type a little slower!

sandlsales22 · June 2018

Thank you all. I’m a little worried that my carb count is too high most days. I guess what I’m trying to get at is will this have an impact on weight loss regardless of whether I eat at a deficit or not ?

jjpptt2 · June 2018

The deficit or lack of will impact weight loss. The carbs will not.

AnvilHead · June 2018

To expand upon what cwolfman13 said: A mile is a unit of measurement, just like a calorie. Whether I drive one precisely measured mile at 70 mph on the highway in my air-conditioned car, or I run one precisely measured mile barefoot on a narrow, steep, rock-strewn mountain path at night in a blizzard, I've traveled one mile.

Now, we can discuss the differences in difficulty, level of exertion, discomfort, risk, elapsed time/pace, pain, or a host of other factors - but none of that changes the fact that in both cases, I traveled exactly one precisely measured mile.

malibu927 · June 2018

Nope. I lost 65 pounds eating 40-50% carbs most days. Weight loss is all about your deficit.

AnvilHead · June 2018

You don't lose weight by eating less carbs. You lose weight by eating less calories.

If you're overeating carbs and that's causing you to go into a caloric surplus, cutting carbs would help. If you're staying within your calorie goals in both cases, the only difference would be a loss in water weight from a lower carb intake. No effect upon actual fat loss.

sandlsales22 · June 2018

Thank you all

kimny72 · June 2018

This^. If you have a 12 inch ruler that you want to cover over, you can use a 12" strip of velcro or a 12" strip of silk. Are velcro and silk the same? Of course not. If all you are trying to do is cover the ruler, either will do the job. But if you have other goals, one might work better for you than the other.

Adopting keto while counting calories will help if you find fats satiating and tend to over indulge in carbs or feel hungrier when you eat them. Mind you, CICO is not calorie counting. CICO is what determines whether you lose, gain, or maintain, whether you are actually counting the calories or not. People who lose weight while on keto are eating less calories than they burn, full stop. But for some people, eating low carb makes it easier for them to eat the right amount of calories. For others, balanced macros makes it easier. For others it's increased fiber, or protein.

ETA: I lost weight and am now maintaining eating @ 45-50% carbs.

Scottgriesser · June 2018

All that matters for weight loss is that there is a deficit. You can lose weight by only eating Oreo's if you want as long as you're at a deficit.

As was mentioned, Keto is generally higher in protein and fat which give you a much more full feeling (satiated) than carbs, so having a higher protein intake will help with eating at a deficit because you won't be so hungry. It isn't less calories.

AnvilHead · June 2018

An excellent read on the topic: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10348650/cico-still-skeptical-come-inside-for-a-meticulous-log-that-proves-it/p1

BusyRaeNOTBusty · June 2018

The only problem with too much carbs is if you don't get enough protein due to eating too much carbs. I aim for a minimum of 100g of protein. And like I mentioned, you might feel fuller on less calories if you include more protein and fat. I know I do.

VUA21 · June 2018

A calorie is a unit of energy. They are all the same, it's the source of the calories that is different. Different sources contain different nutrients the body needs.

missysippy930 · June 2018

Calories are calories.
No matter what diet plan you are on, what they call it, how they package it, it is always CICO.
Someone is ALWAYS, counting the calories.
Weight loss is ALWAYS from eating less calories than you burn.

kshama2001 · June 2018

When I was in Costa Rico, I dropped a size without even trying while eating tropical fruit all day long, plus lots of rice and beans. So, despite very high carb, weight loss was effortless - I didn't have access to the high calorie foods I tend to overeat, and thus created a calorie deficit.

Aaron_K123 · June 2018

This is about as short and sweet as an answer can get.

Calories are the same because calories are just a unit of energy kind of like a pound of feathers weighs the same as a pound of bricks. That statement though says nothing about how similar bricks are to feathers and which might make a better building material for example. Similarly calorie equivalency doesn't actually tell you that much about food equivalency or what foods might be best for your own personal goals and tastes.

If your goal is to build a 1000 pound wall you can do that with either feathers or bricks...but to meet your goal then one is a better choice than the other. Similar for calories and food.

Dee_D33 · June 2018

Didn’t you respond to another post stating that you eat less than 1000 calories a day? And you’re worried about your carb intake affecting weight loss?

Silentpadna · June 2018

Carb count doesn't matter if your calories are in line. It's a giant myth that has made carbs the enemy and a bunch of snake oil salespeople a fortune. A lower carb diet can be effective. But it's only a means to creating a deficit. Count me as another who has lost significant weight with 40% or so of carbs in my diet. Never worried about carbs. I always chased protein first as a minimum, then let the carbs/fats fall where they may within my calorie goal. Plus the calorie goal was a target to hit - not a bar to see how far under it I could get.

Shifting gears for sec....

Having read your posts on the other thread about your intake, it seems you have a lot to learn about this. Chasing a scale number is likely to do you more harm than good. Almost everybody who comes on these boards and talks about excessive deficits - as you did in the other thread - claims no ill effects from them. Like "I feel great", "Never felt better", "I have tons of energy", etc. The things that were cautioned about generally don't show up until after the damage is done. So I would advise you to immerse yourself in the knowledge about what works. Read the stickies. Read a bunch of threads.

You seem to be focused on the optimal way of losing weight in terms of doing it in the quickest time. What I would hope for you to do is to shift your focus toward being optimal in terms of health.

I suggest a 3-tier approach (assuming you are trying to lose weight fat):

1. Eat at a moderate deficit for fat loss. But always eat enough to fuel your activity.
2. Increase aerobic activity for cardio fitness (with a side benefit of getting to eat a few more calories) to whatever extent you feel you should. Again - not to see how big of a deficit you can create. Always fuel your activity.
3. Do a progressive lifting program to preserve muscle and shape your body.

If you really want to be optimal, take your time doing those three things and don't chase a scale number at full speed. You'll be happy you did.

nvmomketo · June 2018

As others said, a calorie is a calorie in that both 130 kcal foods produce the same energy in a calorimetere. In terms of what foods do to your body in terms of weight management (thermogenic effect, hormones, etc) and for better health (IR, CVD, autoimmune issues) food effects can vary a lot.

I find that when I eat ketogenic diets, I tend to lose slightly faster that I do on a higher carb diet. My guess is it is because I have IR and some autoimmune issues (affecting hormones and inflammation). If I aim for losing 1.5 to 2 lbs a week with 1500 kcal, I tend to lose a bit fast at 2-3 lbs a week. It isn't a big difference and it is not universal among people who eat low carb... I am lucky in that.

Plus I find it easier to eat at a calorie deficit when my carbs are low. I am less hungry and my cravings are quite reduced.

YMMV

Sam Feltham did an n=1 experiment with just holding calories steady (at 5000+kcal) with a SAD diet, ketogenic diet, and a vegan diet for 21 days. He had some interesting results that showed, for him, where his calories come from does affect his weight.

http://live.smashthefat.com/why-i-didnt-get-fat/

http://live.smashthefat.com/why-i-did-get-fat/

http://live.smashthefat.com/why-i-got-a-bit-fat/

His macros changed wildly between the three diets, as did the amount of refined and highly processed foods.

jennifer_417 · June 2018

A calorie is a calorie in the same way a brick is a brick. It's on component of the whole. And it always the same.

Are all calories the same?

Replies

Categories