Are all calories the same?

Yes for weight management a calorie is a calorie. A calorie is a unit of energy.

When it comes to examples like yours above the major difference is in micro-nutrition rather than calories or even macros.

For example:

All foods are not the same, but for weight loss purposes calories are calories, and they are what determine whether you lose, gain, or maintain.

Sometimes it's harder to keep a deficit with certain food choices, since they are less satisfying or lead to being hungry again more quickly, and it's often easier to underestimate calories from some foods (largely higher cal foods) than others (like vegetables). What you choose also may effect how energetic you are and how much you move, but presumably if your diet was making you feel bad or sluggish you could adjust -- this is more about overall diet, not occasionally having fast food. Good diet (for nutrition purposes) is more about what foods you do include for nutrition regularly and what you mostly eat than needing to avoid foods (absent an allergy).

For maintaining muscle, if you are closer to a healthy weight protein is increasingly important (and I'd say it's always important) but it shouldn't be too hard to get sufficient protein in the context. Good rule of thumb is .6-.8 g per lb of a healthy goal weight.

ssanj10 wrote: »

Calories pretty much the same but whopper has a lot higher fat content

Eating fat does not make you fat.

ssanj10 wrote: »

Hi guys obviously it's best to eat wholesome healthy foods but my question is in regards to the times you can't do that.

Are 500 calories simply 500 calories?
For example would a 500 supermarket sandwich be the same as a 500calorie whopper burger?

My goal is to burn fat and maintain muscle BTW

Is an inch and inch? Is a mile a mile? A calorie is just a unit of measure.