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Empty calories

Christina1007
Christina1007 Posts: 179 Member
edited October 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Hi everyone!
I just need to get my head round these empty calories thing. Looking at my diary, I noticed that I tend to drink quite a lot, espcially during the weekends. I do stay within my calorie target of 1200cals a day, but then I have a couple of glasses of wine or other alcoholic drinks and BAM- I'm way over.
Now what I don't understand is if these calories count as much as food calories? Surely empty calories burn faster than food ones?!!? Right?
Some advice would be greatly appreciated.

Replies

  • Uerzer
    Uerzer Posts: 273
    Surely empty calories burn faster than food ones?!!? Right?

    No. Calories are calories no matter where they come from.
  • VinVenture
    VinVenture Posts: 290
    Humans eat kcal (which is short for 1000 calories), and 1 scientific calorie (0.001 kcal) is how much energy it takes to raise the temperature of 1 g of water with 1 degree Celsius. 1 kcal (what you think of as 1 calorie) is how much energy it takes to increase 1 kg/1 l (four cups) of water with 1 degree Celsius.

    An empty calorie is a calorie none the less, the difference is it doesn't give your body anything but pure energy. Your body also needs vitamins, fibre and minerals, and empty calories don't have any of this. 1 kcal from alcohol is the same amount of energy you get from 1 kcal of oranges, but the oranges give you vitamins too, which alcohol doesn't.

    This is why limiting carbs is a great way to lose weight, because most carbs are just empty calories and pure energy.

    Edit: Yes this means drinking water can actually lose you calories, 64 fl oz of very cold water will cost you about~ 56 calories, more it it's icy cold. (Even better, it will help you stave off the hunger :P )
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
    Like the others have said, they all count against you. There is no such thing as an empty calorie. I can eat a large bowl of ice cream and it will give me energy just the same as eating grass, but I prefer the ice cream.
  • Nikki582
    Nikki582 Posts: 561 Member
    I believe the term empty calories is because they have no little to no nutritional content, so it's effectively 200 (or whatever) cals for nothing.
  • Kirsty_UK
    Kirsty_UK Posts: 964 Member
    An empty calorie is a calorie none the less, the difference is it doesn't give your body anything but pure energy. Your body also needs vitamins, fibre and minerals, and empty calories don't have any of this. 1 kcal from alcohol is the same amount of energy you get from 1 kcal of oranges, but the oranges give you vitamins too, which alcohol doesn't.
    this :)
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    Like the others have said, they all count against you. There is no such thing as an empty calorie. I can eat a large bowl of ice cream and it will give me energy just the same as eating grass, but I prefer the ice cream.

    Calories don't "count against you", they give you energy to stay alive and enjoy your life.
    They aren't evil and don't hate you....

    As explained above, all calories give you energy (that is what a calorie is) but some give you more nutritional benefits than others.
  • Naomi_84
    Naomi_84 Posts: 197 Member
    No calories are all calories, the only difference with alcohol and them being "empty" is that they hold no nutritional value whatsoever.
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
    Like the others have said, they all count against you. There is no such thing as an empty calorie. I can eat a large bowl of ice cream and it will give me energy just the same as eating grass, but I prefer the ice cream.

    Calories don't "count against you", they give you energy to stay alive and enjoy your life.
    They aren't evil and don't hate you....

    As explained above, all calories give you energy (that is what a calorie is) but some give you more nutritional benefits than others.

    srs? count against your daily calorie goal. Sorry for not wording properly for you.
This discussion has been closed.

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