Does it REALLY matter where calories come from?

as long as you're under your calorie goal and you'll lose weight. that's simply not true.

actually it is true but I agree, those who advocate eating crap are annoying

I find people who say "you can't eat x y z or you'll get fat" more annoying. It leads to this all or nothing mentality, where in order to lose weight you MUST cut carbs or fat or not eat bread or pasta. Most people cannot stick to that, and usually just think they are a failure for wanting to eat those "bad" foods and then usually go back to their old excessive ways. There is a middle ground, it's called aiming to meet your macros, portion control and moderation.

stop being sensible!

Ok...I constantly see posts about how it doesn't matter where cals come from...but I'm finding either I have a grave misunderstanding of this or its just not true. Last week I stayed under my cals the majority of the week and lost no weight. But I ate a lot of sugary things (something I didn't think about until this morning).

So I guess the question is...even if you're under your cals can too much sugar negate the cal deficit?

Yes and no. Calories are calories when it comes to energy expenditure, but you still need to fulfill your daily essentials to have proper body function. Protein and good fats are essential and a good amount of carbs helps with energy and fueling your brain. Also get in daily RDA of vitamins.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

This pretty much sums it up.....

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html

wow...!

Might want to check your nutrition labels. Granola has carbs, protein, and fat in it, pasta has both carbs and protein, marinara sauce has carbs and fat, and unless it's fat free frozen yogurt, the smoothie has fat in it as well. There is no single natural food item on Earth that consists of 100% one macro.

1 gram of fat and 3 grams of protein to 40 grams of carbohydrates doesn't count, man. now you're just arguing for the sake of arguing.

The granola I make has 30 grams of carbs, 6 grams of protein, and 5 grams of fiber, along with 9 grams of fat. Maybe you need a new recipe. And most pastas are about 40 grams of carbs to 7 grams of protein, which is more than enough to offset insulin spikes on its own, without even taking the sauce into account, which most tomato sauce I make has enough olive oil and meat in it to provide healthy amounts of fat and protein, as well.

We can agree to disagree, that's fine. I personally don't find a meal that has carbohydrates as 50% to 60% of its source of calories condusive to fueling your furnace.

I'll stick to my plateau free, furnice fueling, stable energy level providing, hunger satisfying and appetite suppressing low GI meals and snacks. I've been averaging only 250 calories less my TDEE per day, and I am down 7 pounds in 5 weeks. I'm sure you can do the math. But hey, if only losing your caloric deficit in weight is good with you, then, well, more power to ya. I wish you all the best.

Might want to check your nutrition labels. Granola has carbs, protein, and fat in it, pasta has both carbs and protein, marinara sauce has carbs and fat, and unless it's fat free frozen yogurt, the smoothie has fat in it as well. There is no single natural food item on Earth that consists of 100% one macro.

1 gram of fat and 3 grams of protein to 40 grams of carbohydrates doesn't count, man. now you're just arguing for the sake of arguing.

The granola I make has 30 grams of carbs, 6 grams of protein, and 5 grams of fiber, along with 9 grams of fat. Maybe you need a new recipe. And most pastas are about 40 grams of carbs to 7 grams of protein, which is more than enough to offset insulin spikes on its own, without even taking the sauce into account, which most tomato sauce I make has enough olive oil and meat in it to provide healthy amounts of fat and protein, as well.

We can agree to disagree, that's fine. I personally don't find a meal that has carbohydrates as 50% to 60% of its source of calories condusive to fueling your furnace.

I'll stick to my plateau free, furnice fueling, stable energy level providing, hunger satisfying and appetite suppressing low GI meals and snacks. I've been averaging only 250 calories less my TDEE per day, and I am down 7 pounds in 5 weeks. I'm sure you can do the math. But hey, if only losing your caloric deficit in weight is good with you, then, well, more power to ya. I wish you all the best.

I lost 50 pounds in 5 months, I'm pretty comfortable that my way works just fine, thanks. Also, 7 pounds over 5 weeks is mostly water weight, it is biologically impossible to burn more fat than your caloric deficit. The body doesn't burn more calories than it needs, for any reason, so based on your numbers you've burned 2.5 pounds of fat and 4.5 pounds of water weight. Pretty typical weight loss, no matter what your diet is. Oh, and I've never plateaued, either.

Some people claim they can eat any kind of calorie, though if I eat sugar I gain or plateau.

Might want to check your nutrition labels. Granola has carbs, protein, and fat in it, pasta has both carbs and protein, marinara sauce has carbs and fat, and unless it's fat free frozen yogurt, the smoothie has fat in it as well. There is no single natural food item on Earth that consists of 100% one macro.

1 gram of fat and 3 grams of protein to 40 grams of carbohydrates doesn't count, man. now you're just arguing for the sake of arguing.

The granola I make has 30 grams of carbs, 6 grams of protein, and 5 grams of fiber, along with 9 grams of fat. Maybe you need a new recipe. And most pastas are about 40 grams of carbs to 7 grams of protein, which is more than enough to offset insulin spikes on its own, without even taking the sauce into account, which most tomato sauce I make has enough olive oil and meat in it to provide healthy amounts of fat and protein, as well.

We can agree to disagree, that's fine. I personally don't find a meal that has carbohydrates as 50% to 60% of its source of calories condusive to fueling your furnace.

I'll stick to my plateau free, furnice fueling, stable energy level providing, hunger satisfying and appetite suppressing low GI meals and snacks. I've been averaging only 250 calories less my TDEE per day, and I am down 7 pounds in 5 weeks. I'm sure you can do the math. But hey, if only losing your caloric deficit in weight is good with you, then, well, more power to ya. I wish you all the best.

are we comparing now? I'm down nearly 24 in 10. I ate a big, homemade sub sammie for lunch just now. with bread and everything.

Good for you!

I had Papa Johns pizza for lunch AND dinner last Saturday!

I love my once a week "whatever days".

Oh snap! Let me get in on this comparing dongs!

I lost over 60 lbs in 6 months and went from morbidly obese couch potato and pre-diabetic to finishing my first 1/2 Ironman in 6 hours 20 minutes in a total of less than 8 months. BAM!

Might want to check your nutrition labels. Granola has carbs, protein, and fat in it, pasta has both carbs and protein, marinara sauce has carbs and fat, and unless it's fat free frozen yogurt, the smoothie has fat in it as well. There is no single natural food item on Earth that consists of 100% one macro.

1 gram of fat and 3 grams of protein to 40 grams of carbohydrates doesn't count, man. now you're just arguing for the sake of arguing.

The granola I make has 30 grams of carbs, 6 grams of protein, and 5 grams of fiber, along with 9 grams of fat. Maybe you need a new recipe. And most pastas are about 40 grams of carbs to 7 grams of protein, which is more than enough to offset insulin spikes on its own, without even taking the sauce into account, which most tomato sauce I make has enough olive oil and meat in it to provide healthy amounts of fat and protein, as well.

We can agree to disagree, that's fine. I personally don't find a meal that has carbohydrates as 50% to 60% of its source of calories condusive to fueling your furnace.

I'll stick to my plateau free, furnice fueling, stable energy level providing, hunger satisfying and appetite suppressing low GI meals and snacks. I've been averaging only 250 calories less my TDEE per day, and I am down 7 pounds in 5 weeks. I'm sure you can do the math. But hey, if only losing your caloric deficit in weight is good with you, then, well, more power to ya. I wish you all the best.

I lost 50 pounds in 5 months, I'm pretty comfortable that my way works just fine, thanks. Also, 7 pounds over 5 weeks is mostly water weight, it is biologically impossible to burn more fat than your caloric deficit. The body doesn't burn more calories than it needs, for any reason, so based on your numbers you've burned 2.5 pounds of fat and 4.5 pounds of water weight. Pretty typical weight loss, no matter what your diet is. Oh, and I've never plateaued, either.

Good for you!

Look, I am not overweight, never have been. I don't have a bunch of weight, either from fat or water, to shed. The weight I want to lose is more like those "subborn last 10 pounds" that so many people have a hard time losing. I tried counting calories for MONTHS (4, to be exact) only to lose a pound a week, gain half a pound back, lose 2 pounds, gain 1 back. Only reason I didn't first start with a 6 days a week low GI low carb diet is because, truthfully, I had become addicted to carbs over the last several years, and I didn't want to give up tacos or french bread or subs or pizza or potato chips. I was determined to just budget those foods into my calorie allowance, and have everything work. Well, guess what, it didn't. Sorry, but a high carb diet does not work for me when trying to lose the 15 pounds I've slowly gained over the last 5 years.

Look, I'm not a carb nazi. I give myself one day a week when I can eat anything I want. Through my day last Saturday, I ate half a pizza and like 6 pieces of Valentine's Day chocolates (its called carb cycling). I weighed myself Sunday, the next day... I was up just TWO POUNDS. Within 24 hours, those 2 pounds were gone. You would think that if most of what I've lost was just water weight, then I'd be up more than that, wouldn't you??

I now longer have cravings. I feel phenomonal. And I am almost half way to reaching my goal of 15 pounds gone. My body feels efficient, my metabolism is thriving, and the fat is melting.

If what you're doing works for you, then that's great! But it doesn't work for everyone. And that was my whole point... that source of calories CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

This pretty much sums it up.....

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html

Fascinating read. Too bad it wasn't homemade cookies, cakes, and pies .... but then portion control would be out of the question, lol. I've heard of the MacDonald's diet, too.

This pretty much sums it up.....

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html

Fascinating read. Too bad it wasn't homemade cookies, cakes, and pies .... but then portion control would be out of the question, lol. I've heard of the MacDonald's diet, too.

Yeah, im in no way advocating it but for WEIGHTLOSS it doesn't matter but for HEALTH and muscle mass, energy and all the things that make you are happy superhero, you need eat clean foods thathold nutritional value

This pretty much sums it up.....

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html

Fascinating read. Too bad it wasn't homemade cookies, cakes, and pies .... but then portion control would be out of the question, lol. I've heard of the MacDonald's diet, too.

Yeah, im in no way advocating it but for WEIGHTLOSS it doesn't matter but for HEALTH and muscle mass, energy and all the things that make you are happy superhero, you need eat clean foods thathold nutritional value

Except in the twinkie diet all of his health markers improved, which kind of proves the opposite of what you just said. He ate that junk food diet, lost weight, and lowered his body fat, blood pressure, triglycerides, cholesterol, etc. He didn't eat healthy food, yet it made him perfectly healthy. As long as you get the proper number of calories and micronutrients, it doesn't matter where they come from.

Yeah I know. I was waiting for this reply. But like he says he doesn't know how it effects his long term health. I do believe nutritional value has a lot to do with your health. Ie you can still be obese and be malnourished and for instance my mum and others I know, who are not dramatically overweight have hideous cholesterol problems or high blood pressure because of the level of saturated fats they have consumed.

I'd be interested to see what the long term effects of the Twinkie diet is.

As long as your poop floats it makes no difference.


Carry on.

Love it. Btw I'm in the UK so I had no idea who Dr. Oz was until MFP..... I haven't stopped laughing