So calories are calories, no matter what the food...

Everything in moderation. Not one or the other...not all or nothing.. Stay under your calorie goal.........eat 1g protein / 1LB of LBM.......eat .3g fat / LB.

Jacwhite...can you tell me how I figure out my LBM?

There are a couple of ways.....You can use a handheld device/scale that measures it using BIA. This is not very accurate but will give a general idea. Another option is body fat calipers.....A lot more accurate but up to the measurer to get correct readings. You can also find on-line calculators which use measurements from different areas to give you a pretty good estimate. The last option is to have a scan done......DEXA/underwater weighing etc. If you need further help in trying to estimate yours let me know.

At the end of the day, it is about more than just calories. If all you want to do is lose weight, sure, eat whatever you want within your calorie allotment. If you want to get healthy, eat foods low in saturated/trans fats, sodium, cholesterol and sugar. Eat foods that are high in fibre, healthy fats, protein and complex carbs and hydrate your body appropriately. Stay away from chemically processed foods. Just my two cents.

Personally, I feel fuller on the healthier stuff. If I eat poorly I'm hungry a lot faster than with the good stuff. I think sodium and fat content have a lot to do with that.

Yeah I find it a lot easier to control my portions eating healthy. Plus the hormone response from eating junk food. But cutting it out means I crave it less, and I don't have to try so damned hard not to finish a pack of chips all in one sitting.

Mathematically yes, a calorie is a calorie no matter what food it comes from. Stay under your TDEE and you will lose weight regardless of food - barring some medical condition or the occasional alien implant.

However

There is much more to what goes on with food in your body than just the energy/adipose storage cycles. Different types of foods can influence all sorts of things like hormonal balances, propensity to certain illnesses, organ functions, tissue and bone architecture, not to mention satiety, appetite and mood. So in that respect, no, not all foods are created equal.

This guy.

Also, off topic, I just started watching Firefly on netflix. SPACE COWBOYS = BEST IDEA EVER Who knew? (It's in his ticker.)

It makes a HUGE difference. Our bodies process different foods differently. Some are digested quickly. Some, slowly. Too much of some are more likely to be stored as fat. Some fuel muscles. Some clog arteries. The best thing you can do for yourself is to eat healthy foods and exercise.

Eating healthy foods helps me by greatly reducing my appetite. I can more easily tell when I am hungry and when I am not.

Eating a lot of unhealthy foods, for me, means eating a lot more carbs. Carbs cause me to retain water. Therefore eating healthy foods allows me to lose weight faster and more evenly, because I am not retaining as much water.

wouldn't that be a great experiment though, really? Do do 1500 calories of crap for a month - then 1500 calories of good stuff. For me, the important thing is that I feel so much more energetic and better mood on healthier food so I'm not sure it would matter. I'm not just in it for weight loss - I'm in for fitness factor! I suspect one would lose better on healthier foods but that would shoot the calories in versus out theory. Who volunteers for the study? You'd have to make sure all other factors remained exactly the same (exercise level, amount of water, amount of sleep...etc). We could make money and write a book.

This is such a difficult topic, I find that lack of fruit's and veggie's when trying to control my calorie intake, makes me very hungry and grumpy. 500cal of pizza doesn't go far, but trying to eat the same in lean protein or veggie's would be much more in volume and with a higher water content which in effect would keep you fuller for longer. So in effect by eating healthier you are making reducing your calories much easier for you mental and physically, there is nothing wrong with pizza, chips, mayo or burgers, but I would find with sugary cereal for breakfast, a burger for lunch and pizza for tea, I would be one hungry, grumpy camper and that my will power would fade much faster.

I didn't get to be 300lb by being a saint, I ate badly in large quantities causing my weight gain. Regardless of how much people protest about the "calorie is a calorie" debate, they know they should eat better for their health, but then again I know I should quit smoking for my health and I choose to ignore it and carry on.

Regardless of which path people choose to take, moderation IMO is the best route, a little of what you fancy won't kill you, but carrying around and extra person in fat will. Everyone is here for a purpose and if it's working for them, then that's great even though it's not the path I'd choose.

My finace eats junk, he chooses to eat junk, and seems to stay at the same weight, so it works for him BUT he recently had a cholesterol check and blood tests, and his result's were far worse than mine even though I have an extra 7stone on him. I'd rather be fatter with a healthier diet and see the result's in tests than be slimmer like him and recieve the result's he did.

It irritates me that some people think that being slim is the most important thing, skinny doesn't mean your immune from serious health issue's, but a heathier diet even when larger can mean your healthier than someone at a healthy weight.

Strange how life work's eh?

I am a strict calorie counter. I definitely incorporate lots of vegetables and fruits into my nutrition, but I do not limit any foods. If I want an angus hamburger with french fries, I will eat it, but I just ensure that I don't go over my allotted calories for the day. And I am losing weight this way. :-)

Totally agree with you here! NO reason to deprive yourself of what you crave as long as you don't go overboard and you stay active!