Calories

Ok... There is something that keeps bugging me and I would like to know other people's opinion, if you don't mind sharing it. Everytime I hear people talking about calories, my ears bleed.

In my world, calories are fuel. Energy.

Why on earth would you choose to feed your body with the food that contains the LEAST calories? Would you fuel your car with diluted gasoline?

Wouldn't it be a better idea to forget about calories and eat food that fill you up, like high protein food, so that you don't have to eat crap all day long?

I've always been skinny so maybe I don't understand, but since everyone around me is getting fatter and fatter by stuffing their mouth all day long with low calorie artificial food that doesn't make them feel full at all, while I stay skinny rolling myself in butter and bacon 2 times a day, I think maybe, MAYBE they are wrong, and maybe the whole society is wrong, and maybe the government who pretends it knows what is healthy is wrong.

Opinions?

A lot of low calories foods ARE healthy, such as fruits and especially vegetables. However, I know what you're talking about - low-calorie "diet" foods like lite yogurt, 100-calorie mini cookie packs, diet soda... That stuff isn't real food. If you're trying to lose weight, you do need a caloric deficit, but you're supposed to achieve that by cutting back on rich foods and incorporating more naturally "light" foods into your diet.

When you're a healthy weight there is nothing wrong with eating rich foods as long as they're whole foods and you aren't binging, because binging is when you gain weight. Eating a loaded baked potato, for instance, is much healthier than eating some diet plan's fake low-calorie chemical potatoes, but if you eat two baked potatoes, or a potato and then pizza or cake or some other rich food, you might run into problems.

I eat fatty foods without a problem, but I try to balance it with lots of produce as well and less sugar and excessive carbs. It is definitely better to eat rich foods that are actually food than low-calorie diet "food" that has been literally developed in a laboratory. Shudder.

This should interest you, it proves that the calorie count per se isn't reliable at all, what should be taken into account is the nature of the food you eat : Sugar vs Fat on BBC: Which is Worse? - DietDoctor.com

Low calorie count is used by commercials as an argument to sell their products, even if it's rubbish and mostly made out of flavourings and other chemicals.

Calories aren't a reference at all, just avoid eating what is factory made altogether, that's what I personally do.

If you eat then exercise , you'll prevent that food from being stored as body fat, it will be stored as muscle instead.

No wonder why people get fat... they don't eat because they are hungry, they eat because they need a dopamine rush (especially if they eat sugar or fat).

Quite frankly, I find that high carb making people fat is b.s. , 80% of what I eat a day is carbohydrates , grains and legumes mostly. I am a fiber addict, yet I am not fat.

Haha maybe you have a high metabolism? Be warned it may wear off after you hit 30. I was Skeletor until a few years ago. Now I have to be careful about eating a whole tub of ice cream because of boredom.

Jungle said:

This should interest you, it proves that the calorie count per se isn't reliable at all, what should be taken into account is the nature of the food you eat : Sugar vs Fat on BBC: Which is Worse? - DietDoctor.com

Low calorie count is used by commercials as an argument to sell their products, even if it's rubbish and mostly made out of flavourings and other chemicals.

Calories aren't a reference at all, just avoid eating what is factory made altogether, that's what I personally do.

If you eat then exercise , you'll prevent that food from being stored as body fat, it will be stored as muscle instead.

No wonder why people get fat... they don't eat because they are hungry, they eat because they need a dopamine rush (especially if they eat sugar or fat).

Quite frankly, I find that high carb making people fat is b.s. , 80% of what I eat a day is carbohydrates , grains and legumes mostly. I am a fiber addict, yet I am not fat.

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Erm... sugar vs. fat is not the same thing as calorie count. I didn't click the link though so maybe I've missed something.

I've heard these claims before though that calories in calories out is BS and it's about what you eat. What you eat is important because it does influence your blood sugar, which controls appetite, and it influences your hormone levels. But I don't think counting cals is BS. I lost 20 lb. a few years ago by tracking calories.

Also, carbs are fine and we need them but there is a point at which it can become excessive, and Westerners in particular tend to overconsume carbs in the form of sugar and bread products. Excessive carbs do cause blood glucose spikes and drops, leading to overeating and can ultimately cause diabetes, etc. Whole grain carbs are best of course, and the fact that you're a "fiber addict" indicates you likely have a healthy diet or at least eat whole carbs (not processed/refined), which curbs weight gain by regulating blood sugar and keeping you fuller longer.

Opaline said:

Erm... sugar vs. fat is not the same thing as calorie count. I didn't click the link though so maybe I've missed something.

I've heard these claims before though that calories in calories out is BS and it's about what you eat. What you eat is important because it does influence your blood sugar, which controls appetite, and it influences your hormone levels. But I don't think counting cals is BS. I lost 20 lb. a few years ago by tracking calories.

Also, carbs are fine and we need them but there is a point at which it can become excessive, and Westerners in particular tend to overconsume carbs in the form of sugar and bread products. Excessive carbs do cause blood glucose spikes and drops, leading to overeating and can ultimately cause diabetes, etc. Whole grain carbs are best of course, and the fact that you're a "fiber addict" indicates you likely have a healthy diet or at least eat whole carbs (not processed/refined), which curbs weight gain by regulating blood sugar and keeping you fuller longer.

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Yes you are absolutely right , one gram of fat provides more than twice of the calories provided by carbs. But here it's not about 1kilo of bread vs 1kilo of cheese, it's about 1 calorie of bread vs 1 calorie of cheese and the effects on weight loss, the atkins diet relies on a very low consumption of carbs , there are many testimonies about it on the internet.

I have never tried it, so I can't give my opinion, living off fats is simply inconceivable.

Sugar is a downright drug, people overconsume it because it's addictive, even if there are no vitamins in what they eat (donut is a good example), they are feeding their brain before all.

As for hormones, there are so many factors that can make you fat , like a high saturated fat content + cholesterol+ refined sugars... which is the deadliest combination according to me, stress plays a role as well with cortisol, that's a vicious circle. if someone doesn't eat the right amount of junk food he's used to he'll be nervous about it.

Watching your calories count can help lose weight for sure, it takes strong willpower though, especially if the food you shouldn't be eating is in your reach.

Everyone has his own methods, I fast everyday then eat one big meal, some people would eat small meals every 3 or 4 hours.

Eating normal potions of natural food and exercising are the way to go , generally speaking.

Individuals vary biologically and also in their economic circumstances so you can't make generalisations to the whole population based off your own experience. That being said, there are a whole lot of processed foods that boast low calories that are absolute junk. Gorging yourself on butter and bacon isn't ideal either, as both of those are relatively high in saturated/trans fats which aren't exactly conducive to good health. Often, those who have trouble trying to limit food intake get a dopamine rush from eating. Their bodies may also be resistant to leptin, which is a hormone that signals that your stomach is full and you shouldn't eat anymore. And then you've got individuals who just naturally require a higher or lower energy intake for a healthy weight based off their metabolism.

A general rule of thumb is eating in moderation. All those low carb diets are mostly rubbish. Carbs are important, they're your main energy source so you shouldn't be avoiding them. Most Westerners (not sure about the stats in US or UK, only AUS) actually eat an appropriate amount of carbs, just the wrong type. Eat the right kinds of carbs, namely low GI foods. Note that 'bad' sugars are generally high GI and still considered carbohydrates. All carbs are essentially just different sugar monomer arrangements. Similar thing with fats and protein. Eat it but not too much. An excess of anything is usually bad.

Also, skinny is not necessarily healthy. I think I'm a fairly good example of that.

To align it to your analogy, it's along the lines of if every time you parked, your car would get a little bit of fuel added to its tank, to the point where your tank started bulging and cracking. Realistically it would simply overflow, of course, but I think you get the point.

It is fuel, absolutely, but most of the first world typically consumes it in excess. To such an extent where it becomes unhealthy. We have an unnatural availability of food to the point where our bodies simply don't know what to do with it.


That said, some definitely take it to the extreme. All it calls for is a balance that aligns with natural needs and maintenance. I'd even wager it's strategically smarter to maintain some body fat in case you ever find yourself in a situation where food is less available.

Pacific_Loner said:

I've always been skinny so maybe I don't understand, but since everyone around me is getting fatter and fatter by stuffing their mouth all day long with low calorie artificial food that doesn't make them feel full at all, while I stay skinny rolling myself in butter and bacon 2 times a day, I think maybe, MAYBE they are wrong, and maybe the whole society is wrong, and maybe the government who pretends it knows what is healthy is wrong.

Opinions?

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I agree that calories are just a unit of energy which is crucial to fuel our own survival. However, I think through the media/celebrities/diet fads etc. the term "calories" has turned into a bit of a misnomer. Generally, I think people sometimes assume that calories are bad because they assume that if it's got calories it must be unhealthy, when really they should be looking at the sugar/fat content instead.
Obviously there's a correlation between high fat/sugar food being high in calorie but if anything people should be restricting their sugar/saturated fat intake rather than their general calorie intake.

To refer to your quote though, I have gained a bit of weight since I gave birth to my daughter, although it's not from stuffing my face with low calorie foods. I have a sugar compulsion, mostly in the form of eating cake/dessert. I seem to have to have pudding after dinner. Even cutting out the pudding and instead "rolling myself in butter and bacon twice a day" would not help my situation either. Actually, I guarantee I would probably have put the same amount of weight on if not more.

An ex-boyfriend of mine was similar where he would eat unhealthily and yet he was still stick thin. That was just his genetics. However, me living with him for 6 months and having more or less the same diet, meant that I went up two dress sizes and gained probably about 18+lbs.

squidgee said:

Gorging yourself on butter and bacon isn't ideal either, as both of those are relatively high in saturated/trans fats which aren't exactly conducive to good health.

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Well, there is no trans fat in butter and bacon, and here's an article that sums up what I think about saturated fat:

Saturated Fat: Good or Bad?

Interesting discussion though, I'm glad I started it.

In fact in appears the problem lies mainly in sugar addiction.

I personally think calories are good it just depends where you get them from. I eat pretty healthy now so my body knows what to do with my calories I intake. If I eat junk food though my body will not know what to do with them and store them so I guess it's a thing people watch when they want to eat healthier. Sorry I didn't read past comments I just wanted to put my intake on it.

Because calories restriction and coounting is perhaps the most effective way of losing weight and north america is suffering through a HUGE obesity epidemic.

At the end of the day, if you eat less than your maintenance, you SHOULD lose weight. Low calorie foods are good because they allow you to eat food while still staying below your maintenance level.

Pacific_Loner said:

Well, there is no trans fat in butter and bacon, and here's an article that sums up what I think about saturated fat:

Saturated Fat: Good or Bad?

Interesting discussion though, I'm glad I started it.

In fact in appears the problem lies mainly in sugar addiction.

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My error. Still, both of those foods are very energy dense and it would probably be best to limit their intake if someone is aiming to lose weight.

Pacific_Loner said:

In my world, calories are fuel. Energy.

Why on earth would you choose to feed your body with the food that contains the LEAST calories? Would you fuel your car with diluted gasoline?

Wouldn't it be a better idea to forget about calories and eat food that fill you up, like high protein food, so that you don't have to eat crap all day long?

Click to expand...

Calories are indeed energy, but humans, just like any thing else, can have an over abundance of energy. For example things like phones and electronics never charge to 100% capacity even if thats what is read, if they do they the battery will be damaged or ruined (so I've read), granted it would be a much slower process in humans, but essentially over eating is over charging your battery.

Then of course you get into issues like metabolisms, not everyone burns or uses the energy as quickly as other people, people with slower metabolisms eat regularly but burn the energy slower. That's why I can eat a sandwich and fruit for lunch and be done but still have a weight issue, while friends and coworkers can eat 3 plates of pizza and pasta be a lean 150lbs.
Also thinking of calories as energy, the calories get are stored in your fat cells (I think), left over energy is converted to fat and stored, your brain will tell you that youre hungry and you pick up some stuff and eat a nice meal, but now youre adding more energy when you actually had some left over. Basically, your brain will tell you that you need to eat when you really dont, the big issue with many people with weight problems is that we eat as soon as we get hungry, but a lot of times if we wait, the hunger will pass and we can just go about our business.

Then of course with some food your brain releases endorphins, you can kind of get addicted to the feeling and have a hard time recognizing a weight problem (if youve ever noticed, people trying to lose weight get really anxious or irritable at the beginning). The same principal applies to drugs or even sex addiction, you get addicted to feeling good, that feeling becomes normal and sometimes at the cost of your health you are unable to deal with how things are naturally.

Anyway, I'm not a scientist, but this is basically how I understand everything; so all the more intelligent people on here, please tell me how wrong or right I am!

Chocolate addiction is hard to control. Chocolate is one of the few sugar rich things I still enjoy.
But I still managed to lose a lot of weight in the last years just with diet.
Just like you mentioned, I knew people who can eat lots of fatty foods and not get fat, without exercising.
It's like their metabolism is on Nitrous!

I have noticed that whenever I eat more food than usual, I feel hot and sweaty after a good night of sleep, means that my metabolism is burning up the excess calories?