I've just a quick question..well, knowing me, I'll most likely ramble on, haha. Anyway, it seems to me that a lot of people here are overly concerned with eating things like pizza, ice cream, and other deemed "junk foods." While they're not exactly healthy, doesn't it all boil down to calorie intake? I mean, I went from 128 to 118 last summer...and I had buffalo wings, pizza, even ice cream and milkshakes on a weekly, almost daily basis...I just made sure I didn't exceed 1,000 calories. So I don't see what all the fuss is over pizza and french fries and such...As long as you count calories, exercise regularily and just don't overdo the junk food thing, won't you be fine?

Well, technically speaking, you could probably lose weight on eating only cookies, but... you'd be deprived in nutrients, and hungry all the time because a tiny amount of it contains lots of calories, so you can't eat a lot. That's basically the problem with those foods: it's easy, say, to eat 2 slices of pizza all by yourself, but you're not necessarily satisfied after it's down (in terms of hunger), while having already eaten something like 600 calories just with that pizza. It makes it harde to stop once you're full, and sinc emany people with weight problems actually also have a problem with portion control/knowing true hunger from a craving/that sort of things, such foods can easily become triggers and slow down their weight loss.

Besides, some conditions are not compatible with such foods. For instance, for people who are insulin-resistant, junk foods laden with sugar (that is, almost everything processed these days...) are a real hindrance, since they will just cause the cycle of "producing too much insulin->cells become resistant->pancreas gets tired->potential diabetes" to go on. (And becoming insulin-resistant isn't such a rare condition, unfortunately. Even if it's only an example here.)

Personnally, I don't jump through the window if I happen to eat pizza once in a week or so, but I try to limit it all the same, not because of it exactly, but because it can more easily cause me to overeat afterwards than red cabbage or green beans. I suppose it must be the same for other people here.

I think for most people here, starting a healthy lifestyle is what matters most. Certain types of food just dont go hand in hand with a healthy lifestyle.

Most of us are trying to become maintainers of a healthy lifestyle. We are all in it to lose weight, sure, but I think a majority on the site are more interested in being healthy in the long run, and making sure that they stay healthy by sticking with a good diet/exercise regime even after they hit their goals.

I think it was one of my doctors who said "Everything in moderation, including moderation." Which basically means a splurge is fine as long as it fits in to the overall picture. Just yesterday in a post, a few posters compared it to spending money, and it's a good analogy. Do you spend your money responsibly, on things you need both now and in the future, or do you blow it on luxuries that have no lasting value? A pedicure once in a while is fine, but not if you haven't made your car payment.

I agree, foods like Pizza and chicken wings arn't gonna have a good list of vitamins and things your body needs to be healthy and happy.
Being thin, isn't gonna mean much if you're sickly, Eh?
But I also agree with you in that calories are calories. From a pizza or a pickle... it's the same calorie.... but there are things in pizza that are not in a pickle and it's those things that are bad. Like fat, sugar...chemicals...cholesterol...stuff like that.

Good morning!

It's true that the "laws of physics" apply here. Generally speaking, eat fewer calories than you burn and you will lose weight. But, as another member once said, "All calories are not created equal."

Here are examples of three "meals" that contain the same number of calories (around 210):

1. Large shredded wheat biscuit, 1 cup 1% milk, 1/2 cup fresh blueberries.
2. One blueberry PopTart.
3. A SMALL french fries from McDonalds

Which "meal" is better for your body? Which one would leave you feeling more satisfied? Which contains the most nutrients?

If someone only eats "junk" calories, their body is going to suffer. If someone is eating an excess of high-carb or high-fat foods, their body fat percentage may go up, even if their weight goes down.

As Casandra said, healthy is a good thing!

Jay

Yes it is for the most part calories in vs. calories out. But not all calories are created equal.

My thinking is I'm only eating X amount of calories. And I want to get the most bang for my buck so to speak.

So for me that means calories that will provide me with the most nutrients. I can eat a 400 calorie bagel and butter for lunch. Totally void of nutrients. Or I can eat a huge chicken breast stir fry for those same 400 calories. With the stir fry I'm getting protein, fiber, all sorts of minerals and vitamins. Not only that, the protein and fiber in the food I've eaten will keep me full MUCH longer then the bagel, therefore making it more likely I will stay on plan. The protein and fiber will also help me to lose weight better. Protein is essential for muscle building. Fiber in one of the best things we can eat to help with weightloss and it provideds many other benefits. So we're talking high quality calories here. Also if eating healthier foods you get to eat much more volume then with fast food and the such. Volume works for me very well.

Also eating bagels makes me want to eat more bagels. And more carbs in general. Any kind of carbs. Not so good. It just gets my cravings all up in a dander. The veggies and protein keep my cravings at bay. It's a totally win/win situation.

Of course every now and then if I want a bagel, that's fine. Although I don't think I will ever use butter again. Tuna (protein) on that bagel would be a better option.


You might want to give it a try. I think you may be pleasantly surprised just how your body reacts to eating healthier foods and keeping that other stuff to a minimum.

rockinrobin, great minds think alike!

Jay

Yes indeed Jay, yes indeed.

I see we posted at the same time and came up with the same line- "Not all calories are created equal". Well, it must be then, that that's the truth.

No really, it IS the truth.

I agree with robin and Jay.

It is calories in vs. calories out...BUT, I not only want to be thin, but I want to be healthy. I want to have good muscle mass, low cholesterol, keep my blood sugar under control, have plenty of the properties from fruit and vegetables that ****** aging, fight cancers, and beautify the skin, hair, etc.

I want to be HEALTHY.

There is nothing wrong with having an occasional slice of pizza, or a small square of dark chocolate now and then. BUT-these foods were meant as treats, not meant to be eaten every single day. Also, if you are on a low calorie diet, let's say of 1500 calories a day, and you have a 750 calorie hot wings platter or two slices of meat lovers pizza for about the same calories...then you just ate HALF of your daily calories in crap. That isn't moderation.

I like to follow the 10% rule. If you are going to have treats, then it should be about 10% of your diet. For 1200 calories a day that is 120 calories, for 1400 calories a day that is 140 calories, etc. This is if you have to have a small treat daily. If you eat clean all week long, then having something on the weekend that is 300-400 calories isn't bad. It is still moderation. But-having pizza, alcohol, chicken wings, and milkshakes on a daily basis isn't moderation.

Because I am very active with exercise, teaching dance classes, etc. I cannot live on junk. I can't eat chocolate for breakfast and pizza for dinner and "make it" on that. I wouldn't be giving my body enough protein anyhow, to fuel my muscles with enough protein, either-which would make my working out with weights unproductive. Lifting weights is kinda like building something with tools. I can go through the motions, but if I don't have the materials to build with (good sources of protein) then I don't end up with anything. It's like trying to build a clubhouse for your children without wood.

I truly believe that junk makes you crave more junk... I also agree with those above that I want to be healthy. When I eat, I want to make sure I'm not triggering additional cravings, that the food I eat will fuel me, that the food I eat will make me feel good, that the food I eat will give my body the proper nutrients and that the food I eat tastes good.

Personally, when I'm eating healthy, I enjoy eating healthy and when I eat junk, I realize that the junk doesn't really taste that good.

Yes, overall it's the calories intake/output that ultimately matters, and yes, you can have your calories anyway you like whether in a giant bowl of salad or in a couple of slices of pizza, or with some wings.

But as others pointed out, "junk foods" are more calorie dense, which means you're getting less food (and less nutrients) for your calories. For example, a cup of ice cream can easily be 500 calories, vs. a cup of stawberries at only 60 (Alternatively, you can think of it as 60 calories allowing you to eat a cup of strawberries, or maybe 1-2 spoonfuls of ice cream.) So it's easier to fill up your stomach on healthier foods, which doesn't make you feel deprived and craving more stuff.

And as others noted, there's a psychological component too. Like that old potato chip ad, with many junk foods you can't "stop at just one" -- you are likely to go for multiple servings, and probably other complementary junk foods (burger & fries, fried chicken & biscuit, etc.)

So while I would think junk food are OK (and I had pizza yesterday) they're best enjoyed as occasional treats, rather than as part of the daily diet as your initial post noted.

I like Amy's build materials analogy. For instance ... you need for the bones in your jaw to mend strong. For that you need the nutrients from good foods to build good bone.

Thank you Susan.

A diet of junk, even if you lose weight, doesn't leave you with the best body that you could possibly have. Your body needs protein, good fats instead of bad ones, fiber, vitamins, etc. to function properly and look its best. With exercise, your body is going to respond better and look better if you feed it better.

A faulty diet over a long period of time also runs you the risks of skin not looking so nice, brittle hair and nails, a lower imune system, higher cholesterol, heart problems, diabetes, a higher risk of getting cancer, longetivity in general, and a myriad of other things. A proper diet does MUCH more than just facilitate weight loss.

One of my other analogies is that your body is like a car. It needs oil, gasoline, coolant, and other things to run properly. If you don't change your oil, put in the wrong kind, or have a dirty filter-it not only can cause problems over time, but it makes your gas mileage not as efficient. Stop putting in coolant, and your car will overheat and have problems. Stop putting in the proper fuel, and it will stop running altogether. Our bodies run the same way.

I'm not "overly" concerned with eating them. I eat them. But I eat them rarely. I treat them as a treat, junk...which they are, rather than as a daily healthy diet, which they are not. I not only want to be healthy, but I also have a healthy appetite. And a couple slices of pizza are just going to leave my tummy grumbling an hour later. So I eat foods that I can get the most out of, things that are going to fill me up and leave me full longer. If I intend on having junk, I try to plan it in my day. If I've already gotten my calories and it comes up, I won't always turn it down knowing that I can STILL do a maintenance level that day, or even if I go over, that I'm not going to gain a pound from a one-time splurge.