Okay if I allow myself 1200 calories, which I do, and I eat not so good but I still stay in my calorie range, is that bad? Or is all calories the same, and it really doesnt matter??
Other calorie counters here have recommended starting a little bit higher, say 1500 calories. You should be losing on that, and when you reach a plateau, you will have some calories to drop.
I do believe that what type of calories you consume does matter. 2000 calories eating processed food is not the same as 2000 calories from whole foods. A study was recently done on trans- fats versus natural fats. Two groups of mice were given identical diets, same calories, but one group had trans- fat and the other had natural fat. The group that had trans fat gained significantly more weight, even though they ate no more. I think the researchers hypothesized that trans fats are something that the human digestive system didn't evolve to deal with, so it is stored because it isn't digested easily.
I would strive for making the majority of your calories healthy. But a few bad foods here and there aren't going to sabatoge all your efforts. Good luck!
If i eat a lot of carbs/sugar and not a lot of protien (still staying in my calorie allowance), i dont lose weight that week, AT BEST, i will platuea. Something about insulin and glucose, even if your not diabetic, the more insulin in your system the more your body fights to keep the fat on your body. The more sugar or carbs you put in your body, the more insulin you have in your blood, therefore, the harder your body works to maintain the fat you have. That is how my doctor/nutritionist put it anyway. Its not impossible to lose weight eating a lot of carbs, if you do A LOT of cardio, but it does make it significantly harder. For breakfast, i would prefer a carby bagel, but i know i wont lose any if i do that, so i have half a bagel and add an egg and it works out fine. Oh, and i have to watch the fat content too, but carbs seem to bother my weight loss more than fat.
All things being equal, it is MUCH better to have a nutritionally balanced diet. You'll feel better and have more energy.
Also, eating 1200 calories a day of processed will leave you HUNGRY! You'd be much fuller and happier with more veggies and lean meats--the sheer volume of food you can eat of healthy food is so much greater than processed junk.
I think that the longer you limit your calories, the more you will find yourself gravitating towards healthier foods because they will be more satisifying for you. When I first started counting calories, I made a lot of mistakes, one of which was trying to eat the same processed foods I had eaten before, just reducing the portions to fit in my calories budget. The portions had to be so small that they just weren't very filling and I was hungry a lot.
Now I look for foods that are high in volume but comparatively low in calories. These are veggies, fruits, and lean proteins. Also, some non-fat dairy, like yogurt and cream cheese. By limiting my calories, over time my diet has naturally gotten much healthier.
I'm actually not sure of the answer to your question (although the ladies here have offered some good advice). I keep reading that a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. However, as others here have mentioned, eating healthier foods is ultimately more satisfying and filling than eating processed foods. I find that to feel really satisfied, I need to have three components to each meal: a carb, a protein, and a fat. If one of those three is missing, I'll usually be searching for something else to eat later on.
With that said, I have to admit that nearly every day, I have some sort of treat, whether it be dark chocolate or ice cream or something else. Today, for example, I went a bit overboard. I had two No Pudge brownies and a glazed doughnut. That alone is about 550 calories out of my allotted 1700 for the day. I should have skipped the glazed doughnut; if I had, I could have had a more satisfying dinner.
A calorie IS a calorie...but your body is a machine, and needs proper fuel. You will lose weight on a low calorie diet regardless of what you are eating...but there is a catch.
The body is a machine, and needs protein, fiber, minerals, vitamins, etc. to run properly. If you don't take them in, the body will suffer. Just like not taking proper care of an appliance, or a car.
Your body needs protein to fuel the muscles, the body needs vitamins and minerals for things like healthy bones, a good immune system, energy, and so on and so forth. There are certain foods like fruit and vegetables that have properties that help the heart, fight premature aging, and reduce the risks of cancers. A healthier diet reduces the risk of many diseases.
So, you can eat 1200 or 1500 calories a day worth of "junk", but you are not being healthy by doing so, and you are not building the best looking body that you can, either.
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