But what are your thoughts on the following statement?
Although the daily calories are within range of the goal, if the majority of the calories come from meat, starches and sweets this does affect how the body processes calories.
But for weight gain, specifically from fat, and maintenance I have come to the conclusion that they are not, at least for me.
I do start to gain weight if I start to go heavy on processed carbs e.g. sugar and foods high in saturated fats e.g. cheese but there are some foods I can eat to my heart's content that never seem to add to my weight from fat, specifically foods such as lean protein (fish and chicken). Foods high in soluble fiber. Oats. Dried fruit also like figs, dates, nuts. And others too. Avocado. Greens. Kale. Beans. Olives. Kim chi. Raw veggies. etc.
My hypothesis is that it might be to do with my insulin response. If I spike my insulin I seem to be able to store fat easier than if I do not. So the nightmare scenario for me would be a cake followed by foods high in saturated fats like cheese or fatty red meat. Or the other way around of course!
So for me it seems like a ratchet effect. Cut calories to lose (this burns fat and muscle). But eat the right foods (low processed carbs, low dairy, lean protein, lots of veggies, olives, nuts etc.), and as much as I want, to maintain or at least gain through muscle and not fat. That's how my body seems to work.
Which is largely compatible with all the research over the last 50 years on what constitutes a good diet.
Scientifically a calorie is not a calorie. It takes more than 30% of the calories in protein just to digest it. Fat requires nearly that much and carrbs are digested and stored with ease.
If a calorie is a calorie were true, you could eat a diet of cookies, pie, and cake and be healthy and lose weight as long as you stayed in your calorie allowance. That certainly isn't true.
But what are your thoughts on the following statement?
Although the daily calories are within range of the goal, if the majority of the calories come from meat, starches and sweets this does affect how the body processes calories.
Thank you,
~Molly
Quote:
Originally Posted by QuilterInVA
Scientifically a calorie is not a calorie. It takes more than 30% of the calories in protein just to digest it. Fat requires nearly that much and carrbs are digested and stored with ease.
If a calorie is a calorie were true, you could eat a diet of cookies, pie, and cake and be healthy and lose weight as long as you stayed in your calorie allowance. That certainly isn't true.
I meant a calorie is a calorie like an inch is an inch.
So what you are saying is that the type of calorie does affect how the body processes them.
Thank you for your explanation, I really appreciate it.
~Molly
Imho, I think our body is so complex that it's not possible for a calorie to just be a calorie. When we eat something, an entire cascade of events happens metabolically and otherwise, some of which interact with one another. So it stands to reason that the quality of food we take in, along with a whole bunch of other factors, affect how our bodies respond to these foods.
No, they 're not. Admittedly it has to do with whether your body is sugar adapted or fat adapted. A fat adapted person can eat a LOT of fat calories and still lose weight. The key is insulin. Keep your carbs low enough you don't raise your insulin and it becomes impossible to gain fat.
In my opinion and speaking only for my own body, for all practical purposes, a calorie is a calorie is a calorie as far as my weight management journey goes.
Is it better for me physically to eat some veggies and a clean protein source with a little healthy fat for a meal rather than the same amount of calories in two Hershey bars? Yes.
Will two Hershey bars trigger food cravings for hours that will make me eat more calories than I am expending and thus contribute to possible weight gain? Yes.
But for the most part, my long weight loss journey (I used to weigh much more than is reflected on the starting point of my latest weight ticker shown here), has definitely been made possible by periods of creating a calorie deficit from consuming less calories than I burn. When I do the opposite of that, I gain weight over time.
Are all calories the same
