Good Calories and Bad Calories?

[MelaniaTaylor]

Is there really a thing like good calories and bad calories?

I am 22 and weighed around 258 pounds and was constantly bombarded by my peers to work on my tummy and to reduce the weight around my legs. I never paid much heed to these comments as I was and I always have been happy with who I am. But things started to change around a couple of months back when I started to have trouble breathing.

Naturally, I thought I had caught COVID but, luckily or unluckily, it turned out my lungs had difficulty providing my body the oxygen that was required. I was advised to start reducing weight if I wanted to avoid further complications.

I contacted an acquaintance who happens to be a 'weight loss expert'. She had me started on her weight loss program and set out diet plans for me and some simple exercises that I could do at home. She also made me a chart that listed and numerated the calories that I could intake during a day and at specific time.

I have been taking thesecalculated diets in terms of calories for the second month in a row now but I am yet to lose even a kg of weight. And I am not even exaggerating. And now she tells me that I have been taking the wrong calories?!!

I just don't believe it! All this for nothing.
She's going on to tell me that I could have a fruit/vegetable of same calories as compared to a hamburger!!

Does this make sense to you guys?

[xsquid99]

A calorie is a unit of energy, they are all the same. What people generally mean when they say this is not all FOODS are the same, so for instance 300 calories of gummy bears doesn't have the same nutritional value as 300 calories of oatmeal.

When the body is in a caloric deficit (foods are generally irrelevant here) it will lose weight. But you'll feel and function a whole lot better with higher energy levels by eating 2000 calories of a variety of whole foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat etc) than if you ate 2000 calories of candy. Satiation levels also come into play with certain foods over others, since low calorie, larger volume minimally processed whole foods can make you feel more full than highly processed carbohydrates would.

If you haven't lost any weight in two months its because you are eating too many calories on a weekly basis. This usually comes from poor/nonexistent tracking (not weighing everything down to the gram with a food scale) and estimating your intake (which will almost always be wrong unless you have a long history of strict calorie tracking). But it could also be compounded by your food choices if you're eating things that aren't helping your cause.

Calorie/nutrient timing is also generally irrelevant in the larger scope of weight loss. For instance, if you wait until evening to intake most of your calories, but you're still in an overall caloric deficit you will still lose weight.

If you want what I just said expanded on in video form then you can watch this: https://youtu.be/D_tDYrKgYd0

[sunsean]

A calorie is a unit of energy, they are all the same. What people generally mean when they say this is not all FOODS are the same, so for instance 300 calories of gummy bears doesn't have the same nutritional value as 300 calories of oatmeal.

When the body is in a caloric deficit (foods are generally irrelevant here) it will lose weight. But you'll feel and function a whole lot better with higher energy levels by eating 2000 calories of a variety of whole foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat etc) than if you ate 2000 calories of candy. Satiation levels also come into play with certain foods over others, since low calorie, larger volume minimally processed whole foods can make you feel more full than highly processed carbohydrates would.

If you haven't lost any weight in two months its because you are eating too many calories on a weekly basis. This usually comes from poor/nonexistent tracking (not weighing everything down to the gram with a food scale) and estimating your intake (which will almost always be wrong unless you have a long history of strict calorie tracking). But it could also be compounded by your food choices if you're making food choices that aren't helping your cause.

Calorie/nutrient timing is also generally irrelevant in the larger scope of weight loss. For instance, if you wait until evening to intake most of your calories, but you're still in an overall caloric deficit you will still lose weight.

Very succinctly explained, repped.

[dexter249]

Is there really a thing like good calories and bad calories?

I am 22 and weighed around 258 pounds and was constantly bombarded by my peers to work on my tummy and to reduce the weight around my legs. I never paid much heed to these comments as I was and I always have been happy with who I am. But things started to change around a couple of months back when I started to have trouble breathing.

Naturally, I thought I had caught COVID but, luckily or unluckily, it turned out my lungs had difficulty providing my body the oxygen that was required. I was advised to start reducing weight if I wanted to avoid further complications.

I contacted an acquaintance who happens to be a 'weight loss expert'. She had me started on her weight loss program and set out diet plans for me and some simple exercises that I could do at home. She also made me a chart that listed and numerated the calories that I could intake during a day and at specific time.

I have been taking thesecalculated diets in terms of calories for the second month in a row now but I am yet to lose even a kg of weight. And I am not even exaggerating. And now she tells me that I have been taking the wrong calories?!!

I just don't believe it! All this for nothing.
She's going on to tell me that I could have a fruit/vegetable of same calories as compared to a hamburger!!

Does this make sense to you guys?

Yes, for the most part I believe calories are calories. I used to believe in Gary Taubes good calories bad calories but believe it is nonsense now. Note that TDDE is always an estimate. People myself included notoriously underestimate the amount of food they eat and overestimate activity, which at best is an estimate anyway. Are you tracking your calories with app? MFP has really helped me be accountable and I’ve lost about 55 lbs

[kixeboho]

A calorie is a unit of energy, they are all the same. What people generally mean when they say this is not all FOODS are the same, so for instance 300 calories of gummy bears doesn't have the same nutritional value as 300 calories of oatmeal.

When the body is in a caloric deficit (foods are generally irrelevant here) it will lose weight. But you'll feel and function a whole lot better with higher energy levels by eating 2000 calories of a variety of whole foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat etc) than if you ate 2000 calories of candy. Satiation levels also come into play with certain foods over others, since low calorie, larger volume minimally processed whole foods can make you feel more full than highly processed carbohydrates would.

If you haven't lost any weight in two months its because you are eating too many calories on a weekly basis. This usually comes from poor/nonexistent tracking (not weighing everything down to the gram with a food scale) and estimating your intake (which will almost always be wrong unless you have a long history of strict calorie tracking). But it could also be compounded by your food choices if you're eating things that aren't helping your cause.

Calorie/nutrient timing is also generally irrelevant in the larger scope of weight loss. For instance, if you wait until evening to intake most of your calories, but you're still in an overall caloric deficit you will still lose weight.

very cool formulated the answer!

[faithbrah]

your peers don't seem to know a lot about weight loss based on what you told us

[Zschnack87]

your peers don't seem to know a lot about weight loss based on what you told us

I think unfortunately everyone has been brainwashed the past few generations that macronutrient fat and carbs is what makes you fat. Even my wife was skeptical of this when she me eating oatmeal and stuff on my "diet". People at work even said you aren't going to lose that weight eating all those carbs... I lost 30 pounds and now everyone wants to know how. " Was it Keto, was it paleo? " Heck no; I even at oreos some days.. I just counted my calories and stayed strong willed.

[faithbrah]

I think unfortunately everyone has been brainwashed the past few generations that macronutrient fat and carbs is what makes you fat. Even my wife was skeptical of this when she me eating oatmeal and stuff on my "diet". People at work even said you aren't going to lose that weight eating all those carbs... I lost 30 pounds and now everyone wants to know how. " Was it Keto, was it paleo? " Heck no; I even at oreos some days.. I just counted my calories and stayed strong willed.

100% this man... a few things i've heard from people i know:

just start keto/low carb and you can eat as much food as you want without getting fat

maybe there was no weight loss because the person was eating too much fat...

carbs aren't really healthy for you

the person was eating all the right foods but didn't lose any weight

not to throw shade on anyone, but it's crazy how clueless some people are when it comes to simple CICO and weight loss

[AdamWW]

The idea of 'good calories' and 'bad calories' is as silly as 'good temperature' and 'bad temperature'....

A calorie is a unit of energy, specifically it is the energy contained in the molecular bonds that comprise the base structures of the food you consume...

I wish people would stop using words that reflect opinion / preference to mathematical units of measurement...

[Tommy W.]

Good is relative.

Good for taste
Good for satiation
Good for nutrients
Good for whatever you think good is

Combine all these things and you’ll be able to maintain your Eating program.

[Ghawk21]

100% this man... a few things i've heard from people i know:


not to throw shade on anyone, but it's crazy how clueless some people are when it comes to simple CICO and weight loss

It doesn't help that many people get their information from influencers on Instagram and self reported "experts"(see OP).To be fair, if you've never trained, never "dieted", never read up on anything and some super fit looking person says do X because I do and I look like this, a lot of people will eat that chit up. Then they selectively look for more info on that and feed into their confirmation bias without really understanding anything and here we are.

[johnmartin1458]

I think unfortunately everyone has been brainwashed the past few generations that macronutrient fat and carbs is what makes you fat. Even my wife was skeptical of this when she me eating oatmeal and stuff on my "diet". People at work even said you aren't going to lose that weight eating all those carbs... I lost 30 pounds and now everyone wants to know how. " Was it Keto, was it paleo? " Heck no; I even at oreos some days.. I just counted my calories and stayed strong willed.

I Agreed you with you ..eating oatmeal and stuff on my "diet" the best diet..i also loss my wieght just eating oatmeal i loss20 pounds.no any diet pills or steroids supplements no short cuts..

[MommyHairs]

Is there really a thing like good calories and bad calories?

I am 22 and weighed around 258 pounds and was constantly bombarded by my peers to work on my tummy and to reduce the weight around my legs. I never paid much heed to these comments as I was and I always have been happy with who I am. But things started to change around a couple of months back when I started to have trouble breathing.

Naturally, I thought I had caught COVID but, luckily or unluckily, it turned out my lungs had difficulty providing my body the oxygen that was required. I was advised to start reducing weight if I wanted to avoid further complications.

I contacted an acquaintance who happens to be a 'weight loss expert'. She had me started on her weight loss program and set out diet plans for me and some simple exercises that I could do at home. She also made me a chart that listed and numerated the calories that I could intake during a day and at specific time.

I have been taking thesecalculated diets in terms of calories for the second month in a row now but I am yet to lose even a kg of weight. And I am not even exaggerating. And now she tells me that I have been taking the wrong calories?!!

I just don't believe it! All this for nothing.
She's going on to tell me that I could have a fruit/vegetable of same calories as compared to a hamburger!!

Does this make sense to you guys?

Should visit a doctor the best adviser for you is properly