Is a calorie a calorie?

I really don't know and am myself a bit confused by it.  I did see a show about an "experiment" a scientist recently did where he ate nothing but Twinkies but kept his calories under 1200 and lost a significant amount of weight.  His point was, that a calorie is a calorie.  I lean toward agreeing with him, however, it is much harder for me to eat 1200 cals when I am eating junk.  I simply get way more hungry and "need" to eat more carbs and sugar.  When I eat cleanly I am full on a great deal less food and I don't have to battle the cravings.  For me, carbs and sugar are like crack, I have a little, I want more. 

Yes, he would lose weight on the scale, but I'm sure he was extremely unhealthy doing that and also he was probably more likely to have damaged his metabolism by losing lean body mass (muscle) with his so called experiment. An optimal diet burns fat and preserves lean body mass as that is what drives our metabolism.

 It is a COMBINATION of quantity and quality of calories that makes people effectively lose weight in a healthy way that nourishes our body.  That guy sounds like a person who is clueless about what is already known about nutrition science.  If it were just a calorie is a calorie, a) there would be no dietitians or nutritionists since all anybody would need to do is count calories (not choose "healthy" foods) and b) I'd spend my calorie allowance on ice cream.

Here are my thoughts on the subject, based on my personal experience and the research I've done about nutrition and various eating-plan ideas:

Before I proceed though, here is a great seminar video that explains that a calorie is indeed NOT a calorie: http://www.uctv.tv/search-details.aspx?showID=16717.  It's from the University of California, San Francisco.  It is long, but totally worth the time!  Or you can do a search on YouTube for "Sugar: the Bitter Truth" and see the seminar in 10 minute segments.

Processed foods do contain a lot of sodium, so that could certainly account for some of the weight gain.  But my research suggests that these calories are also easily absorbed by the body.

When eating whole foods/whole grain, the body has to work harder to digest them.  Therefore, even though they contain more calories our body uses more energy to digest them.  Plus since they contain more nutrients, our body may in turn work more efficiently (kind of like a finely tuned engine vs. one that has been neglected for far too long).

And the bottom line in my opinion is NUTRITION.  You can eat 1200 cal. of twinkies per day for the rest of your life, but what is the quality of that life going to be? (btw, Elina make a VERY good point about the difficulty of eating only 1200 calories of junk like that-- almost impossible for the vast majority of people!).  And even if twinkies were to have "balanced nutrients" added to them it still wouldn't be the same.  I've seen a LOT of studied that show nutrients are best absorbed by the body if they are in their most natural state rather than in supplement form (although I still HIGHLY recommend taking supplements!!!).

And all of this does not even take into account the fact that everyone's body functions differently due to so many factors that we don't yet understand.  We still don't know why one person's body may have a high metabolism and another's is low.  Some of that is environmental and some of it is heredity.  But which influences which?  Very complex question and science is still working on the answers.

Ok, so that was my $0.02 worth.

~Rana

I wanted to see if I can share some of my knowledge with you.  You started by sharing some good articles on how damaging SUGAR is, but the thing that you don't seem to know is, that ALL CARBS TURN INTO SUGAR WHEN DIGESTED IN THE BODY (with the exception of fiber).

Sorry to tell you this, but your body does NOT work harder to digest WHOLE grains... fiber SLOWS the absorption of the carbs in your body (which gives you a smaller insulin hit) but it ALL still turns into sugar in your body.  So all of the information in the articles you shared on SUGAR also applies to WHOLE grains, UNPROCESSED carbs, etc... they STILL turn into sugar in the body and at that time have the SAME effect as twinkies on your body in terms of macronutrients ONLY.

Now the upside is that when you eat unprocessed carbs, such as the difference between eating broccoli that has been frozen then microwaved vs. raw, you get more of the vitamins and minerals they contain, so if you are GOING to eat carbs, you SHOULD eat unprocessed (and as minimally cooked as possible) as you'll get more of your vitamins/minerals INTACT, whereas in processed foods they are all but DESTROYED.

Additionally whole grains are virtually DEVOID of nutrients, so please don't let the slick marketing ads and nutrition propaganda on tv fool you.  There is NOTHING healthy about grains, whole or otherwise.  This is why so many foods with grains are FORTIFIED with nutrients, because they have little to no health value to begin with.

There is much known about why some people have high metabolisms and some have low metabolisms and there are many reasons.  One of the main reasons is lack of lean body mass.  We lose lean body mass when we don't eat enough protein. 

 Anyhow, this all of course is easier said than done, because despite my EXTENSIVE study of nutrition for the last 16 years (behavioral, paleolithic,ethnocentric, functional and several other branches of nutrition) it doesn't make it any easier to make good choices on a daily basis. 

I can tell just about anybody what to eat for optimal nutrition, but knowing it and doing it are two different things entirely!  That's what I keep working on personally. :)

I have to comment on this thread as I am a certified nutritionist, and of COURSE a calorie is not a calorie. If it were, our surgeons would tell us to eat what ever we want like ice cream, just stay in a certain calorie range.

There is a great deal involved here, but I'll try to simplify it for you all. Your body is made up of protein and fat. There are three main food macronutrients: protein, fat and carbs. These all have specific purposes in the body. Protein can be used to repair tissues and build muscles (this includes our hearts) and is THE most important nutrient you can consume.

The reason for this is because if you don't consume enough protein your body breaks down your own muscles to feed itself and/or it does not have enough raw material to build muscles and make body repairs. Adequate protein intake is NOT the same thing as OPTIMAL protein intake, so one should strive for MORE than the minimum requirements of this nutrient.

Fat is used in the body as energy, to synthesize hormones, lubricate our skin and hair, and build our brains (our brains are primarily built from cholesterol!). Fat is necessary in our diets, but we don't need that much to get our basic needs met and we can also burn our stored fat. Some small amounts of fat and protein can be converted to energy for use to feed the brain.

Carbs are ONLY used for energy in the body.. they are not used to build the body or maintain the body in any way shape or form, with the exception of the vitamins and minerals that they contain. Hence if you are going to eat carbs you want to get the most out of the carbs you DO eat as possible.. i.e. pick the carbs that have the highest vitamin/mineral content such as super carbs like broccoli, etc.

Otherwise carbs are pretty useless to the body that already has a ton of stored energy (i.e. fat) on it. Carbs easily convert to glucose in the body for quick energy use, but protein and fat can be used for energy too.

The body will turn to carbs first as they are quick burning, so as long as you have lots of carbs in your body for quick fuel for exercise and energy, your body will not be as likely to turn to STORED energy (i.e. fat). This is also true of too much dietary fat. Additionally carbs prompt insulin secretion, and insulin is the hormone in the body that promotes fat STORAGE, not fat burning, cravings for more carbs and hunger, etc.

This is why low carb diets are so effective, but unfortunately some people have a hard time sticking to them with lots of temptations we have in society, and too many low carb diets over emphasize how effective they are and assume their benefits will outweigh the need to also use portion control.

Lots of people automatically curb their portions on low carb because low carb has effects on hormones that lowers appetite, but some people have seriously messed up hormones and stretched out stomachs so that doesn't fix the problem entirely (this was the case for me).

This is why the most effective diets tend to be low carb/fat/calorie, high protein. For maintenance the best thing to do is add in dietary fat as it promotes satiety and had benefits to the body that carbs do not. Also always choose carbs wisely.. green veggies tend to generally be the best bet for nutrients.

Any questions?

Whole grains are NOT devoid of nutrition.  Aside from being an excellent source of fiber, they contain important nutrients such as phytonutrients, selenium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron and vitamins B6, A and E.  And they often have a significant amount of protein.

Also, you state that carbs are "ONLY" used for energy in the body as if energy isn't at all important.  Since most of us on this board are at goal, we're not really looking to burn fat, but to maintain at our current weight.  So personally, I do get my energy from my daily caloric intake.

I am in no way trying to encourage you to eat whole grains or carbs of any sort.  But implying that anyone who eats whole grains has fallen for "slick marketing ads and nutrition propaganda on tv" is really condescending.  

Instead of re-inventing the wheel, I'll provide you some links that explain further why some of the fallacies about whole wheat bread have been debunked:

http://nourishedkitchen.com/against-the-grain-10-reasons-to-give-up-grains/

http://www.newtreatments.org/why%20are%20grains%20and%20legumes%20so%20unhealthy

http://www.mercola.com/article/insulin.htm

Many people may be at goal around here, but that does not mean they aren't trying to stay there, and I'd argue that grains won't help with that goal.  Also fat is a better source of energy than carbs, so I'd argue if you need more energy that's a better source.

Finally I'm sorry you felt that my sharing on the topic of nutrition, a field that I am highly trained in, is condescending.  Just because I suggested that grains may not be the best thing in the world to eat, and that I stated the fact that most media reports will say the exact opposite, does not mean that I'm trying to insult anyone who chooses to believe that viewpoint.

I'm simply offering a different viewpoint, one you are welcome to consider or not consider as you see fit.  I promise no offense was intended; if you read any abrasiveness in my post, it was merely my frustration that is directed towards profit seekers who choose to trade our health for their pocketbook and honesty, not anyone who falls victim to their schemes.

very interesting points, I am going to go over all the posts you have made and check out the links.  I think I will post them in the Clean Eating group as well and see what folks say about them.

I agree that inflammation is a huge problem. I have a friend with Rheumatoid Arthritis and she says she is lucky, she can SEE hers so she knows when she has to change her behaviors. She tries for eating 80% "good" and the rest, whatever floats her boat.

thanks for all the info & your point of view. and it's very interesting career you are planning out.  may I point out that besides eating and sex, money (earning/spending/saving) is yet another biggie where people need help in changing their behavior.  a very huge need!

I'm going to start a new thread with a couple questions, since I feel this one is too long now.

I am not sure I said it clearly enough..... Thank you Rose for the time you took to share your information.  I found it informative, supportive and very user friendly.  Dr, Cirangle has always told me to limit carbs as much as I could but he never had the time or the patience to lay out the scientific reason behind this.  I really feel as if I now have a clearer picture of his reasoning.  This will help me to continue to follow what I already know is the right path for me.  Your passion for the subject matter is obvious as it hits so close to home.  Knowing the right thing to do and always doing are two very different skill sets.  I know that you are fighting the very best fight you can and will win in the end. 

Thank you for your response as well, and you have helped me a lot too!  It's not always so easy to eat what is best for you, and I also have an additional problem in that I'm not the best cook.  So you helped me enormously by providing some delicious recipes!