does it matter on what i spend my calories???

i eat lots if snacks through out the day....and mostly chicken & broccoli. but, does it matter on what i spend my calories on..?? or can i eat snacks that have sugar and sodium as long as i stay within my calorie in take????

I've been wondering this too.

I think it's not just about counting calories, but your sugar and fat intake.

because if you eat a snack that is healthy with low fat or eat a candy bar, I think you'd lose more weight eating healthy haha.  just because you wont be storing unessesary fat and sugar.

Maybe?

Personally, I like to stay within a range on everything...

If you utilize the Food Log on C-C and track your food as you go, you can check your analysis at anytime and see the carbs/fat grams you are consuming as well as sodium, protein, etc.

It will also give you a grade on the quality of food you are eating.

It is important to get the proper nutrition as well... Calories alone do not keep your body going...

Hope that helps some :)

An abundance of sodium will make you retain water and gain water weight.

You should consume 30% of your calorie intake in Fat grams...

So if you are on a 1500 calorie diet... you should consume 50g of fat or lower... There are 9 calories in 1g of fat.

Here's the thing I found out.

Yes I can spend the calories on whatever I want and I will lose weight.  However if I put too much junk in my diet (which eats up a ton of calories quickly) then I'll end up hungry so I need to eat mostly good foods with some minor junk here and there.

SO eat whatever you want within your budget, but you'll realize quick enough how to ballance it and make sure to eat enough stuff that fills you up.

thanks...i think i will  "review"what it is im eating through out the day...i really should consume less sodium, and less sugar. less fat too...

doing well counting calories and not over eating...i just need to get more nutricious things to eat. cant live on snacks!!!! need good, nutricious foods that are healthy. i know, i know!!!!! now, i just have to do it....

;-)  anyone here think its healthy to eat special k twice a day??? (say breakfast and lunch??)

Are you serious when you ask this question? And I say that not at all meaning to sound ugly in the slightest way.

But I want you to think for a moment about the food you choose to fuel your body with.

Does the phrase "junk in, junk out" mean anything?

I am going to assume that you guys are probably still quite young. I say that NOT as an insult...but because as you get older and have more stress in your life (work, mortgage, family), your body will REQUIRE more from you nutritionally. You will naturally begin to think more about what is going into your body.

Please take care of yourself NOW. Make every calorie count. That means stay away from sugar and junk. Eat foods in their most natural state. FRESH. Of course you can cook them...but try to avoid canned things when you can.

Forget Special K. There is NOTHING nutritional about that. You will get more from eggs and fruit or oatmeal or cottage cheese or, or, or....you get my drift! lol

Don't get sucked into the diets out there...it's a joke and a way to either get you to buy their book, pills or food. Learn what healthy eating really is and learn to read LABELS.

All my best,

Chubby

It makes sense to me that you would want to accomplish weight loss through eating primarily healthy foods rather than junk, unless you intend to eat a small amount of mostly junk for the rest of your life in order to maintain. Also, you will be nutritionally deprived, as I've found I cannot eat a fast food meal plus everything I need to provide all vitamins and minerals and still stay under my calorie budget...and I give myself a pretty wide range. As far as sugar/fat/salt intake, the longer you go with a high intake of these items, the more you are contributing toward health problems in the future. So you might lose weight, but for what?

Well, theoretically it doesn't really matter what you eat, as long as it's the right # of calories for losing weight.  But really, junk food is a lot of empty calories for something that has no nutritional value.

Think of this:  if you're hungry, you could eat a big mac, or a carrot.  How many carrots equals one big mac?  (answer:  14 cups.).  What is more filling - a big mac, or 14 cups of carrots (ignoring the fact that no one in their right mind would consume that many carrots in one sitting, haha). 

The idea is that if you're eating junk food, you're going to be hungrier than if you're eating a more nutritionally balanced diet.  And it's hard to stick to a certain # of calories when you're so hungry!

for weight loss purposes, doesn't seem to matter how you spend your calories... 

for mental satisfaction reasons, i usually spend some on sweet treats and salty/crunchy or choklit, so I feel satisfied and don't get to feeling deprived or resentful.

there are days when only choklit will do... and i have choklit, but the rest of the time, i try to make the best, most nutritious choices possible ~ each meal and snack.

for ex; 14 m&m's or 1 ice cold juicy orange.  which is more satisfying? 

it's about life.  there should not be a list of don'ts!  Instead figure out what does make you happy and satisfied that is appropriate... ~ create your lifestyle so you can enjoy this and do it the rest of your life...