I have a question. Does it matter what you eat?

I am brand new to this site, and have been calorie counting for a week. I was pleasantly surprised to see how many calories I can eat, and have actually stayed a little bit under that amount. My question is, for strict weight loss, does it matter what you eat? Last night I had two turkey dogs, bbq chips, and an ice cream sandwich for dessert. At the end of the day, I was about 200 calories under my goal. I know eventually I will have to/want to focus more on the "pie". But as long as I keep my calories in check and my excersise up I'll lose weight right? Thanks!

Different people will tell you different things, but I believe from experience that it absolutely does matter what foods those calories come from. I recommend lean meats and chicken, turkey, fish and seafood, 7-9 servings of fruits and veggies, whole grains in moderation sunflower seeds in moderation, black beans, cottage cheese, at least 100 oz of water daily and 24-32 ounces of green tea daily. And NO processed foods. Your whole meal last night was full of processed foods, and I think you will have a geater success, eating the same amount of calories, but the foods that I listed. Best wishes. I'd love to hear how things go.

technically calories are calories, and if you eat less you will loose weight, even if all you eat is junk...
But, think about the future, even if you hit that goal weight, you could be on your way to having heart disease, hyperglycemia, hypertension, and high colesterol, even if you look perfect on the outside!  Hence why it is easier to change your whole health outlook when dieting.

If you are aiming for all around health, then eat healthy foods. If you are aiming for just weight loss, it really doesn't matter too much. But, a lot of unhealthy stuff can fill you up with sodium and that can have an effect on what the scale says. I always aim for a good mix of healthy foods and a naughty treat here and there.

Your body, your skin, your muscles will love you more if you eat about 90% healthy on your calories and just the 10% junk...if you exercise, you can get some junk in.

I like 1200 good healthy food and then if I exercise I get to have some junk but I don't really eat that much junk anymore.

I still have pizza, just BBQ chicken pizza with a bag of broccoli.  I still have a few little chocolates every now and then, just not daily and not too many.  I still occasionally eat ice cream, just after a complete healthy meal and then a small serving.

Calories are not just calories.  You telling me that 20 calories from sugar and 20 calories from a cup of spinach are the same?  They absolutely are not.  The calories one would ideally  want to eat should be nutrient dense and have little to no effect on your blood sugar levels.  Check the nutrition label on a sugar packet and then on the spinach bag.  All you get from the 20 calorie packet is glucose.  Spinach gives you fiber, iron, vitamin a,b,c,k and tons of other stuff you don't get from the sugar.  Hence, you burn calories eating the spinach that you don't the sugar because your body has to expend energy in order to extract the nutrients from the spinach.  So, calories are not calories.  It goes above and beyond that.  If somebody has a slower metabolism and is sensitive to fluctuations in their blood sugar levels then technically, calories aren't just calories in reference to the question.

What I'm trying to do is make a life-style change to eating healthier things and on a day-to-day basis I do consider where my calories come from. But take this Saturday for instance, we are having a huge 30th birthday picnic at my house. Am I going to make sure that my calories stay from lean meats and whole grains and veggies? No! I'm going to make sure I don't go over my alloted calories but I'm gonna have a hot dog, chips, and cake. As long as it's not everyday I think that eating your alloted calories in whatever way you choose will still ensure weight loss.

They are different for nutritional value, they can affect your water balance differently by being diuretic or antidiuretic, and they can be different inasmuch as they have different effects on your well-being and eating habits (sugar makes you crave more, etc.) but they are not different when it comes to fat loss.

I have noticed that it is much more difficult to accurately estimate the calories you are taking in when you eat junk food though. There is a tendency (for me, anyway) to compare everything to a big mac, i.e. "that can't possibly have more calories than a big mac" when often, it actually does. Also, since those foods are more calorie-dense, a small underestimation of portion size can mean lots of calories missed - compared to fresh fruits and veggies where you won't be that inaccurate. I think this might be why some people lose weight eating "the same # of calories" in healthy food but not junk food. Even a relatively small underestimation can kill your weight loss.

An ice cream sandwich and turkey dog are discrete units that can be readily evaluated by reading the label though. Chips, not so much - they tell you something like 21 chips = 250 cals, but who counts their chips, really? Most people just make an (under)estimate.

Overall I'd say try to eat healthier just for improved nutritional status, but at special events it's normal to eat food that is not so good for you - that's when portion control comes into play. If you are staying under calories you will lose fat either way. But it's all about feeling good while you do it, which will come from good nutrition...

Okay, yesterday I had two ice cream cones and two big cookies, along with some other things.  I did not eat a single fruit or vegetable.  I was under my calorie, but I felt TERRIBLE!!!  After three weeks of generally eating healthy, my body cannot handle that much sugar.  For the last cookie my taste bud did not even really enjoy it.  Like kimwebb said, as long as it is not everyday being able to splurge ill halp you not give up completely, but you will feel SO much better if your calories come from healthy places.

Thanks everyone! I do try and get in healthy food, like I had Romaine lettuce and salmon for lunch. I also have to purchase groceries off of the tips I make waitressing and fresh fruits and veggies often go bad because my fiance won't eat them. As far as sodium goes, I have great blood pressure, and I try and work out at least 5 times a week-running. I know that isn't the excuse I need to pig out, and I will try eating healthy over eating junk, but sometimes you just really crave that pizza, you know? I also have purchased a diet scale which is really helpful for things like chips, or even fruit. Knowing grams helps! As I get further along on this journey I will try and makes more and better changes-including getting my fiance to eat more than fried and greasy foods. Maybe someday he'll join me on this site! Thanks again.

you can lose weight no matter what, as long as you've got a deficit. however, I can't shake the thought that if I wasn't watching my fat intake, I wouldn't have lost as much as I have.

Like someone mentioned, i'm sure it depends on who you ask.  So I went to the WebMD website for their point of view.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/dos-donts- counting-calories

I think if you tend to hold out on eating and then eat junk food and still try to maintain your caloric intake it could eventually do harm.  When you tend to starve your body instinct kicks in and it stores fat.  It doesn't know when you will eat again so it goes in "survival" mode and slows your metabolism and burns fat slowly.   

At any rate it's like fueling your body with cheap gas.  It might get you where youwant to go but how well will it (your body in this case) run.

Good luck!!  :)

I think it matters. Your body needs the right nutrients either way. If you eat nothing but sugar, but still stay under your calorie maximum, you're not being healthy. You need protein to build muscle, and fats are important (but you only need a very small amount), and all kinds of vitamins. Also, eating the right foods will help you from over-eating. Junk food doesn't fill you up for very long, while something high in fiber can keep you feeling full for hours.

first of all it not rlly whut u eat its the times u eat and how much u eat  1 it is ok to go over ur calorie goal u will still lose weight but it cant be rlly fatty food like popcorn good every now and then but not an everday snack . turkey is ok but them chips and icecream u can do without  

as for humor pam u dont need 34 oz or greentea dail;y or ne at all water is good the tea is just whut u added it dosent help u at al rlly.... and u are kinda right abot the food but u can eat at least 2 to 3 proccesed foods aday and still lose a amount of weight 

as for lala ur wrong u wanna eat less if ur eating more than ur supposed to if ur eating around whut u need to ur good but if u r eating less then whut u need to up it a lil more like that girl who only has 300 cals a day Bump it up

ok smw hipple u r mostly right but u dont have to satrrve urself of chocalte at all

I'm tempted to edit your post, zackb, because your post does not appear to be in the English language and I find it impossible to decipher.

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clairelaine
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Clairelaine,

That is extremely hilarious. 

I am sorry.  Zack had to re-learn how to read and write after an illness in 2005 and still struggles.  I have changed his password and he will not be making anymore posts.

if you feel like reading on this google "macronutrients weight loss"

its one of those some people say its calories and others say its both.

atkins i think shows that its both. the carbs are so low. so you shed a lot of fat and fast.

but you pork right back out if you try to go back to a carb laden diet. which to me means they are pretty important in someway.

my understanding is "a calorie, is a calorie, is a calorie"..which is a very comforting thing to know. (I heard it so on Charlie Rose).

However, I find when I eat calories from food that is not healthy and nutritious, I have a hard time staying under my count and tend to not feel as full or satisfied for any length of time.

I am as miserly with my calories as I am with my money and am always looking for the "best deal" nutritionally.