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'good' vs. 'bad' calories


gib65

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I've always been taught that the formula for how much weight one gains/loses is very simple: calories in - calories out = weight gained (not in so many words of course). But then I hear of 'good' calories and 'bad' calories - or - calories that are easy to burn vs. those that are hard.

 

If I were on a weight loss routine - reducing calories in through diet and increasing calories out through exercise - why would I need to worry whether the calories I'm taking in are 'good' or 'bad'? If it's as simple as calories in - calories out then does it matter whether the calories in part is mostly 'good' calories or 'bad'?

 

So I guess the question is: if I've got the formula right (calories in - calories out = weight gained), then how does the type of calories ('good' vs. 'bad') affect that formula?

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Calories that are hard to burn (like from fats and oils) are 'bad'. Calories that are easy to burn (like carbohydrates) are 'good'. But don't let the labels 'good' and 'bad' fool you; I know that the body needs all sorts of calories (or nutrients in general) and it needs a certain amount of fats and oils along with its carbohydrates. I'm also unsure whether all carbohydrates are equally 'good' for you - are the carbohydrates in a candy bar equally good for you as those in fruits?

 

But I think I'm right in assuming that the kind of calories you take in makes no difference to the formula colries in - calories out = weight gain. So long as you maintain that formula such that the net weight gained is actual weight lost, you will in fact lose weight. Am I right?

 

Is it possible that taking in too many 'bad' calories might result in fatigue or loss of energy? In that case, I can see how it might be harder to maintain the 'calories out' portion of the formula, but that could just be a question of will power or how hard you push yourself.

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It's probably good to remember that fats and proteins are used for things other than calories. This is all anecdotal (so much of nutrition is) but I know people who've done high protein/low carb diets and people who've done low fat diets, and both have lost weight. I don't know who was healthier, but I think it's pretty much a calories game.

 

But some foods are more nutrient dense than others (more nutrients like fiber/vitamins/minerals per calorie). And a lot of people say that fat and fiber make you fuller, etc etc. There's a lot of stuff out there.

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