Calories vs. Fat Calories

[Mr Light]

I have an argument with my GF over this. I say that FAT calories are what make you fat, and that when looking at the info on the box you should be counting FAT calories and not calories. She says that's not true, that calories matter more than fat calories. Who's right?

Which one do you watch to avoid getting pudgy? I thought the fat calories were the ones that did not burn away easily and stuck to your gut or ass or what have you, while the calories are quickly burned up.

 

[Deleted 2]

All calories count, and roughly equally too. Your body may not pick up all the calories listed on the packaging (Fat is probably a bit harder to digest completely, as are complex carbohydrates), and yes, some calories (mainly sugars) are easier to burn up right away, but unless you're willing to invest time and effort in examining your excrements and exactly timing your periods of activity around what you eat, you shouldn't count on that.

If you drink 3 gallons of coke a day, you'll ingest no fat calories, but you'll probably get very, very fat quickly.

 

[Mr Light]

Uh oh; I drink way too much soda!

 

[Deleted 2]

Well, hopefully not 3 gallons a day. In that case you're getting almost twice your daily calorie requirement from soft drinks alone.

 

[Mr Light]

Well not that much of course, but I probably drink 2-6 full cups in a day depending on what I'm eating.

 

[Moocey]

I have an argument with my GF over this. I say that FAT calories are what make you fat, and that when looking at the info on the box you should be counting FAT calories and not calories. She says that's not true, that calories matter more than fat calories. Who's right?

Which one do you watch to avoid getting pudgy? I thought the fat calories were the ones that did not burn away easily and stuck to your gut or ass or what have you, while the calories are quickly burned up.

If you want to lose weight, burn more calories than you consume. That's what it all boils down to.

 

[Nardpuncher]

It's really too bad that we call fat ( the kind in food...not on our stomachs) fat...better lipids or something, as people then have negative associations with it. Fish oils and olive oil and almonds all contain healthy fat.
recent studires have shown that people that exercise hard may actually need to consume some of the 'bad' fats like saturated...as it helps the body make testosterone.

 

[MetroKid]

If I am not mistaken the "Calories from Fat" portion on the label is just to inform how many calories are gained from the fat content of the food. Remember, a Calorie is not a physical thing but a unit of measurement.

EDIT:

There is, in fact, no unit of measure called the "Fat Calorie". All Calories, no matter the source, are exactly the same. A Calorie is the measure of how much energy it takes to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water 1 degree Celsius.

That being said, some foods have more or less potential energy than others, fats are very energy rich and thus special attention should be paid to how much is consumed because it would be very easy to take in too many Calories.

 

[Mr Light]

^^

Does that mean that "calories from fat" are harder to burn off than the first listing of calories?

 

[MetroKid]

^^

Does that mean that "calories from fat" are harder to burn off than the first listing of calories?

no, Because a Calorie is just a certain about of energy, and fat just has more energy per weight than other sources. They put "Calories from fat" on the listing to give the consumer an idea exactly how much energy is derived from fat. A Calorie from fat will burn off at the same rate as a Calorie from protein, sugar, etc.

Does that mean you can eat anything and be fine so long as you meet your daily requirements? Yes and No. Meeting your daily Calorie intake is essential for maintaining a healthy weight. BUT different substances are easier to convert to energy than others, and your body tends to take the path of least resistance. for example, fat is easier to digest than protein and therefore will break down the fat for energy and use the protein for tissue repair. Once all the fat is used then it will look to other sources, protein in this example. But when there is more fat than your body requires, it never looks to protein for energy and stores the excess fat as body fat, which is not what you want. Simple carbohydrates break down even easier than fat, and since many people over eat simple carbs, most of the fat taken in with the carbs ends up getting stored.

Striking a balance between all the different energy sources is vital to maintaining a healthy system.

 

[RoJoHen]

It's really too bad that we call fat ( the kind in food...not on our stomachs) fat...better lipids or something, as people then have negative associations with it. Fish oils and olive oil and almonds all contain healthy fat.
recent studires have shown that people that exercise hard may actually need to consume some of the 'bad' fats like saturated...as it helps the body make testosterone.

Yeah, Fat gets a bad rap. Fats are actually necessary and important. It's the excess sugars and complex carbs that make you fat, not the actual fat you consume.

 

[Deleted 2]

^ And now we're sliding from redeeming a substance into nonsense. Fat makes you fat just as easily as sugar does.

Personally I feel it's the complex carbs that get the worst rap. Complex carbs offer the lowest amount of energy for their weight. Most foods that are heavy on complex carbs are also heavy on vitamins and dietary fiber.

Those foods are also very affordable, so there are good reasons why it's recommended they make up a large part of one's diet.

 

[RoJoHen]

^ And now we're sliding from redeeming a substance into nonsense. Fat makes you fat just as easily as sugar does.

Maybe if you sit on your ass all day.

But for an active person, fat is very important. Granted, there are healthy fats and unhealthy fats, but fat in general should not be immediately assumed a major culprit of weightgain.

 

[Saturn0660]

Ya i hear ya... I only drink bacon drippings... and I only eat chicken skins too...

 

[Deckerd]

.

But for an active person, fat is very important. Granted, there are healthy fats and unhealthy fats, but fat in general should not be immediately assumed a major culprit of weightgain.

It's also essential for children's brains to function properly. Basically cutting fat out of your diet altogether makes your brain work less efficiently. Don't ask me why.

 

[RoJoHen]

Ya i hear ya... I only drink bacon drippings... and I only eat chicken skins too...

This is a major reason people fail at the Atkins diet. Zero-Carb, high protein/high fat diets, are good in theory. But people were eating bacon and fried crap as opposed to healthier fats and oils.

 

[MetroKid]

Ya i hear ya... I only drink bacon drippings... and I only eat chicken skins too...

This is a major reason people fail at the Atkins diet. Zero-Carb, high protein/high fat diets, are good in theory. But people were eating bacon and fried crap as opposed to healthier fats and oils.

A high fat/protein diet was perfect when humans were nomadic hunter gathers, but since we are mainly sedentary now, it does more harm than good.

 

[RoJoHen]

^Well, I'm not saying do it all the time. But it's not too bad in the short term if your immediate goal is weight loss. It's the kind of diet that should be cycled. You still need your carbs eventually, though.

 

[MetroKid]

^Well, I'm not saying do it all the time. But it's not too bad in the short term if your immediate goal is weight loss. It's the kind of diet that should be cycled. You still need your carbs eventually, though.

but the weight loss is only temperary. why go on a diet if the weight just comes back after ending it? A High fat/protein (adkins and the like) may cause weight loss but it is because they are actually consuming less Calories because they have less food to choose from. Those diets also do absolutely NOTHING to address ancillary effects of high fat/protein consumption, such as being more likely to take in larger amounts of Cholesterol. A person on a high fat/ protein diet is also more likely to suffer from Ketoacidosis.

 

[RoJoHen]

To be fair, I am approaching this from a bodybuilding standpoint. Bulk up, then cut down for competition.