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"A Calorie Is Not A Calorie" : Community Message Boards
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scout200 scout200
Wed, Jun 9, 2010 16:06
 Rating: 5.0/5.0
"A Calorie Is Not A Calorie"
Hey all!

Just found this article that seemed quite intriguing.

Change the way you think about calories and lose weight more efficiently.

http://triathlon.competitor.com/2010/05/nutrition/triathlon-nutrition-a-calorie-is-not-a-calorie_363
-Scout

lelogosdemoi lelogosdemoi
Charlotte NC
Thu, Jun 10, 2010 11:06
 Unrated
Fantastic article
Thanks for sharing, this is really a terrific article! I have definitely found it to be true for myself that the more I eat, the less I weigh and the less body fat I have - eating more meaning more times per day. I do end up consuming more calories thru the day this way than eating three meals a day, but calories per meal are much smaller. It's not just about adding up calories, there is so much more at play. I think this snippit from the article sums it up nicely:

"Generally speaking, food calories are more likely to be stored as fat and less likely to be used immediately for energy, stored as glycogen, or used to synthesize new muscle proteins when they are consumed in excess of short-term needs. This is why six small meals totaling 2,500 calories are not equal to two large meals totaling 2,500 calories."

The one thing this article does not touch on that I have been thinking and reading about lately is nutrition - eating for the fastest fat/weight loss does not necessarily mean your health will be better. It is important for internal health to get enough of the essential vitamins and minerals each day/week and a low-carb diet that eliminates or substantially restricts vegetables and fruits is harmful for the health. Taking a multi-vitamin won't cut it either - the body doesn't process a vitamin pill nearly as well as whole foods so the chance that you'll absorb everything your body needs from a pill is extremely unlikely. It's not hard to get everything you need from food, but it does require eating a variety of vegetables and fruits and nuts every day (I try to eat 3 different fruits and 3 different vegetables and at least one type of nut every day--I have found by tracking in fitclick that when I hit that minimum I nearly always meet my nutrient targets, w/o taking vitamin supplements)--and unfortunantly we're so addicted to processed food and indocrinated with high-protein diets that that's not normal for most Americans.

There's so much more to health than weight - most of us know skinny people with high cholesterol and/or heart problems. Yes, being overweight puts you at more risk for problems, but simply being slim doesn't make a person healthy.

scout200 scout200
Thu, Jun 10, 2010 12:06
 Unrated
Pressed for time - how did you train yourself?
Hey lelogosdemoi,

I'm glad you liked the article! It's very informative...
You had mentioned that "the less I weigh and the less body fat I have - eating more meaning more times per day." While I know this to be true.. I have a difficult time making this a reality in my personal life.

Personally speaking, my life is so busy and chaotic - I have a difficult time "finding time" to eat several times throughout the day. Mornings tend to be the busiest for me (and my family).

How did you train yourself to make time to eat several times throughout the day?

-Scout

briefisher briefisher
Thu, Jun 10, 2010 15:06
 Unrated
Small Means takes dillegence
Hi Scout200,

I am new here so please excuse me for butting in, but I also had the problem of being too busy to find time to actually eat six meals a day. I found that making sure to eat takes a lot of work and dillegence in the beginning. What I found to be easiest was to plan my meals out a week at a time, and try to prepack my fresh fruits and veggies in bags so that I can grab them and go. My snacks I had to adjust so that they are easily portable, so I eat thinks such as a protein bar and an apple. For the big three (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) you might have to put these on your schedule until you have trained yourself to actually sit down and eat when you are supposed to.

lelogosdemoi lelogosdemoi
Charlotte NC
Fri, Jun 11, 2010 08:06
 Unrated
ditto
I echo the above poster - it's hardest at first but you do get used to it. I tracked all my meals in fitclick for the first 6-7 weeks...if I'm tracking I'm much for likely to do it, plus I wanted to make sure I was getting the right balance of macro's and micro-nutrients. Now that it's a habit I don't track any more but if I ever get off-track I will go back to it. I would say 70-80% of my meals are either pre-made (by me, from scratch) or quick and simple - the remaining 20-30% I take more time to be creative and cook on the spot.

I work from home, and don't have kids so that does make it easier - but on days that I need to be out I pack a small cooler w/ baggies and tupperware with my meals already portioned out. Not every meal is cooked - I don't make myself sit down and eat a big meal, I just make sure I get a protein and at least 1 fruit or vegetable for each meal/snack. One of my fav on-the-go meals is a skim moz cheese stick, a handful of almonds and a couple of dates or dried apricots. Another fav is plain 0% fat greek yogurt with fresh berries (blue, black, or rasp). 1 of my meals every day is a protein shake (I make in the blender w/ fruit and coconut or almond milk). I also make a pot of rice and a pot of beans, or a pot of soup every week so I have that in the fridge ready to have quickly. I usually cook dinner fresh and sometimes eggs for breakfast too--so I'm only cooking 1-2 times a day.

Mornings - yogurt and fruit or oatmeal w/ berries are pretty quick healthy breakfasts when you don't have time to cook, but my absolute fav is musli w/ yogurt - I make a big batch and eat off of it all week. My mom used to make it for us (4 kids in my family) and we all loved it. It's a recipe we brought back from a trip to New Zealand and it is heavenly!! Put plain rolled oats in a bowl, add dried fruit (I usually buy a mixed bag), chopped nuts (hazelnuts are a must, also pecans and walnuts and almonds are great - whatever you have on hand), lots of cinnamon, some flax seeds, then pour milk into the bowl until the oats just start to float (1 or 2% - skim is too thin). Cover w/ plastic wrap and leave in the fridge overnight b/f eating. In the morning, scoop out a cup or so and add a 1/2 cup of plain greek yogurt (in NZ they add whipped cream, but the yogurt gives it the same creamy texture and taste w/o the fat, plus greek yogurt is really high in protein, so there's my protein for the meal). You could use regular plain yogurt instead, just wouldn't be as rich. You can also add honey when serving, or sprinkle some sugar in with the cinnamon when making it if you want it more sweet. You could also serve w/ fresh fruit rather than making it w/ dried, but then that's more work in the morning.

scout200 scout200
Fri, Jun 11, 2010 15:06
 Unrated
Making menus
Hey briefisher,

You're not "butting in" - I find all advice to be very useful! :)

So, making menus for the week sounds important. I'm such a "non-planner" when it comes to cooking.. I think that this will be a nice change, planning and "knowing" what I'm going to eat - before I eat it lol.

Thanks for the tip!
-Scout

scout200 scout200
Fri, Jun 11, 2010 15:06
 Unrated
Greek yogurt or European Style yogurt
Thanks lelogosdemoi for going into great detail about training yourself how to eat frequently! You had mentioned "Greek yogurt." While I've never tried it, I've also heard of "European Style yogurt". What's more nutritional?

-Scout

lelogosdemoi lelogosdemoi
Charlotte NC
Sat, Jun 12, 2010 14:06
 Unrated
Greek yogurt
I have actually read the labels for both so I can answer this! Greek is better - it varies slightly brand to brand but most contain about 20g of protein per cup. I usually eat about a 1/2 cup at a time - it's very thick and rich (creamy, not fatty). The ones with fruit in them I've noticed do not have nearly as much protein, and also added sugars which I try to avoid, so I always get plain 0% fat - Chobani or Stoneyfield Oikos. It is an important low-fat protein source for me since I'm a vegetarian, but it's also delicious. My dog loves it too.

scout200 scout200
Wed, Jun 16, 2010 11:06
 Unrated
Adding fruit to yogurt?
I really don't have a taste for eating plain yogurt but I know that yogurts with mixed fruit have a lot of sugar. Would adding fresh/frozen fruit be okay or should I just adapt to the "plain yogurt" taste?

-Scout

sliminVA10 sliminVA10
Thu, Jun 17, 2010 09:06
 Unrated
Great Advice
Hi. Found this tread, and you guys are right on track, it is just so hard to stay on that track, but provides good motivation for me. I do plan ahead my family dinner meals for the week, so I can more easily plan the meals during the day I eat myself. It helps keep the calorie count right. I agree with taking pre-planned snacks or meals with you when on the go. I like yogurt, and will check out the greek kind. I think I will try it and make yogurt cheese with it. If it is as rich as you say it should make some good stuff.

Scout- if you add the frozen fruit, just look at the added sugar contents, remember sugar is called many different names. Fresh fruit is best, but put it in when you are ready to eat it.
sliminVA10

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