Not All Calories Are Created Equal!

Not All Calories Are Created Equal!

The theory that weight loss is a simple formula of expending more calories than you are taking in, may make sense. But in order to make this formula work in real life, you need to understand that not all calories are created equal when it comes to filling you up.

Some calories come in the form of nutrient dense and fiber dense foods that will leave you feeling full and satisfied. Other foods come in the form of processed foods that are refined and fiber-stripped that contain very little to no nutrients at all and will leave you feeling hungry and wanting more.

For instance, a chicken nugget is packed with calories but little nutrition - after eating only 2 nuggets you will have eaten around 100 calories, which is the equivalent of a bowl of lentil soup (1 1/4 cups). But would you stop at just 2 nuggets? Probably not, in fact, you’ll probably want to eat at least 10-12 nuggets before you start feeling full, which is around 500-600 calories. Yikes! Compared to the lentil soup at 100 calories per bowl, you may want 1 to 2 bowls to feel full.

So the key to lose weight is to choose foods that give you enough calories without overdoing it and making you feel full so that you won’t overeat. Fiber is king!

Sources: The Whole Foods Diet by John Mackey, Alona Pulde, MD, and Matthew Lederman, MD