All calories are not created equal.
For every 100
carbohydrate calories you consume your body expends 5-10 in digestion...
For every 100
fat calories you consume your body expends slightly
less than 5-10...
For every 100
protein calories you consume your body expends 20-30 in digestion...
What does this mean? It means you should check your labels and give priority to foods that have more protein.
If a jelly donut and a bowl of oatmeal have the same amount of calories, that does NOT mean they are equal...and not only because of different fat & sugar totals.
The complex carbs you'll find in veggies and whole grains tend to block the absorption of other calories!!!
Wanda Howell, Ph.D, a professor of nutritional sciences at the University says:
"With a very high-fiber diet, say 60 grams a day, you might lose as much as 20 percent of the calories you consume."
I'm sure 20 percent was simply an estimate and not an exact amount but...still...that's a lot. That means if you consume 2500 calories, approx. 500 of those calories wouldn't be absorbed so you'd net approx. 2000 cals.
The moral of the story? Weight loss is more than just 'calories in vs calories out'. The chemical makeup of the food we eat has a HUGE impact on our weight loss. 500 calories in soft-baked chocolate chip cookies is NOT the same as 500 calories of lean protein and vegetables. Eat right and you'll keep your body primed for burning fat and building muscle!
Source:
http://www.menshealth.com/weight-loss/truth-about-calories(submit your email address and you'll get an email with a link to download the PDF. VERY educational!)
