Confused about Calories...

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MJ - 09 Jun 2004 09:54 GMT

Hello,
Does any body know the answer to this?, while reading about on the net i
found a site that states for every 1gram of carbs you eat it is equivalent
to 3.75 calories and for every 1 gram of fat you eat it's equivalent to 9
calories.

What i want to know is on a food label in the UK are these calories included
in the calories that are stated on the label or do you have to add them?,
sorry to ask whats probably a stupid question but i'm just starting out on a
diet for the first time in my life and want to make sure i'm doing things
correctly before i start!
Many thanks for any help
MJ.

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Patricia Heil - 09 Jun 2004 13:19 GMT

Don't just look at calories. Look at nutritional content. Pick things with
lots of fiber and little fat. That means the packaged food you're looking
at, you probably shouldn't buy. You should be buying fresh or frozen veg,
fresh fruit, brown rice, pasta made from whole wheat, bread with whole wheat
as the first ingredient in the list (or making your own), plain yogurt (no
jelly on the bottom), low fat or fat free milk, limited cheese, and low fat
meats.

Then control the size of the portions you serve yourself, and the number of
portions you eat.

AND EXERCISE.

> Hello,
> Does any body know the answer to this?, while reading about on the net i
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> Many thanks for any help
> MJ.

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Dally - 09 Jun 2004 13:40 GMT

> Don't just look at calories. Look at nutritional content. Pick things with
> lots of fiber and little fat. That means the packaged food you're looking
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> AND EXERCISE.

I'll just correct one thing in this post: look for HEALTHY fat, not
"little" fat. Avoid saturated fats, trans-fatty acids (like shortening)
but actively seek out healthy fats from fatty fish, seed and nut oils.
The fats make it easier to be sated on a reasonable calorie load, they
taste good, and they are very healthy for you.

One side effect of going off a "low-fat" diet and onto a balanced diet
with healthy fats (about 1/3 of my calories) is that my skin looks
fantastic. Supple and glowing. Dry patches I had for years are gone.

Because your body uses these healthy fats to do things like repair skin,
some of the calories burned from eating fat just go straight to these
metabolic processes that wouldn't have happened without the fat. In
other words, eating healthy fats raises your metabolism by making your
body repair itself.

By the way, be careful about he whole wheat pastas and breads: they have
an awfully heavy calorie load. I find it's better to base my meals
around a slab of meat and veggies with a side portion of brown rice or
whole wheat something rather than to have a sandwich or a plate of pasta
with something on THAT. (These days when I do have a sandwich it's
usually open-faced.)

Dally
244/179/169

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Crafting Mom - 09 Jun 2004 17:46 GMT

>> Don't just look at calories. Look at nutritional content. Pick things
>> with
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
> with healthy fats (about 1/3 of my calories) is that my skin looks
> fantastic. Supple and glowing. Dry patches I had for years are gone.

Tell me about it. My hair used to be like a haystack. Now it is beautiful
and smooth. I have mild ichthyosis (sp?) on my arms and legs, and that's
gone down considerably. Not to mention that for days when I need to go
very low-calorie... NO problem! I don't even feel like I am lowering
calories.

Signature

The post you just read, unless otherwise noted, is strictly my opinion
and experience. Please interpret accordingly.

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Heywood Mogroot - 10 Jun 2004 01:54 GMT

> One side effect of going off a "low-fat" diet and onto a balanced diet
> with healthy fats (about 1/3 of my calories) is that my skin looks
> fantastic. Supple and glowing. Dry patches I had for years are gone.

I can second this, I had dry chafed patches on my elbows but now they
are babybutt smooth.

> By the way, be careful about he whole wheat pastas and breads: they have
> an awfully heavy calorie load. I find it's better to base my meals
> around a slab of meat and veggies with a side portion of brown rice or
> whole wheat something rather than to have a sandwich or a plate of pasta
> with something on THAT. (These days when I do have a sandwich it's
> usually open-faced.)

yeah I agree about the balancing of carbs and fats. too much of either
is bad, but having both in moderation has worked for me. easier making
meals, too.

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Anny Middon - 09 Jun 2004 15:35 GMT

> Hello,
> Does any body know the answer to this?, while reading about on the net i
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> Many thanks for any help
> MJ.

They should be included in the total calorie count.

Here's a link that briefly describes how manufacturers derive the calorie
content of the foods they produce:

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_097a.html

Anny

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janice - 09 Jun 2004 18:57 GMT

>Hello,
>Does any body know the answer to this?, while reading about on the net i
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>Many thanks for any help
>MJ.

The calories on food labels already take account of the difference in
calories per g for fat, carbs and protein (which is the same as for
carbs) so you don't need to add anything else. To check this, try
calculating the calories in a product yourself, basing it on the
breakdown of fat, carbs and protein given per 100g on the label, and
you should find this equals the total calories per 100g.

janice (also in the UK)

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