100 pounds of brocolli vs. 100 pounds of beef.
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judochop (
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January 9th, 2010
from iPhone
I am on a diet. A healthy diet. To keep my winter spare from becoming a full size tire so to speak. I know smaller portions are in order however can I load up on veggies? If I steam a pound of broccoli how is that going to help my diet? I’m still ingesting a pound of food right? Healthier it may be but it still weighs a pound. Does it burn off quicker? This may seem like a pretty silly question to some but really….. If I just keep the portions smaller then I should not have to change my diet right? Help me keep trim.
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19 Answers
Small portions of bad foods might not make you gain weight but it still does not constitute a “healthy” diet. And 100 calories is 100 calories regardless of the source. But you have to eat a lot more broccoli to get to the 100 calories than you would of french fries with gravy. The food tree says load up on protein in the form of lean meats or beans, low fat cheese, next come veg eat as much as you want of veg. Next is fruit, a couple of servings a day. And maybe once or twice a week rice or potatoes. You will lose some weight and feel great!
What @rooeytoo said! The broccoli has a lot of fiber in it, which is not digested. It helps you lose weight because it makes you feel full w/a lot fewer calories. When I’m trying to drop a bit of weight, I pig out on veggies! Just don’t load them up w/butter…
@rooeytoo and @ccrow are right.
In terms of weight loss, a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. (3500 in the mouth equal a pound on the scale.) 100 lbs of broccoli is less calorie dense than 100 lbs of beef, and 100 lbs of broccoli doesn’t have all the cholesterol of 100 lbs of beef.
In theory, you could sit down and eat sticks of butter all day as long as you kept portions small enough to cut back your daily calories and still lose weight. But would it be a good choice for your overall health? Not so much.
@Taciturnu, actually, broccoli has zero cholesterol, since cholesterol is an animal product. We produce it ourselves, and it’s also in whatever meat, fish and poultry we eat (in varying amounts, of course).
I have suggested to others,and will suggest to you, that you look at the writings of Michael Pollan on food. Following his suggestions will help a great deal. You can find his books on Amazon. His newest one just came out.
Here is a true and tested group of two foods that will make you lose weight:
Scrambled eggs and cottage cheese. i ate this combination for six months and the pounds melted away.
Ask me today when was the last time i ate scrambled eggs and cottage cheese? 25 years ago. today, i even hate the thought of scambled eggs and cottage cheese. low-no carbohydrate diet. i did cheat one time and added tomatoe ketchup.
To answer your question, the fiber in the broccoli will not stay with you, while the fat from the meat probably will. As you say, portion size is crucial but proportions also are – if you can up the amount of vegetables on your plate and decrease the amount of meat, it will help you immeasurably (or one hopes, measurably) to lose weight and be healthier.
To sum up one of Michael Pollan’s dictum:
“Eat food. Not too much. Plants mainly.”
Remember weight loss is all about physics and calories not total weight of the food (that will pass, as it were >.>), a calorie on the other hand regardless of source will be handled by your body the same way every time… it will either be burned or stored. your broccoli will be much better for your diet as it’s dramatically lower in calories. Steaming it, which you probably know but jic, is even better because you avoid the calories from the fat you would normally use to cook with.
Here’s a suggestion for you, rather than sitting down and eating a ton of food at one meal snack throughout the day—now I warn you, this can be very dangerous as those snack portions have a tendency to increase over time so be ever vigilant, but it will help keep you more full throughout the day and when you’re ready for a proper meal it will help you decrease the size of said meal.
Also, keep things balanced, especially if you exercise. protein and carbs, protein and carbs. not only will it be better for you, but it will also help you maintain a feeling of fullness. Switching from white flour based pastas and breads to whole grains will help with that full feeling too but remember to keep the portions small at all times, regardless of type they all have a lot of calories (and that’s your main concern). I’ve also found a full glass of water before the meal, and staying properly hydrated throughout the day keeps me eating less, yes it can add “water weight” but that can be “blasted” off where as caloric weight needs to be burnt.
So remember count the calories not the weight!
On a recent NPR program, Michael Pollan added his new and fourth rule:
Eat nothing that is advertised on TV.
@grumpyfish, wolfram alpha looks like a very cool site! Thanks for posting it – bookmarked for perusal later.
There’s a reason a balanced diet is recommended. Even if you’re trying to lose weight, you still need protein, calcium, vitamins, light fats (for brain function), carbohydrates, along with fiber that broccoli provides. You may drop weight, but your body will not function properly without the proper nutrients. In other words, you won’t be healthy even though you appear slimmer.
My dietician has advised me to eat whatever I want, in tiny portions. I fix each meal as usual, with very small (1 spoon full) portions, then split it into two plates, and pile on the vegetables and fruits. I eat ½ of the meal and 2 hours later, the other ½.
I suggest you read Ultra Metabolism by Dr. Mark Hyman. If you eat mostly fruits, vegetables and some saturated fat you will lose weight. You should also exercise.
I could tell you much more. I would if I truly believed you would listen.
@CyanoticWasp Yes, that is correct. Perhaps I was unclear in my statement, but that is what I wished to imply.
There was a period of years where my dinner was a half a bag of spring mix salad green dumped into a stainless steel bowl, tomatoes, carrots, avocado, mushrooms, sliced egg, cheese chunks, etc. would go on top and a drizzle of lemon juice/oil & spices dressing. Alongside this, I’d let myself eat a slice of toast or a slice of frozen pizza or a little piece of some other goody as long as I ate that giant bowl of greens and my body lurved me for it! I often long for the refrigerator space to arrange all the fixings I like and go back to eating like that to offset dining out and not-so-good food choices I eat during work hours.
100 pounds of broccoli will produce an unbelievable amount of intestinal gas not to mention terminal diarrhea!
@Dr_Lawrence You’re not supposed to eat it all at once!! :-D
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