Did anyone do this when starting out losing weight?

Options
2»

Replies

  • Chunkahlunkah
    Chunkahlunkah Posts: 373 Member
    Options
    No, I've not done that. I think I haven't done that because for most of my life, I've eaten intuitively and that's resulted in me being a healthy weight. So that's let me know that the foods themselves weren't "bad" for a healthy weight, and that even the numbe of calories that I ate of them was usually fine. (My problem was holding my calories steady when my activity levels dropped. Smaller CO, so now that same CI made me gain.)

    I suspect that when people have been overweight for most (or all) of their life, they think that what they're eating and how much they're eating is totally incompatible with a healthy weight. In reality, that's not true. Obviously, some change needs to be made, but it doesn't have to be dramatic.

    Please don't eat foods you dislike. That'll make it harder to adhere to fewer calories over the longterm. Find the way to eat what you like at the calorie level you need for your goals.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    Options
    What you've described OP, is one of the main reasons people fail so often at weight loss. They fall into this trap of "I have to eat a certain way (healthy, clean, organic, low fat, low carb, etc)" in order to lose weight and when they find that approach to be unsatisfying and unsustainable, they give up altogether.

    Calories are what matter for weight loss. Enter your stats and a reasonable rate of loss into MFP, it will calculate a calorie target for you with a deficit built in. Eat foods within that deficit, focusing on things that provide nutrition (macro and micro nutrients), satiety (keeps you full) and enjoyment (keeps you from feeling miserable). Log the foods you eat as accurately as possible, ideally using a food scale. Exercise if you enjoy it, logging and eating back at least a portion of those exercise calories.

    Other than that - you can build a plan around whatever foods you really enjoy. Many people who say "eat what you want as long as you are within a deficit" actually eat a varied and balanced diet but they work in foods they love on a regular basis. I don't know of anyone on this site, who has been successful, who forced themselves to eat a certain way simply because it was "healthy". At least not anyone who has had long term success at losing weight and keeping it off.

    Good luck.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    Options
    I agree, forcing down foods you don't like the taste and/or texture of is an exercise in futility. "Healthy" food isn't really a thing without context. A healthy diet is a thing and to me means wide and varied, making sure to get some nutrient dense foods in every day but also incorporating things that feed the psychological itch of indulgent and tasty. Food is delicious and should be enjoyed, even when losing weight. I'm a big believer that if you don't figure out how to make those things work whilst losing it will be harder to transition to maintenance.
  • Meganthedogmom
    Meganthedogmom Posts: 1,639 Member
    Options
    Why do that to yourself? If anything, I eat more of what I like now than I ever did before. I refuse to eat something that's not good - what a waste of calories!!
  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
    edited February 2017
    Options
    If I were crowned King for a day my first decree would be to outlaw the practice of placing moral labels on food. There is no "good" food, no "bad" food, no "healthy" food and no "unhealthy" food. Its just food with different macro/micro nutrient and calorie variables. Too much of anything is "bad/unhealthy".
  • Reaverie
    Reaverie Posts: 405 Member
    Options
    Why would you eat food you hate???? Like waffles? Syrup? Blueberries? How bout 2 eggo waffles (140 calories for BOTH), sugar free syrup (15 calories 1/4 cup.. which.. ewww too much syrup) and blue berries on top? Or skip syrup, get light whipped cream.. (30 calories for 2 tbs).. add strawberries or blackberries..

    1 egg 78kc
    2 turkey bacon 70kc
    2 waffles 140kc
    2tbs light whipped cream 30kc
    1/4 cup blueberries 21kc

    Ttl 339 kc
  • Reaverie
    Reaverie Posts: 405 Member
    Options
    prattiger65 wrote: »
    If I were crowned King for a day my first decree would be to outlaw the practice of placing moral labels on food. There is no "good" food, no "bad" food, no "healthy" food and no "unhealthy" food. Its just food with different macro/micro nutrient and calorie variables. Too much of anything is "bad/unhealthy".

    Pfft. Packaged = bad. It may not be the food itself that is bad but all those preservatives and colors ARE.

    I'd rather follow Daniels example.

  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    Options
    Reaverie wrote: »
    prattiger65 wrote: »
    If I were crowned King for a day my first decree would be to outlaw the practice of placing moral labels on food. There is no "good" food, no "bad" food, no "healthy" food and no "unhealthy" food. Its just food with different macro/micro nutrient and calorie variables. Too much of anything is "bad/unhealthy".

    Pfft. Packaged = bad. It may not be the food itself that is bad but all those preservatives and colors ARE.

    I'd rather follow Daniels example.

    Not sure if serious...
  • Evamutt
    Evamutt Posts: 2,318 Member
    Options
    I always hated breakfast but by lunch i was starving, so I make a smoothie & drink it. So much easier not to over eat by lunch and I do feel better. I use fruit, yogurt,almond milk & veggies. I do put veggies I don't like otherwise into my fruit smoothie, like mustard greens. I can't really taste them in there
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    Options
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Reaverie wrote: »
    prattiger65 wrote: »
    If I were crowned King for a day my first decree would be to outlaw the practice of placing moral labels on food. There is no "good" food, no "bad" food, no "healthy" food and no "unhealthy" food. Its just food with different macro/micro nutrient and calorie variables. Too much of anything is "bad/unhealthy".

    Pfft. Packaged = bad. It may not be the food itself that is bad but all those preservatives and colors ARE.

    I'd rather follow Daniels example.

    Not sure if serious...

    Recommends Eggos (thanks Stranger Things for teaching me what those are) and sugar free syrup, bemoans packaged food. Um.........
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    Options
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Reaverie wrote: »
    prattiger65 wrote: »
    If I were crowned King for a day my first decree would be to outlaw the practice of placing moral labels on food. There is no "good" food, no "bad" food, no "healthy" food and no "unhealthy" food. Its just food with different macro/micro nutrient and calorie variables. Too much of anything is "bad/unhealthy".

    Pfft. Packaged = bad. It may not be the food itself that is bad but all those preservatives and colors ARE.

    I'd rather follow Daniels example.

    Not sure if serious...

    Recommends Eggos (thanks Stranger Things for teaching me what those are) and sugar free syrup, bemoans packaged food. Um.........

    Exactly...
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
    Options
    gottagetitoff11 wrote: »
    I was just wondering when you started did you think this way or just say if it fits my macros im eating it.

    Thanks

    when i was an on-duty mom, i remember being told there's no point in stressing about every individual meal. so long as your kid covers a wide range over the course of a month or so, he'll be fine.

    i kind of work by that principle still. i don't have what it takes to micromanage my eating habits, so i play it more in that way. i think my main approach shows up in the grocery store. i mostly buy stuff that a) has some nutritional point to it, and b) i'm probably going to eat when the time comes for me to eat it. then the rest is just details, which i don't worry about very much.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,572 Member
    Options
    Eat what you like. I actually find oatmeal and berries to be high calorie, not filling, and it doesn't fit my macros. For me, that is not really a "healthy" option because it would make it difficult for me to adhere to a balanced diet for the rest of the day, though I do love oatmeal and berries. I just need like 7 bowls to feel happy.

    Do your thing. Eat in a deficit. But still, eat your veggies.
  • jruck371
    jruck371 Posts: 28 Member
    edited February 2017
    Options
    gottagetitoff11 wrote: »
    Im trying to lose weight again. It seems like everytime i try i eat food i dont like because its a "healty food". My breakfast is oatmeal berries and yogurt i absolutely hate the taste and texture or oatmeal but again its a "healthy food".

    I also say i need 5 cups of veggies and 2 cups of fruit. Most of my friends on here do not eat that much.

    I was just wondering when you started did you think this way or just say if it fits my macros im eating it.

    Thanks

    If you want to keep the weight off long term, you need to eat food you enjoy. But I know what you're going through... growing up I had parents who labeled food as "good" and "bad" and I found myself doing the same for a long time... its really only been the last year that ive started to break away from this.

    For me, the start of the process was adding in something small I enjoyed at ever meal as a "pre emptive cheat"

    (credit to this idea goes to Jill Coleman- she talks about this idea a lot here: http://jillfit.com/2016/05/02/not-willpower/) for example: last night I added 2 tsp of butter, cinnamon, and splenda to my sweet potato. Were the extra calories huge? No, but my satisfaction with the meal was much higher because of it.

    I'm not going to tell you that you shouldn't eat oatmeal, because I don't know where your headspace is at, and if someone had told me to do that a year ago I would have panicked (seriously- I once had a meltdown in Costco because my boyfriend wanted chicken cordon bleu but I only wanted plain chicken burger because it was "healthier"... the plain chicken burger had more calories FYI and tasted like crap... I later went back for the chicken cordon bleu and it was delicious)

    What I am saying is that you should be kind to yourself, and start incorporating foods into meals that you do like! For oatmeal it could be: Peanut butter, Nutella, Jam, Reddi whip, Cheese (if youre into savoury stuff), chocolate chips, and so many more things. And when you are ready to say "F this! I hate oatmeal and love XYZ I'm going to eat that instead!" you will be happier with the leap.

    Baby steps my friend :)

Categories