How can I cut calories without having to cut out the foods that I like?

24

Replies

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    You really need to cut out carbs in your liquids, so the daily hot chocolate and fraps need to be sugar free. In fact if you can cut them out you will notice a huge savings in calories. There are other noodles that are made with rice, yellow beans, udon etc. try them instead of regular pasta. It may take a few tries, but you really will start enjoying them more than regular pasta.

    No

    Care to explain why? :smile:
    I often see just plain "NO" as a reply here. Which isn't really a helpful response at all

    Because it's such a wrong answer it doesn't need an explanation.

    Just negate everydamnedthing that was said, and you have your explanation.

    Try it ... I'll help you out just this once:

    You really DONT need to cut out a single carbs in your liquids, so the daily hot chocolate and fraps needto be sugar free CAN HAVE SUGAR. In fact if you can cut them out you will notice a huge savings in calories YOU DONT NEED TO CUT THEM OUT AT ALL. There are other noodles that are made with rice, yellow beans, udon etc. try them instead of regular pasta. It may take a few tries, but you really will start enjoying them more than regular pasta. MIGHT NOT LIKE THEN AT ALL, AND THATS ALRIGHT 'CAUSE REGULAR FLOUR BASED PAST IS A.O.K.

    Thank you. You guys are stronger than me.
  • arditarose wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    You really need to cut out carbs in your liquids, so the daily hot chocolate and fraps need to be sugar free. In fact if you can cut them out you will notice a huge savings in calories. There are other noodles that are made with rice, yellow beans, udon etc. try them instead of regular pasta. It may take a few tries, but you really will start enjoying them more than regular pasta.

    No

    Care to explain why? :smile:
    I often see just plain "NO" as a reply here. Which isn't really a helpful response at all

    I just don't think it's really appropriate to tell someone they're drinks need to be sugar free. Will you save calories? Sure. You can eat regular pasta too. If the OP wants to try noodles made out of yellow beans, fine. I also don't know how someone could just assume that another person would start enjoying yellow bean noodles better than regular pasta.

    430 calories in a grande frappuccino, 170 calories in 8oz. of grape juice, 138 calories in 1 packet of swiss miss.

    That's 738 calories completely wasted. I think it's completely appropriate.

    Is diet soda okay? If I switch up between diet soda and water for all of my meals will that be okay?
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Well thanks for the explanations. They were much more helpful than just saying "No" :smile:
  • Eudoxy
    Eudoxy Posts: 391 Member
    Just figure out your calorie allotment and get started, where you want to cut back will become clear to you after you do it for a little while.
    For me, I thought my daily Starbucks was non negotiable, but it pretty quickly didn't make the cut when I had to trade it for food and go hungry. I now have it occasionally and not daily (and save money!).
    That's one of the values of counting calories, just through the process your choices become more informed. You'll see what works for you by doing it.
  • You don't have to give up anything you love, just cut down on the more calorie-laden stuff. Think sugar and starchy carbs, plus the stuff that sneaks up on you like dressings and condiments.

    Mix half as much grape juice with some sparkling mineral water to make a spritzer.

    Try eating only half the bagel each morning, with one slice of cheese.

    Try sugar free cocoa. If you use milk, try almond milk instead.

    For the pasta dinners, try cutting about a third of the amount and adding a salad. Look for some new, lower-calorie dressings...either vinegar or yogurt based, as they can be delicious and save a LOT of calories.

    And definitely save the Starbucks for a treat, not an everyday snack.

    Maybe not eat red meat every meal...branch out with some delicious poultry and seafood dishes which will save some calories. With the right spices and sauces, you can hardly tell that meat sauce has turkey instead of beef.

    Keep real portion sizes in mind...for proteins, that's the size of your palm. A 12-ounce steak is like 3 meals, not 1. There's nothing wrong with mixing proteins, either. A smaller piece of steak with some shrimp on top for an extra low-cal protein punch is a good choice. You still get all the flavor, but don't have to worry about the extra calories.

    What about halving or quartering all of my meals? Like half or a quarter of a Frappuccino, steak or pasta dish instead of a full one so I can at least get the taste.
  • Dragn77
    Dragn77 Posts: 810 Member
    I can see arditaroses point... (if I may..) This is supposed to be a lifestyle, not a diet. Within that, the idea that in order to eat the foods you love, you have to substitute it for something else entirely (like pasta make of beans instead of actual pasta) insinuates that one simply cannot enjoy the foods they love and still lose weight... that you will just have to give them up.

    I think the advice to eat in moderation, and that the high calorie foods be a treat instead of a daily thing is pretty good. I also like the idea of mixing juice to make a spritzer is very cool. But then, I just dont believe in restricting foods and putting anything off limits / banning foods and substituting for something else ne'er to eat them again, instead in learning how to fit them into a lifestyle so that you can still enjoy them, just not as much of it, and not as often.

    I used to drink a double caramel macchiato with whipped cream every...single..day. Now if I even go to Starbucks, I get a Pikes, and once a month or so I'll still get a macchiato, but now I savour ever bit of it, and it tastes soooo good. Definitely a treat!

    Also, now instead of just boiling the entire box of pasta and eating half of it, I actually measure out 2 servings for kiddo and I. Speaking of which, I would just die if I could not eat real pasta anymore and had to eat bean pasta instead. Im sure its good, I would eat it every so often if I liked it...but no way could I realistically say I would not miss the real thing and never eat it again. Thats like..cruel and unusual punishment!!! lol

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    You don't have to give up anything you love, just cut down on the more calorie-laden stuff. Think sugar and starchy carbs, plus the stuff that sneaks up on you like dressings and condiments.

    Mix half as much grape juice with some sparkling mineral water to make a spritzer.

    Try eating only half the bagel each morning, with one slice of cheese.

    Try sugar free cocoa. If you use milk, try almond milk instead.

    For the pasta dinners, try cutting about a third of the amount and adding a salad. Look for some new, lower-calorie dressings...either vinegar or yogurt based, as they can be delicious and save a LOT of calories.

    And definitely save the Starbucks for a treat, not an everyday snack.

    Maybe not eat red meat every meal...branch out with some delicious poultry and seafood dishes which will save some calories. With the right spices and sauces, you can hardly tell that meat sauce has turkey instead of beef.

    Keep real portion sizes in mind...for proteins, that's the size of your palm. A 12-ounce steak is like 3 meals, not 1. There's nothing wrong with mixing proteins, either. A smaller piece of steak with some shrimp on top for an extra low-cal protein punch is a good choice. You still get all the flavor, but don't have to worry about the extra calories.

    What about halving or quartering all of my meals? Like half or a quarter of a Frappuccino, steak or pasta dish instead of a full one so I can at least get the taste.

    You need to weigh all your food and figure out the portions that will be appropriate for your deficit. No one can tell you if halving all of your meals will help you lose weight or not. I'm not sure what you're going to do with the other 3/4s of your frappuccino. I can't imagine it would taste great the second day?
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    For me, I don't like to drink my calories, as I want food. You don't need to give up your frap, just get a little smaller one. Eat lots of meat and fat, so you're sated. I pre-log my days and include my "treats", so I never feel I'm going without.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    For me, I don't like to drink my calories, as I want food. You don't need to give up your frap, just get a little smaller one. Eat lots of meat and fat, so you're sated. I pre-log my days and include my "treats", so I never feel I'm going without.

    This woman's diary is a work of art, by the way.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    You really need to cut out carbs in your liquids, so the daily hot chocolate and fraps need to be sugar free. In fact if you can cut them out you will notice a huge savings in calories. There are other noodles that are made with rice, yellow beans, udon etc. try them instead of regular pasta. It may take a few tries, but you really will start enjoying them more than regular pasta.

    No

    Care to explain why? :smile:
    I often see just plain "NO" as a reply here. Which isn't really a helpful response at all

    I just don't think it's really appropriate to tell someone they're drinks need to be sugar free. Will you save calories? Sure. You can eat regular pasta too. If the OP wants to try noodles made out of yellow beans, fine. I also don't know how someone could just assume that another person would start enjoying yellow bean noodles better than regular pasta.

    430 calories in a grande frappuccino, 170 calories in 8oz. of grape juice, 138 calories in 1 packet of swiss miss.

    That's 738 calories completely wasted. I think it's completely appropriate.

    Is diet soda okay? If I switch up between diet soda and water for all of my meals will that be okay?

    Any drinks are okay. If drinking so many of these drinks every day leads you to be unable to meet your goals, then you have to sacrifice frequency and/or quantity. I.e. portion control.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    OP, you need to enter your stats and goals into MFP to get a calorie goal. Then start accurately and consistently logging your food. If what you are eating and drinking fits in your calorie goal, then you are fine. If it doesn't, then you have gotten a lot of good suggestions on how to make the food you love fit. Or you can add a bit more exercise to give yourself more calories to eat. It really is that simple :drinker:

    Having said that, it can be tough to stick to a weight-loss calorie goal when you are drinking so many of your calories. That might be the easiest place for you to make changes if you need to.
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    You don't have to give up anything you love, just cut down on the more calorie-laden stuff. Think sugar and starchy carbs, plus the stuff that sneaks up on you like dressings and condiments.

    Mix half as much grape juice with some sparkling mineral water to make a spritzer.

    Try eating only half the bagel each morning, with one slice of cheese.

    Try sugar free cocoa. If you use milk, try almond milk instead.

    For the pasta dinners, try cutting about a third of the amount and adding a salad. Look for some new, lower-calorie dressings...either vinegar or yogurt based, as they can be delicious and save a LOT of calories.

    And definitely save the Starbucks for a treat, not an everyday snack.

    Maybe not eat red meat every meal...branch out with some delicious poultry and seafood dishes which will save some calories. With the right spices and sauces, you can hardly tell that meat sauce has turkey instead of beef.

    Keep real portion sizes in mind...for proteins, that's the size of your palm. A 12-ounce steak is like 3 meals, not 1. There's nothing wrong with mixing proteins, either. A smaller piece of steak with some shrimp on top for an extra low-cal protein punch is a good choice. You still get all the flavor, but don't have to worry about the extra calories.

    What about halving or quartering all of my meals? Like half or a quarter of a Frappuccino, steak or pasta dish instead of a full one so I can at least get the taste.

    Nothing wrong with that, if that's what you want.

    The best thing to do to start with is figure out how many calories you need to eat each day to maintain a deficit for weight loss, and then see what you can fit in those calories. If you have enough cals available, go ahead and drink your frap if you want it. Just try to stay within your calorie goal, and try to hit your macros, but what you eat within those guidelines is up to you.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited March 2015
    I don't know what you should do. But if it were me, I'd totally get rid of the frappuccino and have a really nice cup of regular coffee instead - I mean, good beans, fresh, served by some poor soul with a master's in history, very nice cup of jo - with 1 tablespoon of 10% cream and 2 teaspoons of sugar. (Then again, I think that tastes good). Instead of the grape juice, I'd get a sparkling water, maybe with some flavouring (I personally like Perrier Lime but I'm sure there's something grapey around). I'd do a skim milk version of the hot chocolate. Under no circumstances would I take a loss to ziti or eggs in favour of a liquid.

    I don't see a problem with making substitutions when they involve a ridiculous drink like that frappuccino. Jesus christ.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    Afternoon snack: during the weekday, I always get a customized vanilla bean Frappuccino from Starbucks with Java chips, a shot of white mocha syrup and caramel sauce.

    That's not a "snack", that's a calorie bomb.


  • galgenstrick
    galgenstrick Posts: 2,086 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    You really need to cut out carbs in your liquids, so the daily hot chocolate and fraps need to be sugar free. In fact if you can cut them out you will notice a huge savings in calories. There are other noodles that are made with rice, yellow beans, udon etc. try them instead of regular pasta. It may take a few tries, but you really will start enjoying them more than regular pasta.

    No

    Care to explain why? :smile:
    I often see just plain "NO" as a reply here. Which isn't really a helpful response at all

    I just don't think it's really appropriate to tell someone they're drinks need to be sugar free. Will you save calories? Sure. You can eat regular pasta too. If the OP wants to try noodles made out of yellow beans, fine. I also don't know how someone could just assume that another person would start enjoying yellow bean noodles better than regular pasta.

    430 calories in a grande frappuccino, 170 calories in 8oz. of grape juice, 138 calories in 1 packet of swiss miss.

    That's 738 calories completely wasted. I think it's completely appropriate.

    Is diet soda okay? If I switch up between diet soda and water for all of my meals will that be okay?

    For sure. Baby steps are best. Just make a small change, and see how that works over a week or two. Like the others said, you don't need to cut it out completely for weight loss, but for health purposes that much sugar isn't helping you.
  • galgenstrick
    galgenstrick Posts: 2,086 Member
    edited March 2015
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    You really need to cut out carbs in your liquids, so the daily hot chocolate and fraps need to be sugar free. In fact if you can cut them out you will notice a huge savings in calories. There are other noodles that are made with rice, yellow beans, udon etc. try them instead of regular pasta. It may take a few tries, but you really will start enjoying them more than regular pasta.

    No

    Care to explain why? :smile:
    I often see just plain "NO" as a reply here. Which isn't really a helpful response at all

    Because its unnecessary to give up anything. Nothing needs to be "sugar free", she doesn't have to give up carbs. She just needs a caloric deficit to lose weight, thats it. It's CICO and learning moderation will benefit for a sustainable diet.

    Lose weight yes, but if you want that weight to be mostly fat you need to have a reasonably healthy diet to meet your macros.

    Edit: oops! Double post was an accident!
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    You really need to cut out carbs in your liquids, so the daily hot chocolate and fraps need to be sugar free. In fact if you can cut them out you will notice a huge savings in calories. There are other noodles that are made with rice, yellow beans, udon etc. try them instead of regular pasta. It may take a few tries, but you really will start enjoying them more than regular pasta.

    No

    Care to explain why? :smile:
    I often see just plain "NO" as a reply here. Which isn't really a helpful response at all

    Because its unnecessary to give up anything. Nothing needs to be "sugar free", she doesn't have to give up carbs. She just needs a caloric deficit to lose weight, thats it. It's CICO and learning moderation will benefit for a sustainable diet.

    Lose weight yes, but if you want that weight to be mostly fat you need to have a reasonably healthy diet to meet your macros.

    No you don't. You need to be eating enough protein, have a small to moderate deficit only (i.e. no more than 1lb/week), and lift heavy weights at hte gym. None of this requires eating any weird pasta substitutes or cutting out Starbucks. Sugar doesn't somehow kill one's muscular maintenance.
  • swole_elsa
    swole_elsa Posts: 247 Member
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    For me, I don't like to drink my calories, as I want food. You don't need to give up your frap, just get a little smaller one. Eat lots of meat and fat, so you're sated. I pre-log my days and include my "treats", so I never feel I'm going without.

    Except perhaps.. A chocolate oreo cheesecake milkshake?
    chocolate-milkshake-recipe-without-syrup.jpg
  • galgenstrick
    galgenstrick Posts: 2,086 Member
    edited March 2015
    ana3067 wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    You really need to cut out carbs in your liquids, so the daily hot chocolate and fraps need to be sugar free. In fact if you can cut them out you will notice a huge savings in calories. There are other noodles that are made with rice, yellow beans, udon etc. try them instead of regular pasta. It may take a few tries, but you really will start enjoying them more than regular pasta.

    No

    Care to explain why? :smile:
    I often see just plain "NO" as a reply here. Which isn't really a helpful response at all

    Because its unnecessary to give up anything. Nothing needs to be "sugar free", she doesn't have to give up carbs. She just needs a caloric deficit to lose weight, thats it. It's CICO and learning moderation will benefit for a sustainable diet.

    Lose weight yes, but if you want that weight to be mostly fat you need to have a reasonably healthy diet to meet your macros.

    No you don't. You need to be eating enough protein, have a small to moderate deficit only (i.e. no more than 1lb/week), and lift heavy weights at hte gym. None of this requires eating any weird pasta substitutes or cutting out Starbucks. Sugar doesn't somehow kill one's muscular maintenance.

    We're saying the same thing I think. If you eat all those drinks + the pasta, then there's probably not enough room left for the protein. That's about 1000 calories of carbs and fat and not much protein. I don't know OP's calorie target so it's hard to say, but I do agree with your post.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    swole_elsa wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    For me, I don't like to drink my calories, as I want food. You don't need to give up your frap, just get a little smaller one. Eat lots of meat and fat, so you're sated. I pre-log my days and include my "treats", so I never feel I'm going without.

    Except perhaps.. A chocolate oreo cheesecake milkshake?
    chocolate-milkshake-recipe-without-syrup.jpg

    <3 It's beautiful.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    ana3067 wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    You really need to cut out carbs in your liquids, so the daily hot chocolate and fraps need to be sugar free. In fact if you can cut them out you will notice a huge savings in calories. There are other noodles that are made with rice, yellow beans, udon etc. try them instead of regular pasta. It may take a few tries, but you really will start enjoying them more than regular pasta.

    No

    Care to explain why? :smile:
    I often see just plain "NO" as a reply here. Which isn't really a helpful response at all

    Because its unnecessary to give up anything. Nothing needs to be "sugar free", she doesn't have to give up carbs. She just needs a caloric deficit to lose weight, thats it. It's CICO and learning moderation will benefit for a sustainable diet.

    Lose weight yes, but if you want that weight to be mostly fat you need to have a reasonably healthy diet to meet your macros.

    No you don't. You need to be eating enough protein, have a small to moderate deficit only (i.e. no more than 1lb/week), and lift heavy weights at hte gym. None of this requires eating any weird pasta substitutes or cutting out Starbucks. Sugar doesn't somehow kill one's muscular maintenance.

    We're saying the same thing I think. If you eat all those drinks + the pasta, then there's probably not enough room left for the protein. That's about 1000 calories of carbs and fat and not much protein. I don't know OP's calorie target so it's hard to say.

    I don't think OP knows her calorie goal either!

    OP, have you figured this out yet?
  • MoiAussi93
    MoiAussi93 Posts: 1,948 Member
    ana3067 wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    You really need to cut out carbs in your liquids, so the daily hot chocolate and fraps need to be sugar free. In fact if you can cut them out you will notice a huge savings in calories. There are other noodles that are made with rice, yellow beans, udon etc. try them instead of regular pasta. It may take a few tries, but you really will start enjoying them more than regular pasta.

    No

    Care to explain why? :smile:
    I often see just plain "NO" as a reply here. Which isn't really a helpful response at all

    Because its unnecessary to give up anything. Nothing needs to be "sugar free", she doesn't have to give up carbs. She just needs a caloric deficit to lose weight, thats it. It's CICO and learning moderation will benefit for a sustainable diet.

    Lose weight yes, but if you want that weight to be mostly fat you need to have a reasonably healthy diet to meet your macros.

    No you don't. You need to be eating enough protein, have a small to moderate deficit only (i.e. no more than 1lb/week), and lift heavy weights at hte gym. None of this requires eating any weird pasta substitutes or cutting out Starbucks. Sugar doesn't somehow kill one's muscular maintenance.
    You don't need to lift heavy weights at the gym to lose mostly fat!!! You can if you like, but it is not necessary...any more than going sugar free is necessary.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    MoiAussi93 wrote: »
    ana3067 wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    You really need to cut out carbs in your liquids, so the daily hot chocolate and fraps need to be sugar free. In fact if you can cut them out you will notice a huge savings in calories. There are other noodles that are made with rice, yellow beans, udon etc. try them instead of regular pasta. It may take a few tries, but you really will start enjoying them more than regular pasta.

    No

    Care to explain why? :smile:
    I often see just plain "NO" as a reply here. Which isn't really a helpful response at all

    Because its unnecessary to give up anything. Nothing needs to be "sugar free", she doesn't have to give up carbs. She just needs a caloric deficit to lose weight, thats it. It's CICO and learning moderation will benefit for a sustainable diet.

    Lose weight yes, but if you want that weight to be mostly fat you need to have a reasonably healthy diet to meet your macros.

    No you don't. You need to be eating enough protein, have a small to moderate deficit only (i.e. no more than 1lb/week), and lift heavy weights at hte gym. None of this requires eating any weird pasta substitutes or cutting out Starbucks. Sugar doesn't somehow kill one's muscular maintenance.
    You don't need to lift heavy weights at the gym to lose mostly fat!!! You can if you like, but it is not necessary...any more than going sugar free is necessary.

    Weight lifting helps maintain muscle mass. This is why we all tell people to lift weights while in a deficit. Simply eating 100g of protein isn't going to magically prevent muscle loss, much like eating that protein while in a caloric surplus and not lifting weights won't magically mean you gain more muscle than fat.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    swole_elsa wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    For me, I don't like to drink my calories, as I want food. You don't need to give up your frap, just get a little smaller one. Eat lots of meat and fat, so you're sated. I pre-log my days and include my "treats", so I never feel I'm going without.

    Except perhaps.. A chocolate oreo cheesecake milkshake?
    chocolate-milkshake-recipe-without-syrup.jpg

    and there are ALWAYS exceptions......IN!!!!
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited March 2015
    ana3067 wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    You really need to cut out carbs in your liquids, so the daily hot chocolate and fraps need to be sugar free. In fact if you can cut them out you will notice a huge savings in calories. There are other noodles that are made with rice, yellow beans, udon etc. try them instead of regular pasta. It may take a few tries, but you really will start enjoying them more than regular pasta.

    No

    Care to explain why? :smile:
    I often see just plain "NO" as a reply here. Which isn't really a helpful response at all

    Because its unnecessary to give up anything. Nothing needs to be "sugar free", she doesn't have to give up carbs. She just needs a caloric deficit to lose weight, thats it. It's CICO and learning moderation will benefit for a sustainable diet.

    Lose weight yes, but if you want that weight to be mostly fat you need to have a reasonably healthy diet to meet your macros.

    No you don't. You need to be eating enough protein, have a small to moderate deficit only (i.e. no more than 1lb/week), and lift heavy weights at hte gym. None of this requires eating any weird pasta substitutes or cutting out Starbucks. Sugar doesn't somehow kill one's muscular maintenance.

    We're saying the same thing I think. If you eat all those drinks + the pasta, then there's probably not enough room left for the protein. That's about 1000 calories of carbs and fat and not much protein. I don't know OP's calorie target so it's hard to say, but I do agree with your post.

    Right - OP could meet her macros with the starbucks thing, or the pasta, but she'd be feeling pretty ropey by midnight if she picked the former. I would guess. Or maybe she'd go over her calories. It's happened. But hey, why not try. (My reason for 'why not try', is that it's demoralizing to go over your calories, and it's crappy to feel ropey, for most people.) But, why not try.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    tomatoey wrote: »
    ana3067 wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    You really need to cut out carbs in your liquids, so the daily hot chocolate and fraps need to be sugar free. In fact if you can cut them out you will notice a huge savings in calories. There are other noodles that are made with rice, yellow beans, udon etc. try them instead of regular pasta. It may take a few tries, but you really will start enjoying them more than regular pasta.

    No

    Care to explain why? :smile:
    I often see just plain "NO" as a reply here. Which isn't really a helpful response at all

    Because its unnecessary to give up anything. Nothing needs to be "sugar free", she doesn't have to give up carbs. She just needs a caloric deficit to lose weight, thats it. It's CICO and learning moderation will benefit for a sustainable diet.

    Lose weight yes, but if you want that weight to be mostly fat you need to have a reasonably healthy diet to meet your macros.

    No you don't. You need to be eating enough protein, have a small to moderate deficit only (i.e. no more than 1lb/week), and lift heavy weights at hte gym. None of this requires eating any weird pasta substitutes or cutting out Starbucks. Sugar doesn't somehow kill one's muscular maintenance.

    We're saying the same thing I think. If you eat all those drinks + the pasta, then there's probably not enough room left for the protein. That's about 1000 calories of carbs and fat and not much protein. I don't know OP's calorie target so it's hard to say, but I do agree with your post.

    Right - OP could meet her macros with the starbucks thing, or the pasta, but she'd be feeling pretty ropey by midnight if she picked the former. I would guess. Or maybe she'd go over her calories. It's happened. But hey, why not try. (My reason for 'why not try', is that it's demoralizing to go over your calories, and it's crappy to feel ropey, for most people.) But, why not try.

    I've met my day's calorie, fat, and carb goals by eating brownies... didn't feel any different than when I meet those goals with PB and bananas. Daily variety and all.
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    ana3067 wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    You really need to cut out carbs in your liquids, so the daily hot chocolate and fraps need to be sugar free. In fact if you can cut them out you will notice a huge savings in calories. There are other noodles that are made with rice, yellow beans, udon etc. try them instead of regular pasta. It may take a few tries, but you really will start enjoying them more than regular pasta.

    No

    Care to explain why? :smile:
    I often see just plain "NO" as a reply here. Which isn't really a helpful response at all

    Because its unnecessary to give up anything. Nothing needs to be "sugar free", she doesn't have to give up carbs. She just needs a caloric deficit to lose weight, thats it. It's CICO and learning moderation will benefit for a sustainable diet.

    Lose weight yes, but if you want that weight to be mostly fat you need to have a reasonably healthy diet to meet your macros.

    No you don't. You need to be eating enough protein, have a small to moderate deficit only (i.e. no more than 1lb/week), and lift heavy weights at hte gym. None of this requires eating any weird pasta substitutes or cutting out Starbucks. Sugar doesn't somehow kill one's muscular maintenance.

    +1

    I lift, eat lots of protein, and make sure I eat enough fat and fiber. The rest takes care of itself, but then I eat a very wide variety of foods which includes a lot of vegetables, so I don't have to worry much about deficiencies. And I am eating Hagen Daz pomegranate gelato even as we speak.

    OP, if you look at the success forum, you'll find that the majority of people who had success at losing and keeping off large amounts did so with moderation, not with cutting out food groups (including sugar). That's not to say that some others haven't also had success by eating Paleo or vegetarian or whatever, but the majority stuck with moderation of the foods they like.

    This will not only help you develop a healthier relationship with food in general, but it also won't set you up to gain the weight back the moment you go back to eating regular food, and it won't set you up to feel deprived because you can never go to Starbucks again.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    Brownies have more stuff in them than frappuccinos.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    swole_elsa wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    For me, I don't like to drink my calories, as I want food. You don't need to give up your frap, just get a little smaller one. Eat lots of meat and fat, so you're sated. I pre-log my days and include my "treats", so I never feel I'm going without.

    Except perhaps.. A chocolate oreo cheesecake milkshake?
    chocolate-milkshake-recipe-without-syrup.jpg

    and there are ALWAYS exceptions......IN!!!!

    Smoothies and milkshakes are always pretty filling though anyways. Throw in some chocolate protein powder and you've got yourself a meal!
  • MoiAussi93
    MoiAussi93 Posts: 1,948 Member
    ana3067 wrote: »
    MoiAussi93 wrote: »
    ana3067 wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    You really need to cut out carbs in your liquids, so the daily hot chocolate and fraps need to be sugar free. In fact if you can cut them out you will notice a huge savings in calories. There are other noodles that are made with rice, yellow beans, udon etc. try them instead of regular pasta. It may take a few tries, but you really will start enjoying them more than regular pasta.

    No

    Care to explain why? :smile:
    I often see just plain "NO" as a reply here. Which isn't really a helpful response at all

    Because its unnecessary to give up anything. Nothing needs to be "sugar free", she doesn't have to give up carbs. She just needs a caloric deficit to lose weight, thats it. It's CICO and learning moderation will benefit for a sustainable diet.

    Lose weight yes, but if you want that weight to be mostly fat you need to have a reasonably healthy diet to meet your macros.

    No you don't. You need to be eating enough protein, have a small to moderate deficit only (i.e. no more than 1lb/week), and lift heavy weights at hte gym. None of this requires eating any weird pasta substitutes or cutting out Starbucks. Sugar doesn't somehow kill one's muscular maintenance.
    You don't need to lift heavy weights at the gym to lose mostly fat!!! You can if you like, but it is not necessary...any more than going sugar free is necessary.

    Weight lifting helps maintain muscle mass. This is why we all tell people to lift weights while in a deficit. Simply eating 100g of protein isn't going to magically prevent muscle loss, much like eating that protein while in a caloric surplus and not lifting weights won't magically mean you gain more muscle than fat.
    It helps, but it is not necessary to maintain muscle mass. Just like not drinking sugary drinks helps weight loss, but is not necessary. By the way, ketogenic diets also preserve muscle mass...but nobody is claiming you need to do that.

This discussion has been closed.