Do you eat any foods as long as it's in your calorie limit
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dopeysmelly wrote: »I don't eat whatever I want as long as it fits my calories. I decided to lose the weight for my health, and eating nutritious food (along with doing exercise and not smoking etc.) is as much a part of looking after my health as losing the weight is.
I focus on fresh vegetables, some fruit, bit of meat, more fish, variety of nuts and seeds, whole grain carbs, lots of different types of fats, but mainly a huge variety of everything and practically all home-cooked and delicious.
Here's a bit of the issue with some of this.
most people who IIFYM on this site- and who are in phenomenal shape- they typically eat a large variety of "clean" foods- they eat a lot of lean meats and veggies.
They just don't make a huge case about it (i'm not saying you are here either) but most of us- we eat like this as well.
We just eat a large variety INCLUDING all the other things- and fill the rest of our food with other delicious things.0 -
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lemurcat12 wrote: »RealFoodisGood wrote: »exerciseforhealth wrote: »I have only been a member for a couple of weeks but am struggling to find likeminded people. Most diaries I look at are attrotious! Not all calories have the same nutritional value. You can eat your allowance in *kitten* food and from what I see a lot of people do that.
I was thinking the same thing, but I probably would have just thought it, not wrote it. People have commented that she is judging. But, if she is looking for likeminded people, she has to "judge" in order to discriminate in her search. Judging is functional in surrounding ourselves with who we want.
We all judge. But I guess advertising that you're judging puts a bulls-eye on your back.
A blanket claim that most people here eat poorly (although she used stronger language) without specifying what is meant by that (again, I eat red meat usually, does that mean I eat poorly? I eat larger fish and potatoes and dairy, some would criticize that too) is a problem, because we can't discuss the merits of the judgment, IMO. Also, judging others while not being an open book yourself is awfully easy. I have certain standards I try to eat according to, but I also have an open diary so it's easy to see that I'm far from perfect (and I don't try for perfection either).
That (bolded) is not what the poster who said "Most diaries I look at are attrotious! " did though.
"Most diaries I look at " =/= "Most diaries on the site"0 -
dopeysmelly wrote: »I don't eat whatever I want as long as it fits my calories. I decided to lose the weight for my health, and eating nutritious food (along with doing exercise and not smoking etc.) is as much a part of looking after my health as losing the weight is.
I focus on fresh vegetables, some fruit, bit of meat, more fish, variety of nuts and seeds, whole grain carbs, lots of different types of fats, but mainly a huge variety of everything and practically all home-cooked and delicious.
Your first sentence sort of implies that people who are saying they fit in what they like after they hit their macros aren't eating for their health.
That's not true.
With the exception of the meat and fish (I'm a vegetarian), I could say the same things about my overall diet that you've said about yours. Except I also have ice cream. Scope my diary if you like. The thing is, I'm not unique. Look at the diaries of some of the other posters here who say they eat what they like.
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No I would not eat any food even if it was within my calorie allowance.
Just - hell no0 -
dopeysmelly wrote: »I don't eat whatever I want as long as it fits my calories. I decided to lose the weight for my health, and eating nutritious food (along with doing exercise and not smoking etc.) is as much a part of looking after my health as losing the weight is.
I focus on fresh vegetables, some fruit, bit of meat, more fish, variety of nuts and seeds, whole grain carbs, lots of different types of fats, but mainly a huge variety of everything and practically all home-cooked and delicious.
so those of us that do eat what we want to eat and hit your calorie/macro/micro targets are not "healthy", because ice cream and stuff???0 -
dopeysmelly wrote: »I don't eat whatever I want as long as it fits my calories. I decided to lose the weight for my health, and eating nutritious food (along with doing exercise and not smoking etc.) is as much a part of looking after my health as losing the weight is.
I focus on fresh vegetables, some fruit, bit of meat, more fish, variety of nuts and seeds, whole grain carbs, lots of different types of fats, but mainly a huge variety of everything and practically all home-cooked and delicious.
Here's a bit of the issue with some of this.
most people who IIFYM on this site- and who are in phenomenal shape- they typically eat a large variety of "clean" foods- they eat a lot of lean meats and veggies.
They just don't make a huge case about it (i'm not saying you are here either) but most of us- we eat like this as well.
We just eat a large variety INCLUDING all the other things- and fill the rest of our food with other delicious things.
In reading through the comments on this thread I'm thinking that a lot of it comes down to different ways of thinking about it.
I eat what I want, but I've trained myself so that what I want is mostly nutrient dense foods with some ice cream or cheese or other higher calorie options in moderation.
So when someone says "do you eat whatever you want" that's what I mean (although I also have specific focuses like getting protein and veggies). I get the sense that some are understanding the question differently.
I see no reason to cut out foods, but not cutting them out doesn't necessarily mean that I eat them any more often than most of those who have cut them out, depending on what it is.
On the other hand, the OP mentioned pasta and rice, and I really see no reason that someone who likes those foods and wants to eat them should cut them out. Watch serving sizes, sure.0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »RealFoodisGood wrote: »exerciseforhealth wrote: »I have only been a member for a couple of weeks but am struggling to find likeminded people. Most diaries I look at are attrotious! Not all calories have the same nutritional value. You can eat your allowance in *kitten* food and from what I see a lot of people do that.
I was thinking the same thing, but I probably would have just thought it, not wrote it. People have commented that she is judging. But, if she is looking for likeminded people, she has to "judge" in order to discriminate in her search. Judging is functional in surrounding ourselves with who we want.
We all judge. But I guess advertising that you're judging puts a bulls-eye on your back.
A blanket claim that most people here eat poorly (although she used stronger language) without specifying what is meant by that (again, I eat red meat usually, does that mean I eat poorly? I eat larger fish and potatoes and dairy, some would criticize that too) is a problem, because we can't discuss the merits of the judgment, IMO. Also, judging others while not being an open book yourself is awfully easy. I have certain standards I try to eat according to, but I also have an open diary so it's easy to see that I'm far from perfect (and I don't try for perfection either).
That (bolded) is not what the poster who said "Most diaries I look at are attrotious! " did though.
"Most diaries I look at " =/= "Most diaries on the site"
Fair enough. She seemed to be claiming that her survey was somehow representative to me, but perhaps I misunderstood.0 -
dopeysmelly wrote: »I don't eat whatever I want as long as it fits my calories. I decided to lose the weight for my health, and eating nutritious food (along with doing exercise and not smoking etc.) is as much a part of looking after my health as losing the weight is.
I focus on fresh vegetables, some fruit, bit of meat, more fish, variety of nuts and seeds, whole grain carbs, lots of different types of fats, but mainly a huge variety of everything and practically all home-cooked and delicious.
To follow up my comment on Jo's post, I agree with all this except (perhaps) for the very first sentence.
And to me that's eating what I want. There's nothing inconsistent with (1) avoiding arbitrary rules about "no rice ever," and (2) focusing on eating a nutritious diet made up of delicious foods.0 -
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I honestly eat probably 30-40% whole food, 20-30% nutritious pre-packaged stuff (frozen veggies and what not), 5-10% dessert food, and the rest is beer. I have a pretty high TDEE so it allows me more leeway while still hitting my goals. I'd like to give a shout out to my bicycle for making this possible!0
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yes and no.
i try to be aware that i am asking my body to operate at an energy deficit, and that could easily lead to a nutritional deficiency if i am not mindful about what i eat.
however, i know if i ate nothing but chicken breast and steamed vegetables all the time, i'd be broke and miserable.
so i try to find a sensible balance between eating cheap, eating tasty, and eating healthy. i try to make a point of eating fruits and vegetables daily, making my protein as calorie-efficient as i can, and having nutritionally pointless treats in reasonable portions that won't dominate my intake for the day.
some days i am more successful than others.
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To continue thinking aloud about this, there's a lot of talk on the site about will power and its limits, that psychological tactics or habits can be very significant in increasing success vs. relying on will power alone.
For me, that's related to this whole discussion about eating what I want.
If I think of what I want as "bad foods" that I have made off limits and will avoid, that seems to me to make it harder.
But the truth is that there are tons of foods that I love, plenty of which are nutrient dense, so there's no need to do that. Eating healthy to me means including a nice balance of nutrient dense foods in my diet--not just eating according to whim. But again there's nothing inconsistent with doing that and eating what you want, since of course you will choose the foods that meet your nutritional goals that you also like. (For example, I like spinach in my omelet more than kale, so I usually pick spinach and not kale for that purpose.)
After that, if I have calories remaining, I use them as I like. This still means not eating everything I might want--I like too many foods to be able to eat all of them every day or even every month or year. But I don't think of this as not eating what I want, which would make me perceive it as deprivation when it's really not. I see it as choosing between multiple good options.0 -
exerciseforhealth wrote: »I have only been a member for a couple of weeks but am struggling to find likeminded people. Most diaries I look at are attrotious! Not all calories have the same nutritional value. You can eat your allowance in *kitten* food and from what I see a lot of people do that.
If I'm ever in doubt of how to log a certain food - I look up or ask certain people. They have the most awesome logging.
They are extremely quite around here and stick to themselves with a comment here and there but when they comment it's usually a million dollar one. They have the best diary you can look up to.
I can't give their username in public - like I said they like to stick to themselves but have public diary.
If you want to lookup whom I'm referring to PM me.0 -
Yeah, you can pretty much eat what you want as long as you are hitting your magic numbers everyday (In my case I pay attention to mainly my overall calories and protein consumption). However, you will have to figure out what foods best serve you on an individual level. For some people eating lots of White Bread might cause bloating or eating too much sugar might cause energy crashes. I just eat what I feel like to an extent, but I'm aware of the benefits of eating certain foods and avoiding others.0
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Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »I eat any foods I want to eat. What I want has changed. I eat delicious foods, and aim for a nutrient dense, healthful (as I define it) diet, with some yummy treats (wine, chocolate...) when I want them.
Since you specifically mention some heavily refined carbs, yes, I am choosy about the breads and grains I eat, and I don't eat much that has a lot of added sugar.
I find that I am happiest, most sated, and most compliant when I limit my heavily refined carbs. YMMV.
me too.
I recently elimated caffeine because I'm dealing with insomnia issues. And cheese due to reflux. Plus some others for medical reasons, but anything else, if I want it and it's within my means... But, yes, what I want is different than before.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »dopeysmelly wrote: »I don't eat whatever I want as long as it fits my calories. I decided to lose the weight for my health, and eating nutritious food (along with doing exercise and not smoking etc.) is as much a part of looking after my health as losing the weight is.
I focus on fresh vegetables, some fruit, bit of meat, more fish, variety of nuts and seeds, whole grain carbs, lots of different types of fats, but mainly a huge variety of everything and practically all home-cooked and delicious.
To follow up my comment on Jo's post, I agree with all this except (perhaps) for the very first sentence.
And to me that's eating what I want. There's nothing inconsistent with (1) avoiding arbitrary rules about "no rice ever," and (2) focusing on eating a nutritious diet made up of delicious foods.
nods. exactly.
which is what I was trying to get at. The trendline of food follows what "clean eaters/anti-proccessed" folks eat... without all the arbitrary rules.
It wasn't so much we eat that way because we believe that- but it's food we like and it fits our needs- but we don't do it because any thing other than we like it- and it helps us meet goals and needs. I think you understand what I'm getting at lol- it's hard to try to show that parallel without people jumping the shark saying well you eat that way because it's X.
no I eat that way because I can't fit it- won't fit it- or don't like it- or I'd rather eat ice cream than rice LOL0 -
I eat whatever I want just had to learn portion control. I can't eat the whites it gives me bad bloating! Sometimes I suffer through it because I love mashed potatoes and mac and cheese which does not taste the same with wheat pasta. As long as you stay with in your calories you should be good.0
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I keep my protein high, my fat on target or a few points over, and my carbs are WAY below what MFP wants for me. I eat a ton of chicken and veggies and a little fruit here and there. About once every 6-8 weeks I will have a binge day where I eat whatever the heck I wanna eat. But my gastro issues have pretty much completely gone away since eliminating grains and dairy.0
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dopeysmelly wrote: »I don't eat whatever I want as long as it fits my calories. I decided to lose the weight for my health, and eating nutritious food (along with doing exercise and not smoking etc.) is as much a part of looking after my health as losing the weight is.
I focus on fresh vegetables, some fruit, bit of meat, more fish, variety of nuts and seeds, whole grain carbs, lots of different types of fats, but mainly a huge variety of everything and practically all home-cooked and delicious.
Here's a bit of the issue with some of this.
most people who IIFYM on this site- and who are in phenomenal shape- they typically eat a large variety of "clean" foods- they eat a lot of lean meats and veggies.
They just don't make a huge case about it (i'm not saying you are here either) but most of us- we eat like this as well.
We just eat a large variety INCLUDING all the other things- and fill the rest of our food with other delicious things.
I follow/ed no prescribed diet at all. All I worried about was keeping within my calorie goal. I suppose it would be IIFYM if it had to be labelled.
Very quickly what I found was that healthier, less processed foods were "cheaper" on calories and made sticking to that limit much easier.
And so instead of picking convenience foods as I always did, my meals naturally became more lean meat and veggies, my snacks became fruit instead of chocolate and so on...
Which ultimately then allowed me enough "change" out of my calorie limit to allow myself treats.
Without over thinking it at the time I came around to healthier eating (certainly healthier than before) simply by focusing on that calorie goal.
I now find I have virtually no desire for "junk" foods (as people would call them) and so on the rare occasions I fancy some I indulge.
Ive also found they are nothing like as satisfying as they used to be!0 -
tl;dr
OP, you seem like you have lost quite a bit of weight....Have you taken a diet break yet? I am currently on day five of a full diet break and have finally lost the next couple pounds I was waiting for. A diet break is basically eating around your maintenance calories for about 14 days straight to reset the hormones/metabolism which start to suffer from long term dieting and adaptation. So I don't think you need to cut any of your favourite foods out, I just think you need a diet break.
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/0 -
samhennings wrote: »dopeysmelly wrote: »I don't eat whatever I want as long as it fits my calories. I decided to lose the weight for my health, and eating nutritious food (along with doing exercise and not smoking etc.) is as much a part of looking after my health as losing the weight is.
I focus on fresh vegetables, some fruit, bit of meat, more fish, variety of nuts and seeds, whole grain carbs, lots of different types of fats, but mainly a huge variety of everything and practically all home-cooked and delicious.
Here's a bit of the issue with some of this.
most people who IIFYM on this site- and who are in phenomenal shape- they typically eat a large variety of "clean" foods- they eat a lot of lean meats and veggies.
They just don't make a huge case about it (i'm not saying you are here either) but most of us- we eat like this as well.
We just eat a large variety INCLUDING all the other things- and fill the rest of our food with other delicious things.
I follow/ed no prescribed diet at all. All I worried about was keeping within my calorie goal. I suppose it would be IIFYM if it had to be labelled.
Very quickly what I found was that healthier, less processed foods were "cheaper" on calories and made sticking to that limit much easier.
And so instead of picking convenience foods as I always did, my meals naturally became more lean meat and veggies, my snacks became fruit instead of chocolate and so on...
Which ultimately then allowed me enough "change" out of my calorie limit to allow myself treats.
Without over thinking it at the time I came around to healthier eating (certainly healthier than before) simply by focusing on that calorie goal.
I now find I have virtually no desire for "junk" foods (as people would call them) and so on the rare occasions I fancy some I indulge.
Ive also found they are nothing like as satisfying as they used to be!
When you put it like that I realise that'd exactly what I did0 -
When you put it like that I realise that'd exactly what I did
I had to keep it simple. I think it helped that I was a total noob to anything like this and so in a way a lack of knowledge really helped. I didnt over think things, just stuck to that calorie goal and the rest came naturally.0 -
My diet is only limited by calories, protein, and taste.0
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No I just eat foods I likesharonandwyatt wrote: »Do you eat all types of food as long as they are within your calorie limit? .
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look at my diary. i eat what i want. still lose 2 pounds a week on average.
i just eat a lot less of what i used to LOLexerciseforhealth wrote: »I have only been a member for a couple of weeks but am struggling to find likeminded people. Most diaries I look at are attrotious! Not all calories have the same nutritional value. You can eat your allowance in *kitten* food and from what I see a lot of people do that.
judge much?
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I eat anything I want as long as it's in my calories, but I've come to find that I like eating healthier options because then I get a better fill because they generally have less calories! I know we hear this all the time but it's about finding a balance. If you find you did really well one day and you have the leftover calories in order to incorporate something you enjoy, then awesome! You should do so if you please but you won't be eating enough to get full if you simply eat all your calories in junk. There simply wouldn't be enough to sustain you.0
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Steph38878 wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Steph38878 wrote: »Absolutely! I love pasta and am going to eat it. The zoodles are good but it's not pasta.... I don't see food as being "bad". It's food.... Some have more nutritional values but life is too short to not indulge.
Another thing is that it's kind of odd to look at foods as if they weren't part of a whole meal. Eating plain pasta is going to mostly contribute energy (not that there's anything wrong with that), but typically it's part of an overall meal that includes protein and veggies. At least that's how I make my pasta. I often use whole wheat pasta since I like it with some of the sauces I make, but if someone prefers white pasta as a vehicle for their veggies and protein, it seems silly to me to say that makes it unhealthy.
Oh yeah. I normally will eat half a serving of pasta but bulk it up with roasted veggies such as zucchini, tomatoes, etc. and chicken. I just see so many people rule pasta out totally due to carbs. I say enjoy in moderation.
Same here. Because what *I* want is to eat a high volume of food, to get the most nourishment I can from my meals (macros/micros/fiber all balanced), and stay with a reasonable calorie intake to make room for a daily "treat" (which can be anything from fruit/oatmeal/yogurt, chips and dip, hummus and veggies, or even some chocolate and wine or a small fast food item and a soda).0 -
I can eat whatever as long as it is my daily calorie budget. In theory. In practice, I struggle to meet my protein macro every day, so some of my calories are redirected to high protein foods instead of high fat/carb.
Except for tomorrow. Tomorrow will be calorie and macro disaster Level 8. Then Sunday, back to normal.0
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