Carb Free, or Everything in small Portions???
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Live2InspireHope wrote: »I will say Low carbs & Low Sugar has worked for me. I have lost over 70 pounds since the middle of November 2014. That said I do Believe what has helped me the most is knowing my BMR Number Then setting my calories under that by 500-1000 a day. My BMR was about 2580 when i started and i focused on 1500-2000 a day. lowered my carbs and sugars also. The key thing about your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate ) Its the amount of Calories you need to have to not gain or lose weight if you laid in bed all the time. So the fact you get up and go to work or go do anything burns calories so your deficit becomes bigger even more. As Lemonsnow Said Low Carbs don't equal Weight loss You need to really create a lifestyle that works for you. I have cut breads and pizza out of my life all my liquid carbs and sugars other than my smoothies. i reward myself with a nice nacho night once a month but when i hit the 250s witch is soon for the first time in about 25 years i plan to go out eat pizza with friends
Good Luck you can do this I believe if i can focus and create something that has worked for me anyone can with the right passion and purpose
You mean TDEE not BMR
You eat 500-1000 below TDEE, not BMR
But well done finding your own path
I personally find eating everything in moderation is perfect for me
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sympha01, Thank you for your complete honesty. I agree with you I am horrible with food portion. I have no idea how many calories are in the portions that my body takes in everyday. I was even trying to think how many calories this morning was my coffee. I just poor my creamer in, taste, and enjoy. That's it. I fill my plate with my dinner, lunch or whatever I decide to eat. Though sometimes very healthy I even think I overdue on my salads because of the dressings I am putting on them.
I don't have a scale but this payday I will be a scale owner. I will start measuring my food. I don't have anything to measure with here at work but by-gally I will find something that equals 8 oz or 1 cup in order to measure my leftover lunch I have brought with me. I am sure the snap lock container I have is entirely too much food. Considering it is pretty heavy.
I really am very thankful for all the insight into my long time issues with my food and desire of foods. I really am glad that so many feel that Atkins isn't the right way. I do need to learn the right portions otherwise I will truly never learn how to maintain.
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365andstillalive wrote: »Eat at a calorie deficit.
That's it. No gimmicks, no long term meal plans where you eat the same thing constantly, etc. Fad diets don't work, calorie counting does.
The rest is about nutrition; and as an adult, you likely know how that works. Aim to hit your hardest to hit macro first (for most of us that's protein).
Also, it's impossible to go carb free and eat a nutritious diet. Fruits and veggies? They're carbs too.
This.0 -
ncboiler89 wrote: »AllOfTheStars77 wrote: »So, I am struggling with creating a food plan. I have always been a horrible judge of food and how much of something I can or can not have. I have been cracking every cell of my brain on what is the better route to go. I have done weight watchers a long time ago but I found myself saving my points in order to eat the worst items possible. My mom is telling me that Atkins is the way to go. So, please some advice in this category would help me tremendously. If you must be brutal that is fine I can take it, just try to be constructively brutal lol..
Eat what you want but eat at a deficit. Pretty simple. Let's not make it harder than what it is.
It is NOT that simple. If you eat a lot of junk you will have trouble eating at a deficit because you are not getting the nutrition your body needs and you will have cravings. You may also cause your blood sugar to spike, causing cravings. So, eating "whatever you want," even at a deficit, will leave you feeling hungry and craving and make weight loss much harder than it needs to be. You need to eat at a deficit, but ALSO focus on eating balanced, nutritious meals, with the occasional treat thrown in. This will also allow you to KEEP the pounds off long-term.0 -
learning portion control and proper portioning is ultimately going to be essential to long term success. It helps to have a food scale and other measuring instruments...after weighing things out and measuring them for a long time, you eventually get better about eyeballing proper servings.
It's something you need to learn to do.0 -
ncboiler89 wrote: »AllOfTheStars77 wrote: »So, I am struggling with creating a food plan. I have always been a horrible judge of food and how much of something I can or can not have. I have been cracking every cell of my brain on what is the better route to go. I have done weight watchers a long time ago but I found myself saving my points in order to eat the worst items possible. My mom is telling me that Atkins is the way to go. So, please some advice in this category would help me tremendously. If you must be brutal that is fine I can take it, just try to be constructively brutal lol..
Eat what you want but eat at a deficit. Pretty simple. Let's not make it harder than what it is.
It is NOT that simple. If you eat a lot of junk you will have trouble eating at a deficit because you are not getting the nutrition your body needs and you will have cravings. You may also cause your blood sugar to spike, causing cravings. So, eating "whatever you want," even at a deficit, will leave you feeling hungry and craving and make weight loss much harder than it needs to be. You need to eat at a deficit, but ALSO focus on eating balanced, nutritious meals, with the occasional treat thrown in. This will also allow you to KEEP the pounds off long-term.
In regards to nutrition; no, it's not that simple. For weight loss, it really is.
There is no difference (from a weight loss perspective) of someone eating 1600 calories of lean meats, veggies, fruits, and other "whole" foods than there is of someone eating 1600 calories of pizza and brownies. They'll both drop the same amount of weight.
Nutrition is a different beast; but you really can eat what you want. You'll notice, anyone who has ever given that advice gives it from the IIFYM perspective; aka eat what you want, so long as it fits your macros; so if I'm still hitting my protein, fats, and carb goals, I'm eating a balanced diet, it just means that I'm not necessarily eating the same foods as you chose to.
So, no eating whatever you like doesn't make weight loss impossible, it doesn't mean that you won't feel satiated. It just means that you still need to create a deficit, plain and simple.
I'm glad you've found what works for you though!
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ncboiler89 wrote: »AllOfTheStars77 wrote: »So, I am struggling with creating a food plan. I have always been a horrible judge of food and how much of something I can or can not have. I have been cracking every cell of my brain on what is the better route to go. I have done weight watchers a long time ago but I found myself saving my points in order to eat the worst items possible. My mom is telling me that Atkins is the way to go. So, please some advice in this category would help me tremendously. If you must be brutal that is fine I can take it, just try to be constructively brutal lol..
Eat what you want but eat at a deficit. Pretty simple. Let's not make it harder than what it is.
It is NOT that simple. If you eat a lot of junk you will have trouble eating at a deficit because you are not getting the nutrition your body needs and you will have cravings. You may also cause your blood sugar to spike, causing cravings. So, eating "whatever you want," even at a deficit, will leave you feeling hungry and craving and make weight loss much harder than it needs to be. You need to eat at a deficit, but ALSO focus on eating balanced, nutritious meals, with the occasional treat thrown in. This will also allow you to KEEP the pounds off long-term.
I think a lot of this comes down to a basic disagreement about how much you should trust others to act sensibly.
For weight loss, all you need is a calorie deficit.
Ideally, people will also care about nutrition, and if they do I think most people understand the basics. (Eat a balanced diet full of nutrient-rich foods, including plenty of veggies and adequate protein, don't go overboard on high calorie, lower nutrient extras, like sugary treats.) Although some people get confused based on all sorts of extremist advice (NO grains, fruit is scary because fructose, carbs are scary, occasionally fat is bad or all meat, etc.), I think most people do get the basics here. Lots of people just think it's boring, so want some special fast weight loss hack.
Beyond this, how your diet affects your ability to keep a deficit is going to vary from person to person. Some find that lower carb helps, or getting more fat, or focusing on volume. Some find that they need starchy carbs. Many find that adding more protein helps. Most probably don't get as satiated on sugary treats, but even that can probably vary. The bigger point, though, if that if you start with your calorie limit and experiment you will learn what fills you up. We don't really need to tell people that they won't be able to lose weight unless they eat a particular way (that happens to work for us) and it's not true.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »ncboiler89 wrote: »AllOfTheStars77 wrote: »So, I am struggling with creating a food plan. I have always been a horrible judge of food and how much of something I can or can not have. I have been cracking every cell of my brain on what is the better route to go. I have done weight watchers a long time ago but I found myself saving my points in order to eat the worst items possible. My mom is telling me that Atkins is the way to go. So, please some advice in this category would help me tremendously. If you must be brutal that is fine I can take it, just try to be constructively brutal lol..
Eat what you want but eat at a deficit. Pretty simple. Let's not make it harder than what it is.
It is NOT that simple. If you eat a lot of junk you will have trouble eating at a deficit because you are not getting the nutrition your body needs and you will have cravings. You may also cause your blood sugar to spike, causing cravings. So, eating "whatever you want," even at a deficit, will leave you feeling hungry and craving and make weight loss much harder than it needs to be. You need to eat at a deficit, but ALSO focus on eating balanced, nutritious meals, with the occasional treat thrown in. This will also allow you to KEEP the pounds off long-term.
I think a lot of this comes down to a basic disagreement about how much you should trust others to act sensibly.
For weight loss, all you need is a calorie deficit.
Ideally, people will also care about nutrition, and if they do I think most people understand the basics. (Eat a balanced diet full of nutrient-rich foods, including plenty of veggies and adequate protein, don't go overboard on high calorie, lower nutrient extras, like sugary treats.) Although some people get confused based on all sorts of extremist advice (NO grains, fruit is scary because fructose, carbs are scary, occasionally fat is bad or all meat, etc.), I think most people do get the basics here. Lots of people just think it's boring, so want some special fast weight loss hack.
Beyond this, how your diet affects your ability to keep a deficit is going to vary from person to person. Some find that lower carb helps, or getting more fat, or focusing on volume. Some find that they need starchy carbs. Many find that adding more protein helps. Most probably don't get as satiated on sugary treats, but even that can probably vary. The bigger point, though, if that if you start with your calorie limit and experiment you will learn what fills you up. We don't really need to tell people that they won't be able to lose weight unless they eat a particular way (that happens to work for us) and it's not true.
I never said this.0 -
365andstillalive wrote: »ncboiler89 wrote: »AllOfTheStars77 wrote: »So, I am struggling with creating a food plan. I have always been a horrible judge of food and how much of something I can or can not have. I have been cracking every cell of my brain on what is the better route to go. I have done weight watchers a long time ago but I found myself saving my points in order to eat the worst items possible. My mom is telling me that Atkins is the way to go. So, please some advice in this category would help me tremendously. If you must be brutal that is fine I can take it, just try to be constructively brutal lol..
Eat what you want but eat at a deficit. Pretty simple. Let's not make it harder than what it is.
It is NOT that simple. If you eat a lot of junk you will have trouble eating at a deficit because you are not getting the nutrition your body needs and you will have cravings. You may also cause your blood sugar to spike, causing cravings. So, eating "whatever you want," even at a deficit, will leave you feeling hungry and craving and make weight loss much harder than it needs to be. You need to eat at a deficit, but ALSO focus on eating balanced, nutritious meals, with the occasional treat thrown in. This will also allow you to KEEP the pounds off long-term.
In regards to nutrition; no, it's not that simple. For weight loss, it really is.
There is no difference (from a weight loss perspective) of someone eating 1600 calories of lean meats, veggies, fruits, and other "whole" foods than there is of someone eating 1600 calories of pizza and brownies. They'll both drop the same amount of weight.
Nutrition is a different beast; but you really can eat what you want. You'll notice, anyone who has ever given that advice gives it from the IIFYM perspective; aka eat what you want, so long as it fits your macros; so if I'm still hitting my protein, fats, and carb goals, I'm eating a balanced diet, it just means that I'm not necessarily eating the same foods as you chose to.
So, no eating whatever you like doesn't make weight loss impossible, it doesn't mean that you won't feel satiated. It just means that you still need to create a deficit, plain and simple.
I'm glad you've found what works for you though!
I never said this.0 -
I think eating in the manner you plan to eat once you reach your goal is best for weight loss. If you plan to include junk in your diet after, I'd include it now. If you don't plan to eat low carb once you are at goal, I would not eat it now. Eat in the manner that you feel is best for you while keeping a calorie deficit. And you can tweak your diet as you go along, as you find what does and does not work for you.
Eating just for weight loss while planning to completely change when you are at goal may work for you, but I think the odds are against it. Other than number of calories, of course.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »ncboiler89 wrote: »AllOfTheStars77 wrote: »So, I am struggling with creating a food plan. I have always been a horrible judge of food and how much of something I can or can not have. I have been cracking every cell of my brain on what is the better route to go. I have done weight watchers a long time ago but I found myself saving my points in order to eat the worst items possible. My mom is telling me that Atkins is the way to go. So, please some advice in this category would help me tremendously. If you must be brutal that is fine I can take it, just try to be constructively brutal lol..
Eat what you want but eat at a deficit. Pretty simple. Let's not make it harder than what it is.
It is NOT that simple. If you eat a lot of junk you will have trouble eating at a deficit because you are not getting the nutrition your body needs and you will have cravings. You may also cause your blood sugar to spike, causing cravings. So, eating "whatever you want," even at a deficit, will leave you feeling hungry and craving and make weight loss much harder than it needs to be. You need to eat at a deficit, but ALSO focus on eating balanced, nutritious meals, with the occasional treat thrown in. This will also allow you to KEEP the pounds off long-term.
I think a lot of this comes down to a basic disagreement about how much you should trust others to act sensibly.
For weight loss, all you need is a calorie deficit.
Ideally, people will also care about nutrition, and if they do I think most people understand the basics. (Eat a balanced diet full of nutrient-rich foods, including plenty of veggies and adequate protein, don't go overboard on high calorie, lower nutrient extras, like sugary treats.) Although some people get confused based on all sorts of extremist advice (NO grains, fruit is scary because fructose, carbs are scary, occasionally fat is bad or all meat, etc.), I think most people do get the basics here. Lots of people just think it's boring, so want some special fast weight loss hack.
Beyond this, how your diet affects your ability to keep a deficit is going to vary from person to person. Some find that lower carb helps, or getting more fat, or focusing on volume. Some find that they need starchy carbs. Many find that adding more protein helps. Most probably don't get as satiated on sugary treats, but even that can probably vary. The bigger point, though, if that if you start with your calorie limit and experiment you will learn what fills you up. We don't really need to tell people that they won't be able to lose weight unless they eat a particular way (that happens to work for us) and it's not true.
I never said this.
It was more of a general comment aimed at these kinds of discussions in general; wasn't meant to characterize your comments specifically, so I'm sorry if it came across that way.
The broader point is that you seem to be critical of comments that in essence assume that the dieter will manage to figure out the satiety piece of it on his or her own.0 -
365andstillalive wrote: »ncboiler89 wrote: »AllOfTheStars77 wrote: »So, I am struggling with creating a food plan. I have always been a horrible judge of food and how much of something I can or can not have. I have been cracking every cell of my brain on what is the better route to go. I have done weight watchers a long time ago but I found myself saving my points in order to eat the worst items possible. My mom is telling me that Atkins is the way to go. So, please some advice in this category would help me tremendously. If you must be brutal that is fine I can take it, just try to be constructively brutal lol..
Eat what you want but eat at a deficit. Pretty simple. Let's not make it harder than what it is.
It is NOT that simple. If you eat a lot of junk you will have trouble eating at a deficit because you are not getting the nutrition your body needs and you will have cravings. You may also cause your blood sugar to spike, causing cravings. So, eating "whatever you want," even at a deficit, will leave you feeling hungry and craving and make weight loss much harder than it needs to be. You need to eat at a deficit, but ALSO focus on eating balanced, nutritious meals, with the occasional treat thrown in. This will also allow you to KEEP the pounds off long-term.
In regards to nutrition; no, it's not that simple. For weight loss, it really is.
There is no difference (from a weight loss perspective) of someone eating 1600 calories of lean meats, veggies, fruits, and other "whole" foods than there is of someone eating 1600 calories of pizza and brownies. They'll both drop the same amount of weight.
Nutrition is a different beast; but you really can eat what you want. You'll notice, anyone who has ever given that advice gives it from the IIFYM perspective; aka eat what you want, so long as it fits your macros; so if I'm still hitting my protein, fats, and carb goals, I'm eating a balanced diet, it just means that I'm not necessarily eating the same foods as you chose to.
So, no eating whatever you like doesn't make weight loss impossible, it doesn't mean that you won't feel satiated. It just means that you still need to create a deficit, plain and simple.
I'm glad you've found what works for you though!
I never said this.
I sincerely apologize.
The moral of your post was that though; that losing weight while eating lots of "junk" isn't doable because of cravings. Whereas, my experience has been different. Weight loss is less doable with out "junk" food. Pizza actually tends to provide me better macros than a lot of "healthy" meals do. It's all about individual goals.
Everybody's journey is different. I don't advocate that everyone needs to eat like me, but telling others that to lose weight (or even to keep weight off) that they can't eat what they want to is not supported by science, research and peer reviewed studies released in the past decade. It's literally just CICO.
To each their own, and again, I'm glad you've found what works for you.
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I really just want to thank everyone for every bit of your kind thoughts and helpful information. I understand a lot more than I did before I added this topic to the discussion boards and will continue to learn as my path gets stronger. I do not plan on keeping carbs out forever so I will not completely ban them for now. I don't eat a lot of junk foods so I am pretty safe there. I just happen to eat lots of whatever it is that I am eating. I will need to make sure that whatever I am planning on eating is within a reasonable amount of the right calories. I am still not sure how much that is. However, I will learn I'm sure of it. I am planning on eating no more than 1800 calories to start. I will kind of run around the amounts and make sure I stay within that limit. Again, thank you all so very much for all the advice.0
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365andstillalive wrote: »ncboiler89 wrote: »AllOfTheStars77 wrote: »So, I am struggling with creating a food plan. I have always been a horrible judge of food and how much of something I can or can not have. I have been cracking every cell of my brain on what is the better route to go. I have done weight watchers a long time ago but I found myself saving my points in order to eat the worst items possible. My mom is telling me that Atkins is the way to go. So, please some advice in this category would help me tremendously. If you must be brutal that is fine I can take it, just try to be constructively brutal lol..
Eat what you want but eat at a deficit. Pretty simple. Let's not make it harder than what it is.
It is NOT that simple. If you eat a lot of junk you will have trouble eating at a deficit because you are not getting the nutrition your body needs and you will have cravings. You may also cause your blood sugar to spike, causing cravings. So, eating "whatever you want," even at a deficit, will leave you feeling hungry and craving and make weight loss much harder than it needs to be. You need to eat at a deficit, but ALSO focus on eating balanced, nutritious meals, with the occasional treat thrown in. This will also allow you to KEEP the pounds off long-term.
In regards to nutrition; no, it's not that simple. For weight loss, it really is.
There is no difference (from a weight loss perspective) of someone eating 1600 calories of lean meats, veggies, fruits, and other "whole" foods than there is of someone eating 1600 calories of pizza and brownies. They'll both drop the same amount of weight.
Nutrition is a different beast; but you really can eat what you want. You'll notice, anyone who has ever given that advice gives it from the IIFYM perspective; aka eat what you want, so long as it fits your macros; so if I'm still hitting my protein, fats, and carb goals, I'm eating a balanced diet, it just means that I'm not necessarily eating the same foods as you chose to.
So, no eating whatever you like doesn't make weight loss impossible, it doesn't mean that you won't feel satiated. It just means that you still need to create a deficit, plain and simple.
I'm glad you've found what works for you though!
I never said this.lemurcat12 wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »ncboiler89 wrote: »AllOfTheStars77 wrote: »So, I am struggling with creating a food plan. I have always been a horrible judge of food and how much of something I can or can not have. I have been cracking every cell of my brain on what is the better route to go. I have done weight watchers a long time ago but I found myself saving my points in order to eat the worst items possible. My mom is telling me that Atkins is the way to go. So, please some advice in this category would help me tremendously. If you must be brutal that is fine I can take it, just try to be constructively brutal lol..
Eat what you want but eat at a deficit. Pretty simple. Let's not make it harder than what it is.
It is NOT that simple. If you eat a lot of junk you will have trouble eating at a deficit because you are not getting the nutrition your body needs and you will have cravings. You may also cause your blood sugar to spike, causing cravings. So, eating "whatever you want," even at a deficit, will leave you feeling hungry and craving and make weight loss much harder than it needs to be. You need to eat at a deficit, but ALSO focus on eating balanced, nutritious meals, with the occasional treat thrown in. This will also allow you to KEEP the pounds off long-term.
I think a lot of this comes down to a basic disagreement about how much you should trust others to act sensibly.
For weight loss, all you need is a calorie deficit.
Ideally, people will also care about nutrition, and if they do I think most people understand the basics. (Eat a balanced diet full of nutrient-rich foods, including plenty of veggies and adequate protein, don't go overboard on high calorie, lower nutrient extras, like sugary treats.) Although some people get confused based on all sorts of extremist advice (NO grains, fruit is scary because fructose, carbs are scary, occasionally fat is bad or all meat, etc.), I think most people do get the basics here. Lots of people just think it's boring, so want some special fast weight loss hack.
Beyond this, how your diet affects your ability to keep a deficit is going to vary from person to person. Some find that lower carb helps, or getting more fat, or focusing on volume. Some find that they need starchy carbs. Many find that adding more protein helps. Most probably don't get as satiated on sugary treats, but even that can probably vary. The bigger point, though, if that if you start with your calorie limit and experiment you will learn what fills you up. We don't really need to tell people that they won't be able to lose weight unless they eat a particular way (that happens to work for us) and it's not true.
I never said this.
It was more of a general comment aimed at these kinds of discussions in general; wasn't meant to characterize your comments specifically, so I'm sorry if it came across that way.
The broader point is that you seem to be critical of comments that in essence assume that the dieter will manage to figure out the satiety piece of it on his or her own.
Oh, I don't disagree with that; I think the OP has it pretty much dialed in, especially with some of the very good feedback people have provided in this thread. However, not everyone has this figured out yet, from some of the other posts I have read on this forum about "will this work" and about various fad diets/supplements.0 -
It is NOT that simple. If you eat a lot of junk you will have trouble eating at a deficit because you are not getting the nutrition your body needs and you will have cravings. You may also cause your blood sugar to spike, causing cravings. So, eating "whatever you want," even at a deficit, will leave you feeling hungry and craving and make weight loss much harder than it needs to be. You need to eat at a deficit, but ALSO focus on eating balanced, nutritious meals, with the occasional treat thrown in. This will also allow you to KEEP the pounds off long-term.
This is true for me as well. Also, when I have too much sugar, I have less energy and thus less inclination to exercise.
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Just balance your diet and eat in moderate portions that fit your calorie goal. I use 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat with great success.
40-30-30 works well for me too. I have energy and am satisfied, and cravings are only an issue once a month. I don't really feel like I am dieting, but I am losing a pound per week.
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All things in moderation. Eat the carbs. Carbs are good for you. Can't stand that low carb nonsense.0
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365andstillalive wrote: »ncboiler89 wrote: »AllOfTheStars77 wrote: »So, I am struggling with creating a food plan. I have always been a horrible judge of food and how much of something I can or can not have. I have been cracking every cell of my brain on what is the better route to go. I have done weight watchers a long time ago but I found myself saving my points in order to eat the worst items possible. My mom is telling me that Atkins is the way to go. So, please some advice in this category would help me tremendously. If you must be brutal that is fine I can take it, just try to be constructively brutal lol..
Eat what you want but eat at a deficit. Pretty simple. Let's not make it harder than what it is.
It is NOT that simple. If you eat a lot of junk you will have trouble eating at a deficit because you are not getting the nutrition your body needs and you will have cravings. You may also cause your blood sugar to spike, causing cravings. So, eating "whatever you want," even at a deficit, will leave you feeling hungry and craving and make weight loss much harder than it needs to be. You need to eat at a deficit, but ALSO focus on eating balanced, nutritious meals, with the occasional treat thrown in. This will also allow you to KEEP the pounds off long-term.
In regards to nutrition; no, it's not that simple. For weight loss, it really is.
There is no difference (from a weight loss perspective) of someone eating 1600 calories of lean meats, veggies, fruits, and other "whole" foods than there is of someone eating 1600 calories of pizza and brownies. They'll both drop the same amount of weight.
Nutrition is a different beast; but you really can eat what you want. You'll notice, anyone who has ever given that advice gives it from the IIFYM perspective; aka eat what you want, so long as it fits your macros; so if I'm still hitting my protein, fats, and carb goals, I'm eating a balanced diet, it just means that I'm not necessarily eating the same foods as you chose to.
So, no eating whatever you like doesn't make weight loss impossible, it doesn't mean that you won't feel satiated. It just means that you still need to create a deficit, plain and simple.
I'm glad you've found what works for you though!
I never said this.lemurcat12 wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »ncboiler89 wrote: »AllOfTheStars77 wrote: »So, I am struggling with creating a food plan. I have always been a horrible judge of food and how much of something I can or can not have. I have been cracking every cell of my brain on what is the better route to go. I have done weight watchers a long time ago but I found myself saving my points in order to eat the worst items possible. My mom is telling me that Atkins is the way to go. So, please some advice in this category would help me tremendously. If you must be brutal that is fine I can take it, just try to be constructively brutal lol..
Eat what you want but eat at a deficit. Pretty simple. Let's not make it harder than what it is.
It is NOT that simple. If you eat a lot of junk you will have trouble eating at a deficit because you are not getting the nutrition your body needs and you will have cravings. You may also cause your blood sugar to spike, causing cravings. So, eating "whatever you want," even at a deficit, will leave you feeling hungry and craving and make weight loss much harder than it needs to be. You need to eat at a deficit, but ALSO focus on eating balanced, nutritious meals, with the occasional treat thrown in. This will also allow you to KEEP the pounds off long-term.
I think a lot of this comes down to a basic disagreement about how much you should trust others to act sensibly.
For weight loss, all you need is a calorie deficit.
Ideally, people will also care about nutrition, and if they do I think most people understand the basics. (Eat a balanced diet full of nutrient-rich foods, including plenty of veggies and adequate protein, don't go overboard on high calorie, lower nutrient extras, like sugary treats.) Although some people get confused based on all sorts of extremist advice (NO grains, fruit is scary because fructose, carbs are scary, occasionally fat is bad or all meat, etc.), I think most people do get the basics here. Lots of people just think it's boring, so want some special fast weight loss hack.
Beyond this, how your diet affects your ability to keep a deficit is going to vary from person to person. Some find that lower carb helps, or getting more fat, or focusing on volume. Some find that they need starchy carbs. Many find that adding more protein helps. Most probably don't get as satiated on sugary treats, but even that can probably vary. The bigger point, though, if that if you start with your calorie limit and experiment you will learn what fills you up. We don't really need to tell people that they won't be able to lose weight unless they eat a particular way (that happens to work for us) and it's not true.
I never said this.
It was more of a general comment aimed at these kinds of discussions in general; wasn't meant to characterize your comments specifically, so I'm sorry if it came across that way.
The broader point is that you seem to be critical of comments that in essence assume that the dieter will manage to figure out the satiety piece of it on his or her own.
Oh, I don't disagree with that; I think the OP has it pretty much dialed in, especially with some of the very good feedback people have provided in this thread. However, not everyone has this figured out yet, from some of the other posts I have read on this forum about "will this work" and about various fad diets/supplements.
I don't disagree and I tend to give more specifics about what I do in answer to those kinds of posts.
To a certain extent I think anyone really trying will figure it out and those who don't--those who give up because they aren't satiated on 1200 calories of cookies or whatever (to use one version of the junk food only diets that are posited, not claiming that that's what you are saying)--probably just aren't ready.
For me, "eat whatever you want" doesn't mean mostly junk food, though--I do assume that most people aren't interested in eating mostly junk food, so it's more about being able to include some extras beyond a diet that is only so-called "good" foods.
On the whole I think most of us agree about what works and just have different assumptions that we start with in the abstract. I assume people know what a healthy diet is, so if they choose not to eat a balanced healthy diet, it's not because they don't know the benefits, but simply a choice.0 -
holly55555 wrote: »Small portions. Atkins only works if you stick with it forever. If you ever start eating carbs again, your weight will go back up. It DOES work well and quickly, but it doesn't teach you portion control or maintaining after the fact. Plus, depriving yourself of an entire food group is really difficult and a lot of people feel very sick on Atkins. It's difficult to stay with, especially for forever!
On the other hand, you can eat whatever you want, just smaller portions of it. You know what is healthy and what isn't. But if you really want that burger and fries once a week, you can budget it into your calories. You probably won't be able to eat it every day, so you'll find healthier alternatives. Calorie counting teaches you how much you should really be eating and because you're not deprived - you can eat anything, just maybe not every day or huge amounts of it - it's much easier to stick to.
Good luck!
Please explain how CICO magically stops working for anyone who adds carbs to their diet?0 -
Because the people marketing low-carb diets have told us it does.
That said, I have found that personally I do better getting most of my carbs from fruits and veggies rather than grain-based products (even whole grain ones). But that's just me. My carb macro is 50% and it hit it nearly every day.
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