Eat whatever you want and still lose weight?

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Replies

  • slm7886
    slm7886 Posts: 7 Member
    Came across this thread and I am so happy people share my same love for food !! At the end of the day "diets" don't work. When I am told what to eat and when to eat and how many times per day I always end up crashing and burning. I do not like feeling deprived what so ever!

    Look at effing Mediterranean women! They eat bread and drink wine on the daily and are thin! They know the key to life which is balance:)
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
    I eat what I like :). I'm not too far off my goal now, and I still eat cake and chocolate :)
  • JagZag
    JagZag Posts: 174 Member
    Hi fellow food lovers! So glad I found this thread. I haven't posted anywhere else because I don't feel like arguing with people that don't even know me, or how my body reacts to food. I'm like a lot of peeps here, I eat mostly healthy home cooked meals because I have to cook for my husband, as well as myself. If I want to have something not so healthy then I'll have it and fit it in. Being 5'2" and 65 yr. old my calories allowed are precious to me. Even though my exercise routine usually gives me @ 400 extra calories a day, I hardly ever use more than a 100 or so. But, they are there if I need them. It is refreshing to find a thread that is positive and to know that there is no "right" way to lose weight, just what is right for you. :)
  • StrongAndHealthyMommy
    StrongAndHealthyMommy Posts: 1,255 Member
    I eat whatever I want all the time. Gained 84lbs with pregnancy. Baby is 11 months and I have lost 62lbs. Luckly I don't like junk food. (I loved it when I was pregnant)
  • JAMsMom13
    JAMsMom13 Posts: 20 Member
    JagZag wrote: »
    Hi fellow food lovers! So glad I found this thread. I haven't posted anywhere else because I don't feel like arguing with people that don't even know me, or how my body reacts to food. I'm like a lot of peeps here, I eat mostly healthy home cooked meals because I have to cook for my husband, as well as myself. If I want to have something not so healthy then I'll have it and fit it in. Being 5'2" and 65 yr. old my calories allowed are precious to me. Even though my exercise routine usually gives me @ 400 extra calories a day, I hardly ever use more than a 100 or so. But, they are there if I need them. It is refreshing to find a thread that is positive and to know that there is no "right" way to lose weight, just what is right for you. :)

    This is truly what I wanted when I started this thread. See, inspiration is really the point. There is no right or wrong way to do this. We just need to do it and stick to it! I feel like losing weight and getting healthy would be much easier for people if the idea of it was more positive. I say, do what works for you and encourage others to do the same. But most importantly enjoy your new eating habits because you have to do this for the rest of your life! Feel free to ADD ME!
  • jaga13
    jaga13 Posts: 1,149 Member
    Kruggeri wrote: »
    Caitwn wrote: »
    So ironically, my 'eat what I want' decision has ended up establishing far healthier eating habits than the supposedly 'healthy' diets I tried to force on myself previously. Go figure ;)

    Same for me. I used to rarely have a salad, or any vegetables, really, on a regular basis. Now I have them because COOKIE LATER!!! :D

    This is an excellent point and I think one of the key things that people fail to understand about those who practice moderation. A lot of people hear the phrase, "there's nothing wrong with eating XYZ food, in moderation" and turn that into the strawman argument, "Sure, you can eat nothing but (insert unclean food of choice: twinkies, oreos, doritos, McDonalds) and lose weight but you won't be healthy".

    I eat more vegetables, more whole grains, more "clean" foods in general now than I ever did before. I also spend a lot of time thinking about food, planning my meals, figuring out how I'm going to fit in the "treats" I want. If I have a day filled with nutrient dense foods, and am under my calorie goal, does my one serving of gelato at the end of the day suddenly render me unhealthy? Even if I get some of my other nutrient dense foods from processed food, does that make me unhealthy? If I have greek yogurt and a Kashi bar for breakfast (like I did today), a burrito bowl from Chipotle or Qdoba for lunch, and then grilled chicken, veggies, and rice for dinner, ending with wine and gelato - is that an unhealthy day? That seems pretty healthy to me, but for some reason if people say they don't eat clean, because they don't demonize food, then everyone assumes I'm sitting around eating nothing but Oreos all day long.

    I agree. It's too bad this seems to be a polarizing topic in the forums. I don't think it's so black and white. Most people who "eat whatever they want" seem to do the same (I think), but they aren't very vocal about the nutritious parts. It's hard to take someone seriously when they talk about all the junk they eat and don't talk about all the other, nutritious, food they eat to balance it. I wish more people were honest and talked more about BOTH types of foods.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    jaga13 wrote: »
    Kruggeri wrote: »
    Caitwn wrote: »
    So ironically, my 'eat what I want' decision has ended up establishing far healthier eating habits than the supposedly 'healthy' diets I tried to force on myself previously. Go figure ;)

    Same for me. I used to rarely have a salad, or any vegetables, really, on a regular basis. Now I have them because COOKIE LATER!!! :D

    This is an excellent point and I think one of the key things that people fail to understand about those who practice moderation. A lot of people hear the phrase, "there's nothing wrong with eating XYZ food, in moderation" and turn that into the strawman argument, "Sure, you can eat nothing but (insert unclean food of choice: twinkies, oreos, doritos, McDonalds) and lose weight but you won't be healthy".

    I eat more vegetables, more whole grains, more "clean" foods in general now than I ever did before. I also spend a lot of time thinking about food, planning my meals, figuring out how I'm going to fit in the "treats" I want. If I have a day filled with nutrient dense foods, and am under my calorie goal, does my one serving of gelato at the end of the day suddenly render me unhealthy? Even if I get some of my other nutrient dense foods from processed food, does that make me unhealthy? If I have greek yogurt and a Kashi bar for breakfast (like I did today), a burrito bowl from Chipotle or Qdoba for lunch, and then grilled chicken, veggies, and rice for dinner, ending with wine and gelato - is that an unhealthy day? That seems pretty healthy to me, but for some reason if people say they don't eat clean, because they don't demonize food, then everyone assumes I'm sitting around eating nothing but Oreos all day long.

    I agree. It's too bad this seems to be a polarizing topic in the forums. I don't think it's so black and white. Most people who "eat whatever they want" seem to do the same (I think), but they aren't very vocal about the nutritious parts. It's hard to take someone seriously when they talk about all the junk they eat and don't talk about all the other, nutritious, food they eat to balance it. I wish more people were honest and talked more about BOTH types of foods.

    Yeah, I guess. I think because I know many of those people, and know that when they say, "If It Fits Your Macros" they truly mean, if it fits their macros they will eat it, and if not, they won't. It is possible to hit your macros on nothing but McDonalds, but I don't know anyone who does that in actuality. The majority of the people saying, "I fit the junk food in" mean, they fit it in AFTER they have eaten nutrient dense foods to help them meet their macro and micro nutritional profile.

    I agree, and have mentioned that a couple of times in those polarizing threads, that I think for the most part, people in both camps eat relatively similarly. You have clean eaters who say, "I eat 80% clean and 20% treats" and you have IIFYM folks who say, "I fit it in after I hit my macros". A blind comparison of diaries of eaters in both camps would probably be difficult to label as one or the other. There are a few extreme examples though, in both camps, and those are the ones that drive me crazy...

    What I don't like is this theory that if you are eating anything processed, you are automatically "unhealthy". That's my biggest pet peeve. Everything is processed in some way or another.

  • jaga13
    jaga13 Posts: 1,149 Member
    Kruggeri wrote: »
    jaga13 wrote: »
    Kruggeri wrote: »
    Caitwn wrote: »
    So ironically, my 'eat what I want' decision has ended up establishing far healthier eating habits than the supposedly 'healthy' diets I tried to force on myself previously. Go figure ;)

    Same for me. I used to rarely have a salad, or any vegetables, really, on a regular basis. Now I have them because COOKIE LATER!!! :D

    This is an excellent point and I think one of the key things that people fail to understand about those who practice moderation. A lot of people hear the phrase, "there's nothing wrong with eating XYZ food, in moderation" and turn that into the strawman argument, "Sure, you can eat nothing but (insert unclean food of choice: twinkies, oreos, doritos, McDonalds) and lose weight but you won't be healthy".

    I eat more vegetables, more whole grains, more "clean" foods in general now than I ever did before. I also spend a lot of time thinking about food, planning my meals, figuring out how I'm going to fit in the "treats" I want. If I have a day filled with nutrient dense foods, and am under my calorie goal, does my one serving of gelato at the end of the day suddenly render me unhealthy? Even if I get some of my other nutrient dense foods from processed food, does that make me unhealthy? If I have greek yogurt and a Kashi bar for breakfast (like I did today), a burrito bowl from Chipotle or Qdoba for lunch, and then grilled chicken, veggies, and rice for dinner, ending with wine and gelato - is that an unhealthy day? That seems pretty healthy to me, but for some reason if people say they don't eat clean, because they don't demonize food, then everyone assumes I'm sitting around eating nothing but Oreos all day long.

    I agree. It's too bad this seems to be a polarizing topic in the forums. I don't think it's so black and white. Most people who "eat whatever they want" seem to do the same (I think), but they aren't very vocal about the nutritious parts. It's hard to take someone seriously when they talk about all the junk they eat and don't talk about all the other, nutritious, food they eat to balance it. I wish more people were honest and talked more about BOTH types of foods.

    Yeah, I guess. I think because I know many of those people, and know that when they say, "If It Fits Your Macros" they truly mean, if it fits their macros they will eat it, and if not, they won't. It is possible to hit your macros on nothing but McDonalds, but I don't know anyone who does that in actuality. The majority of the people saying, "I fit the junk food in" mean, they fit it in AFTER they have eaten nutrient dense foods to help them meet their macro and micro nutritional profile.

    I agree, and have mentioned that a couple of times in those polarizing threads, that I think for the most part, people in both camps eat relatively similarly. You have clean eaters who say, "I eat 80% clean and 20% treats" and you have IIFYM folks who say, "I fit it in after I hit my macros". A blind comparison of diaries of eaters in both camps would probably be difficult to label as one or the other. There are a few extreme examples though, in both camps, and those are the ones that drive me crazy...

    What I don't like is this theory that if you are eating anything processed, you are automatically "unhealthy". That's my biggest pet peeve. Everything is processed in some way or another.

    Yep, scrambled eggs are technically processed (by heat). I agree there are some people who are nutty about the processed stuff. But the majority on MFP seem to follow the moderation/IIFYM mentality.

    What I see here are threads (kind of like this one), that lead with the "whatever I want" but don't disclose the rest. It's kind of misleading and tempting to start an argument. If people want to create these threads, why not automatically disclose the rest of the balance of nutrients? I think that would shut down any opponents pretty quickly. The constant posting of "mmm, pizza!" makes it look that's ALL some people eat (I mean, I WISH!).
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    jaga13 wrote: »
    Kruggeri wrote: »
    jaga13 wrote: »
    Kruggeri wrote: »
    Caitwn wrote: »
    So ironically, my 'eat what I want' decision has ended up establishing far healthier eating habits than the supposedly 'healthy' diets I tried to force on myself previously. Go figure ;)

    Same for me. I used to rarely have a salad, or any vegetables, really, on a regular basis. Now I have them because COOKIE LATER!!! :D

    This is an excellent point and I think one of the key things that people fail to understand about those who practice moderation. A lot of people hear the phrase, "there's nothing wrong with eating XYZ food, in moderation" and turn that into the strawman argument, "Sure, you can eat nothing but (insert unclean food of choice: twinkies, oreos, doritos, McDonalds) and lose weight but you won't be healthy".

    I eat more vegetables, more whole grains, more "clean" foods in general now than I ever did before. I also spend a lot of time thinking about food, planning my meals, figuring out how I'm going to fit in the "treats" I want. If I have a day filled with nutrient dense foods, and am under my calorie goal, does my one serving of gelato at the end of the day suddenly render me unhealthy? Even if I get some of my other nutrient dense foods from processed food, does that make me unhealthy? If I have greek yogurt and a Kashi bar for breakfast (like I did today), a burrito bowl from Chipotle or Qdoba for lunch, and then grilled chicken, veggies, and rice for dinner, ending with wine and gelato - is that an unhealthy day? That seems pretty healthy to me, but for some reason if people say they don't eat clean, because they don't demonize food, then everyone assumes I'm sitting around eating nothing but Oreos all day long.

    I agree. It's too bad this seems to be a polarizing topic in the forums. I don't think it's so black and white. Most people who "eat whatever they want" seem to do the same (I think), but they aren't very vocal about the nutritious parts. It's hard to take someone seriously when they talk about all the junk they eat and don't talk about all the other, nutritious, food they eat to balance it. I wish more people were honest and talked more about BOTH types of foods.

    Yeah, I guess. I think because I know many of those people, and know that when they say, "If It Fits Your Macros" they truly mean, if it fits their macros they will eat it, and if not, they won't. It is possible to hit your macros on nothing but McDonalds, but I don't know anyone who does that in actuality. The majority of the people saying, "I fit the junk food in" mean, they fit it in AFTER they have eaten nutrient dense foods to help them meet their macro and micro nutritional profile.

    I agree, and have mentioned that a couple of times in those polarizing threads, that I think for the most part, people in both camps eat relatively similarly. You have clean eaters who say, "I eat 80% clean and 20% treats" and you have IIFYM folks who say, "I fit it in after I hit my macros". A blind comparison of diaries of eaters in both camps would probably be difficult to label as one or the other. There are a few extreme examples though, in both camps, and those are the ones that drive me crazy...

    What I don't like is this theory that if you are eating anything processed, you are automatically "unhealthy". That's my biggest pet peeve. Everything is processed in some way or another.

    Yep, scrambled eggs are technically processed (by heat). I agree there are some people who are nutty about the processed stuff. But the majority on MFP seem to follow the moderation/IIFYM mentality.

    What I see here are threads (kind of like this one), that lead with the "whatever I want" but don't disclose the rest. It's kind of misleading and tempting to start an argument. If people want to create these threads, why not automatically disclose the rest of the balance of nutrients? I think that would shut down any opponents pretty quickly. The constant posting of "mmm, pizza!" makes it look that's ALL some people eat (I mean, I WISH!).

    I think the majority of the MFP veterans are IIFYM folks. There are quite a few clean eating zealots, at least it seems that way lately as well. It seems like a lot of the newer members are the ones though, posting about wanting to try out clean eating, because they saw it on Pinterest or Facebook, or because someone they know told them they can eat whatever they want as long as its clean and not have to count calories. Those are the kind of posts that then seem to bring out the fighting, and ultimately the extremists on both sides.

    I think this thread itself is sort of an anomaly, it is far more common to see someone say, "I'm going to start eating clean" and then people chime in with "what does that mean" or "yeah me too, I wash all my fruits and vegetables". Clean eating is such a vague and arbitrary term, just as saying, "I eat whatever I want" means something different to everyone.

    TL/DR - I agree with you - just a few more specifics all around would probably be helpful for people to know whether or not an argument is necessary!

  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
    I eat whatever I feel like eating. Fortunately for me I have a very active life so I can occasionally have things like... THE ENTIRE PIZZA....I eat dairy, gluten. sugar, meat and junk food...( I also eat fruit and veggies and healthy things) And I eat late night snacks and take advantage of exercise calories. I am down 15 pounds in 75 days. That's a .2 pound a day loss.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,644 Member
    jaga13 wrote: »
    Kruggeri wrote: »
    jaga13 wrote: »
    Kruggeri wrote: »
    Caitwn wrote: »
    So ironically, my 'eat what I want' decision has ended up establishing far healthier eating habits than the supposedly 'healthy' diets I tried to force on myself previously. Go figure ;)

    Same for me. I used to rarely have a salad, or any vegetables, really, on a regular basis. Now I have them because COOKIE LATER!!! :D

    This is an excellent point and I think one of the key things that people fail to understand about those who practice moderation. A lot of people hear the phrase, "there's nothing wrong with eating XYZ food, in moderation" and turn that into the strawman argument, "Sure, you can eat nothing but (insert unclean food of choice: twinkies, oreos, doritos, McDonalds) and lose weight but you won't be healthy".

    I eat more vegetables, more whole grains, more "clean" foods in general now than I ever did before. I also spend a lot of time thinking about food, planning my meals, figuring out how I'm going to fit in the "treats" I want. If I have a day filled with nutrient dense foods, and am under my calorie goal, does my one serving of gelato at the end of the day suddenly render me unhealthy? Even if I get some of my other nutrient dense foods from processed food, does that make me unhealthy? If I have greek yogurt and a Kashi bar for breakfast (like I did today), a burrito bowl from Chipotle or Qdoba for lunch, and then grilled chicken, veggies, and rice for dinner, ending with wine and gelato - is that an unhealthy day? That seems pretty healthy to me, but for some reason if people say they don't eat clean, because they don't demonize food, then everyone assumes I'm sitting around eating nothing but Oreos all day long.

    I agree. It's too bad this seems to be a polarizing topic in the forums. I don't think it's so black and white. Most people who "eat whatever they want" seem to do the same (I think), but they aren't very vocal about the nutritious parts. It's hard to take someone seriously when they talk about all the junk they eat and don't talk about all the other, nutritious, food they eat to balance it. I wish more people were honest and talked more about BOTH types of foods.

    Yeah, I guess. I think because I know many of those people, and know that when they say, "If It Fits Your Macros" they truly mean, if it fits their macros they will eat it, and if not, they won't. It is possible to hit your macros on nothing but McDonalds, but I don't know anyone who does that in actuality. The majority of the people saying, "I fit the junk food in" mean, they fit it in AFTER they have eaten nutrient dense foods to help them meet their macro and micro nutritional profile.

    I agree, and have mentioned that a couple of times in those polarizing threads, that I think for the most part, people in both camps eat relatively similarly. You have clean eaters who say, "I eat 80% clean and 20% treats" and you have IIFYM folks who say, "I fit it in after I hit my macros". A blind comparison of diaries of eaters in both camps would probably be difficult to label as one or the other. There are a few extreme examples though, in both camps, and those are the ones that drive me crazy...

    What I don't like is this theory that if you are eating anything processed, you are automatically "unhealthy". That's my biggest pet peeve. Everything is processed in some way or another.

    Yep, scrambled eggs are technically processed (by heat). I agree there are some people who are nutty about the processed stuff. But the majority on MFP seem to follow the moderation/IIFYM mentality.

    What I see here are threads (kind of like this one), that lead with the "whatever I want" but don't disclose the rest. It's kind of misleading and tempting to start an argument. If people want to create these threads, why not automatically disclose the rest of the balance of nutrients? I think that would shut down any opponents pretty quickly. The constant posting of "mmm, pizza!" makes it look that's ALL some people eat (I mean, I WISH!).

    There's no reason someone couldn't eat only pizza, McDonald's, or whatever and still lose weight. That's the point of the thread (OP can correct me if I'm wrong). It's a shout-out to people who don't care to be told what or how to eat. It's about making the lifestyle change as easy and sustainable as possible while you work out the kinks. Nothing more, nothing less. Their overall health is another thing which can be sorted out at the doctor's office when their bloodwork comes in, but even then, a lot of the time, just losing the weight will improve those metrics.
  • erebass
    erebass Posts: 8 Member
    I've lost 31 lbs so far by eating what I like. Real food in moderation. I do try and choose wiser. A lot less eating out and really watching my portions. I am listening more to my body now and I stop eating when I sense I'm full. It works for me and I don't feel like I'm starving or that any food is off limits.
  • reneerrt
    reneerrt Posts: 5 Member
    Amen. I would starve to death most days at 1200 calories. Mine is set at 1400 but i still go over alot of days. I do try to exercise 3-5 days per week i work nights so me sleep and eating schedule looks crazy some days. Its nice to hear success from peoplewho dont live so strict. Thanks for the post!
    allyphoe wrote: »
    I eat what I want, too. :)

    If you normally net over 1,200 calories a day, feel free to add me. I find it really hard to be supportive of people with really low intake. I normally average about 1,900, with a wide range day-to-day.
    allyphoe wrote: »
    I eat what I want, too. :)

    If you normally net over 1,200 calories a day, feel free to add me. I find it really hard to be supportive of people with really low intake. I normally average about 1,900, with a wide range day-to-day.

  • MamaBirdBoss
    MamaBirdBoss Posts: 1,516 Member
    I'm averaging 1200-1300 right now, so I'm not eating a lot of junk because it doesn't fit.

    But there's nothing sadder in the world that a salad with no dressing. LOL.

    For my breakfast today, I had 1/2c oatmeal with .5oz raisins (and plenty of salt) and a salad of 1.5oz spinach, 1 Tbsp light dressing, and 6 oz mushrooms cooked in 1 oz burgundy wine.

    Healthy? Yup. But diets with cookies are also healthy! Clean? Ahahahhahaha.

    I'm at 317 cal, and I'm STUFFED.
  • MamaBirdBoss
    MamaBirdBoss Posts: 1,516 Member
    For those who are still hungry on higher calorie budgets, may I gently suggest spending your budget a bit more thriftily? Some have open food diaries...and yeah, I'd be freaking STARVING on what they're eating!

    Look for things you like that have a lot of bulk. And if you can't find anything, well, experiment. Maybe having bad habits your whole life, you never developed a taste for bulky/low calorie things.

    If you want tasty, look at ethnic cuisine--MADE AT HOME, lol, without a ton of grease. There are basically three ways of making things super-tasty: fat, sugars, and herbs/spices. Because Europe was historically the richest part of the world for the average peasant, we have lots of cuisines that depend a ton on fats for flavors, plus we have a 300-year-old sugar tooth! There's nothing in the world wrong with eating high-fat and high-sugar foods, but they ARE going to be more calorically dense, and the fillingness of fat only works to a point, after which it's just really dense calories.

    If you go for spices and herbs for flavors, you can still have the same hedonia (using the non-judgmental meaning of the word) and have much less density so that you CAN eat more.

    Some of your seem to be springing for the one $100 shirt every time. But you're nekkid. :) Try saving up for the $100 shirt over time but mostly spend your budget on the $20 shirts.
  • lucyholdcroft363
    lucyholdcroft363 Posts: 124 Member
    YES 100%. I do try to keep my protein intake up but otherwise, who doesn't love a treat?!
  • missh1967
    missh1967 Posts: 661 Member
    jaga13 wrote: »
    I eat what I want in moderation. But for ME moderation might mean that I can "spend" 200 calories on delicious junk food (or whatever I am craving). Or it might mean I occasionally eat a piece of cake and call it dinner. Not every meal is everything I want in life. There just isn't enough room in my caloric budget, and that's the truth. I see some saying they disapprove of a "low calorie" diet, but at 4'11, MFP only gives me 1210 for a mere .5 lb loss. I exercise my way up to around 1400 most days, but that's still not a lot to work with. So I ultimately chose to eat more volume, satiating food, and much less of the calorie dense food. But believe me, if I was taller and had a lot more calories to spare, I would be enjoying junk much more often!

    x2 for me. 5'1", already down 62 pounds. Not a lot of wiggle room. If I had my druthers, I'd eat pizza and ice cream every day. Not even joking.
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    If you eat whatever you want and you don't eat in quantities that result in a deficit, it doesn't matter. You won't lose weight.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    edited June 2015
    jaga13 wrote: »
    Kruggeri wrote: »
    Caitwn wrote: »
    So ironically, my 'eat what I want' decision has ended up establishing far healthier eating habits than the supposedly 'healthy' diets I tried to force on myself previously. Go figure ;)

    Same for me. I used to rarely have a salad, or any vegetables, really, on a regular basis. Now I have them because COOKIE LATER!!! :D

    This is an excellent point and I think one of the key things that people fail to understand about those who practice moderation. A lot of people hear the phrase, "there's nothing wrong with eating XYZ food, in moderation" and turn that into the strawman argument, "Sure, you can eat nothing but (insert unclean food of choice: twinkies, oreos, doritos, McDonalds) and lose weight but you won't be healthy".

    I eat more vegetables, more whole grains, more "clean" foods in general now than I ever did before. I also spend a lot of time thinking about food, planning my meals, figuring out how I'm going to fit in the "treats" I want. If I have a day filled with nutrient dense foods, and am under my calorie goal, does my one serving of gelato at the end of the day suddenly render me unhealthy? Even if I get some of my other nutrient dense foods from processed food, does that make me unhealthy? If I have greek yogurt and a Kashi bar for breakfast (like I did today), a burrito bowl from Chipotle or Qdoba for lunch, and then grilled chicken, veggies, and rice for dinner, ending with wine and gelato - is that an unhealthy day? That seems pretty healthy to me, but for some reason if people say they don't eat clean, because they don't demonize food, then everyone assumes I'm sitting around eating nothing but Oreos all day long.

    I agree. It's too bad this seems to be a polarizing topic in the forums. I don't think it's so black and white. Most people who "eat whatever they want" seem to do the same (I think), but they aren't very vocal about the nutritious parts. It's hard to take someone seriously when they talk about all the junk they eat and don't talk about all the other, nutritious, food they eat to balance it. I wish more people were honest and talked more about BOTH types of foods.

    Sorry jaga, if you follow the iifym discussions you'll see that a large part of the veterans discuss an 80/20 split of focus on calorie sources or something similar - 80% nutrient rich, macro meeting diet and 20% whatever. We are pretty vocal about eating well - a lot of locally sourced fresh produce, and low on the convenience scale ... The dichotomy you see is also due to the questions asked and a response to the demonization of food. But you'll see the balance you seek if you look at the macro setting discussions, iifym, the post your meal thread, etc...
    Personally, I try to see my shopping cart with 50% vegetables and fruit and < 10% boxed goods when I'm in general maintenance or in a regular cut. (Currently I'm all protein and frozen veg but that's another story)
  • acoleman17
    acoleman17 Posts: 2 Member
    JAMsMom13 wrote: »
    So, I find that the only time I don't lose weight is when I don't eat what I want. I am a firm believer in eating what ever the heck I want just in moderation! I'm down almost 20lbs so I must be doing something right! I am looking for friends who share this belief because it seems like everyone is on this no sugar, no salt, no fun lifestyle. I can't live like that... I won't. So, if you are in the same boat and have been successful or even if you are just starting out, please add me!

    Added you. I agree, the restrictions don't help me and I end up quitting prematurely anyway. No sugar, fat, carbs, etc. diets may work for some but I hate the counting. I think eating whatever you want (in moderation/small portions) is more realistic. We can't always control what's being served, but we can control how much we consume. Just my 2 cents...
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    JAMsMom13 wrote: »
    because it seems like everyone is on this no sugar, no salt, no fun lifestyle. I can't live like that...


    I actually think the majority are on calorie controlled diets where they eat in moderation amd its more the norm despite your impression. People should relax more.
  • ScubaSteve1962
    ScubaSteve1962 Posts: 609 Member
    edited June 2015
    JAMsMom13 wrote: »
    So, I find that the only time I don't lose weight is when I don't eat what I want. I am a firm believer in eating what ever the heck I want just in moderation! I'm down almost 20lbs so I must be doing something right! I am looking for friends who share this belief because it seems like everyone is on this no sugar, no salt, no fun lifestyle. I can't live like that... I won't. So, if you are in the same boat and have been successful or even if you are just starting out, please add me!

    I eat whatever I want, but I also do vigorous cardio 4 to 5 days a week, and walk 1 day. I'm always under my calorie limit according to MFP I use a heart rate monitor to track my calories and let MFP do the negative adjustments. I'm down from 223 to 188. all I want to do is maintain. Never been a heavy eater so moderation isn't a problem.

  • JAMsMom13
    JAMsMom13 Posts: 20 Member
    Yep, my point is simply this.... Food does not equal obesity. Excess of food equals obesity. I think that if we focus more on learning how to eat in moderation as opposed to completely cutting food outs, a lot of us would be more successful in our journey. The only truth we know about weight loss is "eat at a deficit, and you will lose weight, GUARANTEED." All I'm saying is let's start spreading more of that and less of "sugar and salt is the devil". That is a lie.


  • nichole8605
    nichole8605 Posts: 19 Member
    Firm believer right here! I eat what I want just in smaller portions. I just started tuesday and have lost 4 pounds already! Water and walking is the key. I grew up with a 5'3 120 pound mom who was a health nut. I'm 5'8 and 212 pounds. It's not easy to go out in public with a mom everyone thinks is your sister. So I've started taking mom's advice and drink a gallon of water a day and power walk a mile every night. I feel better already! I have energy and sleep better. Can't wait to see the end results in myself. I'm determined to have 55 pounds gone by xmas.
  • JAMsMom13
    JAMsMom13 Posts: 20 Member
    Firm believer right here! I eat what I want just in smaller portions. I just started tuesday and have lost 4 pounds already! Water and walking is the key. I grew up with a 5'3 120 pound mom who was a health nut. I'm 5'8 and 212 pounds. It's not easy to go out in public with a mom everyone thinks is your sister. So I've started taking mom's advice and drink a gallon of water a day and power walk a mile every night. I feel better already! I have energy and sleep better. Can't wait to see the end results in myself. I'm determined to have 55 pounds gone by xmas.

    You can do it! ADD ME
  • jaga13
    jaga13 Posts: 1,149 Member
    jaga13 wrote: »
    Kruggeri wrote: »
    Caitwn wrote: »
    So ironically, my 'eat what I want' decision has ended up establishing far healthier eating habits than the supposedly 'healthy' diets I tried to force on myself previously. Go figure ;)

    Same for me. I used to rarely have a salad, or any vegetables, really, on a regular basis. Now I have them because COOKIE LATER!!! :D

    This is an excellent point and I think one of the key things that people fail to understand about those who practice moderation. A lot of people hear the phrase, "there's nothing wrong with eating XYZ food, in moderation" and turn that into the strawman argument, "Sure, you can eat nothing but (insert unclean food of choice: twinkies, oreos, doritos, McDonalds) and lose weight but you won't be healthy".

    I eat more vegetables, more whole grains, more "clean" foods in general now than I ever did before. I also spend a lot of time thinking about food, planning my meals, figuring out how I'm going to fit in the "treats" I want. If I have a day filled with nutrient dense foods, and am under my calorie goal, does my one serving of gelato at the end of the day suddenly render me unhealthy? Even if I get some of my other nutrient dense foods from processed food, does that make me unhealthy? If I have greek yogurt and a Kashi bar for breakfast (like I did today), a burrito bowl from Chipotle or Qdoba for lunch, and then grilled chicken, veggies, and rice for dinner, ending with wine and gelato - is that an unhealthy day? That seems pretty healthy to me, but for some reason if people say they don't eat clean, because they don't demonize food, then everyone assumes I'm sitting around eating nothing but Oreos all day long.

    I agree. It's too bad this seems to be a polarizing topic in the forums. I don't think it's so black and white. Most people who "eat whatever they want" seem to do the same (I think), but they aren't very vocal about the nutritious parts. It's hard to take someone seriously when they talk about all the junk they eat and don't talk about all the other, nutritious, food they eat to balance it. I wish more people were honest and talked more about BOTH types of foods.

    Sorry jaga, if you follow the iifym discussions you'll see that a large part of the veterans discuss an 80/20 split of focus on calorie sources or something similar - 80% nutrient rich, macro meeting diet and 20% whatever. We are pretty vocal about eating well - a lot of locally sourced fresh produce, and low on the convenience scale ... The dichotomy you see is also due to the questions asked and a response to the demonization of food. But you'll see the balance you seek if you look at the macro setting discussions, iifym, the post your meal thread, etc...
    Personally, I try to see my shopping cart with 50% vegetables and fruit and < 10% boxed goods when I'm in general maintenance or in a regular cut. (Currently I'm all protein and frozen veg but that's another story)

    What are you "sorry" about? (I assume you're not actually airy about anything? So huh?). Eh I think too many people are concerned about this "demonization". I agree that no food group is evil. But I see very little common sense from those who start and those who argue. Lead with the 80/20 and you're more likely to find common ground. But any way I've figured it out. You've figured it out. We're the lucky ones.

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