Can I really Eat Whatever I WANT?

katiely95

Hey all!

This may be an extremely stupid question, but I just wanted clarification....

So, I can eat whatever I want within my calorie range (including fried food, sugary food, etc) and still lose weight?

The only reason I'm asking is because I've really hit a plateau. Over the holidays, I had one day of over indulging, without exercising, and the weight has stuck with me no matter what I do. I've even been eating under my calorie range the last few days, as well as working out but I am still not going back to the weight I was before.... But, I've been filling my calories mostly with fast-ish food, because I've been lazy.

Is this my problem?

AnvilHead

katiely95 wrote: »

This may be an extremely stupid question, but I just wanted clarification....

So, I can eat whatever I want within my calorie range (including fried food, sugary food, etc) and still lose weight?

Speaking purely in terms of weight loss, yes - calorie deficit is the only thing that matters. Google "Twinkie Diet".

When you throw overall health, body composition, athletic performance, etc. into the mix, what you eat matters more.

elphie754

Do you weigh all your food? If not, you are likely eating more than you think you are.

katiely95

If I cook my own food, I do. I don't usually weigh restaurant stuff, if I'm out. I just go by whatever the calorie amount says!

L_Master

Yes, you can eat whatever you want and lose weight. It may not be healthy but you will lose weight.

That said, it sounds like you're looking at weight loss over a couple days. Even with an aggressive deficit scale weight can take it's time to change. I've had a couple times where I have literally 'gained" weight over 4-7 day periods, each day similar to or higher than the previous one even when I was running between a 750-1000 kcal/day deficit. Then usually sometime later I would have a day or two where I dropped scale weight like mad, losing 3-4 lbs from one day to the next and holding there, confirming my deficit.

Weight loss is really a long term game. It's not inherently complicated, but if you're looking for day to day results it's going to be very frustrating. It's something that has to be thought of on a weeks/months/years time scale...and if you truly want to be successful it needs to be thought of not as "going on a diet" but really as a permanent lifestyle change to be healthier. Most people approach weight loss as a "let's diet down, get lean, diet done" type process and once they hit goal switch back to their old eating which...got them in trouble to begin with.

zoeysasha37

For weight loss, sure you could eat 1500 cals of cookies or 1500 cals of whole foods and you would still lost weight ( Google the Twinkie diet )
Obviously I wouldn't recommend it though. For overall health, I would pick a diet that is well balanced. I personally eat a wide variety of foods daily , a well balanced diet I also include treats and snacks in with my well balanced diet. Every night I eat a serving of ice cream , I've done this through my entire weight loss process and have continued through my maintenance. I've been maintaining for 2+ yrs so far and still love my ice cream every night.
Weight loss comes down to a calorie deficit, how you choose to create your deficit is your business. As Long as you eat at a deficit, you will lose weight ( just be sure to use a food scale to be as accurate as possible)

Merkavar

Sounds like your worrying about nothing. A few days of no weight loss isn't anything to be concerned about.

Calling it a plateau is a bit extreme, plateau are more 3 to 6 months of no weight loss.

But yeah weight loss is about calories so eat what you want. But high salt etc may cause water retention.

But weight loss probably shouldn't be your only goal, weight loss and health are better goals so you should get enough of each macro and vitamins and minerals.

elphie754

katiely95 wrote: »

If I cook my own food, I do. I don't usually weigh restaurant stuff, if I'm out. I just go by whatever the calorie amount says!

There is the problem right there.

MKEgal

Weight loss/gain is about calories.
Health is about where you get those calories.

To take extreme examples, go to your food diary & enter 2 oz of olive oil.
Then on the next line, enter broccoli. Play with the weight of broccoli until the calories match that of olive oil.
Could you even eat that much broccoli in a day? (Never mind what it would do to your digestive tract!)
But it's pretty easy to have the oil, and you wouldn't feel full. You'd probably still want to eat.
Neither would be healthy.
But whether you're eating oil or broccoli, as long as calories in are less than calories out, you'll lose weight.

Now, if you have a teaspoon of oil to saute several cups of a colorful mix of vegetables, add a diced chicken
breast, and maybe 1/2 cup (before cooking) of pasta, you've got a filling & nutritious meal that doesn't use your
whole day's calorie allotment.

incisron

If you're eating a deficit (I think its good to try to weigh and measure food to be sure) then it may be the sodium that's keeping the scale up. Fast and frozen foods have a ton of it.

incisron

I immediatelywent up a pound after eating a chicken biscuit and cookies weeks back. It was water weight, though.

beemerphile1

katiely95 wrote: »

...I can eat whatever I want within my calorie range (including fried food, sugary food, etc) and still lose weight?....

Yes.

Orphia

From your profile:

*Starting weight: 152 (January 1st, 2015)
*Current Weight: 125.6
*Goal Weight: 113.5

How tall are you?

katiely95

5'4.

Orphia wrote: »

From your profile:

*Starting weight: 152 (January 1st, 2015)
*Current Weight: 125.6
*Goal Weight: 113.5

How tall are you?

I'm 5'4.

I'm trying to get to a point where I am comfortable. It's still within the healthy range...

nordlead2005

At 5'4" 125lb, if you are struggling to eat at a deficit (i.e. not losing weight) and aren't happy with your current look, maybe it is time to shift priorities. Instead of focusing on weight, try lifting weights and recomping your body.

Also, as others noted, you can't look at the daily scale reading. You have to look at the overall trend. Even losing at 2lb/week I've had 14 day stretches where I go up and down over the same 0.5lb. Fluctuations in water weight are significantly larger than the 0.15lb of fat you lost over the last 24hr.

ultrahoon

katiely95 wrote: »

If I cook my own food, I do. I don't usually weigh restaurant stuff, if I'm out. I just go by whatever the calorie amount says!

Your food diary reveals this isn't quite true, there are homemade chicken breasts with no weight noted, cups of veg and other things instead of weights for them, and a few generic entries instead of specific brands. Tightening up your logging may well reveal you are eating more than you think, because you are logging very very few calories. You seem to be very concerned with eating too much (you have many 900 calorie days with quick adds that round it up to 1k), but 1k is a rather low amount of calories for someone who doesn't eat very nutritionally dense food.

It doesn't really look like your food diary is very honest and accurate, but if it is, then what you are doing is unlikely to be sustainable, and could impact your health. Nettting under 1k calories consistently per day is a not a good idea.

Of_Monsters_and_Meat

Sounds like water retention. This all has happened in the last 4? days ago. You need to look at a larger time frame, like a month.

Mischievous_Rascal

Yes, calories in vs calories out. However, fast food is usually loaded with sodium, so water retention could be a factor. Also, with your stats, I second the suggestion to look at body recomposition. This is an awesome thread:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1

LivingtheLeanDream

Of_Monsters_and_Meat wrote: »

Sounds like water retention. This all has happened in the last 4? days ago. You need to look at a larger time frame, like a month.

+1 and yes, you really can eat anything you want as long as its not TOO much! its all about CICO

Sabine_Stroehm

nordlead2005 wrote: »

At 5'4" 125lb, if you are struggling to eat at a deficit (i.e. not losing weight) and aren't happy with your current look, maybe it is time to shift priorities. Instead of focusing on weight, try lifting weights and recomping your body.

Also, as others noted, you can't look at the daily scale reading. You have to look at the overall trend. Even losing at 2lb/week I've had 14 day stretches where I go up and down over the same 0.5lb. Fluctuations in water weight are significantly larger than the 0.15lb of fat you lost over the last 24hr.

This. You are at a healthy weight. Perhaps shift focus. You can make yourself nuts trying to get to an arbitrary LOW number on a scale. Focus on being healthy and fit.

ETA: if your diary (minus christmas) is typical for you, you're going to find it tough to get and stay at a weight you want AND looking and feeling the way you want.

Espressocycle

Yes and no. You will lose weight eating junk within your deficit, but it's a lot harder. Junk food is more calorie-dense, so it's easier to overindulge. It also doesn't fill you up as well as vegetables, lean meats and whole grains. That said, no having rules makes the deficit a lot easier to stick to.

RGv2

nordlead2005 wrote: »

At 5'4" 125lb, if you are struggling to eat at a deficit (i.e. not losing weight) and aren't happy with your current look, maybe it is time to shift priorities. Instead of focusing on weight, try lifting weights and recomping your body.

Also, as others noted, you can't look at the daily scale reading. You have to look at the overall trend. Even losing at 2lb/week I've had 14 day stretches where I go up and down over the same 0.5lb. Fluctuations in water weight are significantly larger than the 0.15lb of fat you lost over the last 24hr.

Cosign

rileysowner

Just a note, water weight can hang around for a week or more. Give things time. If you put it on in the last two weeks, it will likely come off once you get into the new year and things settle down to normal.

earlnabby

If you are suddenly eating out, especially fast food, more than normal, the chances of you getting more than your usual sodium and ending up with excess water weight are high. I wouldn't be too concerned, just try to get back into eating more foods that you have prepared yourself.

ETA: to answer the original question. Yes, you can lose weight eating whatever you want. You just cannot eat however much of it you want.

riffraff2112

It is not a stupid question, and a pretty common misconception that you need to eat certain foods to lose weight. As others have stated, while there are benefits to watching macros, and overall health requires a balanced diet..weight-loss is really all about a calorie deficit. There are many ways to accomplish that, but eating less is almost always a major part of the puzzle.
A plateau usually implies a lengthier period of time. I wouldn't give it a second thought. The weight will come off. Holidays are tough, lots of snacks and big meals can cause problems for everyone. However one bad day alone will not make you gain a pound.

PeachyCarol

nordlead2005 wrote: »

At 5'4" 125lb, if you are struggling to eat at a deficit (i.e. not losing weight) and aren't happy with your current look, maybe it is time to shift priorities. Instead of focusing on weight, try lifting weights and recomping your body.

Also, as others noted, you can't look at the daily scale reading. You have to look at the overall trend. Even losing at 2lb/week I've had 14 day stretches where I go up and down over the same 0.5lb. Fluctuations in water weight are significantly larger than the 0.15lb of fat you lost over the last 24hr.

+2

Lifting will make your body smaller at a higher weight.

I've been the weight I am before, when I was young and single.

My body was not this small, and I've had 2 children since then.

toe1226

While you can eat whatever you want and the number on the scale will go down, I find that the image in the mirror is affected by the type of food you put in your body. I like the look of my body better when I'm eating high protein, and lots of vegetables. Lots of sugars and sodiums leave me looking "soft" regardless of how low the number on the scale goes.

WinoGelato

nordlead2005 wrote: »

At 5'4" 125lb, if you are struggling to eat at a deficit (i.e. not losing weight) and aren't happy with your current look, maybe it is time to shift priorities. Instead of focusing on weight, try lifting weights and recomping your body.

Also, as others noted, you can't look at the daily scale reading. You have to look at the overall trend. Even losing at 2lb/week I've had 14 day stretches where I go up and down over the same 0.5lb. Fluctuations in water weight are significantly larger than the 0.15lb of fat you lost over the last 24hr.

This. OP you are already at a healthy weight for your height and looking at your diary for the past several days, it looks like you are only eating one meal, usually restaurant food, and not even 1200 calories a lot of those days? I agree with others that it is likely sodium retention from the fast food - but seriously, is that all you are eating? 1 meal a day? That doesn't seem very healthy or satisfying.

I think as others have said, focusing on strength training would be good for you and your body image, however, I also think you need to focus on eating more nutrient dense foods. Yes you can lose weight eating whatever you want, however, most people who advocate this approach eat a primarily nutrient dense diet with the occasional treat or fast food meal.

whaddupw8loss

Anything that has a calorie deficit will presumably result in weight loss. However, it has been proven that if you eat healthy vs unhealthy, consuming the same amount of calories in each diet, you will lose more from eating healthy. BUT, each will result in weight loss.

ultrahoon

whaddupw8loss wrote: »

Anything that has a calorie deficit will presumably result in weight loss. However, it has been proven that if you eat healthy vs unhealthy, consuming the same amount of calories in each diet, you will lose more from eating healthy. BUT, each will result in weight loss.

This has not been proven at all.

Unless you're talking about going low carb and dropping water weight. Calories for sustained weight loss, nutrition for health.

leanne0627

has anyone seen that Harvard study that showed more fat loss for those eating healtheir and less carbs then just calorie restriction. I know I've seen it but cant seem to find it now. No idea hoe accurate but if i recal the study correctly the Harvard scientists seemed to think that food quality did matter a bit.