Calories in Calories out

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Gosh!! I do not want to sound stupid. But really I'm looking for some sound advice. I have read countless diet books. Tons of them. And they all spell out sort of the same thing depending on the style of eating. Low carb, high carb, vegan, Keto ect... And I have done them all!!! Like a lot of us and in really tierd of the plans. First time to calorie counting... And I'm wondering and sort of excited to the thought of being able to eat what I would like within my caloric allowance because I see people here talking about that . I have literally been eating chicken, egg and veg for a good amount of time. I've stalled in my weight loss and I'm stressed!! So... Is it actually feasible to lose weight for example eating carbs like fruit... Salsa and chips and such within calorie range???

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  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    Gosh!! I do not want to sound stupid. But really I'm looking for some sound advice. I have read countless diet books. Tons of them. And they all spell out sort of the same thing depending on the style of eating. Low carb, high carb, vegan, Keto ect... And I have done them all!!! Like a lot of us and in really tierd of the plans. First time to calorie counting... And I'm wondering and sort of excited to the thought of being able to eat what I would like within my caloric allowance because I see people here talking about that . I have literally been eating chicken, egg and veg for a good amount of time. I've stalled in my weight loss and I'm stressed!! So... Is it actually feasible to lose weight for example eating carbs like fruit... Salsa and chips and such within calorie range???

    Yes. Actually CICO is the premise of all those books you've read, but it doesn't have the catchy marketing swagger of those other diets.

    What many of us do is set an appropriate calorie deficit in MFP, eat a primarily nutrient dense diet but don't exclude foods we enjoy, log accurately (ideally with a food scale), exercise for those that enjoy it (eating back a portion of those calories) and be patient.

    I truly believe this approach provides the best chance at long term success in that you don't feel deprived while losing weight and you are learning long term habits that makes maintenance easier as well.
  • Rocknut53
    Rocknut53 Posts: 1,794 Member
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    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Gosh!! I do not want to sound stupid. But really I'm looking for some sound advice. I have read countless diet books. Tons of them. And they all spell out sort of the same thing depending on the style of eating. Low carb, high carb, vegan, Keto ect... And I have done them all!!! Like a lot of us and in really tierd of the plans. First time to calorie counting... And I'm wondering and sort of excited to the thought of being able to eat what I would like within my caloric allowance because I see people here talking about that . I have literally been eating chicken, egg and veg for a good amount of time. I've stalled in my weight loss and I'm stressed!! So... Is it actually feasible to lose weight for example eating carbs like fruit... Salsa and chips and such within calorie range???

    Yes. Actually CICO is the premise of all those books you've read, but it doesn't have the catchy marketing swagger of those other diets.

    What many of us do is set an appropriate calorie deficit in MFP, eat a primarily nutrient dense diet but don't exclude foods we enjoy, log accurately (ideally with a food scale), exercise for those that enjoy it (eating back a portion of those calories) and be patient.

    I truly believe this approach provides the best chance at long term success in that you don't feel deprived while losing weight and you are learning long term habits that makes maintenance easier as well.

    ^^This^^
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
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    YES. You are free! Eat what you like. Focus first on calories, then make sure you get adequate nutrition and plenty of protein.
  • MinmoInk
    MinmoInk Posts: 345 Member
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    First time to calorie counting...

    Is it actually feasible to lose weight for example eating carbs like fruit... Salsa and chips and such within calorie range???

    First of all be sure to really look long and hard at how and what you log :) log everything! It truly is about CICO!

    Secondly, short answer is YES! I would just advise to be mindful of portion size and always log accurately. Of course eating anything with a dense caloric makeup may not make you full if you are on a low calorie limit but it doesn't mean you can't enjoy your favorite foods.

    Heck salsa is awesome! One thing to note is to try to expand your horizon in regards to food choices :) or not, your choice!

  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
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    Keep carbs under 100 grams/day. Otherwise, you can lose weight, but not much fat. Fat will not be burned in the presence of carbs - period. :)