depressed

PepperWorm

Sorry if my wording was a bit off - a 12 hour day working retail will do that to you...

I know it's not about me. I'm giving an example of someone who eats what the poster I quoted considers "crap" yet has success. It's not always about what is eaten, it's about staying within calorie and macro goals. I learn from how others do things, so I presented how I do things. If you looked at my diary, with your theory that "crap food has a lot to do with it" then I shouldn't be losing weight. That was my point. The OP probably just needs to eat more, not change what's being eaten. I was quite shocked to see how much I needed to eat.

This is not about you, it's about the OP, who is not seeing any progress and crap food has a lot to do with it.

I must be looking at the wrong diary... I see a lot of crap food. McDonalds, hot fudge sundaes, velveeta dinners.

Your body is not getting the nutrients that it needs.

If you are giving your body crap, you are going to get crappy results no matter how hard you try. Period.

I eat ice cream all the time. I eat chocolate at least 5 days a week. I drink alcohol. I try my hardest to keep my calories and macros under control, and I'm losing weight. I'm an IIFYM person, as well as my own weird version of IF, and I don't buy into "clean eating". Hell, I drank 'til the cows came home last week, as well as eating what even I consider "crap" that I didn't even bother logging, and lost 2 pounds. I ate crap, I still got good results. Explain, please

You reply to a quote at the *bottom* of the text.

That being said, at least you're hitting your calorie goal each day. The OP isn't.

ETA: Yeah, I just looked at your diary. Your macros are all over the map, you have missing days, and you either don't hit your goal or you exceed it every day. Not even gonna comment on what you eat. GOOD LUCK with that! :laugh:

I replied at the top because the person I was replying to replied at the top. It was sorta to make fun of them, but in a non-attacking way.

IIFYM... works for me and many, many of my friends. I tried the whole "clean eating" thing for a couple months and it caused me to binge. I have had much more luck eating what I want to eat.

My macros go off the wall because of my BodyMedia, and I have missing days because I went to the beach. Also, I haven't been able to go grocery shopping, so I'm kinda eating whatever I'm able to eat.

In terms of not hitting my goal/exceeding it, I go more by the week, than by the day. If I go over one day, I stay under to make up for it. I went over (I'm pretty sure) when I went to the beach, so I stayed well under in order to make up for those days. Your body is not a 24 hour clock...

Just wanted to clarify the points you attacked me on. Good luck to you, too! :laugh: :drinker: Maybe find someone who hasn't been around as long to tell they're doing it wrong, rather than someone who knows what they're doing

I hear a lot of excuse making.

I think you misunderstood me as well. If you're going to stick up for a cause and completely disregard it in your own diary...yeah, yer doin it wrong.

Being here for awhile isn't badge of honor. I've been kicking around MFP for a few years. I just finally decided to get serious about it. Doesn't make me special. Looks like you went through the same process.

NYCNika

Sure, it is possible to loose weight while eating junk at a calorie deficit. But maintaining this weight loss will feel like work and deprivation. And won't be healthy either.

All calories are NOT equal. Not in how they act. When OP eats that cinnamon bun, the whole thing is instantly turned into sugar. Processed flour is a simple carb = sugar. That is why she gets this instant satisfaction from blood sugar rising rapidly. It is, however, short lived. That sugar is released incredibly fast, and body can't use it up as fast as it is released. So it stores it as fat. OPs body is also producing insulin to bring blood sugar down. And it will bring it down fast too, lower than before. So very shortly after eating this bun, a person will be hungry again, not satisfied, and wanting more. Not to mention the body got no nutrition from it. And lacking enough necessary nutrients (yes, micro nutrients too) will make it crave more food.

If you eat a natural food, not a processed food product, your body processes it much slower, releasing energy slower, and you can utilize more of it as it is released. Fruit, for example, has both complex and simple sugars. So it gives that initial spike, and it continues to release energy later, so there is no crash. It also will have lots of fiber and nutrients. Also, some of that plant fiber can't be digested, so you don't get the calories from it, just the benefits.

But vegetables and fruit can't compete with super packed engineered simple carbs in therms of that initial rush from the first bite. It does take some adjustment (it took few weeks for me) before healthy food becomes truly satisfying.

A balanced meal should always have all 3 -- protein, fat (obviously unsaturated is desirable) and carbs (complex carbs best).

I'm not saying one should not eat ice cream or have a drink on occasion, but junk should be a treat and not most of your daily calorie intake. And if you are eating 1,200 calories a day, you just don't have much to spare for empty calories.

As to what is processed food -- it if has a label with calories states and nutritional info, it is probably processed. If it comes from a cardboard box, a tin, a jar, a can, a wrapper... it is processed. If it is a food, with some exceptions of whole grains or nuts that can be stored without refrigeration and does not have to be eaten within few days, it is probably processed.

There are days where there are no fruit and vegetable in the OPs diet. Which is hard to understand -- I mean OP has children, so she must be preparing fruit and veggies every day, so how hard is it to make a little extra for herself?