"You can eat whaver you want, as long as you eat at a deficit" is true, but it's garbage advice.

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  • geneticsteacher
    geneticsteacher Posts: 623 Member
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    leanjogreen18 wrote: »
    geneticsteacher wrote: »
    slim1156 wrote: »
    "You can lose weight eating the foods you enjoy as long as you're in a calorie deficit" this is absolutely true. this statement makes no reference to health or anything else other than losing weight. if you want to eat your daily allowance of calories in hot fudge sundaes every day, you will lose weight. if you choose to eat nothing, ever, other than bacon, you will lose weight. will you be healthy? probably not so much. will you be happy? unlikely. will you lose weight? ABSOLUTELY!!!! as far as weight loss goes, it is all about calorie deficit.

    This is so true, but I am finding out more and more that a lot of people have a lot of misconceptions about nutrition and diet.

    I think most people have a basic understanding of nutrition. They may not like it but they know.

    Sometimes I wonder. My husband, a Biology Professor, can draw the chemical structures of fats, carbs, and proteins - but he has no idea in which foods they are found. :D
  • HG210
    HG210 Posts: 103 Member
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    Op, I agree that it's garbage advice. I just had pizza for the first time in a long time and I feel like crap. If I eat a burger, I feel like crap. If I have a donut from DUCK's donuts with caramel and bacon on it (like who comes up with that but it is soooooo dang good) but again, I feel like crap. Whenever, I food prep my meals and snacks I feel good. I just don't do it all the time. However, I say at this point in my life, people should do what makes them happy. If a fat happy life with all types of ailments from fatty, greasy foods is what you want, than go for it. I'm not judging you or calling you out because on some days we might be eating the same fatty, greasy foods so, have at it. If your trying to lose weight just do yourself a favor and log in your crap so you stay on track.
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
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    HG210 wrote: »
    Op, I agree that it's garbage advice. I just had pizza for the first time in a long time and I feel like crap. If I eat a burger, I feel like crap. If I have a donut from DUCK's donuts with caramel and bacon on it (like who comes up with that but it is soooooo dang good) but again, I feel like crap. Whenever, I food prep my meals and snacks I feel good. I just don't do it all the time. However, I say at this point in my life, people should do what makes them happy. If a fat happy life with all types of ailments from fatty, greasy foods is what you want, than go for it. I'm not judging you or calling you out because on some days we might be eating the same fatty, greasy foods so, have at it. If your trying to lose weight just do yourself a favor and log in your crap so you stay on track.

    I eat tons of pizza and burgers and feel just fine. Donuts do make me sleepy though, sugar crash zzzzzzz.....
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    edited March 2017
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    I literally eat WHATEVER by the way as long as it's within my goal and sometimes when it's not. NOT good and bad all the time. Sometimes just "scary" "bad" foods. and guess what? I don't care! I'm here for superficial reasons - to feel better about how I look. You can be here for health or whatever you want! Health would be nice but honestly it's secondary. Appalled by that? Too bad for you because it's my choice. I eat 85% frozen food, fast food and boxed food if not more and I love it and lose weight easily. Also, my calorie goal is 1200 and I never feel starved. Again, I take days or even a week off sometimes when I'm overworked because that's practical and it has kept me successful. Does this mean I NEVER eat healthy? No as a matter of fact for a week or two when trying to win a contest I ate only veggies and cheese (no bready or pasta type carbs whatsoever and no meat because I'm a vegetarian) with everything fresh. It was HORRIBLE. I was miserable!!!! Also, I have also balanced my diet sometimes, but I just don't have time. So if I live on lean cuisines so be it - it is not a lie, it's just not how it works for you. That's fine. Do your thing, but stop saying I'm lying. I wouldn't state it if it wasn't the truth. Yesterday I had a falafel wrap, herb fries with ranch and hot sauce, birthday cake for breakfast, and I'm not sure if anything else? But it was all "junk" food. It was GREAT. Oh yeah and tortilla chips with ghost pepper cheese sauce! Also great! Need to add I do *sometimes* watch macros. But I dont usually have time to care how fresh my food is. Medifast foods help me get adequate protein.
  • slim1156
    slim1156 Posts: 31 Member
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    Verity1111 wrote: »
    Yesterday I had a falafel wrap, herb fries with ranch and hot sauce, birthday cake for breakfast, and I'm not sure if anything else? But it was all "junk" food. It was GREAT. quote]

    sounds awesome!!! i may have to go out and get myself a falafel wrap for lunch tomorrow.
  • HG210
    HG210 Posts: 103 Member
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    I
    slim1156 wrote: »

    so, what you're saying is that you do not agree with op. you eat what you want, you lose weight, you just feel better when you eat "good" food. [/quote


    OP" I agree with you". That is exactly what I said. I think the advice is garbage as well, but, I understand that some people actually most people are here to lose weight. It's not they want to be clean eaters, they use MFP to lose weight as a guide and nothing more. Nothing more and nothing less and there is nothing wrong with that.

    However, if you want to be healthy overall and that is important to you than clean eating would be a better way to go. It's not that hard but if that is what your mind is conditioned to it may be hard for you.

    I like a little junk food sometimes. However, I don't generally eat that way. SO, I'll say it again. I feel bad when I eat it.
  • slim1156
    slim1156 Posts: 31 Member
    edited March 2017
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    i stand by my statement. what you said dos not agree with op
  • brittyn3
    brittyn3 Posts: 481 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    AntoinetteAngus wrote: »
    pinuplove wrote: »
    AntoinetteAngus wrote: »
    kimny72 wrote: »
    AntoinetteAngus wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    BlueSkyShoal wrote: »
    Thumbs up on the Snorlax picture, I love Pokemon.

    I do think that a lot of the cheerful talk about how "you can eat ANYTHING and lose weight!" needs a footnote: "You can eat anything, but if it's high in calories you can only have a tiny bit."

    Now personally, if I order a pizza I don't want to eat just one slice, hold the breadsticks. Sure, cold pizza is a great snack the next morning, but there's something especially delightful about a piping hot pizza with the cheese still gooey (and breadsticks on the side.)

    What I do is I have days where I eat over my "normal" calories without worrying about it, and then I eat under the normal calories the next day. (This works best if the pig-out meal was dinner, since you usually still feel pretty full the next morning.) I don't consider that to be "a cheat day". It's not cheating, it's just moving the calories around so I can get what satisfies me--tons of pizza. :)

    To the bolded... don't you think that sort of caution is unnecessary (and maybe presumes ignorance) on a site where people are logging and tracking calories? A person who is entering the foods they eat in their diary would know that 2 pieces of Dominos chicken, spinach and roasted red pepper pizza (my latest go to on pizza night) is 560 calories and 4 pieces of Parmesan bites are 150 which leaves me 190 calories to keep this meal under 800 which is what I aim for for splurge dinners. So another piece of pizza, or a salad, or some dessert or a glass of wine.

    Caveating every post with information that posters should already know or be able to figure out themselves, seems redundant and insulting to me. I feel the same way about you the disclaimer, , even though I and many others do explicitly state, "but nutrition is also important"when someone asks if calories are all that matter for weight loss. My 5 year old knows that nutrition is important. Do I really have to add that to every post for grown adults so that my comments are not misinterpreted by people like the OP?

    YES...you should add this to every post. Anyone new to this forum would believe... based on the abundance of ridiculous comments that you can just eat whatever you want as long as it fits in your calorie goals. This is irresponsible and I've actually taken the liberty to look at people's diary's who advocate this and alot of them are actually eating healthy! So why advocate to others that you can eat whatever you want instead of promoting a healthy, balanced lifestyle with moderated indulgences. The fact that you have an issue with someone throwing nutrition in the mix is absolutely ridiculous. A reminder about nutrition is definitely needed on a forum such as this one.

    Why would you assume "Eat whatever you want" means "Eat nothing but junk food"?

    Again, for all the threads criticizing this advice, I have NEVER seen someone post that they actually did take this advice to mean "Go ahead and eat all junk food" and now are struggling or failing because they're full of Twinkies and Big Macs by noon and have no calories left. Yet I see time and time again people respond by saying, "You mean I can have a treat every once and awhile and still lose weight? Thank goodness!".

    And again again, for every post that just says, "You can eat whatever you want" there are two that follow that say "You can eat whatever you want to lose weight, but obviously you want to eat enough nutritious food for your health". And then someone will chime in to make sure you get enough fiber and protein. And then someone will post that if you eat Keto you'll never get hungry and your skin will glow. And then another will say that cutting out processed food was the only way they could lose weight.

    I seriously wonder if there is an alternate MFP universe with all of these threads where newbies are given no info but to stuff their pieholes with poptarts to lose weight and I am just too dense to find it. :confused:

    WHATEVER implies whatever. People are not providing enough context to that statement and are not being responsible. I have posted several times on various forums and have been met with angry comments...well I eat pizza everyday, or I eat Macdonald's everyday nobody can tell me otherwise! I completely advocate treats from time to time...we're human and what would life be without them...but people tend not to display their true story. I would like to re-highlight the fact that I mentioned previously in this thread that I have taken the liberty of looking at peoples diaries that advocate that you can eat WHATEVER you want and they actually eat a fairly decent diet so why not clarify that I eat healthy most of the time but I indulge as well instead of implying I eat WHATEVER I want. This is all that I am saying...

    Maybe because eating 'whatever' they want includes a wide variety of foods, including both 'good' and 'bad' (if you want to think of it that way) so by saying they eat whatever they want, they aren't misrepresenting anything. Obviously these people have open diaries, and everyone is welcome to do as you did and see for themselves what these self-proclaimed 'eat whatever you want!' people are, in fact, actually eating. And maybe they're just tired of qualifying every.single.statement they make here. My diary is open, and I eat whatever I want. Some days are better than others, but I log them all.

    'Maybe because eating 'whatever' they want includes a wide variety of foods, including both 'good' and 'bad'

    If this is the case then people should SAY THAT. This is my point...The word WHATEVER does not provide people with adequate information. It is misleading.

    Why does everyone need a nanny? Why can't people just use common sense and logic? None of this is particularly hard. Basic nutrition is pretty straight forward and common sense IMO.

    ^This - well said! It's also called, "self-control". I understand some people might have issues beyond that, my comment doesn't apply to you. It applies to people who want excuses to fail so they can continue their current behaviors. Because, Hey - restricting your food intake, is challenging and can be uncomfortable.
  • MontyMuttland
    MontyMuttland Posts: 68 Member
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    Emily3907 wrote: »
    Chef_Barbell wrote: »
    MontyMuttland wrote: »
    "For things to change, you have to change." (Jim Rohn, 1930-2009).
    This is a fundamental truth and it applies to anyone trying to lose weight and keep it off every bit as much as the formula stating that to lose weight you must burn more calories every day than you consume.
    I was obese for most of my adult life, a serial yo-yo dieter who would try this and that diet, lose some weight and then put it back on again plus more.
    The reason I kept failing is actually very simple. I didn't change. I just did what the diets said I had to do, but they didn't teach me anything. I didn't learn any new eating habits.
    And this is what the OP is getting at with his post.
    If you tell an obese person they can eat what they want providing they stay under their daily calorie allocation, you are just sugar-coating the truth to make it easier to swallow.
    The simple truth is, if you eat nutritionally poor foods as part of a calorie controlled eating plan, then the weight you lose won't just be fat. Sure, you will lose some fat, but some of the weight you will lose is going to be the good part of your body (your muscle tissue, your organs, your skeleton, etc).
    That is the price you pay for eating nutritionally poor foods. They don't contain enough good stuff to maintain the important parts of your body.
    If you are already eating less food to stay under your calorie allocation, then it's even more important than ever that the food you eat had high nutritional value - what the hell else is your body going to use to sustain itself?
    So here is the real deal: if you want to lose weight and keep it off, better start learning some new eating habits.
    New eating habits means making food choices that are nutrient rich.
    Does it mean you can never eat another burger? Of course not, but you'd do far better learning how to make a decent burger yourself rather than eating the total non-food they serve at fast food outlets.
    "For things to change, you have to change."
    Embrace it, do it.
    During 2016 I lost 9 stone (126lb) and now I'm happily maintaining my weight under 11stone.
    I did that by changing my relationship with food and learning new eating habits.
    I don't eat pizza anymore. Why? Because it's nutritionally poor food.
    But I make a mean burger meal, a steak meal and a spaghetti bolognese meal all for less than 500 calories each.
    I learned how to eat well whilst consuming less.
    That's what this is about, and the rest can be summed up like this:
    "Suck it up or stay fat!".

    I don't know how things are done elsewhere but they serve food in fast food restaurants here.

    How is pizza nutritionally poor? It's just bread, sauce, cheese and you can add veggies and make your own. I never understand this argument.

    Agreed. My homemade pepperoni pizza has 524 cals, 51 carbs, 25 fat and 27 protein in 2 slices. I consider that a pretty good macro ratio. Add veggies to that, even better.

    You both illustrate my point perfectly.
    If your average pizza actually was just bread, cheese, veggies then you'd be some way to having a bit of nutrition - but they're not.
    Try reading the ingredients list on some pizza packaging, you'll see the list of stuff going in them is somewhat longer. Then read the nutritional information about those pizzas and see just how "healthy" they are.
    The home-made pizza does sound a ton better, specially the amount of protein there compared to ready-made ones. But I'll make a stab at two slices being what, two sixths of the pizza maybe?
    I've been a fat person remember, fat people don't eat two slices of pizza, they eat whole pizzas. And so do most ordinary people as well. Do you order half pizzas or quarter pizzas in a restaurant? Nope, didn't think so.
    So yeah, two-sixths of a pizza for 524 calories ain't bad, but that's knocking on the door of 1600 calories for the whole pizza.
    And guess who is eating the whole pizza?
    Yep, just about everyone...
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,016 Member
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    WinoGelato wrote: »
    prattiger65 wrote: »
    Me too WG, and with that I am out. #ragequit

    Today is my 1495th day of consecutive logging on MFP and I've been telling my friends list that I'm considering an epic ragequit before I hit 1500 days. Maybe this will be the catalyst.

    I hope you don't. I have learned a lot from you in the 528 days I have been here.
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