Do any of you eat whatever you want to get the weight off, and will worry about nutrition later?

KM0692

I have been going back and forth between calorie counting and Weight Watchers since the first of the year. I just don't think WW is going to work for me, as I find it to be really restrictive (a 150 calorie protein bar is 1/4 of my daily WW points??). I have only ever been 10-12 lbs over my ideal weight, so it's not as if I have a long way to go. But the problem (I think) is that I am focusing too much on nutrition, eating the way I think I should be eating, and leaving little room for the things I really want to be eating.

So my question is: do you think it is a bad idea to eat whatever you want/desire as long as you stay within your calorie goal for the day? Get the weight off first and focus on nutrition later?

Enjcg5

Yup. I only have 10/15lbs to my goal. Im just being meticulous about my logging and staying under calories. I will play around with macros/micros in after a couple months of logging.

janjunie

I make sure I hit my micros everyday, otherwise it will affect my work out the next day. Saying that though, I do eat what I want. Today I've had lindt chocolate, oreos and gummy worms along with micro nutrient dense foods. I loosely watch my macros, I try to hit at least 70 - 80 grams of protein, but really don't care where the fat and carbs fall.

bbell1985

No. If I ate whatever I wanted I'd be hungry. I'd rather have a huge salad than one slice of pizza that I can eat in like less than 2 minutes.

rybo

KM0692 wrote: »

I have been going back and forth between calorie counting and Weight Watchers since the first of the year. I just don't think WW is going to work for me, as I find it to be really restrictive (a 150 calorie protein bar is 1/4 of my daily WW points??). I have only ever been 10-12 lbs over my ideal weight, so it's not as if I have a long way to go. But the problem (I think) is that I am focusing too much on nutrition, eating the way I think I should be eating, and leaving little room for the things I really want to be eating.

So my question is: do you think it is a bad idea to eat whatever you want/desire as long as you stay within your calorie goal for the day? Get the weight off first and focus on nutrition later?

I guess I don't understand the either/or premise. I also don't understand not putting nutrition first? Maybe you need to reconsider what you think eating healthy means? There's a lot of great tasting, nutrient dense foods that are filling and satisfying.

Christine_72

I eat whatever i want, but i prelog my day and if I'm too low or high on this or that, then i tweak things around until I'm happy with my calories AND nutrition. For me, I've gotten into the swing of watching both, as they're equally as important to me.

jgnatca

I watch my protein minimums to avoid complications. When I wasn't getting enough my nails got brittle. It took months to rehabilitate them.

sabinaholtby

I think about this all the time. I'm also about 11lbs from goal. I'm also feeding a family. 'nutrition' had always been very difficult for me to understand. I think the best advice is start doing one thing and it will eventually cascade into a series of healthy choices.

pamfgil

I found eating mostly nutrient dense foods most of the time with a small allowance for treats works. It means if I want something I can have it if I've decided it's worth the calories

eileen0515

When I was losing (maintaining now) I quickly learned good nutrition was essential to achieving and sustaining a deficit. So glad I paid attention to that, it makes maintaining so much easier. I never dieted, I changed my lifestyle and it's working as I live, long term weight management.

samfday

I eat whatever I want within my calories, but I've found that what I want had changed as I've continued to lose weight. These days I'd take a fresh cooked meal over pizza any day, but every once in a while I really want a couple of slices of cheesy goodness so I have it, and just make sure the rest of my meals that day are much smaller than normal!

I don't focus on macros at the moment but I do eat healthily most of the time (for me that means freshly prepared food which is low in sugar)

ChristopherLimoges

Nope. The consumption part is the nutrition part.

Lillymoo01

My goal is to be fit and healthy. While there is wriggle room for treats I do put care into what I eat to meet my nutritional needs first and foremost.

kommodevaran

A false dilemma, and a sinister one that creates disordered eating. Good nutrition implies eating enough calories to maintain a healthy weight, or get off excess weight, or gain weight if underweight. Eating well implies not worrying too much about food. There should be no conflict between taste and nutritition - balanced, varied, fresh, nutritious food tastes good and is healthy. A candy bar does not negate the nutrition in broccoli, just as eating a whole head of broccoli in one go is pointless.

It's the other way around: Focusing on just calories made me want to eat better.

sijomial

I got fat eating a wholesome healthy diet of mostly home cooked foods, got slim eating the same foods.

Don't understand why it's has to either hit your calorie goal or eat nutritious foods or more precisely why it has to 100% either way.
My diet has always had room for tasty treats eaten primarily for enjoyment, that discretionary space got a little squeezed whilst losing weight but not eliminated. A small glass of wine, a lower calorie savoury snack for example. Some days there was no space for those treats....

OP - With only a small amount of weight to lose there's no need to drastically cut calories. Eat while losing weight as close as possible the same way you intend eating for life.

jgnatca

Yup. If I have a tight calorie budget I am going to be careful how I spend it. Essentials first.

slaite1

You'll find a balance as you get used to it. I do sacrifice nutrition a bit when I'm in a deficit-for example I eat less fruit and skip the avocados/hummus so that I have room for dessert. But I still include lots of veggies, some fruit, plenty of fiber etc. Eating this way actually helps to maintain the deficit since I'm not as hungry. So, yes, calories first. But I wouldn't completely dismiss nutrition in the meantime.

tinkerbellang83

When I started out with MFP I focused on calories, as this is what made me fat in the first place, however now I have a good handle on portion sizes and calorie control I'm working on my macros and micros. It's a work in progress trying to find my personal preference for satiety and nutrition in a sustainable way but I'm definitely far better than I was this time last year

lemurcat12

KM0692 wrote: »

But the problem (I think) is that I am focusing too much on nutrition, eating the way I think I should be eating, and leaving little room for the things I really want to be eating.

So my question is: do you think it is a bad idea to eat whatever you want/desire as long as you stay within your calorie goal for the day? Get the weight off first and focus on nutrition later?

I think it's a bad idea to see these as conflicting goals. You should be able to have a nutrition plan that works with what you like to eat, and if it does not it's possible it's too restrictive.

That said, I think it can work, depending on personality, to focus on just cutting calories first. You may find that eating more nutritious foods (depending on what you mean by that) helps you feel satisfied on fewer calories or you may find that you are fine just eating less so that improving nutrition is a wholly separate goal.

Emily3907

Yes....and no.

I do eat whatever I want. I find ways to fit my cravings into my days and allow myself to have a dessert every night.

But, I am also remaining aware of my macros and trying to meet those goals as well.

For example, if I have not met my protein goal for the day and it is dessert time, I may opt for some Halo Top or peanuts and chocolate chips, instead of popsicles or mug cakes. I will get more protein from the Halo Top or peanuts to get me closer to meeting that macro.

But, there are some days where I just want X and it may not help me meet my macros, but I would rather fit X into my day than eat 500 calories while trying to avoid a 300 calorie treat.

It is just a learning process to find your individual "groove". I just knew going in to this that I couldn't restrict anything. I have tried doing that too much in the past and it always lead to failure. So, everything I enjoy is on the table as an option, I just have to figure out how to work it into my day or what to save for a special occasion.

inertiastrength

I worry about nutrition and sanity so for me personally I like to get about 80% of my calories from nutrient dense foods. If I have a one-off day where I eat a lot of empty calories I don't stress about it either though.

glassofroses

If you're cutting foods you like completely out of your diet because you believe you shouldn't eat them then of course you're going to struggle. That's where the whole 80/20, 90/10 philosophy comes from. You eat nutritionally dense and good for you foods the majority of the time and make room for the things that you like and aren't so good for you in the minority. It shouldn't be an either/or situation.

As for me, I'd aim for satiety within my allotted calories; proteins and good fats, lots of fibrous micronutrients. I'm not saying go low carb, as I am most definitely in the high carb camp, but I'd focus your efforts there if you're struggling.

French_Peasant

This question might have resonated with me in the first month or so after I started on MFP, but after a year and a half, it simply doesn't compute. It would be like asking an architect or a builder with a reputation for quality, "Do you just build your houses out of plywood and worry about functional quality at some undetermined time down the road?" NO!

Likewise, I have put a lot of time, effort and care into losing weight, developing cardiovascular capacity, and preserving and building muscle. It's not just losing weight: it is setting yourself up for an entire lifetime of maintaining your healthy weight and entrenching healthy habits. Personally, I never, ever, ever want to put that 25+ lbs on again.

Conveniently, once I recalibrated my taste buds, what I want to eat and *should* eat dovetail perfectly. My focus is on eating lots of lean, high-quality meats, eggs, and dairy (to hit 100+ g protein) and 8-10 servings of fruits and vegetables, all of which can be prepared in a simple and delicious manner (and, conveniently, make me feel absolutely stuffed for a long time); and of course I have room for desserts like a rhubarb crisp (with rhubarb I harvested from my garden, which makes a veg serving, and oatmeal, which helps me hit my fiber goal). Since I am highly active, I can also fit in a little chocolate or ice cream on many of not most days, but they are not going to take the place of my protein and veg goals. Well, on rare occasions they do, but maybe one day every other month and I don't get too far off track.

*****

This is written with the assumption that you are not self-flagellating over things like not hitting your potassium goal every day, or thinking you have to cut out all carbs if it makes you miserable and you have no medical reason to do so (I did cut out a lot of carbs I'm not crazy about). There is a lot of silliness, fake news, and disordered thinking going around as to what constitutes healthy eating, and from what I have heard the new Weight Watchers seems to play into that--ie, the severe penalty for a protein bar.

*****

Also, since you are focused on losing 10 lbs, especially if you are already at a healthy weight, you will have extremely thin margins and a LOT less room for treats.

GottaBurnEmAll

kommodevaran wrote: »

A false dilemma, and a sinister one that creates disordered eating. Good nutrition implies eating enough calories to maintain a healthy weight, or get off excess weight, or gain weight if underweight. Eating well implies not worrying too much about food. There should be no conflict between taste and nutritition - balanced, varied, fresh, nutritious food tastes good and is healthy. A candy bar does not negate the nutrition in broccoli, just as eating a whole head of broccoli in one go is pointless.

It's the other way around: Focusing on just calories made me want to eat better.

Cosigned.

LisaMoxon155

KM0692 wrote: »

I have been going back and forth between calorie counting and Weight Watchers since the first of the year. I just don't think WW is going to work for me, as I find it to be really restrictive (a 150 calorie protein bar is 1/4 of my daily WW points??). I have only ever been 10-12 lbs over my ideal weight, so it's not as if I have a long way to go. But the problem (I think) is that I am focusing too much on nutrition, eating the way I think I should be eating, and leaving little room for the things I really want to be eating.

So my question is: do you think it is a bad idea to eat whatever you want/desire as long as you stay within your calorie goal for the day? Get the weight off first and focus on nutrition later?

No its not a bad idea. I eat exactly what i want as long as im within my calorie allowance its working for me. I do make sure i weight EVERYTHING.
My diet is pretty much the same as before ,just less of it.

Lost so far 24lbs

CiaIgle

In my case I worried only about calories at the beginning. When I was close to my goals (so less calories to allow) I started looking at macros, I needed to be more careful not to exceed by some fatty food. Now in maintenance I basically look at macros. I focus on proteins, and when my goal is reached, I "waste" the rest of the calories

nevadavis1

My protein is too low and while I'm trying to boost it, I keep on staying within the calories to lose even if I'm not hitting the protein. It's not "I'll worry about it later" but more that staying within the calories is goal 1 for now.

quiksylver296

Christine_72 wrote: »

I eat whatever i want, but i prelog my day and if I'm too low or high on this or that, then i tweak things around until I'm happy with my calories AND nutrition. For me, I've gotten into the swing of watching both, as they're equally as important to me.

This^^

pinuplove

Why is it always 'all or nothing' with these questions? You can focus on nutrition and still fit in treats. I don't eat food I don't like just for the sake of 'nutrition' now, and I never will. There are plenty of foods I do like that fit the bill.

fitmom4lifemfp

KM0692 wrote: »

I have been going back and forth between calorie counting and Weight Watchers since the first of the year. I just don't think WW is going to work for me, as I find it to be really restrictive (a 150 calorie protein bar is 1/4 of my daily WW points??). I have only ever been 10-12 lbs over my ideal weight, so it's not as if I have a long way to go. But the problem (I think) is that I am focusing too much on nutrition, eating the way I think I should be eating, and leaving little room for the things I really want to be eating.

So my question is: do you think it is a bad idea to eat whatever you want/desire as long as you stay within your calorie goal for the day? Get the weight off first and focus on nutrition later?

Frankly, I don't think it makes much difference in short term weight loss. However, for me personally, to eat only crap is going to reflect in how I feel, perform, and eventually, how well I manage my daily calorie intake. So I definitely look at the nutrition too; (protein is at the top of my list). Someone stated this above, and it is true for me: focusing on calories has always made me more conscious of nutrition.

bigmuneymfp

Generally yes although I do try to get in as much micro nutrient rich food as I can