Food Choices

tiverton104

Who has lost weight and reached their goal eating whatever they wanted? Obviously this means staying close to your calorie goal. My negative self-talk keeps telling me it won't work. TIA!

livingleanlivingclean

I eat whatever I want, tracking to make sure I stay in my calorie goal. Why would I eat food I didn't want to eat?

usmcmp

I did. It took practice to get the right balance of eating to keep me full and eating things I really enjoy, all within my calorie goal. I couldn't have reached my goals if I was forced to eat "whole" or "clean" foods. I just can't stick to that. Others can't have candy/cookies/pizza and stay on track. You will figure out what works for you.

JustRobby1

I am currently at goal and just doing some toning and tweaking. I ignore macros and have since fairly early on in the process. I do not eat "clean", "healthy" "organic" or anything else by normative MFP standards. I am restricted by calories of course, but if there is something I really want I can normally squeeze it on a normal day if my other meals are light. if it's something crazy high calorie I might have to save it for the day after a big run day.

Lynzdee18

I changed the way I ate, by eating ONLY foods I liked that fit my budget of calories. I had to give up breads because they are my trigger food and make me more hungry, but that was only a personal choice.

I learned how to leave my plate when I felt full, rather when than the plate empty. That drives my husband crazy now, but I’d rather not carry that on my @ss.

Graelwyn75

I suppose I am fortunate in that I tend to like fairly healthy foods. If I have just one day without my chicken, vegetables, fruit and Greek yoghurt with nuts and seeds, I really start craving those things. My main vices are cake and doughnuts but I just have them once or twice a week depending and satisfy and sugar cravings with other things. I really hate it if I miss out on my veggies and chicken/steak.

RoxieDawn

I personally did cut things out in the beginning. I was such a newb when it came to nutrition and thought so any foods that were being labeled as bad were really bad. I can't tell you how many threads there where in MFP I read when I first started that talked about clean eating, carbs are bad, sweetener is bad, diet coke/soda is bad, eating past 7:00 etc etc. etc.

I had to work all this out on my own in the end. Unless you have a medical reason to not eat certain foods there is absolutely no reason why you have to eliminate it for weight loss. If you enjoy certain foods and it fits in your 'daily calorie allotment' to lose weight, eat it, enjoy it.

kimny72

I think it's important to note that eating "whatever you want" while sticking to your calorie goal requires making smart choices. While you don't need to cut out anything, most of us have changed how often we eat some things, because it's hard to eat them regularly and feel full without blowing out calories. So personally, I define it more as I don't ban any foods.

There is a learning curve, as you log and continually review and tweak. But once you have it figured out, you will have found a way you can eat at the right calorie level for the rest of your life.

Seffell

I ate whatever I wanted and lost 30lbs.
Sadly I couldn't eat as much as I wanted.

JustRobby1

kimny72 wrote: »

I think it's important to note that eating "whatever you want" while sticking to your calorie goal requires making smart choices. While you don't need to cut out anything, most of us have changed how often we eat some things, because it's hard to eat them regularly and feel full without blowing out calories. So personally, I define it more as I don't ban any foods.

There is a learning curve, as you log and continually review and tweak. But once you have it figured out, you will have found a way you can eat at the right calorie level for the rest of your life.

This is indeed a critical distinction to make. I may eat Taco Bell all the time, but I am very strategic in what I order (fresco menu, for example, not XXL Stuffed Burritos). I also eat ice cream 2-3 times a week, but it's Halo Top or Skinny Cow and not Ben and Jerry's.

Could I have those high calorie items if I wanted them? Sure, but it would take a tremendous sacrifice in order to squeeze them in or else my portions would have to be small. Living a calorie restricted life, by it's very nature, is limiting, regardless of what food you choose to eat. I have grown quite adept at maximizing the food I love while still staying under budget, as has just about anyone who has been at this for any length of time. The vast majority of people on my friends list here who attempted to embark on radical paradigm shifts in diet have either learned the error of their ways and adjusted accordingly or else quit and I have never heard from them again.

Lounmoun

Use common sense. Plan your eating. It is not impossible the food you currently eat.
Unless your calorie goal is very high you are not going to eat tons of high calorie foods in one day though.
You might have to reduce portion sizes to make it work.
You might choose only one high calorie item a day to make it work.
Pair the smaller portions of higher calorie foods with low calorie foods to bulk out your meals.
Switch to lower calorie versions of foods or drinks you like. Lower fat dairy, diet soda, less oil in cooking, vinaigrette instead of creamy dressing, leaner meat, thin crust pizza are some examples.
Get enough protein, fats and fiber to help you feel satisfied.
Try prelogging your food to see how it fits your goals.

descene

Eating "whatever" I want isn't accurate. I've tried my best to not exceed my calories when comfortable, but this time around I've attempted a more permissive approach to weight loss at the cost of it going slower and I've lost nearly 5 times the weight I did when I tried WW as a teenager. Lost most of my 70lbs eating pretty much my usual at taco bell at least once a week, plus other less than stellar food choices. If I want something and it fits in my budget, I'll have it with as little shame as I can manage. But also note that 11 months of my new lifestyle has changed a lot. I have less than half the appetite I used to, my palate is more sensitive to salt/sugar, and my digestive system is a lot more... punishing, lol, when it disagrees with my food choices, which has influenced my cravings. Without those things I don't know how well it would go. I feel like many people would need either a higher quantity of those comfort foods to feel satisfied or switching to a more "nutritious" diet.