Who eats what they want (within a certain calorie deficit of course), and still looses?

jennifer_417

*raises hand* Of course, I can't eat whatever I want, whenever I want, because then I wouldn't meet my calorie goal.

saragd012

I always save room for treats I enjoy, and I wont eat things that I don't like. Sometimes I do compromise of course, like yes I want my own darn chocolate cake but I know in the end I'd be satisfied with splitting a slice instead. I have friends and workout partners who are all about the no-sugar life, but I'd be miserable without my daily chocolate and a delicious dark craft beer once or twice a week. Absolutely not worth it for me.

dutchandkiwi

When I started I stopped eating added sugar for 3 months. That was to break a habit and it worked.
Other than that I simply ate within my deficit limit what I wanted (and built in the occasional mainentance period for psychological reasons).
I lost all the weight I wanted I don't know my exact starting weight but I think it is in the region of 25kg. that way. Have been in maintenance for 6 months now at BMI 22

1theresamcvean

I do. All macros. Healthy things, treats, wine, cake (not that often) - just until I reach my calorie limits and feel full. I love variety and hate restriction.

Johnd2000

I eat pizzas, burgers, fries, cakes etc. I just never eat as much of them as I’d like. I’m completely in control of my calories and weight.

Snowflake1968

That is all I do, I haven't deprived myself of anything because I feel I would just be setting myself up to fail. I just make try very hard to stay within my calorie goal each day. Over the last 2 weeks I have been successful all but 2 days.

bduanemyfitness

I am just starting (just over 3 months in) so time will tell.

But, I have not dramatically changed what I eat on a day to day basis. I typically have a slice of pizza for my lunch when at work (convenience) and that has not changed. I do more carefully choose the type of pizza (veggie vs lots of meat) but no huge change. Small change is to usually choose fruit over a cookie. But I still have a cookie probably one day each week.

The only big change is I have stopped eating ice cream. Sadly, I can eat a pint without blinking. SO I figured I would just eliminate that from my choices for a while.

The big change has been in portion control. Funny how a "bowl" of cereal/granola is really 2+ servings. So I keep the scale on my counter in the kitchen and measure everything.

I went to a burger place with my son when he was back from college. I looked up their menu and just made sure I logged it (and got a single patty...not two). No big deal.

Still eating mostly the same stuff, just better choices on portion size and frequency.

stanmann571

I'm a relatively loose logger to begin with, and I'm taking a 2 week break(which means REALLY loose) I've got 3 more days, and I'm down another pound.

I've had pizza, Preztels, hotdogs, guac, chips, etc in the last 10 days. I've also had more than a couple days where I pretty much ate my programmed menu and had a snack cake or cookie or muffin.

The day I had pizza, it was little ceasar's and I ended up at an estimated 200 calorie additional deficit(over my normal program)

Francl27

Yes and no. If I ate what I wanted, I'd be hungry all the time and would have a much harder time to keep a deficit. I can make SOME things fit, but my preference being for baked goods - no I can't eat what I want and lose weight.

It doesn't mean that I make myself miserable with my diet and force myself to eat things I don't like - I eat things I like, obviously - but I still have to make better choices - yes, a croissant sounds great for breakfast, but it won't fill me up at all for 400 calories, for example.

In the end, it will depend a lot on what you actually want to eat. It's easier for someone who wants to eat steak than for someone who wants to eat donuts to lose weight, for sure, because at least the steak is filling!

But no, you don't need a low carb diet or whatever the latest fad is - it's all about calories.

WinoGelato

When I started on MFP I quickly realized that if I cut out all the foods I enjoyed in order to lose weight, I would be very unlikely to stick with it. So rather than cutting things out, I focused on what I could add to my lifestyle. More protein, more vegetables, more whole grains, more exercise, more sleep. I found that by doing that, within the context of a moderate calorie deficit - I prioritized the healthy things and had just enough room for the things I love like ice cream, pizza, and wine, in moderation.

I lost the weight I set out to lose (~35 lbs) and have kept it off for several years by eating foods I love in the context of an overall balanced diet.

mbaker566

oh a lady on a fb group, when she knows she's going to cheesecake factory, plans what she is going to eat and runs accordingly

estherdragonbat

Dropped 103 lbs that way!

Now, I have made some modifications to my eating habits:

1) Bakery desserts are strictly special occasion.
2) Keep homemade dessert to 200 calories or fewer per serving
3) Make a real effort to hit protein and iron targets—I've discovered I feel a lot less hungry when the protein is higher. I let the rest fall where it falls, which is generally right around the default carb target and lower (not low) fat.
4) I don't eat out very much, but when I do, I go for options on the menu that are relatively easy to find in the database and come up with a reasonable guesstimate. (There are a couple of dozen entries for a slice of cheese pizza and most of them are in the neighborhood of 220-350 calories; I look for one around 285 and call it a day. OTOH, unless the pasta dish is something like canneloni, I usually don't order it because the restaurant I go to has large portions, it's pretty hard to guesstimate the sauce when it's all mixed up with the noodles, and pesto and cream sauces can run up to some pretty high calorie numbers.)

But my diary has plenty of entries for desserts, sweet and/or salty snacks, etc. Just carefully-measured portions!

jjpptt2

I do, kinda. Realistically, I can't just eat *whatever I want*, even in moderation. The macros would be way off and the volume of food would be way to small for me to be remotely happy.

So I try to balance foods I mostly want with foods I kinda want. Occasionally I can make room for something I REALLY want, but my intake/goal is pretty low right now, so that's harder to do.

fr33sia12

I eat whatever I want, just what I want isn't pie and chips and sweets and cake and pizza. I love eating mostly healthy, unprocessed foods. If I ate what I used to eat before losing weight, just smaller portions, I would be hungry a lot as I wouldn't get much food for my calories. Plus I'd probably have a few health problems like high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

olyamhc

Generally, I'd eat what I want. I don't eat foods that I don't like or that aren't tasty to me. Luckily, I love all sorts of veggies, whole grains, beans. Some sweets that I've gained weight with, I stopped buying, because I wouldn't get satisfied with the tiny portion size that I could fit into my 1200 calories and it would likely trigger the cravings once again (raisin challah, for example). If I want sweets, I have an individual portion of a dark chocolate or hazelnuts or roasted pumpkin seeds. I lost 25lbs in about 4 months eating this way. It's about having a healthy mindset...otherwise the "diet" will fail if you feel too restricted.

mazcor536

I eat anything and everything. Currently chowing down 274 calories of white chocolate as I type (to illustrate my point)! If it fits my calories, I don’t even hesitate. I’ve lost 50lb so far.

azironasun

ndargy1977 wrote: »

Who eats what they want (within a certain calorie deficit of course), and still looses?

I do.
I eat the food I like and have lost over 75# with about 25# to go.
The changes I've made are: practicing CICO, eating 90% meals 'prepared at home' including packed lunches, portion control, weighing and measuring, eliminating junk food from the house (doughnuts, chips, pretzels, etc.), drinking more water, upped my caffeine (coffee) intake, eat more protein, analyze restaurant menus for lower calorie options, and briskly walk four times a week.

Some days are better than others, but I start each day with a healthy breakfast and a positive attitude.

sarahlifts

I want to have pizza and cake from magnolia with a venti white chocolate mocha that's about 3500 calories and I think I'm underestimating.

I do not eat what I want I eat what my body needs and I lose weight.

I like the food I eat. but I Love cake and used to eat it every day. I used to have Venti white chocolate mochas with whip daily and what is life with out pizza? am I right?!

what is more important to me than eating what I want is being able to climb stairs, getting up off the toilet on my own, fitting into clothing in a regular store, loving the way I look and feel, and being strong.

I have cake for special occasions that celebrate ME and I have pizza sometimes, I NEVER have a Venti white chocolate mocha drinking that many calories is never worth it.

estherdragonbat

Oh, 100%, there are things I've stopped eating because I don't think they're worth it. But for me, psychologically, there is a difference between, "I can't afford to have enough of [food I love] to make it worthwhile having it," and "I can't have this anymore". It's not just semantics. The first way makes it easier for me to abstain, the second makes me crave it. I think that quote about 'Stolen waters tasting sweet' comes from Proverbs, but basically, the more I think I CAN'T have something, the more I WANT it. When the thoughts are more, "I CAN have this, IF I'm willing to have a sliced hard egg in a tossed salad for supper tonight and walk a half hour longer..." You know what? I generally decide I'd rather have a bigger supper and I'll have the treat next time.

Saffyra

I don't eat clean or probably healthily but I've lost weight eating things i enjoy. It was kind of a big deal when I realized that if I took a bite of something that wasn't thrilling me, I didn't actually have to eat it... Before I would eat it because it was in front of me or because it was healthy or because I felt like I had to (not wanting to "waste" it or because someone handed me a dessert). I even leave food on my plate! I don't know why that was such a big hurdle but it was.