Do you eat whatever you want?

prettyhappyrunning

Just getting started and wondered if people eat what they want as long as they stay within calories? Or do you really watch your carbs?

TavistockToad

i follow IIFYM, so i watch calories and macros and eat what i like that fits them both to hit my weekly goal

fb47

I don't watch carbs, in fact I eat over 200g of carbs when I am cutting. I eat what I want provided that I meet my protein goals, fiber and micronutrients for the day. If I match those 3, then if I have calories remaining, I eat whatever I want that fits within my macros. There's no need to avoid any food unless you don't have much calories to work with. In my case, I am able to lose 1 lb per week doing no cardio, lifting 3 times a week eating at 2400 calories. So I have enough room to incorporate a majority of nutritional foods and some junk food too.

Deviette

Yes.

I don't track my macros at all.

ccrdragon

In terms of weight loss, the only thing that counts is calories. Does not matter where the calories come from.

Nutrition and satiety are a whole different conversation - satiety varies from person to person (on what fills you up and keeps the hunger at bay).

prettyhappyrunning

Ok thank you I will check into it.

emtrimble

I pretty much eat whatever I want, as long as it fits into my calories for the day. There are things I've cut WAY back on because the calories just aren't worth it. So I've started to lean toward more fruits and vegetables because they fit my calorie allowance better. So without actively giving anything up, I've started to have a more healthy diet just because I'm watching my calories (and healthier stuff / filling things tend to have less cals!).

pinuplove

I eat whatever I want while roughly staying within the macro split I've decided works best for me (40C-35F-25P). Your ideal macro split will probably be different, and it may take some trial and error to see what works best for you. Low-carb is not necessary for weight loss, though.

kommodevaran

I keep to a reasonable calorie intake, and I couldn't have done that for years without eating whatever I like, and I certainly don't watch carbs. Unnecessary hyperfocus on irrelevant details, leading to restrictive mindset, was what kept me struggling with weight.

andreascjonsson

I eat pastries or ice Cream pretty much every day, I just make sure to be over in protein and under in calories otherwise i eat whatever i want.

tinkerbellang83

I watch my calories and macros but I am eating fairly moderate carbs. Carbs don't make you fat, excess calories do.

tirowow12385

Yah.

cheryldumais

Yes and no. What I have found is that if I eat too many carbs I tend to get hungrier. So I eat mostly what I want but if I find I'm losing control I try to eat more protein to balance my appetite. I am not hung up on macros other than that. I have also found a higher fiber intake via veggies helps too.

100_PROOF_

As far as weight loss is concerned, yes. It comes down to calories.
Calories in calories out.
With that being said though, remember that it helps a lot to be as accurate as possible . Food scale for solids, measuring cup for liquid.
Learn how to weigh your foods and log them accurately. Remember that the data base is user-generated so be sure to pick the appropriate entry for your food item.

FireOpalCO

Yes and no. I haven't completely eliminated any food besides lattes (which is a temporary thing also related to headaches). But there are definitely foods that went from frequent ingestion to very rare and in much smaller quantities. I took my son to Starbucks for our regular weekly visit before his OT and while he had his chocolate chip cookie & chocolate milk (he's underweight) I had ice water while the car smelled like warm cookie. But that evening after my workout I had enough calories earned back that I indulged in 65g of gelato without any guilt.

Weighing and recording everything sometimes makes me feel like I'm not eating whatever I want even though I'm the one selecting all the foods.

deonbfit

If you have to start off eating whatever you want then go for it. As long as it fits your calories for the day.

As you start to lose weight your mind set will likely shift and you will start to think of ways to enjoy the same foods but with less calories so that you can still eat them but create a larger deficit. You will begin to make sacrifices on the things you feel you can go without and still be content with your meal choice.

Panini911

Well yes and no. There are no "no go foods" but if I want to stay in my calorie range and ratios and feel full that will impact what i eat. if i eat something super high calorie but can only eat a tiny bit i will be pretty hungry the rest of the day! So this means I make smart decisions to eat plenty of food to keep me full, keeping my macros in mind as well.

i don't really watch carbs no. I aim for higher protein and feeling "full" which means lots of veggies and fruit. Plus I eat vegetarian many days which and those proteins tend to have carbs. I don't eat much in the way of breads, rice, pasta (personal choice as they don't "fill me up" enough)

Diatonic12

I eat whatever I want. To say I'm through with dieting, food hacks, rapid weight loss tricks, food substitutes, elimination of food groups, food resets and clean eating is to understate my personality by several thousand degrees.

CarvedTones

Pretty much. I try to makes sure I get enough protein and veggies. I don't hit the mfp computed macros all the time, but I try to make sure protein is above minimum RDA guidelines for my weight. I get lots of carbs and tend to be a little low on fats but not ridiculously low. I am in maintenance after losing weight doing pretty much the same, though the protein I was making sure I got left fewer calories to use however I wanted when losing. I pretty freely push stuff forward to make things work over days, not necessarily every day individually, though I log like it does.

However, logging every single thing is a line in the sand I do not cross. If you are a "clean eater" and look at my diary, you will probably message me to call 911. Today looks particularly bad because I pushed some stuff forward and I have a major calorie burn coming up this afternoon.

workinonit1956

I do, I pay attention to get enough protein though. I also watch my sodium intake due to high blood pressure.

kgirlhart

I eat what I want as long as it fits my calorie goal. I don't pay much attention to carbs. I do try to hit my protein goal. I lost ~76 pounds doing this and have been maintaining for ~7 months now.