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.

nutmegoreo

I eat whatever I want, but I aim for a minimum on protein and fats.

nvmomketo

Within my health needs (celiac with insulin resistance) I eat mostly what I want. I now try to keep an eye on health needs more than I did in the past. I find my health affects my weight a fair bit.

jillstreett

I definitely eat what I want. But in moderation, and planned out. If I know work is treating us to bagels for breakfast, the rest of my day is lean and light. If I want pizza on a Friday night, then Thursday and Friday day time are light and lean. I watch carbs so that I don't waste calories and feel full and retain water (personal preference for how it makes me feel the next morning) BUT if I enjoy something carb heavy spur of the moment, and meet my caloric goal for the day, then I usually will do a 16 hour fast overnight. This helps me big time. Takes away the bloat, let's my body process the sugars and there is absolutely no starving myself because my calorie goal was still met.

Example, of carb heavy then 16 hour fast. I had been hovering around 155 (had dropped to 152.7 but was retaining water from a vacation/ diet break) ate a bagel that work treated us to (430 calorie bagel from Panera +300 calories of cream cheese) ate light for the rest of the day. 1/2 hour of cardio and then 16 hour fast from 4pm to 8am and weighed in the next day at 153.2. The bagel totally didn't matter.

I see a benefit to combining eating what and want and when I eat it. That's just my preference.

iamjoyce1

I eat what ever I am in the mood for. I eat a variety of foods and try to keep things balanced. The only macro I pay attention to is protein because I always tend to be a little low. I lean toward eating more veggies and fruit. I also have at least one dessert/treat per day...and occasionally it is fruit. I am trying to make this a permanent way of eating so it's not too restrictive. So far since January 2018 I've slowly lost 30 pounds. My base is 1200 calories and I always earn exercise calories and eat some of those too. I would still like to lose about 40-50 more pounds and my average weight loss at this point is about 2 pounds per month. I do body weight exercise as well as hiking and I can definitely feel a difference in my body tone and energy level. Healthy feels good. Good luck to you!

Kim_S_G

I pretty much eat whatever I want to, staying within my calorie limit. I do not pay attention to carbs, but do try to watch my protein because I know that helps in reducing muscle loss. My other food choices are based on my personal health concerns (hypothyroidism for one) and what tastes good (ice cream).

cwolfman13

prettyhappyrunning wrote: »

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?

Carbs don't have anything to do with weight management...calories do.

I ensure that my diet is nutritionally sound and a lot of "what I want" is nutritionally sound foods. I also indulge in things that are maybe not the most nutritious, but as long as my nutritional needs are being met overall, that is largely irrelevant to the big picture.

janejellyroll

I eat whatever I like, while ensuring I get sufficient protein and fat.

amgreenwell

I do. I just stay within calories. I pre-log everything in the morning so I know if I have wiggle room to have some dessert or if I need to run/walk a little more to get extra calories. Keeps me on track.
but, yes, I eat any and everything!

Lounmoun

prettyhappyrunning wrote: »

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?

I look at calories first then I try to get to my protein. If I am doing those two things I am generally under my carb goal without any effort. I do not eat a very low carb diet because that would not be sustainable for me.

I mostly eat the same foods I always did just in appropriate portion sizes for my goal.
I prelog my food for the day and adjust portion sizes to fit my goals. I try to eat several servings of vegetables or fruits a day. I generally have 100-300 calories for snacks.
I pair higher calorie foods with more lower calorie vegetables. I reduce calories in foods by using less cheese, less oil, lower fat milk, thinner crust for pizza. I might skip rice or bread if it doesn't fit well that day. I don't try to have doughnuts, stuffed crust pizza, fried chicken, bacon cheeseburger and a peanut butter shake all in one day. Just common sense.

DomesticKat

I eat what I want. The only macro I track closely is protein to make sure I get enough of it. I've never had issues with getting enough carbs and fats and will just glance at them from time to time to see how I'm doing. How you choose to arrange your macros for satiety and nutrition will be entirely subjective and will likely evolve over time as you figure out what works for you.