If You Eat Cookies, Cakes, Ice Cream Daily Do You Consider Yourself Dieting?

kommodevaran

janejellyroll wrote: »

Why on earth make things harder than they have to be?

Even though it smells "rethorical question", it's an important question. It has been a science project for me the last four years, and my findings so far is basically:
It's part being swayed by the media, blogs, diet books, and overinterpreting nutritional guidelines.
It's part being superstitious.
And part pure self-handicapping.

WinoGelato

lantana411 wrote: »

I'm surprised at how many people eat cookies, croissants, ice cream, cake, chips, etc. on a daily or near-daily basis BUT LOG THEIR FOOD! I want to know - is it because they consider themselves dieting or getting ready to diet? Is this why people who diet are considered 'eating cleanly'? What do you do and what do you consider it? If you stay within your calories but drink/snack them away instead of eating meals is it dieting?

Count me in the "confuzzled by your questions" category.

1. Are you asking if it's possible to eat cookies, croissants, ice cream, cake, chips, etc and still lose weight? Of course! Losing weight comes from a calorie deficit - period. The type of foods you eat doesn't directly impact your calorie deficit and your ability to manage your weight accordingly.

2. Are you asking if people are gearing up to get serious about weight loss so they start with just logging the foods they eat every day, with no purposeful effort to change their dietary habits? Maybe. Or... see answer to #1.

3. Are you asking if people need to "eat cleanly" in order to be successful at losing weight? Absolutely not. "Clean Eating" is a vague, subjective, and not particularly helpful term that means something different to everyone who purports to follow it. It has no bearing on whether or not you will be successful at weight management. Again, see answer to #1.

You seem to be using the term "dieting" in a very specific way, that I would not utilize. I lost weight eating a variety of foods within a calorie deficit, including, but not limited to, the ones you mentioned above. Also pizza, wine, doughnuts, fast food, lean protein, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains along with implementing a more active lifestyle.

What do I consider that? WINNING

mbaker566

i eat ice cream almost every day. and i've lost weight nearly every week for the time i've been back. i eat at a calorie deficit.

jkal1979

Not everyone who is here to lose weight is restricting what they eat, just how much or how often they have it. For myself, I find that it’s much more sustainable in the long run to work those types of treats into my diet (noun).

TonyB0588

lantana411 wrote: »

I'm surprised at how many people eat cookies, croissants, ice cream, cake, chips, etc. on a daily or near-daily basis BUT LOG THEIR FOOD! I want to know - is it because they consider themselves dieting or getting ready to diet? Is this why people who diet are considered 'eating cleanly'? What do you do and what do you consider it? If you stay within your calories but drink/snack them away instead of eating meals is it dieting?

The MFP way doesn't utilize the word "dieting". You can log your food no matter what you eat, and use it to assess your total calorie intake per day. Also log your daily calorie burn through exercise. A calorie deficit will lead to weight loss, while a calorie surplus will lead to weight gain.

tess5036

I log to count calories, do I remain at a deficit. I may choose to 'eat vlean' as you put it, or eat junk, but whatever I eat, I know how many calories, and the macros of what I have eaten.

I don't see myself as on a diet, it's a lifestyle change, bit as I am at a deficit, you might choose to see me in that way.

Millicent3015

Well, yes, it's important to log what you eat. The way you say it with incredulity makes me think you're at that stage where you still believe the 'good/bad/clean' labels put on food. There's no such thing as good, bad or 'clean' food, there's just more nutritious food and less nutritious. All foods can be incorporated into your diet (ie your long term eating, not a meal plan or fad you follow temporarily), and I think most people who are successfully managing their weight or overall health tend to eat the higher fat/sugar/carb foods in moderation, whatever that moderation looks like for them. I don't consider myself to be dieting. I want to lose weight and improve my health, but it's a lifelong deal for me, so while I'm not going to restrict any food, I am changing what I eat and making different choices.

Lounmoun

lantana411 wrote: »

I'm surprised at how many people eat cookies, croissants, ice cream, cake, chips, etc. on a daily or near-daily basis BUT LOG THEIR FOOD! I want to know - is it because they consider themselves dieting or getting ready to diet? Is this why people who diet are considered 'eating cleanly'? What do you do and what do you consider it? If you stay within your calories but drink/snack them away instead of eating meals is it dieting?

Weight management is about calories not type of food. Eating clean is a vague term and has nothing to do with actual fat loss.
A "diet" will only result in fat loss if you are eating less calories than you burn (have a calorie deficit). You might see people refer to this as CICO (calories in, calories out). It is how the body functions not a particular way of eating.
If you figure out that to maintain your current weight you need to eat 1,600 calories and you consistantly consume 2,000 calories of any food or drink then over time you will gain fat even if the food is the most raw, organic nutritious thing you can find. If you eat too many calories of broccoli, boiled chicken, quinoa, avocados, almonds and bananas you will gain fat the same as if you ate over your maintenance calories with frozen pizza, ice cream, casseroles and chips every day. Beware of diet plans that do not talk about calorie intake.

Dieting is a term with a lot of baggage implying very restrictive or temporary eating patterns. The term diet can also refer to any food you eat though. I did not change the type of food I am eating much so my diet did not change. I prefer to say I am watching my calorie intake rather than dieting. Logging my food daily helps me to eat what I like in appropriate amounts for my goal. My diary includes fast food, frozen foods, canned foods, sweets, bread, butter, potatoes, pasta, homemade foods from scratch, fresh vegetables and fruits. It has been most sustainable for weight management in my world to learn to eat the food I like- and that those around me eat- in appropriate portion sizes for me.

Duck_Puddle

I just eat food in a way that meets my nutritional needs and is sustainable for life. Most of what I eat is nutrient dense. Some is not. I log everything. I am currently in a calorie deficit so I am losing weight.

diannethegeek

lantana411 wrote: »

I'm surprised at how many people eat cookies, croissants, ice cream, cake, chips, etc. on a daily or near-daily basis BUT LOG THEIR FOOD! I want to know - is it because they consider themselves dieting or getting ready to diet? Is this why people who diet are considered 'eating cleanly'? What do you do and what do you consider it? If you stay within your calories but drink/snack them away instead of eating meals is it dieting?

For me, while I was restricting calories I always knew that there would be cookies, ice cream, cake, chips, etc around for the rest of my life. Sometimes because of my own choices and sometimes because of the choices of others. If I didn't learn to work around them and to take power over them instead of letting them have power over me, how was I going to manage? So yes, I ate ice cream and cake occasionally and considered myself to be dieting (successfully, I might add -- 55 pounds lost over 52 weeks thank you very much).

I never considered it "eating cleanly" whatever that means. And I never "snacked away" my calories instead of eating meals. There was room for a bit of everything in my diet, and there still is. Good protein sources, veggies, fiber, high quality fats, and a couple of oreos if I have a craving that just won't disappear or an orange creme bar just because it's summer.

ceiswyn

I have lost 16 stone eating chocolate, biscuits, ice cream etc on a daily basis. In quantities that fitted within my calorie limit, alongside other more nutrient-dense foods.

I am now tracking my food in order to maintain my goal weight, which includes eating more chocolate, cakes and pastries BECAUSE I CAN.

Which part of this, exactly, do you find surprising, OP?

diannethegeek

P.S. I also never dropped below 1400 calories/day and most of the time I stayed around 1700 cals/day for weight loss. Since the OP seems to be staying under 1100 calories a day I can see why she might not feel there's room for snacks or sweets in a diet. There isn't much room for anything on so few calories.

slossia

Sweets are a part of my diet, and I lost 65 lbs and I’m maintaining that weight loss for over a year now!

nutmegoreo

lantana411 wrote: »

I'm surprised at how many people eat cookies, croissants, ice cream, cake, chips, etc. on a daily or near-daily basis BUT LOG THEIR FOOD!

1) Nothing wrong with having a treat on a daily basis. What do you think is wrong with these items?
2) Logging these items is valuable because they tend to be more calorie dense than some foods, so logging keeps people aware of their total calorie intake, which is a requirement for calorie counting.

I want to know - is it because they consider themselves dieting or getting ready to diet?

I do it because I am keeping my calorie intake at a level that helps me reach my weight goals. I presume others do that as well, whether that be gaining, losing, or maintaining their weight.

Is this why people who diet are considered 'eating cleanly'?

Eating clean is a nebulous term that is completely irrelevant for weight loss. If you are referring to eating a balanced diet comprised of mostly whole foods, that can be beneficial to ensure proper nutrition. The "health" of a diet is not negated because someone eats a cookie. It's not like the body goes, whelp, she ate a cookie, I'm going to just flush all those other vitamins and minerals out. I think the term "eating clean" is used to denote moral superiority, and yet many people who do not claim to be "clean eaters" probably eat just as much of a nutritionally balanced diet as anyone else. (I'm generalizing here.)

What do you do and what do you consider it?

I eat the foods I want while keeping an eye on nutritional and caloric balance. I don't consider it anything other than me meeting my needs.

If you stay within your calories but drink/snack them away instead of eating meals is it dieting?

I don't use the term dieting, but if that's the word you want to use, I don't see why having a treat as being something that needs to mean you've ruined your diet and therefor aren't doing it right.


ETA: under the second last quote: meeting my needs while not depriving myself of delicious foods and occasional treats.

Johnd2000

I’m not dieting, I’m managing my weight.

And yes, I eat all those things within my calorie and nutritional goals.

jennifer_417

I'm counting calories in order to lose weight. I'm not concerned if anyone thinks it's a "diet" or not.

CharlieBeansmomTracey

if I had to be strict and cut out things that are considered "junk" or not clean I would have never made it as long as I have. I would gain weight back because I would have given up. eating things I like keeps me on track for the most part. I do have a day here and there where for some reason I want those things in excess,not sure why but sometimes I do indulge but get back on track asap. hasnt hindered me in any way.

callsitlikeiseeit

i dont 'diet'.

i eat within m calories.

that includes sweets on occasion.

if you omit everything good and fun to eat ... you'll burn ou VERY quickly and end up binging on them, losing motivation, and gaining back lost weight plus, usually, more.

ive lost 100 pounds and never had a birthday or holiday or gathering with friends or fun weekend where i deprived myself of anything i wanted.

that homemade cinnamon roll i had yesterday as a snack sure was good!

vingogly

I don't believe in dieting because diets don't work long term. What I'm doing is restricting my calorie budget to lose weight - and I eat everything I'll eat when I'm back in maintenance again, just less of it. I'll have a dish of ice cream maybe twice a month - it becomes a special treat for me rather than a daily thing. Same thing for items like candy bars. And when I do have ice cream or chocolate, I have something full fat and good tasting - no Halo Top or "ice milk" (shudder) for me.

Dividing your life into "Dieting" and "Not Dieting" sections is in my experience a recipe for long-term failure. What works is permanent lifestyle changes. Otherwise, you return to what you've labeled "normal eating" - which is likely what got you in trouble in the first place. And you'll resent the artificial restrictions you've imposed on yourself by banning certain foods from your diet.

Eating "clean" means something different to different people, and it has nothing to do with losing weight. There are "clean" diet programs out there, but they still depend on restricting calories for success.

WinoGelato

Is this going to be one of those threads where OP makes a provocative statement/inquiry, then everyone chimes in to refute it or provide clarity and the OP never returns but we all still go on agreeing with each other?

Ok just checking. Carry on with all these examples of being able to eat delicious foods AND achieve our goals.