Those who’ve lost weight still eating “bad” food

sandyy0605

Hi everyone, quick intro. I’ve lost 80 pounds naturally years ago. Gained it all back after baby and stress . I’m finally mentally ready for weight loss and have lost 10 pounds. The first time around I was super restrictive about food to the point going out to eat was not an option for me. This time I’m going to try to incorporate some of those food into my nutrition but I fear that I won’t lose the weight. When I crave something in particular I try to make it at home or customize it to make it healthier but still satisfying. But I have those days where I just want that slice a pizza but I’m afraid. Have any of you lost weight while still eating your favorite food?

quiksylver296

Yep. I eat foods I like within my calorie allowance. Sometimes that's chicken breast and salad, and sometimes it's pizza or ice cream.

cmriverside

I ate pizza all through my weight loss...but I haven't had it in a long time, I find it hard to eat a reasonable portion of pizza. I still eat ice cream, cookies, pie, chocolate, bacon cheeseburgers etc. I just don't have them every day and I make them fit into my calorie goals. They're treat foods. Every now and then.

Runaroundafieldx2

I'm having vodka tonight

It fits my weekly deficit. Calories count for weight loss.

estherdragonbat

When it comes to weight loss it's all about the calorie deficit. There's nothing wrong with pizza if it fits your calories.

The one restriction I imposed on myself was with desserts. I think long and hard about bakery treats (mostly because, now that restaurants are starting to put calorie values on foods, I have to really consider whether to blow 600 calories on a cherry turnover) and keep my homemade desserts to 200 calories or fewer per serving.

Doesn't mean I never have a bakery treat. Cake pops are pretty doable. And I have two nephews in this city. They have birthdays, I have cake.

I look for lower-cal options in restaurants, but if I really want to indulge, special occasions are special occasions. They just... have to be at special times, not "any day that ends in a 'y'".

pinuplove

I've eaten 'Pizza Hut thin crust ham and pineapple - 4 slices' often enough for it to be in my frequent foods list

MikePTY

I've lost over 15 pounds so far and had pizza, bagels, burgers, tacos, beer, soda, and just about every so called "bad" food under the sun during it. I just have less of it than I used to, in moderation with my calorie goals.

If you wanted to, you could lose weight literally eating nothing but sugar packets as long as you are at a calorie deficit (don't do this). But the point is, nutrition and weight loss are two separate things.

kami3006

Yep. Lost five years ago and maintained eating what fits my calories. I have not cut out any foods.

Some foods are less nutrient dense than others but that doesn't mean they're bad. And Pizza can have a good amount of protein, fat and carbs. All good things as far as I'm concerned. You just have to watch the calories.

AmyC2288

I've lost 35 lbs so far and still incorporate all of the foods I love. Someone on this site explained to me the beauty of "rolling over calories" and it was a game changer for me. Lots of people eat strict during the week and save up calories for the weekend. I personally don't do this every week, but it's especially handy for this time of year with all of the festivities. If you click on the nutrition tab under Diary in the app, you can view "net calories under weekly goal" to see where you're at.

Jackie9003

I eat whatever I like and have lost 57lbs so far, I usually fit it in by having smaller portions and on the odd day that I eat out I just have a maintenance day.
It's important for me that I don't restrict anything as I want a sustainable eating plan and as "real life" includes pizza, ice cream and booze nights I need to know how to manage that.

kami3006

AmyC2288 wrote: »

I've lost 35 lbs so far and still incorporate all of the foods I love. Someone on this site explained to me the beauty of "rolling over calories" and it was a game changer for me. Lots of people eat strict during the week and save up calories for the weekend. I personally don't do this every week, but it's especially handy for this time of year with all of the festivities. If you click on the nutrition tab under Diary in the app, you can view "net calories under weekly goal" to see where you're at.

Following a weekly calorie goal made a world of difference to me.

leanjogreen18

So I also eat things like pizza and have sweets once in awhile. I plan for these in advance.

Also I’ve learned food isn’t bad. What happens to me when I label food bad I feel guilty eating it and think I’m bad so might as well eat more. It becomes a horrid cycle.

I look at satiation, nutrition and whether a certain food is worth the calories. Sometimes pizza and a side salad is worth it because it’s a sustainable way for me to eat, eating foods I love, only frequency and quantity has changed for those foods.

But yes many have lost weight and maintained that loss eating less nutritious calorie dense food once in awhile.

RunnerGrl1982

Yup, as the others have chimed in, same here, just about everyday! I think it's important to not deprive yourself of the foods we love. Life's too short. We shouldn't feel guilty for trying to indulge ourselves with what we believe isn't completely healthy for us. So, keeping in moderation and incorporating those foods into your daily/weekly calorie goal allows you to still enjoy all the wonderful goodness and not feel restricted in any way. ....At least in my opinion.

JeromeBarry1

Just about everyone who has lost 10% of their initial body weight and kept it off for 3 years has done so by eating the food they like to eat. That includes the phenomena that as you lose weight sensibly, you'll find that you like foods that you previously had not considered.

sandyy0605

Thank you everyone for their feedback, it's helped me tremendously! I feel so much better now

SummerSkier

You can of course!, but check out this particular thread first. I personally am NOT a moderator personality, so although I am currently in maintenance for over a year now, I also stay away from trigger foods (abstain) completely. And they don't always stay the same either. You have to know yourself and sometimes things like "cheat days" or "cheat meals" or "eating anything within your cal limit" doesn't work for everyone. Do what works for you. Yes - overall you can lose weight eating anything you want - but for me - some foods make it a LOT more difficult to stay within that calorie limit.

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10709958/i-have-two-modes#latest

ShayCarver89

I ate a cheeseburger for lunch. It fit in my calories, so I did it. I eat burgers and chicken nuggets several times a week. I've got kids, and no will to cook. So..I shove it in my calories and move on.

AnvilHead

I lost 75 pounds and have maintained that loss for over a year and a half and counting. During my weight loss (and during maintenance), I've eaten plenty of what you probably consider "bad" foods - pizza, lasagna, Chinese takeout, all-you-can-eat sushi, Mexican food, desserts, candy bars, beer/liquor, donuts, cake/pies, fast food burgers/fries/etc. I made them fit them into my calories/macros for the day....or I didn't, and just moved on and got back on track the next day, no big deal.

I don't consider any individual food as "bad" or "good" - I look at their context and dosage within my overall diet, and try to eat a reasonably balanced/nutritious diet while sticking to my calorie goals at least the majority of the time. To paraphrase Eric Helms, "it's better to do something that's 65% optimal 90% of the time than it is to do something that's 90% optimal 65% of the time."

mikea2g

SummerSkier wrote: »

You can of course!, but check out this particular thread first. I personally am NOT a moderator personality, so although I am currently in maintenance for over a year now, I also stay away from trigger foods (abstain) completely. And they don't always stay the same either. You have to know yourself and sometimes things like "cheat days" or "cheat meals" or "eating anything within your cal limit" doesn't work for everyone. Do what works for you. Yes - overall you can lose weight eating anything you want - but for me - some foods make it a LOT more difficult to stay within that calorie limit.

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10709958/i-have-two-modes#latest

^^this. For me, i tend to binge and make horrible decisions if I start eating my trigger foods. Pizza is a big one for me. If I have a slice I find I’m not satiated and will eat another, then a third, then the whole pizza is gone.

I tried cheat days and meals and found myself falling off the wagon for a lot longer than the meal itself. So for me, not worth eating certain foods I use to eat when I was overweight.

a lot of people seem to do great eating whatever and staying under calories. I think as long as you’re not dealing with emotional eating issues you can do it!

janejellyroll

I lost 40+ pounds and have been maintaining that weight loss since late 2015 while eating whatever I like. Now I don't always eat everything I want in the same day and I don't always eat it in the quantities I like, but I have things like fries, alcohol, candy, tortilla chips, and donuts fairly regularly. The vast majority of the time, I make it fit into my calories for the day. On the days that I don't, I just either move on or have slightly fewer calories for the next few days.

Like others have said, I don't consider foods "bad" and I don't feel guilty for eating anything. All foods have macronutrients, so I consider them on that level and how they fit into my overall nutritional goals. Nobody is there to give us a ribbon for the "cleanest" diet, at the end of the day, we just need to consistently meet our calorie goal and make sure our nutritional needs are met.

GottaBurnEmAll

I've lost and kept off 90 pounds while still eating things I enjoy.

Like some of the other posters, I struggle with moderation, but have strategies to deal with that which don't call for forever banning treat foods from my life. They include indulging in certain foods only on special occasions, buying things in single serving packages, eating certain foods only at a restaurant, and pre-logging planned indulgences.

Life is too short never to have pizza, brownies, fries, or ice cream again as long as you live.

cariwaldick

I think it might also depend on your height, your activity level, and your goals. I calculated my daily calorie needs if I wanted to lose two pounds a week. One site said I could have 1200 calories, and another said I should be closer to 800! I'm short and currently sedentary, so I'm never going to eat that 2,000 calorie diet menus claim is average.

I can eat anything I want. But I log what I eat, and some of those wants can take up a whole day's calorie allowance. There's no dessert worth that. If I want it, I eat much less than a serving. A couple bites of Death by Chocolate is all I need to feel like I've experienced it. One or two slices of pizza is all I eat for a meal, and add a salad to feel better about it. Try eating a kids burger, or taking off half the bun. Eat thin crust pizza to save calories. Only eat the fries that are perfect; cold fries aren't worth the calories. Leave off the mayo; you won't miss it.

The longer my diet goes on, the less those foods tempt me. I'm to the point where pizza just tastes greasy, and dessert is often too sweet. I'm down 60 lbs. since August, and I don't struggle with food. But I do log every bite.

WinoGelato

cariwaldick wrote: »

I think it might also depend on your height, your activity level, and your goals. I calculated my daily calorie needs if I wanted to lose two pounds a week. One site said I could have 1200 calories, and another said I should be closer to 800! I'm short and currently sedentary, so I'm never going to eat that 2,000 calorie diet menus claim is average.

I can eat anything I want. But I log what I eat, and some of those wants can take up a whole day's calorie allowance. There's no dessert worth that. If I want it, I eat much less than a serving. A couple bites of Death by Chocolate is all I need to feel like I've experienced it. One or two slices of pizza is all I eat for a meal, and add a salad to feel better about it. Try eating a kids burger, or taking off half the bun. Eat thin crust pizza to save calories. Only eat the fries that are perfect; cold fries aren't worth the calories. Leave off the mayo; you won't miss it.

The longer my diet goes on, the less those foods tempt me. I'm to the point where pizza just tastes greasy, and dessert is often too sweet. I'm down 60 lbs. since August, and I don't struggle with food. But I do log every bite.

60 lbs since this August? Isn’t that about 16-18 weeks? So you’re losing 3 lbs/week which is really aggressive. Are you doing the minimum recommended 1200 calories ? Are you sure you’re really Sedentary?

lillyy23

I'm still on my journey. But I don't eat chocolates, cookies, cake anymore. I just don't think about it. I had ice-cream on cheat day enjoyed it though. I think it gets easier and when I eat something bad I just think about enjoying it for the moment and remember after I've had my portion - thats it. Its about self control

Machka9

sandyy0605 wrote: »

Hi everyone, quick intro. I’ve lost 80 pounds naturally years ago. Gained it all back after baby and stress . I’m finally mentally ready for weight loss and have lost 10 pounds. The first time around I was super restrictive about food to the point going out to eat was not an option for me. This time I’m going to try to incorporate some of those food into my nutrition but I fear that I won’t lose the weight. When I crave something in particular I try to make it at home or customize it to make it healthier but still satisfying. But I have those days where I just want that slice a pizza but I’m afraid. Have any of you lost weight while still eating your favorite food?

Pizza is a good food. Not a bad food.

And yes, I lost weight eating a whole pizza once a month.


Of course I cycled at least 4 hours on those days.