Can you lose weight by just eating really healthy?
jlsjenni1992
Posts: 38 Member
For the past week and half I’ve been eating really healthy.Allot of fruits and vegetables and lean protein like chicken and also soup too on occasion with healthy cereal in the morning. I have also been portioning out cereal but other then that I haven’t been counting calories.i have been adding a little olive oil when sautéing my veggies but not allot .i haven’t noticed allot of difference on scale in the past week a lost 2 pounds but recently gained one pound , which is fustrating for me .However , my skin looks better and my anxiety has gotten allot better and my digestion is really good and I just feel better .i haven’t been really counting calories but eventually do you think I will lose weightBy the way I’m 28 year old female I’m 5’3 and weigh 176.5 pounds
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Replies
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Weight loss comes from a calorie deficit. Doesnt matter what type of foods you eat, as long as you burn more calories than you eat.32
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jlsjenni1992 wrote: »For the past week and half I’ve been eating really healthy.Allot of fruits and vegetables and lean protein like chicken and also soup too on occasion with healthy cereal in the morning. I have also been portioning out cereal but other then that I haven’t been counting calories.i have been adding a little olive oil when sautéing my veggies but not allot .i haven’t noticed allot of difference on scale in the past week a lost 2 pounds but recently gained one pound , which is fustrating for me .However , my skin looks better and my anxiety has gotten allot better and my digestion is really good and I just feel better .i haven’t been really counting calories but eventually do you think I will lose weightBy the way I’m 28 year old female I’m 5’3 and weigh 176.5 pounds
You can lose weight just by eating healthier, if eating healthier causes you to eat less calories than your body uses. While some people find eating healthier naturally causes them to eat less calories, there are plenty of folks here who became overweight by eating what most people would consider a very healthy, clean diet that was still too high in calories.
You lose weight through a calorie deficit, how you get there is up to you.
Regardless, a week and a half is not long enough to judge anything. Changes in eating habits, diet, meal timing, activity level can all cause water weight fluctuations up and down. You will need to determine your success in weeks and months, not days
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p126 -
Weight loss is entirely dependent on calorie deficit. The quality of the calories may affect your health, but doesn’t matter to weight loss.
However, since it’s very easy to overeat junk food without feeling satisfied, some people find that eating more healthy foods makes it easier to stay in a caloric deficit.
One week is not enough to see a meaningful difference on the scale. Normal water and waste fluctuations especially in a reproductive age woman may be a few pounds a day.
Why not set up a calorie goal and log your food in MFP? Then you won’t have to guess whether or not your new way of eating has you in a deficit. If you find out that eating this way, you naturally eat fewer calories, you may be able to stop logging and still lose weight. However, many people will start eating enough of their healthy food that they don’t lose weight.16 -
Weight loss comes from a calorie deficit, not from eating nutrient-rich food. Some people find that they eat fewer calories when they change their diet and this creates a calorie deficit that results in weight loss. This can sometimes cause confusion, in that they think the diet change *in and of itself* is what created the weight loss.
Sometimes people find they even *gain* weight when they switch their diet to "healthier" food, as some of these foods can be quite calorie-dense. You might end up eating more calories than you were before!
But you can lose weight eating anything, even Hot Pockets and spray cheese (you wouldn't meet all your nutritional needs if you were just eating those two foods, but you could lose weight).
If you want to be sure you're losing weight, counting calories and consistently meeting a calorie goal that puts you at a deficit is an easy way to do that.
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Yes, it is possible to lose weight by adjusting your eating habits and not counting. "Healthy" food is a relative term and not the best way to look at things. There is nothing inherently wrong with a cheeseburger, fries, or cookies. Eating too much of anything can have adverse effects. The bigger question is whether you can deal with added uncertainty that not counting will add to your weight loss journey. If so, go for it. If not, count the calories and take more control over it. Personally, I'd find it frustrating to be "trying to lose weight" instead of actually losing it. There's nothing stopping you from "eating healthy" and also counting except you.7
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jlsjenni1992 wrote: »For the past week and half I’ve been eating really healthy.Allot of fruits and vegetables and lean protein like chicken and also soup too on occasion with healthy cereal in the morning. I have also been portioning out cereal but other then that I haven’t been counting calories.i have been adding a little olive oil when sautéing my veggies but not allot .i haven’t noticed allot of difference on scale in the past week a lost 2 pounds but recently gained one pound , which is fustrating for me .However , my skin looks better and my anxiety has gotten allot better and my digestion is really good and I just feel better .i haven’t been really counting calories but eventually do you think I will lose weightBy the way I’m 28 year old female I’m 5’3 and weigh 176.5 pounds
In additional to what others said, you could be retaining water, which would mask fat loss, if you recently started a new exercise program or are ovulating or premenstrual or super-stressed.
Other than the little bit of olive oil, you didn't mention any calorie dense foods like nuts or other high fat foods (which are easy to get a lot of calories from a little amount, as fat has 9 calories per gram while protein and carbs have 4 calories per gram.) This is not to dis fat per se, but to point out that foods like nuts are considered healthy, but really easy to overeat.
Unless you left out a lot of foods, yes, sounds like a good way of eating to lose weight. Times I didn't calorie count but lost weight no problem I ate like that.
However, you'd have more certainty if you weighed your foods.5 -
You can lose weight just by eating healthier, if eating healthier causes you to eat less calories than your body uses. While some people find eating healthier naturally causes them to eat less calories, there are plenty of folks here who became overweight by eating what most people would consider a very healthy, clean diet that was still too high in calories.
Yep! This was me! I wish I knew this when I was younger.3 -
It depends on what people define as "healthy." Nutrient dense foods tend to be lower in calories, while generally scoring higher in the satiety index, so it's possible to lose weight eating those types of food without counting, though, the end result is still an energy deficit, which would lead to fat loss.5
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Of course I agree with all of the above posters saying it's calories, not "healthy eating", for weight loss. The only relationship between the two is that healthier foods tend to be lower calorie per unit of weight (e.g. 4 oz. of broccoli vs Haagen-Dasz), such that if you eat healthier foods instead of junk, this could lead to weight loss.
But the main thing I got out of the OP's post is scale questioning after 10 days. It really takes 5-6 weeks to get a clear picture of whether the current regimen will produce the desired rate of fat loss. Any weight changes in 10 days can be partly or even 100 % water fluctuation.
There is no substitute for calorie counting. Start there.
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You have taken a step towards a positive habit and you are reaping a few rewards from it. That is excellent. Now you need to log what you are eating and see if you need to make some adjustments to the calories. If you start to miss what you were eating before remember that if you can moderate it and make it fit in your calories you can eat it. I am substantially healthier than I was but it is primarily due to weight loss. My food intake involves more homemade items which are prepared to be more nutritious but I still enjoy treats on a regular basis too. It is just a matter of balancing the two.
There is nothing wrong with what you have done as a great first step. It is just unlikely going to work as your only step.
Good for you getting the ball rolling.
You should also know that even if you do count calories the scale will still go north sometimes for you. I suggest reading this:
https://physiqonomics.com/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-weight-and-fluctuations/
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"Can you lose weight by just eating really healthy?" - yes.
But you can also maintain or gain weight while eating really healthy.
I gained 30lbs in 3 months eating 90% good home cooked food and 10% hospital food.
Having a healthy diet is great but you also need to make the size of your diet (calories) appropriate to your goals.
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In addition to all the excellent points brought up, I will also weigh in
on the expectations front!
A pound of true fat loss or true fat gain is not a single day's endeavor!
It takes 3500 Calories of energy imbalance to achieve.
Most non morbidly obese people are looking at a minimum average of 10 days or so per lb of true fat level change (target of 1lb a week plus a small degree of meandering)
Water weight can change a few lbs in a day. 3, 5, even 7+ lbs in a monthly cycle. What you see on your scale is only partially fat change
If you decide to lose weight without the added certainty of counting calories and weighing your food, don't do yourself the disservice of additionally engaging in unnecessarily large deficits for fear that the scale is not moving fast enough. Get a weight trend app and learn about your individual weight variations throughout the month too!
Most people view calorie counting as an overwhelming restriction. I even had a friend tell me yesterday that she thinks counting points is easier!
I found counting calories a liberating experience that allowed me to eat as much as I could while still having the certainty that I was meeting my goals.4 -
Eating healthy shows on how healthy you look. You can be thin and look terrible, or a little overweight and look great. What about how your skin looks , your color looks and how about how when you feel good you seem to look better! This all comes from eating healthy. I’m pretty sure that on days that you got plenty of sleep and you know you ate good that you probably smiled more, and I bet people noticed! So don’t get hung up on how much you weigh. Confidence on how you look shows to everyone! People can look great at any weight! It’s more important to be healthy then thin! I notice how men are well kept, and women dress nice. Everyone can be beautiful!! As long as you feel good it will show!3
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You can lose weight just by eating healthier, if eating healthier causes you to eat less calories than your body uses. While some people find eating healthier naturally causes them to eat less calories, there are plenty of folks here who became overweight by eating what most people would consider a very healthy, clean diet that was still too high in calories.
Yep! This was me! I wish I knew this when I was younger.
Me too! I mean, it was never perfect, but I think I ate "healthier" foods generally speaking than a lot of my peers, especially in my 20s. It just took a lot longer for me to make the calorie connection!
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Maybe study up on intermittent fasting and timing of eating and getting a good look at when and what is sugar, Yes I love my carmel and it all.... The counting and tracking of your intake here gets you going even though it is time consuming it is amazing how we plop an abundant amount of food we perhaps ought not ingest!!! PS write on your belly every time you lose an increment of 10 pounds and take a picture of your current weight then aim for a lower 10 pound photo!!! I got to 300 lbs knocked off 40 of it so I had 4 x photos but then the Holiday season packed on an upward hefty rise so back to the weird not eating and 16 to 20 hour fasts every other day or whenever... I try not to eat until after 2pm and quit putting food in my mouth by 9 pm.2
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Eating healthy shows on how healthy you look. You can be thin and look terrible, or a little overweight and look great. What about how your skin looks , your color looks and how about how when you feel good you seem to look better! This all comes from eating healthy. I’m pretty sure that on days that you got plenty of sleep and you know you ate good that you probably smiled more, and I bet people noticed! So don’t get hung up on how much you weigh. Confidence on how you look shows to everyone! People can look great at any weight! It’s more important to be healthy then thin! I notice how men are well kept, and women dress nice. Everyone can be beautiful!! As long as you feel good it will show!
Nobody disputes that eating nutritiously is also important
But that wasn't the question.
And I'm sure people can look great and dress nicely, or not, at any size.
But What that has to do with losing weight on whatever foods , I do not know.
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Maybe study up on intermittent fasting and timing of eating and getting a good look at when and what is sugar, Yes I love my carmel and it all.... The counting and tracking of your intake here gets you going even though it is time consuming it is amazing how we plop an abundant amount of food we perhaps ought not ingest!!! PS write on your belly every time you lose an increment of 10 pounds and take a picture of your current weight then aim for a lower 10 pound photo!!! I got to 300 lbs knocked off 40 of it so I had 4 x photos but then the Holiday season packed on an upward hefty rise so back to the weird not eating and 16 to 20 hour fasts every other day or whenever... I try not to eat until after 2pm and quit putting food in my mouth by 9 pm.
There is absolutely no need for OP to try any version of IF and nothing she posted suggested any interest in doing so.
Calorie deficit - that's all.
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Thanks everyone !3
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I could easily gain weight by being overly generous with certain foods that most would classify as healthy like nuts, seeds, olive oil... Right now I eat a healthy diet (which for me means primarily whole foods) and am maintaining.5
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You can eat completely healthy foods (lean meats, whole grains, healthy fats, nuts, fruits and veggies) and totally gain weight if you EAT TOO MUCH of them. This is EXACTLY my problem, and why I have to log and track calories.5
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Weight loss = eating less calories than your body burns. Always.
Good nutrition is necessary to be healthy. Moderation of all foods is beneficial for me, and helpful for my long term goals. I don’t deny any food, but I do limit quantities of food, fitting it into my calories for each day.4 -
Once my sister said, "Nobody gets fat eating too much fruit," and I said, "Here, hold my beer . . ."
Actually, I don't drink, but HA, I proved her wrong! (Yeah, the joke's on me, +40 lbs later). I gained a lot making "healthy" smoothies. Nothing but the best ingredients--and 'way too many calories each day.
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jlsjenni1992 wrote: »For the past week and half I’ve been eating really healthy.Allot of fruits and vegetables and lean protein like chicken and also soup too on occasion with healthy cereal in the morning. I have also been portioning out cereal but other then that I haven’t been counting calories.i have been adding a little olive oil when sautéing my veggies but not allot .i haven’t noticed allot of difference on scale in the past week a lost 2 pounds but recently gained one pound , which is fustrating for me .However , my skin looks better and my anxiety has gotten allot better and my digestion is really good and I just feel better .i haven’t been really counting calories but eventually do you think I will lose weightBy the way I’m 28 year old female I’m 5’3 and weigh 176.5 pounds
Wow we have similar stats: I'm 26, F, 5’ 4” and 156lbs. Yes you can lose the initial weight without tracking calories. I went from 185lbs to 150 lbs a few years ago without counting calories. What I did do was cut down on carbs which I assume is what helped me to create the deficit. Also it takes up to six weeks to see a weight loss trend for us girls because of our cycle so just hold on. So to answer your question- YES, it is possible. Some people who only need to track their calories for a month and then eye ball everything and lose weight just fine after. You don’t need to use a scale, plenty of people lose weight without it. With the last 10-15 lbs you will probably need a scale though but we will see how you get on.0 -
Yes, smoothies can be *very* caloric, regardless of how 'healthy' they might seem. I would still be chewing my leg off, though, since I don't find smoothies at all satiating. I need to *eat* my food.Once my sister said, "Nobody gets fat eating too much fruit," and I said, "Here, hold my beer . . ."
Actually, I don't drink, but HA, I proved her wrong! (Yeah, the joke's on me, +40 lbs later). I gained a lot making "healthy" smoothies. Nothing but the best ingredients--and 'way too many calories each day.
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