Weight loss

kashifjawaid1995

Hi, I just wanted to know when tracking calories, has anyone else lost weight by drinking Diet Coke and processed food but staying within calories? I do eat a lot of packaged food, easy to make food from superstores but will I still lose weight if I am strict calorie checking?

is there anything wrong with what I am doing ? Because I do feel like I am losing weight and I love Diet Coke and non sugar fizzy drinks.

I have a lot of fat on my chest and stomach area which I need to lose just wanted to know your opinions and if anyone has lost weight eating practically anything but staying within calories and weighing the food.

Lietchi

It may not be the best plan for health or for your satiation, but for weight loss it should be just fine.

paperpudding

Yes.

I lost weight drinking diet sodas and packaged foods.

Of course that wasnt all I ate or drank - so I think from a health point of view my diet was satisfactory, it included plenty of fresh foods too, it isnt a false dichotomy of packaged foods OR fresh foods

From a weight loss point of view as long as you are within your calorie allowance you will lose weight

From a health point of view, diet sodas and packaged foods are fine, in moderation, as part of your overall diet.

emmamcgarity

I find packaged foods helpful tools for me to stay on track. Sometimes I don’t feel like cooking a full meal or meal planning. So I keep lots of frozen dinners on hand that I enjoy. If my kids want to have a pizza, I often will make myself a lean cuisine pizza and sit down with them. I know I could have a piece or two of their pizza, but I need the portion control. I also keep individual sized bags of chips and desserts on hand to go in my lunch bag for work.

Other convenience items that help me are ready made salads or precut fruit and vegetables. I’m much more likely to snack on them if they are already prepared for me. And I like getting eggs from the grocery store that are already boiled and peeled. Definitely another lunch box item for me. And I have cookies too as long as they fit into my goals.

As for Diet Coke. I drink it every day.

You get to decide your own goals. If losing weight is your only goal, calories are what matters. If you are also wanting to eat more healthfully, look for small ways to include healthier options over time.

Beautyofdreams

Yes. I had to give up pop for a year because it was a trigger food but now can drink it again without it leading to binges on chocolate. Also eat at McDonald’s everyday and have lost 89 pounds in the last two years. I try to strike a balance between satisfying foods, nutritious foods and treats while staying within calories. But do find more nutritious, fibrous foods and non carbonate beverages to be the most filling.

COGypsy

Yea. Hate cooking and meal prep, so would likely starve without packaged food and takeout. I drink Diet Coke pretty much daily. Lost 60 pounds this way, maintained for about 5 years and am working on a little COVID weight these days.

lenette88

It has been my personal experience that I still lose weight, but my body will look different depending on the food I eat while losing weight.

elisa123gal

My personal experience is no.. I didn't lose weight when I used Lean Cuisines. It was so easy .. eating three of those a day and adding frozen vegetables to bulk them up. Eating a low fat yogurt and an tangelo .. coffee and skim milk and Diet Coke. But.. I lose super slow and when I eat all Whole Foods and cook from scratch I lose much faster ..and yeah. so much better for me.

PAV8888

I do drink Coke Zero, if not daily several times a month and during those times several times during the day, and would consider it satiating for the calories! Of course, given the zero calories that's an easy claim to make!😉😹

I will use the occasional Lean cuisine but only consider a couple of them as relatively okay bargains between the calories they cost and the satiation they provide.

In the 300 to 400 calories space there exist a few other more satiating options esp if you do enjoy soups and ethnic noodles and such. A satchel of Betty Crocker mash potatoes cooked with water only is about 360 Cal...

In the sub 300 space you can look up posts re 2-300Cal snacks. In the summer I would be more likely to hit a vanilla cone at McDonald's. Or a couple of apples... Or

Then again I had a lean cuisine today! 🤷🏻‍♂️

Sodium, lack of satiety, and price for what you get 👎 convenience? 👍

Effect on meeting your goals? That's on you as to whether they're a fit or not.

And eat your veggies. The amount of veggies they include is pitiful!

Bridgie3

Weight loss is an issue of physics: if you are consuming fewer calories than you are using you will lose fat. If you eat more calories and store them than you use, you will gain weight.

People argue that it's easier to stay on a diet if you don't give yourself malnutrition - that may be so.

Or that you should eat this or that... well maybe you should.

But this is your personal journey, and if you are making things work on what you are eating, for now, then go for it.

I think a lesson to take from this is to trust one's own point of view. It might be right, it might be wrong. But it's working for you right now. Maybe in two weeks you'll have to rethink. But right now, it's working.

cheers, B.

sijomial

I gained weight when I drank diet coke, I also lost weight and have maintained weight while drinking diet coke.

I gained weight rapidly while eating 100% home cooked and hospital food.

I lost weight eating some processed/store bought foods for convenience (working). I maintain weight eating nearly all home cooked food (retired).

The significant variable is my calorie balance not my food and drink selection.

Making the process as easy and personalised as possible surely increases the chances of success? Perfection really isn't required!

Walkywalkerson

Eat whatever foods you like at a calorie deficit and you will lose weight.
How well and satiated you feel whilst eating food without any nutritional value is another thing.
Junk food has a lot of calories sugar, salt and fat and not much else.
You won't get much food for the amount of calories you need.
And diet fizzy drinks - what are they made of?
I doubt most people can pronounce the ingredients let alone know what they are.

SuzySunshine99

Walkywalkerson wrote: »

Eat whatever foods you like at a calorie deficit and you will lose weight.
How well and satiated you feel whilst eating food without any nutritional value is another thing.
Junk food has a lot of calories sugar, salt and fat and not much else.
You won't get much food for the amount of calories you need.
And diet fizzy drinks - what are they made of?
I doubt most people can pronounce the ingredients let alone know what they are.

Which of these can't you pronounce? This is Diet Coke...

CARBONATED WATER, CARAMEL COLOR, ASPARTAME, PHOSPHORIC ACID, POTASSIUM BENZOATE (TO PROTECT TASTE), NATURAL FLAVORS, CITRIC ACID, CAFFEINE.

glassyo

Walkywalkerson wrote: »

Eat whatever foods you like at a calorie deficit and you will lose weight. - True

How well and satiated you feel whilst eating food without any nutritional value is another thing.Sort of true. I believe all foods have some sort of nutritional value.

Junk food has a lot of calories sugar, salt and fat and not much else.Not true. Snickers and Oreos have protein, for example.

You won't get much food for the amount of calories you need.True

And diet fizzy drinks - what are they made of?Mostly water.

I doubt most people can pronounce the ingredients let alone know what they are.Hooked on Phonics can help people with that.

musicfan68

Just because something has words in it you can't pronounce, doesn't mean it is bad for you. Diet Coke was a bad example though.

glassyo

musicfan68 wrote: »

Just because something has words in it you can't pronounce, doesn't mean it is bad for you. Diet Coke was a bad example though.

There are a lot of perks to diet coke. It's refreshing, it adds to your water consumption, it has caffeine to help keep you awake, it tastes good, can't get that burp out? drink some diet coke!

SuzySunshine99

musicfan68 wrote: »

Just because something has words in it you can't pronounce, doesn't mean it is bad for you. Diet Coke was a bad example though.

I used Diet Coke because that’s what the OP specifically asked about.

Definitely agree with you that it’s silly to assume that if you don’t know what something is, it must be bad.

It’s easy enough to find out what ingredients are if you don’t know. Then you can decide, based on actual information, if you want to consume it or not.

Ashleemurdochh

As long as you remain in a calorie deficit you can consume whatever food you like and slowly lose weight. The only issue with consuming more processed foods is that they are not nutrient dense foods. Nutrient dense foods will keep you more full for a longer period of time, give you more energy, and they also have more volume and nutrients to them then processed foods.
Diet Soda or drinks with no sugar and no calorie are not bad for you, I would suggest limiting your diet soda consumption to 1-2 cans of diet soda a day though.

Walkywalkerson

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