cutting out all "cheat" foods

bwogilvie

why would cutting out "cheat" foods be a bad idea?

First of all, it's not clear what "cheat" foods are. Do you mean foods that are calorie-dense but nutrition-poor, like doughnuts? Most people who entirely cut out such foods while losing weight, and then start eating them again after reaching goal, will gain back the weight because they have not made a sustainable lifestyle change. Better to continue eating them in moderation while losing, to reinforce the habit of eating them in moderation later. You may not be one of those people, but that's where the advice is coming from.

If, on the other hand, "cheat" foods are things you eat but don't log (like fruit and vegetables in Weight Watchers), you should be logging them all along. They do have calories. I log even my baby dill pickles, at 5 calories each.

rayfu75

Sounds like you already know your answer. Drop your caloric intake for awhile and hit your goal. Good luck

Escape_Artist

Honestly, i'm not kidding. The only thing constant is working out and running. I have tried a few different eating styles (paleo, Primal, Intermittent Fasting etc)

It's calories in vs calories out. Doesn't matter what ''style'' you eat.
The closer you get to your goal the slower it gets and normally you can expect a 0.5lbs drop a week.

Besides, it shouldn't be about the number on the scale but about how you look and if you are happy with it.

If you wanna cut out ''cheat foods'' (whatever that may be) then you can do that. But restricting is never a good thing. You are making a life time change and unless you want to permanently remove these foods from your diet because of medical reasons or because you don't like the taste then it is to be expected that at one point you will snap and most likely binge. It just resutlt in a bad relationship with food in my opinion

thekyleo

You've only got 12 lbs to go... how tall are you?

6'1

thekyleo

Honestly, i'm not kidding. The only thing constant is working out and running. I have tried a few different eating styles (paleo, Primal, Intermittent Fasting etc)

It's calories in vs calories out. Doesn't matter what ''style'' you eat.
The closer you get to your goal the slower it gets and normally you can expect a 0.5lbs drop a week.

Besides, it shouldn't be about the number on the scale but about how you look and if you are happy with it.

If you wanna cut out ''cheat foods'' (whatever that may be) then you can do that. But restricting is never a good thing. You are making a life time change and unless you want to permanently remove these foods from your diet because of medical reasons or because you don't like the taste then it is to be expected that at one point you will snap and most likely binge. It just resutlt in a bad relationship with food in my opinion

well my relationship with food has changed and I am currently seeing a therapist to address the issue

rayfu75

I have gone through a few different things to lose weight, I guess I haven't found one thing that works so I guess I'll just keep trying different things

You HAVE to be kidding - you've got this nailed down. There is one thing that's working consistently and that's your effort and stamina - you're doing amazing - 86lbs lost!!

Just stick with and change it around when you need to.

Honestly, i'm not kidding. The only thing constant is working out and running. I have tried a few different eating styles (paleo, Primal, Intermittent Fasting etc)

The eating style you chose, by in large, doesn't matter. It's the calories. Those approaches are just things people use to help with adherence.

2000 cals is 2000 cals regardless of when/how you eat it.

True that. I've also done Paleo, Primal but if you take in more calories than you are burning it doesn't matter. If you like eating paleo stick with it just drop portion sizes, same with any other "style" of eating. I'm currently in the same boat.

jrp31

Before you cut out whole groups of food or cut back drastically on your calories please check out IIFYM. It has been a lifesaver for me. Here's a pretty comprehensive overview.

http://jodiefuturefigure.wordpress.com/2013/08/03/the-iifym-directory/

One tip I could probably give you right offhand would be to leave your food intake and what you eat where it is and then add in some HIIT cardio.

Good luck!

Unknown

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thekyleo

You restricted yourself in the beginning, you stopped doing that, got more relaxed and lost a ton of weight. So now you think restricting again is the answer? You were able to overcome that psychological obstacles in weight loss with success, why go backwards?

Reevaluating your caloric needs might be in order instead.

Also, you say you've been stuck at 197. How long have you been "stuck" and have you relaxed to the point where you are not logging accurately?

I've been stuck for about 3 weeks. I log everything to a point where it's obsessive if I can't find out the caloric information of something

thekyleo

Before you cut out whole groups of food or cut back drastically on your calories please check out IIFYM. It has been a lifesaver for me. Here's a pretty comprehensive overview.

http://jodiefuturefigure.wordpress.com/2013/08/03/the-iifym-directory/

One tip I could probably give you right offhand would be to leave your food intake and what you eat where it is and then add in some HIIT cardio.

Good luck!

I've looked at IIFYM and It contains too many foods that I can't eat. So I think I will take your advice and add in some HIIT cardio

Hildy_J

Hey,

I put your details into the TDEE at http://www.fat2fitradio.com/ - lightly active - 20% and got 2217 calories a day. You should be losing on that. If you want, you could use the TDEE method instead then you don't have to log your exercise calories, which rules out another variable?

Having had a little look at your diary, which is really well-filled out, btw, there were a couple of things I noticed - you're using cups (eg to measure ice cream) and tablespoons (eg to measure egg whites). Food scales always best because they're so much more accurate.

You're doing great. Really. And it's FAB that you're getting help for this too - you're hitting it from all angles. Well done.

lucan07

No such thing as a cheat food, the food is innocent so do not blame the food unless it walks into your mouth and refuses to leave!

Koldnomore

I've been doing a decent job I think of losing weight over the last year (86lbs to date). I'm 197 and my GW is 185. I have been trying to balance foods I like into my diet and I seem to be stuck at 197. So I think i'm going to cut out all the "cheat" foods and see where that gets me.

Have you re-calculated your numbers lately? If you are stuck its more likely that you are not eating in a deficit anymore due to a few things.. You have been at this for a while so possibly you aren't as vigilant as you used to be with tracking and counting. I notice that you don't look like you weigh things from your diary.. Using ‘cups’ is grossly inaccurate , no one measures a ‘cup’ the same way – some go right to the top, for some it’s level, and for others its just under the rim. It’s EASY to go over your calories by hundreds just because you do not weigh. With 10 lbs left to lose this is your WHOLE deficit.. There’s a great you tube video on the differences between weighing and measuring food here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY

It makes no difference what you cut out - frankly I don't believe that cutting an entire group of foods from your diet is the way to go. I doubt it will make a difference if you are still overestimating your calorie intake.

I would suggest you either eat less of your exercise calories back (by about 200/day) OR cut your intake by the same amount. Get a scale and stop guessing.

tmpecus78

I've looked at IIFYM and It contains too many foods that I can't eat. So I think I will take your advice and add in some HIIT cardio

huh?? There is no set "foods" for IIFYM. You eat what you choose to eat and what fits within your "marcos."

jacksonpt

All this nonsense is making my head hurt.

rayfu75

Before you cut out whole groups of food or cut back drastically on your calories please check out IIFYM. It has been a lifesaver for me. Here's a pretty comprehensive overview.

http://jodiefuturefigure.wordpress.com/2013/08/03/the-iifym-directory/

One tip I could probably give you right offhand would be to leave your food intake and what you eat where it is and then add in some HIIT cardio.

Good luck!

I've looked at IIFYM and It contains too many foods that I can't eat. So I think I will take your advice and add in some HIIT cardio

From my limited understanding of IIFYM (just starting out on it for about 2 weeks now.) It doesn't matter what you're eating as long as your hit your macros. If you eat 100% paleo you can still hit your macros with paleo approved foods (or what ever regimen your following) perhaps i'm incorrect.

PRMinx

Cheat foods? You mean all of the delicious foods that people eat in day to day life and up to this point, you've successfully fit into your diet? Why would you cut those out?

Make sure, after 86 pounds, that your calorie intake is still correct for weight loss.

Yes, you would be correct. Right now i'm eating roughly 2200 calories a day, maybe i'll need to drop it down to 1800

That sounds like a far better idea.

why would cutting out "cheat" foods be a bad idea?

Read back through the tread.

I have read through the thread. I haven't had a binge at all since I began to lose weight, and I was extremely restrictive in the beginning. Even though I relaxed at a little now. I think I should be restrictive now to get me to my goal

First off, amazing job on your progress so far.

Now, the problem I have with your philosophy here is sustainability. Let's say you cut out "cheat foods" and reach your goal (this is really just calorie restriction, anyway). Now what? Are you prepared to cut out some favorite, yummy foods for life just to maintain that goal? It's better to readjust your intake based on your new weight, eat a balanced diet and up your exercise routine so that you don't feel deprived. After all this progress, don't back yourself into a corner on what foods you can and cannot eat to be at goal weight. That's not going to foster a healthy relationship with food in the long run. Remember, the goal should be to get to a healthy weight, while living a healthy AND happy lifestyle.

rayfu75

Before you cut out whole groups of food or cut back drastically on your calories please check out IIFYM. It has been a lifesaver for me. Here's a pretty comprehensive overview.

http://jodiefuturefigure.wordpress.com/2013/08/03/the-iifym-directory/

One tip I could probably give you right offhand would be to leave your food intake and what you eat where it is and then add in some HIIT cardio.

Good luck!

Thanks for the link btw !

Unknown

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beekay70

OP, I commend you for your commitment. You do you, and ignore the naysayers.

"Cheat" foods are calorie-dense and a lot of people are fine with this and can fit them in. For many of us, it can be difficult to stay within our caloric and macro budgets with the inclusion of these foods.

I try to eat clean, but occasionally cheat. I don't binge and I do find that trying to fit a pizza in and still hit my macros can be a very difficult task. I don't think that you need to lower your calorie intake. As mentioned in an earlier reply, you should be losing weight at your current allotment. But, when you are within a few pounds of your goal, it can be very difficult to drop weight.

Good luck.

Escape_Artist

I've looked at IIFYM and It contains too many foods that I can't eat. So I think I will take your advice and add in some HIIT cardio

I don't understand this though.. IIFYM is whatever that fits your macros/calories. There is no restriction at all

Also you have been ''stuck'' for 3 weeks. 3 Weeks isn't much to be honest. We consider a person is plateauing when it's been roughly 6 weeks they haven't seen any change. By change I don't mean the number on the scale.

Do you also measure yourself or you only look at the scale?
If you rely on the scale, throw that things off the window and start measuring with a tape and taking pictures

thekyleo

Hey,

I put your details into the TDEE at http://www.fat2fitradio.com/ - lightly active - 20% and got 2217 calories a day. You should be losing on that. If you want, you could use the TDEE method instead then you don't have to log your exercise calories, which rules out another variable?

Having had a little look at your diary, which is really well-filled out, btw, there were a couple of things I noticed - you're using cups (eg to measure ice cream) and tablespoons (eg to measure egg whites). Food scales always best because they're so much more accurate.

You're doing great. Really. And it's FAB that you're getting help for this too - you're hitting it from all angles. Well done.

I go by the service size and weight everything in grams

nomeejerome

OP:
You are really complicating this for yourself. Relax.

thekyleo

I've looked at IIFYM and It contains too many foods that I can't eat. So I think I will take your advice and add in some HIIT cardio

I don't understand this though.. IIFYM is whatever that fits your macros/calories. There is no restriction at all

Also you have been ''stuck'' for 3 weeks. 3 Weeks isn't much to be honest. We consider a person is plateauing when it's been roughly 6 weeks they haven't seen any change. By change I don't mean the number on the scale.

Do you also measure yourself or you only look at the scale?
If you rely on the scale, throw that things off the window and start measuring with a tape and taking pictures

I do rely on the scale, I don't take measurements or pictures really

SLLRunner

Cheat foods? You mean all of the delicious foods that people eat in day to day life and up to this point, you've successfully fit into your diet? Why would you cut those out?

Make sure, after 86 pounds, that your calorie intake is still correct for weight loss.

Yes, you would be correct. Right now i'm eating roughly 2200 calories a day, maybe i'll need to drop it down to 1800

That sounds like a far better idea.

why would cutting out "cheat" foods be a bad idea?

Congratulations on your weight loss, and how wonderful you are almost to your goal!

No food is good or bad. You eat whatever you want, whenever you want, and stay within your calorie goal. Cutting out any food is like subtle self punishment for not doing good enough. Look at the amount of weight you have lost, and what little you have to go! You got there by following caloric guidelines, and I'm guessing exercising too, so even when you thought your were cheating you weren't.

I think your idea of cutting down a few calories to help get those last few pounds off is probably the better idea rather than cutting out any food at all. You don't want to lose those last few pounds too fast.

Also, someone else mentioned to make sure your MFP information is updated to have an accurate calorie count for now.

almostanangel21

whats "cheat" foods?

For the most part, they're foods that provide more pleasure than they do healthy macronutrients - things like candy, fries, etc. Some people consider an entire group of macronutrients (i.e. carbs or fat) to be 'cheat food', which sets them up for major problems. However, food has never been just fuel - it's supposed to be an enjoyable part of a full life. That's part of having a healthy attitude towards food instead of a disordered mindset. You just can't go overboard, and you have to decide whether a 'cheat food' is worth it. For example, if I'm bored and cranky, is 250 empty calories of M&Ms worth the room in my diet that day? Probably not. If it's a rainy day and I want to curl up on the couch and share some homemade hot chocolate with my husband? Definitely worth the calories.

iechick

You should be learning now how to eat in a way that you can sustain through maintenance, ie for the rest of your life. Cutting out things you enjoy eating just to lose a few pounds isn't going to help you in the long run-you need to develop a healthy relationship with these foods and figure out how best to fit them into your life. That may mean cutting portion sizes down, limiting them to once a week etc, but to totally eliminate them from your diet is only going to lead to problems.

almostanangel21

No such thing as a cheat food, the food is innocent so do not blame the food unless it walks into your mouth and refuses to leave!

That just brought to mind a tiny Hershey's spider walking into my mouth while I sleep, and now I'm squicked out and it's all your fault. I hope you're happy.

jrp31

There are no set foods for IIFYM. You can eat whatever you need to and leave out whatever you need to. As long as you are hitting your macros, which you will have to figure out, and your fiber intake you will be okay. Some people think of it as eating pizza and ice cream all day but it's not. I have one small "treat" a day (I always make sure to fit it in! Lol), but I also get 2-3 serving of veggies and fruit each a day. Your protein stays pretty consistent but your carbs and fats will go UP, provided you are maintaining or losing weight, which it will if you are doing it right.


Also I have to say, to lose almost 100lbs on your own is pretty dang impressive. Congratulations. It sounds like you are getting a little overwhelmed now. If all you do is add in some HIIT and see how that goes then do it! You can figure out the rest when you're feeling up to it.

Hildy_J

I go by the service size and weight everything in grams

In that case... you could be overestimating calories burned during exercise? I don't know but I'm sure you'll get there.

Let us know how you go on and good luck! x