So basically I can have water

lindustum

The reason people bully foods is so that it is easier for them. Some people swear on low carb/sugar/fat whatever because it helps them avoid trigger foods and basically it IS an easy way out from the responsibility of having to handle all foods equally (assuming no medical dietary needs).

I mean, I avoid pasta because I feel it is too high-cal for it to be worth it. I love plain pasta, 250g of it. That's ALOT of kcals. For other people, it's worth it. Or they use 100g portions and make nice stuff to go with it. As time goes on, you will find what stuff is worth it for you and what isn't.

Sabine_Stroehm

your friend is - with all due respect - an idiot..

Just eat in a calorie deficit, try to hit your macros each day, and work out some and you will lose...

calories in vs calories out my friend....

Sugar and carbs do not make you fat, overeating makes you fat..

so you can eat pretty much what you want, and as long as you stay in a calorie deficit you will be good to go.

I'm going to mostly echo this, with a few caveats.
How do you do with portion control? If you have a bag of potato chips at the house, can you eat 100 calories worth? And can you then resist other "starchy" things after you have something like chips? If so, great. Follow his advice. Some folks (more often women, I'm afraid) have trouble moderating the starchy carbs. I find that I just need to not have them around.
Second, are you the woman in the photo? (or the man in the photo lol) Do you have an "female related" medical conditions such as PCOS or insulin resistance? If yes, see above, if no, you'd probably be fine doing what he suggests. He knows what he's talking about.

The key really is: eat real food, enough to fuel you and tasty enough to want to eat. And move.
You can do this!!!
HOW you do it will be up to you. You just need to figure out what works for you. For some: counting and measuring and eating what they want works. For others, eliminating a few trigger foods works, for others, revamping works. You'll get there!

ETA: remember too the goal is losing AND keeping it off, so be thinking toward the future.

PM if you'd like to chat more, I'm always happy to.

luckyshilling

Eat what you want, stay within your plan, weigh everything, and be happy

^^tHIS^^

The only diet worth a cr@p is one you can live with for life. And it is ok if your plan changes from week to week too. If you want to jump from South Beach to Atkins to Weight Watchers to juicing just cuz you need to try it yourself instead of just taking someone else's word for it then you go for it (disclaimer: this doesn't apply to crack or crystal meth diets) . As long as you are moving forward toward that goal of all around health and happiness . We each have our own diet demons we have to work through and find ways around. Personally I don't believe in 'bad' foods. I believe people make foods 'bad' by eating too much of them.

Best wishes and if you need any constructive advice feel free to ask me anytime. I give wonderful advice on healthful snacking at the office and distractions from snacking after dinner....at least my friends say I do. :laugh:

paulylovesme

your friend is - with all due respect - an idiot..

Just eat in a calorie deficit, try to hit your macros each day, and work out some and you will lose...

calories in vs calories out my friend....

Sugar and carbs do not make you fat, overeating makes you fat..

so you can eat pretty much what you want, and as long as you stay in a calorie deficit you will be good to go.

I'm going to mostly echo this, with a few caveats.
How do you do with portion control? If you have a bag of potato chips at the house, can you eat 100 calories worth? And can you then resist other "starchy" things after you have something like chips? If so, great. Follow his advice. Some folks (more often women, I'm afraid) have trouble moderating the starchy carbs. I find that I just need to not have them around.
Second, are you the woman in the photo? (or the man in the photo lol) Do you have an "female related" medical conditions such as PCOS or insulin resistance? If yes, see above, if no, you'd probably be fine doing what he suggests. He knows what he's talking about.

The key really is: eat real food, enough to fuel you and tasty enough to want to eat. And move.
You can do this!!!
HOW you do it will be up to you. You just need to figure out what works for you. For some: counting and measuring and eating what they want works. For others, eliminating a few trigger foods works, for others, revamping works. You'll get there!

ETA: remember too the goal is losing AND keeping it off, so be thinking toward the future.

PM if you'd like to chat more, I'm always happy to.

LOL I am the woman And of coarse I know my triggers so I avoid them like a meth head on the corner but if I want it bad enough I count it and buy small portions. My hubby and kids are like hoover vacuums so I usually only get a chance for one serving. The only problem I have is hypothyroid. Other than that I am a healthy woman

Francl27

Eat what you like, just make sure it fits your calories. Eventually you'll learn what's a good use of your calories and what isn't and you'll get better at making the most of it.

I don't believe in specific diets. It needs to be something you can follow all your life, you'll pretty much just eat the same but a bit more of it once you reach your goal weight.

Sassyallday

I agree with everyone who dismissed your friend's apparently random selection of "off limits" foods! I understand that eating at a deficit will create weight loss. And I agree that eating at least some of what you want will keep you from feeling so deprived that you want to binge on that very thing. But isn't it true that some foods are more healthy than others?

For example, is it generally agreed that natural foods are better than processed ones that include chemical additives? Even without chemical additives, it is my understanding, for example, that eating whole grain rice is better than eating a rice cake because your body can get the best nutrition from food in its most natural state.

I guess eating to lose weight and eating as naturally as possible are different. But I kind of tied them up in my mind thinking that, if I am eating less and more naturally, I'll lose weight AND get better nutrition.

Any thoughts?

lewcompton

Have to say thumbs up to the statements given... Eat at a deficit and you will lose weight is the reality... If you can fit the item into your calorie goal then go for it... The problems arise when you are not getting enough food to satisfy your hunger or you are not getting sufficient micro nutrients... Advise from experts varies because for them to patent an idea they mush show 20% difference between their idea and someone else... Yes imagine that the bottom line about their differences has nothing to do with health, rather it is about profit.

skullshank

your friend is - with all due respect - an idiot..

Just eat in a calorie deficit, try to hit your macros each day, and work out some and you will lose...

calories in vs calories out my friend....

Sugar and carbs do not make you fat, overeating makes you fat..

so you can eat pretty much what you want, and as long as you stay in a calorie deficit you will be good to go.

this.

don't follow any "diet"...just the science and maths.

cwolfman13

How about just eating a balanced diet and consuming fewer calories than your body needs to maintain weight? It's worked for literally all of time.

paulylovesme

Thanks Yall! My so called friend actually went bat **** crazy on me last night. I think she might be on drugs. WACKO! Guess she is not a good source of info

jkwolly

I guess eating to lose weight and eating as naturally as possible are different. But I kind of tied them up in my mind thinking that, if I am eating less and more naturally, I'll lose weight AND get better nutrition.

Any thoughts?

I agree with you 100%. I think that eating less and more naturally is key, but also keeping in mind that a treat once in awhile will not kill you and to remember to ENJOY what you're eating!

jkwolly

How about just eating a balanced diet and consuming fewer calories than your body needs to maintain weight? It's worked for literally all of time.

Rocket science.

Pinkranger626

The only time I would say a food is "bad" is if you are allergic to it or have another medical condition that causes bad reactions (read crohn's, celiacs, lactose intolerant etc.) Otherwise making good healthy choices in things that are less processed and practicing proper portion control when indulging in higher calorie or empty calorie items (sodas, candies, chips etc.) is the way to go. Choose foods that you like to eat, and make you feel good and to hell with everyone else. Nutrition is so different for everyone that you can't really say that there is an ideal diet.

For example, low carb diets.... works for some people, for me, it makes me go batcrap crazy and hate life. Some people are more sensitive to carbs or sodium or whatever. I need my carbs to function properly (I'm a runner and I also teach a lot of group classes) and I'm very sensitive to salt. Other people bloat up when they eat carbs and could eat a whole shaker of salt and not even feel remotely nauseous.

My suggestion, pay attention to how foods make you feel and function and then weed out the stuff that doesn't make you feel good. Keep the stuff that helps you feel better and limit the stuff that you know isn't the greatest but you can't live without. Most people don't even know how good our bodys are supposed to feel. Your body is the only thing that you have to live in so why not spend time making it feel good?

darkangel45422

The key is to find a plan (either developed my someone else or something you make up on your own) that works for you and gets you to a healthy happy life. If you're worried about certain foods having negative health impacts, research them so you can decide for yourself how much of a place they should hold in your lifestyle.

Personally, I try to make the staples of my diet foods that I believe are healthy. Does that mean I don't eat things I think are less healthy? Of course not; I just try to make a conscious effort to eat them less often than the healthy foods. I wouldn't say the key is moderation, but small amounts of even the most unhealthy foods likely won't have much of an impact unless they are actually poisonous or you have a particularly bad reaction to those foods (intolerance, allergy, etc.)

If you can't possibly imagine a life without a particular food, then eat it - just be aware of how it impacts your health.

JamieM8168

Go with what works for you! I bet no one on here would want to eat what I do everyday to lose weight

Confuzzled4ever

Some water has fluoride in it.. and chlorine.. and animals swim in it... so clearly you can't have that either...

FaerieBert

Eat and drink what you want, just do it in moderation and stay within your calories 90%-95% of the time. (We all have days where we need to cut loose a little and that's ok.) There is no 'good' food and there is no 'bad' food, it's all just food. We need food, we enjoy food and there is nothing wrong about that.

In answer to your question, follow the YOU diet. Eat what YOU want, when YOU want and in the amount that YOU have decided is optimal for your best health. :drinker:

apedeb09

Yep. Like everyone else has said, just stick to your calorie goal. Try to make good food choices but you don't really have to cut anything out. Cottage cheese is a great snack to eat! High in protein. I love it.

MrsBingley

If you have friends who pick apart your journal for apples and cottage cheese, get new friends.

Feel free to friend me, lol. I eat donuts and ice cream on rare occasions.

FrugalMomsRock75

Eat what you like... and follow the caloric recommendation from MFP (which adds to your intake the exercise calories).

Good luck!