Really all about the calories?

irie_nik

I'm new here, and have been browsing through the message boards. I have recently started eating "clean" and completely changed my diet around- only fresh, whole foods, water, and green tea. It is definitely a lifestyle change I want to become healthy AND lose weight. And I really have come to love cooking every meal and the freshness of water (I had some diet pepsi after a week of water/green tea only, and it tasted horrible!)

But, I have noticed a lot of you still eat fast food, pre packaged/processed foods that would not be considered typical "healthy" foods or what you would think you could eat on a diet, and you make sure you are on track for calories, and are doing a great job losing the weight!

I am so confused as I didn't think that was possible..

I guess I'm just looking for some more information or your personal stories on what you do to lose the weight.. counting the calories only or did you completely change what/how you eat?

Nightwing1990

To answer your question. Yes.

Phoenix_Warrior

Restricting myself makes me feel defeated. It makes me feel like I'm torturing myself. I eat mindfully, as to me no foods are good or bad. If your body is getting the required nutrients, the body doesn't care if it's "clean". For general weight loss, it is only required to be in a calorie deficit. There's a balance of eating food to nourish the body, while still eating the things you love. This is the way I've decided to diet and the way I plan to live. I've been pretty successful in my weight loss, so far.

cwolfman13

A calorie is a unit of energy...that is all. Your body needs so much energy to maintain itself....so whether you're consuming whole foods or processed foods really doesn't make a difference in RE to the actual calorie. Nutrition is a completely different matter altogether...so is satiety and overall well being.

Eating 100% clean and unprocessed foods is not really practical or sustainable for most individuals. I'm old school I guess...I believe in having a well rounded but balanced diet that is rich in nutritionally dense foods...but I'm not going to deprive myself of the "finer things in life" either.

I've lost 40 Lbs all said and done and I in now way shape or form eat 100% "clean"...I have a very balanced diet and I eat a lot of veg and fruit and lean proteins and whole grains...but I also drink beer, eat jelly beans, enjoy my chips and salsa, eat pie and cake, etc.

By the by, you can over-eat "clean" foods as well...a lot of whole and nutritionally dense foods are calorie dense as well...if you eat a surplus of calories, you will be in an anabolic state regardless of whether those calories came from nuts and berries or doughnuts.

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

Weight loss comes down to calories in vs calories out. If you are in a deficit, you will lose. If you eat the same amount as your body is burning you will maintain your weight and if you eat in a surplus, you will gain. Where you get those calories from does not matter in terms of your calorie intake. How you feel and you they nourish your body is a different story.

Make lifestyle changes that are sustainable for you. If you really enjoy something processed or "junk" you can still have it.....just count it in your daily calories and move on.

lajpeck

I have tried to eat "cleaner" as I have progressed on this journey but at times it is really impractical for me. I use frozen dinners quite often and used them much more at the start and I have still lost a significant amount of weight as you can see. I half to make this a lifestyle change so nothing is off the table for me to eat but in moderation and making smart choices of what I eat. I Alonso do not eat back my exercise calories which helps. I have not hit any significant plateaus this time and continue to loose steadily.

jlp100

The basis of losing weight is burning more calories than what goes into your body.

You can be healthy all week, have a treat day, and still be under your weekly calorie limit and therefore end up still losing weight.

Usually if you deprive yourself of something, or on a diet that deprives you of a food group your body craves it more. If you want a bar of chocolate have it. Have a workout later and the choc bar calories are burned. Job done.

Using this site and using it right will show you how much calories are in certain foods. Yes eating junk food will make you spend your calories more quickly, causing you to have to work harder to earn those calories back and enable you to weigh up to yourself is it worth eating those type of foods, and do I basically want to lose weight.

Say you have 1200 cals to eat. You exercise and burn another 500 calories. You then have 1700 calories to 'spend'. You can get more healthier foods for your buck or you can have a little treat now and then. Some people prefer not to eat all of their extra cals back through exercise, others do.

You'll get there and you're in the right place to do it.

Good luck

alienrite

Fat loss is all about calorie deficit. How you feel, perform and live is largely controlled by the quality of your food choices and how much you move and use your body. Keeping a consistent calorie deficit is hard and I use a protein focused and processed carb restriction food selection because I found it helps me eat less without being miserable all the time. I also found the calorie deficit I can maintain cannot be too large or it triggers binges. When I want to lose fat, I eat less calories and when I plateau, I reduce my daily/weekly allotment. Like an accelerator or break pedal in your car, small adjustments and consistent pressure makes the ride more pleasant for the driver and the passengers.

RunBrew

[snipped]...I want to become healthy AND lose weight. .....

Those are parallel but independent goals. You can eat nothing but 'the healthiest' foods, and not lose weight. You can eat nothing but ice cream and bacon and twinkies and lose wieght but maybe not be as healthy.

But, I have noticed a lot of you still eat fast food, pre packaged/processed foods that would not be considered typical "healthy" foods or what you would think you could eat on a diet, and you make sure you are on track for calories, and are doing a great job losing the weight!

I am so confused as I didn't think that was possible..

I guess I'm just looking for some more information or your personal stories on what you do to lose the weight.. counting the calories only or did you completely change what/how you eat?

Calories out > calories in. period. that's all there is.

I aim for 260g of carbs, 53g of fat, and 95g of Protein per day. totaling about 1900 calories.

Sometimes those carbs are broccoli and carrots, some times they're ice cream and cookies. the human body literally cannot tell the difference. energy units are energy units are energy units.
It's the stuff in the ice cream that ISN'T carb/fat/protein that you have to decide whether you want in your body or not. preservatives and whatnot. That's up to you and is solely a personal choice. Don't let anyone shame you into demonizing food.

SmartAlec03211988

I eat what I want as long as its within my calories.

I eat a pop tart every single day. Every. Single. Day. I have gained nothing, but lost a ton (73 lbs and counting).

SoDamnHungry

Counting calories is the way to go for me. I'm not giving up foods I love. I try to eat more fruits, veggies, lean meats and whole grains because they're good for me, but have lost eating plenty of junk.

quiltlovinlisa

I can't keep some foods in the house, I'm a compulsive/binge/emotional eater and at times i can really lose control. it's getting better however, I'm not denying myself of foods, just keeping them out of the house.

mamadon

I tried restricting certain types of food in the past. Low carb,low fat etc. It doesn't work for me because I couldn't sustain it. I have never tried "clean" eating, but I know I wouldn't be able to sustain that either. This is the only thing that has ever worked for me. I eat whatever I want as long as it's in my calorie range. I can do that. Could I eat healthier food? Sure. A lot of people would say my choices are not healthy for my body. Probably so. But, I have no doubt that regardless, I am definitely a million times healthier than I was a year ago.

GingerLolita

Weight loss, maintenance and gain are based only on calories. But if you want to be healthy, you should be eating clean, whole, nutritious foods. Some people on MFP find eating healthy to be restrictive. I also eat mostly whole and clean foods, although I don't deprive or restrict myself of things I really want if it fits within my calorie budget. My goal was originally just to lose weight, but now I've gotten more interested in nutrition and I'm also really focused on eating healthy.

megsmom2

Ultimately ...losing weight is all about calories in--calories out. Health and satisfaction are about what you're eating. You can lose weight eating junk food, but ultimately your health suffers. You can lose weight eating spinach and boiled cod...but wouldn't be very satisfied for long. You have to find your own balance and make it work for you.

alienaliens

extremely good information from all. Below is me, all the way.

QUOTE: I can't keep some foods in the house, I'm a compulsive/binge/emotional eater and at times i can really lose control. it's getting better however, I'm not denying myself of foods, just keeping them out of the house.

kennie2

i eat clean and as much as I want, mainly keeping to lots and lots of fruit and i have stayed very lean

Slrajr

Ultimately ...losing weight is all about calories in--calories out. Health and satisfaction are about what you're eating. You can lose weight eating junk food, but ultimately your health suffers. You can lose weight eating spinach and boiled cod...but wouldn't be very satisfied for long. You have to find your own balance and make it work for you.

It's a great feeling to eat a few potato chips or a slice of pizza and know that it is absolutely meeting you daily goal and helping you to maintain or lose weight. No guilty remorse!
Btw: You can also gain weight eating spinach and boiled cod if you go over in calories:)

dlionsmane

I think what most people are trying to find is what is sustainable for them. If you can eat 'clean' for the rest of your life and be happy with it and not feel deprived then good for you. I think most people don't care to do anything that makes them feel deprived. Therefore restricting the number of calories only not the types of foods works for most, that way you are in Moderation not Deprivation mode. Do what works for you, but know that you don't have to choose one type of food over another.

Personally, I got fat NOT eating fast food (I don't like it - never have) or drinking soda (don't like it - never have) and always shopping the parameters of the grocery store, not eating processed or packaged stuff and eating salad and cooking whole foods every day. I thought I was 'healthy', but I still gained 46 pounds in 4 years, The problem was I was eating TOO MUCH!

Creating a calorie deficit is what works.

briana12077

I really love all the positive talk about food here! So many people try to shame me for eating unhealthy foods while I'm on my diet. Who cares? I know if I have the calories or not! The funny thing is, you are kinda forced to eat healthier when counting cals because if I start my day with a huge bowl of sugary cereal then I will use up half my days calories!!! So a healthy breakfast just makes me feel happier and less stressed out about my day I think healthy foods are important but that doesn't mean unhealthy or un clean foods are not acceptable. Your body will be much happier I'm sure without soda and sugary drinks, and cutting down on the crap will surely help, but I'd say keep around the things you love and have them once in a while. Unless you can really eat clean all the time, in that case GOOD FOR YOU. haha, I can't.

matchbox_girl

It is a simple concept.

You can eat what you want if you stay under your calorie goal. I am not disciplined enough to not have my go-to treats like soda and the occasional Roberto's burrito.....I just make sure that when I DO have them, I eat lightly around it so I stay within my calories. Some people "eat clean" to cleanse their body and try and be healthier. I do not. I'll have my junk food and enjoy it, too.

epazia

I started out there, but as I move along, I am learning more and have health issues besides weight I would like to improve so that goes beyond just calories

zyxst

What did I change about my eating/life?

1. I weight and measure my food. I do my best to only eat 1 serving of something. I'd love to eat more cheese, but I only have 1/3 c (30g) in my salad/pasta.

2. I walk a lot. I spend most of my time at home and walk while watching Netflix.

3. I eat more fruit and veggies than I did 2 years ago and cut back on other foods.

The basic lesson is to eat less than you burn (a calorie deficit) to lose weight.

misskissmck

I have been on so many diets you can't imagine. I am twent;y two pounds below my highest weight.....I remind myself of that when I get discouraged. I am on a 1200 calorie diet. I do allow myself an extra 400 calories per week. I eat whatever I want I just count it. If I restrict a food it suddently has power......you probably do feel better eating "clean". I just think that whatever you do to lose weight you need to do to keep it off. Or else it comes right back. Good luck.

Francl27

I eat what I want and that's why I've lost so much. I can't imagine not eating what I like anymore. Keep in mind, it's a lifestyle change. The calorie amount you eat now to lose weight will probably be close to the calorie amount you will eat later to maintain your weight... so, you have to develop good habits. If you're not willing to give up on junk forever, you have to learn to include it in your diet in moderation... so you might as well start now.

I hate being hungry though so 80% of what I eat are more filling calories, but I still treat myself to 200-300 calories of less healthy stuff every day. I just make sure to weigh everything so I stay under my calorie goal.