Junk Food and losing weight?

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  • Sashoi
    Sashoi Posts: 295 Member
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    I eat candy everyday lol.... I'm not saying you should but I workout hard for my treats. It's only 8 am and I already had some Hershey's cookies n cream yummy
  • credessa
    credessa Posts: 36 Member
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    I'm an equal opportunity eater....if it fits into my daily allowance I eat it
  • lucylousmummy
    lucylousmummy Posts: 348 Member
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    <
    lost almost 60lbs and am now maintaining that loss, while eating fast food 3-4 times a week, lots of 'processed' foods and snacks like chips and cookies etc etc. Weight loss/maintenance is about calories, calories, calories!

    ^this
    it's ALL about the calories, although unlike the person i'm quoting i'm not lucky enough to have lost enough to be maintaining, yet, but 84lbs down eating basically whatever fits my calories for the day
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    This is great, since I started to eat better I really do have more energy, my problem is I start to feel guilty if I eat a slice of toast which before this I would never have considered 'junk' How many calories a day should I eat? I am very confused I haven't gone over 1100 in weeks now but don't feel any different weight wise, is it true that I need to consume more calories? Of course not junky calories. I have set myself a goal that by the end of this month I am going to enjoy a nice takeaway as a treat and I believe I will actually enjoy it much more than I did when I was eating quite a lot of them! x x

    See you shouldn't feel guilty about eating a slice of toast...it's fuel.

    the number of calories you eat is defined by your goals...if you want to lose another 20lbs try setting the goal at 1/2lb - 1lb a week. A woman needs at least 1200 calories a day and to ensure accuracy you weigh your food and measure your liquids.

    At 41 I eat 1600 calories a day (my diary is open if you want to take a look) and I have steadily lost 1/2lb-1lb a week...I lift 3x a week, HIIT 2x a week and get in at least 120g of protien.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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    I eat what I want, when I want, have plenty of energy, am progressing nicely in my fitness routine, and I'm losing weight. I do not limit or eliminate any foods from my diet, nor do I eat "junk" food all day long. You can create a healthy balance in your diet without restricting yourself and still see results, and the bonus is that it is sustainable in the long term.
  • juliemouse83
    juliemouse83 Posts: 6,663 Member
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    Wait. What?

    It's not just a matter of deficit?

    I lost all my weight in about ten months eating at a deficit...and I didn't deny myself anything: Chocolate, ice cream, wine, cake, pizza, popcorn, etc. I kept things within my calories, and yeah, I occasionally went over my allowance (yanno, because I'm human and all that), and didn't eat "clean" and still, somehow, magically lost the weight I'd put on over the years.

    Hmmmmm...if eating at a deficit didn't do that, then it must have been unicorn glitter or something equally as miraculous... :laugh:
  • CarlHelgesson
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    If the focus is on weight loss no it doesn't matter what you eat as long as you are in a reasonable deficet.

    I eat what is considered by some "junk" food and I look great, feel great, I am progressing in my lifts really well as do all of us here who feel food is food and it is niether good nor bad and I have drop 8% bf in 7 months...along with 43lbs.

    what you eat has no influence on where the fat goes that is genetics.

    As to the car analogy if you are driving a car it doesn't matter if you put regular gas or premium on if that car gets you to point A and back...gas is gas. If however you are driving in a race you want to do more than just put gas in the car you want the oil changed, alignment checked etc...it's the same with the body if you want to lose fat and maintain muscle you get enough protien and fat watch your marcros...

    but...this was about losing weight...that's it.

    Great that you've lost all that weight.

    But still, it's common sence; good food is better for your body than junk food. Period.

    If you compare two persons with identically body types, both are eating with the same calorie deficit - one with quality food and one with junk food - and are doing exactly the same exercise; you will see a different in body composition.

    Yes - both will loose weight.

    No - they won't loose the same amount of weight. Probably will the person that is eating the quality food not loose as many pounds as the one with junk food. How come? Because the one with quality food will get more and better nutritents for the muscles, which will be in a more anabolic state, so that person will save more muscles, or in the best of worlds, add some. And muscles eat fat.

    NO - the person loosing weight on a diet based on junk food will NOT have the same lean body composition as the one with quality food.

    No - the person loosing weight on a diet based on junk food will probably not loose as much body fat as the person with the quality food diet.


    Loosing weight are not the same as loosing fat. That's important to understand. That's why waist measure and Body Fat percentage are way better measurement than looking at the scale.


    I've seen a lot of examples of people who has lost weight on a poor diet with junk food. They have been skinny with fat, and lost a lot of muscles.


    However, adding junk food as cheat meals now and then, to reward yourself, is good.

    Basing a diet on junk food to loose weight, is not that good, even if you loose weight.

    That's a hughe difference.


    Regarding the Porsche. If you have Porsche with a gasoline engine, you won't fuel it with diesel. You would like to fuel the expensive car with the best gasoline. You would treat your car like your precious. Exactly as you should treat your body.
  • CarlHelgesson
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    I do not limit or eliminate any foods from my diet, nor do I eat "junk" food all day long. You can create a healthy balance

    That's wise!

    It's all about balance.

    I believe in junk foods as rewards and treats, but not as a basement for the diet or eating it all day long.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    If the focus is on weight loss no it doesn't matter what you eat as long as you are in a reasonable deficet.

    I eat what is considered by some "junk" food and I look great, feel great, I am progressing in my lifts really well as do all of us here who feel food is food and it is niether good nor bad and I have drop 8% bf in 7 months...along with 43lbs.

    what you eat has no influence on where the fat goes that is genetics.

    As to the car analogy if you are driving a car it doesn't matter if you put regular gas or premium on if that car gets you to point A and back...gas is gas. If however you are driving in a race you want to do more than just put gas in the car you want the oil changed, alignment checked etc...it's the same with the body if you want to lose fat and maintain muscle you get enough protien and fat watch your marcros...

    but...this was about losing weight...that's it.

    Great that you've lost all that weight.

    But still, it's common sence; good food is better for your body than junk food. Period.

    If you compare two persons with identically body types, both are eating with the same calorie deficit - one with quality food and one with junk food - and are doing exactly the same exercise; you will see a different in body composition.

    Yes - both will loose weight.

    No - they won't loose the same amount of weight. Probably will the person that is eating the quality food not loose as many pounds as the one with junk food. How come? Because the one with quality food will get more and better nutritents for the muscles, which will be in a more anabolic state, so that person will save more muscles, or in the best of worlds, add some. And muscles eat fat.

    NO - the person loosing weight on a diet based on junk food will NOT have the same lean body composition as the one with quality food.

    No - the person loosing weight on a diet based on junk food will probably not loose as much body fat as the person with the quality food diet.


    Loosing weight are not the same as loosing fat. That's important to understand. That's why waist measure and Body Fat percentage are way better measurement than looking at the scale.


    I've seen a lot of examples of people who has lost weight on a poor diet with junk food. They have been skinny with fat, and lost a lot of muscles.


    However, adding junk food as cheat meals now and then, to reward yourself, is good.

    Basing a diet on junk food to loose weight, is not that good, even if you loose weight.

    That's a hughe difference.


    Regarding the Porsche. If you have Porsche with a gasoline engine, you won't fuel it with diesel. You would like to fuel the expensive car with the best gasoline. You would treat your car like your precious. Exactly as you should treat your body.

    Nobody here is advocating eating only "junk" food...but not labeling food as bad. I eat chocolate everyday...I eat out once or twice a week...my body comp is great.

    8% BF gone 43lbs gone in 7months and I can DL 200lbs...I am at 162lbs and in a size 6..and not skinny fat thank you very much.

    but that question was can I eat junk and still lose weight the answer to that question is yes. Weight loss is about a calorie deficet period.

    but if you look at our diaries..the ones who are saying sure eat what you want you will see we are hitting our macros and eating good food but still eat our favs everyday, eat out more than once a year or one a month even, we still eat fried foods, French fries, ice cream, chips etc...

    and how about comparing 3 people...

    1 who eats only "clean food"
    1 who eats only "junk food"
    1 who eats food, keeps macros in check and treats themself to something they want everyday if it fits in their calories...

    clean food eater will lose weight and binge and still lose fat and muscle and probably gain the weight back
    junk food eater will lose weight including muscle mass and fat and wont like what they see when they are done.
    Macro checker will lose weight, maintain LBM and probably maintain the weight loss longer or even permantely.
  • twixlepennie
    twixlepennie Posts: 1,074 Member
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    I think one of the most important things is to set up sub targets. When reaching them - reward yourself!

    Junk food could be great a reward. And after following a strict and clean diet for a while, it can enhance your metabolism. Your metabolism will slow down, when eating clean and loosing weight. As long as you don't reward yourself too often.

    But I can't agree that as long as you are staying within your daily calories, it's ok to eat junk food.

    You are what you eat. This is the truth.


    Junk food is mostly a mix of sugar and fat, and that's a bad combo. It's also mostly bad fats. Eating junk food often, even if you are staying in a calorie deficit, can result in that you are keeping fat in stead.


    To burn fat and save muscles, it's much about nutrition timing. For example; if you are eating your carbs around your workouts, you will use them for muscle glycogen and to compensate for energy loss, which is better than eating them on other occasions. So that's an opportunity to eat junk that's based on carbs and sugars (make sure it's not fat in it).


    But as I wrote before. You are what you eat. You can't cheat mother nature on that.

    Nope. I eat what I like, make it fit in with my calorie/macro goals and I'm maintaining an almost 60lb loss, and in a way that's sustainable for the next 40+ years. And I'm definitely not holding onto extra fat-my bf% is around 17 :wink:

    I'm also healthy, with great blood work panels-including no longer having glucose numbers in the pre-diabetic range. I'm no longer at high risk for diabetes, I'm considered very low risk for heart disease, my blood pressure is spot on and I have no health problems at all. I'm healthy, happy and rocking my skinny jeans, all while eating the foods that I love. Life is good :drinker:
  • jamesc9282014
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    I eat junk food daily lol. It's all about moderation. Had 2 donuts for dessert yesterday, checked the scale and still had a nice loss
  • twixlepennie
    twixlepennie Posts: 1,074 Member
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    I eat junk food daily lol. It's all about moderation. Had 2 donuts for dessert yesterday, checked the scale and still had a nice loss

    I had a deep fried, hot fudge donut sundae last night-it doesn't get better than that :bigsmile:
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
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    If the focus is on weight loss no it doesn't matter what you eat as long as you are in a reasonable deficet.

    I eat what is considered by some "junk" food and I look great, feel great, I am progressing in my lifts really well as do all of us here who feel food is food and it is niether good nor bad and I have drop 8% bf in 7 months...along with 43lbs.

    what you eat has no influence on where the fat goes that is genetics.

    As to the car analogy if you are driving a car it doesn't matter if you put regular gas or premium on if that car gets you to point A and back...gas is gas. If however you are driving in a race you want to do more than just put gas in the car you want the oil changed, alignment checked etc...it's the same with the body if you want to lose fat and maintain muscle you get enough protien and fat watch your marcros...

    but...this was about losing weight...that's it.

    Great that you've lost all that weight.

    But still, it's common sence; good food is better for your body than junk food. Period.

    If you compare two persons with identically body types, both are eating with the same calorie deficit - one with quality food and one with junk food - and are doing exactly the same exercise; you will see a different in body composition.

    Yes - both will loose weight.

    No - they won't loose the same amount of weight. Probably will the person that is eating the quality food not loose as many pounds as the one with junk food. How come? Because the one with quality food will get more and better nutritents for the muscles, which will be in a more anabolic state, so that person will save more muscles, or in the best of worlds, add some. And muscles eat fat.

    NO - the person loosing weight on a diet based on junk food will NOT have the same lean body composition as the one with quality food.

    No - the person loosing weight on a diet based on junk food will probably not loose as much body fat as the person with the quality food diet.


    Loosing weight are not the same as loosing fat. That's important to understand. That's why waist measure and Body Fat percentage are way better measurement than looking at the scale.


    I've seen a lot of examples of people who has lost weight on a poor diet with junk food. They have been skinny with fat, and lost a lot of muscles.


    However, adding junk food as cheat meals now and then, to reward yourself, is good.

    Basing a diet on junk food to loose weight, is not that good, even if you loose weight.

    That's a hughe difference.


    Regarding the Porsche. If you have Porsche with a gasoline engine, you won't fuel it with diesel. You would like to fuel the expensive car with the best gasoline. You would treat your car like your precious. Exactly as you should treat your body.

    You don't get "extra credit" for extra nutrients.

    But I suspect you are probably a troll anyway.
    Looked at your profile: Just joined up to "help people 'loose' weight" by promoting yourself.
    No listed credentials, no diary entries (or they're private, anyway)

    I smell shenanigans.
  • twixlepennie
    twixlepennie Posts: 1,074 Member
    Options


    If the focus is on weight loss no it doesn't matter what you eat as long as you are in a reasonable deficet.

    I eat what is considered by some "junk" food and I look great, feel great, I am progressing in my lifts really well as do all of us here who feel food is food and it is niether good nor bad and I have drop 8% bf in 7 months...along with 43lbs.

    what you eat has no influence on where the fat goes that is genetics.

    As to the car analogy if you are driving a car it doesn't matter if you put regular gas or premium on if that car gets you to point A and back...gas is gas. If however you are driving in a race you want to do more than just put gas in the car you want the oil changed, alignment checked etc...it's the same with the body if you want to lose fat and maintain muscle you get enough protien and fat watch your marcros...

    but...this was about losing weight...that's it.

    Great that you've lost all that weight.

    But still, it's common sence; good food is better for your body than junk food. Period.

    If you compare two persons with identically body types, both are eating with the same calorie deficit - one with quality food and one with junk food - and are doing exactly the same exercise; you will see a different in body composition.

    Yes - both will loose weight.

    No - they won't loose the same amount of weight. Probably will the person that is eating the quality food not loose as many pounds as the one with junk food. How come? Because the one with quality food will get more and better nutritents for the muscles, which will be in a more anabolic state, so that person will save more muscles, or in the best of worlds, add some. And muscles eat fat.

    NO - the person loosing weight on a diet based on junk food will NOT have the same lean body composition as the one with quality food.

    No - the person loosing weight on a diet based on junk food will probably not loose as much body fat as the person with the quality food diet.


    Loosing weight are not the same as loosing fat. That's important to understand. That's why waist measure and Body Fat percentage are way better measurement than looking at the scale.


    I've seen a lot of examples of people who has lost weight on a poor diet with junk food. They have been skinny with fat, and lost a lot of muscles.


    However, adding junk food as cheat meals now and then, to reward yourself, is good.

    Basing a diet on junk food to loose weight, is not that good, even if you loose weight.

    That's a hughe difference.


    Regarding the Porsche. If you have Porsche with a gasoline engine, you won't fuel it with diesel. You would like to fuel the expensive car with the best gasoline. You would treat your car like your precious. Exactly as you should treat your body.

    You don't get "extra credit" for extra nutrients.

    But I suspect you are probably a troll anyway.
    Looked at your profile: Just joined up to "help people 'loose' weight" by promoting yourself.
    No listed credentials, no diary entries (or they're private, anyway)

    I smell shenanigans.

    Yeah, I noticed that too :tongue:
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
    Options


    If the focus is on weight loss no it doesn't matter what you eat as long as you are in a reasonable deficet.

    I eat what is considered by some "junk" food and I look great, feel great, I am progressing in my lifts really well as do all of us here who feel food is food and it is niether good nor bad and I have drop 8% bf in 7 months...along with 43lbs.

    what you eat has no influence on where the fat goes that is genetics.

    As to the car analogy if you are driving a car it doesn't matter if you put regular gas or premium on if that car gets you to point A and back...gas is gas. If however you are driving in a race you want to do more than just put gas in the car you want the oil changed, alignment checked etc...it's the same with the body if you want to lose fat and maintain muscle you get enough protien and fat watch your marcros...

    but...this was about losing weight...that's it.

    Great that you've lost all that weight.

    But still, it's common sence; good food is better for your body than junk food. Period.

    If you compare two persons with identically body types, both are eating with the same calorie deficit - one with quality food and one with junk food - and are doing exactly the same exercise; you will see a different in body composition.

    Yes - both will loose weight.

    No - they won't loose the same amount of weight. Probably will the person that is eating the quality food not loose as many pounds as the one with junk food. How come? Because the one with quality food will get more and better nutritents for the muscles, which will be in a more anabolic state, so that person will save more muscles, or in the best of worlds, add some. And muscles eat fat.

    NO - the person loosing weight on a diet based on junk food will NOT have the same lean body composition as the one with quality food.

    No - the person loosing weight on a diet based on junk food will probably not loose as much body fat as the person with the quality food diet.


    Loosing weight are not the same as loosing fat. That's important to understand. That's why waist measure and Body Fat percentage are way better measurement than looking at the scale.


    I've seen a lot of examples of people who has lost weight on a poor diet with junk food. They have been skinny with fat, and lost a lot of muscles.


    However, adding junk food as cheat meals now and then, to reward yourself, is good.

    Basing a diet on junk food to loose weight, is not that good, even if you loose weight.

    That's a hughe difference.


    Regarding the Porsche. If you have Porsche with a gasoline engine, you won't fuel it with diesel. You would like to fuel the expensive car with the best gasoline. You would treat your car like your precious. Exactly as you should treat your body.

    You don't get "extra credit" for extra nutrients.

    But I suspect you are probably a troll anyway.
    Looked at your profile: Just joined up to "help people 'loose' weight" by promoting yourself.
    No listed credentials, no diary entries (or they're private, anyway)

    I smell shenanigans.

    Yeah, I noticed that too :tongue:

    That's because we both eat junk food regularly. It makes you wiser. :laugh:
  • CarlHelgesson
    Options
    I think it's great that you've lost weight, maintaining the weight and still can eat junk food! No argue about that, that's a fantastic job done!

    Balance is everything. I don't talk about cutting the junk food out.

    However, depending on your goal about the look of your body and the way to achieving it, you will get better and faster results with a clean diet. Yes, it may be a tougher - and more boring - diet. But do you have high expectations and goals, this is the way.

    The people I've helped has transformed their bodies from fat to sexy, lean and ripped bodies. With diets based on clean quality food where junk food where their rewards.


    If you want to look great it's not all about calories. It's about how you split the macronutrients, it's about timing of nutrition, it's about sitting in the drivers seat and always find the way to enhance the metabolism. It's about preventing muscle loss and to speed up the fat burning. It's about the finding new ways to shock the body and not let the body adapt.

    You can have an OK body and be satisfied with that. You can have a great body and be satisfied with that.

    You can choose different ways to loose weight. It's not black or white. It's just better or worse ways of doing it.


    I push for the clean and quality way.


    I am glad to see that you push for another way. That makes more possibilities for the forum members to choose a path for their road to weight loss.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    Options
    I do not limit or eliminate any foods from my diet, nor do I eat "junk" food all day long. You can create a healthy balance

    That's wise!

    It's all about balance.

    I believe in junk foods as rewards and treats, but not as a basement for the diet or eating it all day long.

    Um, yeah, that's what everyone else here is saying as well. The OP asked if people eat a bit of junk food, and people listed the types of junk food they eat. They didn't say they eat it all day long or even every day. And everyone finds a way to fit those foods into their daily calorie allowance for weight loss. People around here do not "reward" themselves with certain types of food, because food is viewed as fuel and nothing else. And using food as a "reward" or as a coping mechanism for achievements/failures in their lives is also how many people on this site came to be overweight in the first place.

    The psychological aspect of weight loss is just as important as the physical, which is why you see people here saying they do not label foods as "good" or "bad," do not eliminate or limit foods from their diets, or "treat" themselves with food when they do well on their diets and go over their calorie limits. It mentally sets you up for failure, because you focus on thing you can't have. We see it here all the time - people make their diets "clean" then end up binging on all the "bad" foods, and it either sets them back or they quit completely because they feel as though they've failed.
  • haylslade
    Options
    I think one of the most important things is to set up sub targets. When reaching them - reward yourself!

    Junk food could be great a reward. And after following a strict and clean diet for a while, it can enhance your metabolism. Your metabolism will slow down, when eating clean and loosing weight. As long as you don't reward yourself too often.

    But I can't agree that as long as you are staying within your daily calories, it's ok to eat junk food.

    You are what you eat. This is the truth.


    Junk food is mostly a mix of sugar and fat, and that's a bad combo. It's also mostly bad fats. Eating junk food often, even if you are staying in a calorie deficit, can result in that you are keeping fat in stead.


    To burn fat and save muscles, it's much about nutrition timing. For example; if you are eating your carbs around your workouts, you will use them for muscle glycogen and to compensate for energy loss, which is better than eating them on other occasions. So that's an opportunity to eat junk that's based on carbs and sugars (make sure it's not fat in it).


    But as I wrote before. You are what you eat. You can't cheat mother nature on that.

    Great advice, totally agree!
  • Ctrum69
    Ctrum69 Posts: 308 Member
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    On a broad, purely scientific overview, yes, calories are calories, and if you eat less than you burn, you will lose weight. (Unless there's thyroid or some other issue going on, which totally skews the bodies inclination to store fuel).

    However, health, and wellness, are NOT "a weight"

    Everything from the diet industry to hollywood to the Government push this "healthy weight" BS on us, daily.

    There are people who are "overweight" by every standard who are completely healthy.

    There are people who are "ideal weight" by every standard who are not at all healthy.

    So, yeah.. you CAN lose weight eating nothing but junk food. However, you are probably going to feel like crap, have greasy skin and lifeless hair, beat the hell out of your system in the process, and not feel like continuing after a relatively short while.

    One of the reasons elimination and so called "clean eating" diets are gaining so much popularity, is people not only lose weight, but FEEL BETTER when on them. And you can curl your lip at em all you want, but if people feel better, they are more likely to continue doing whatever it is that makes them feel better, which is, long term, going to lead to better results.

    Each person is an individual, therefore, what works for them may well be different than what works for you. Taking two people "of identical body type" as stated earlier, is a fairly meaningless test, as all manner of things may be different internally between the two. MAYBE if you did it with twins. (And someone did.. they did one twin on an atkins type, and one twin on a low fat type, and tracked it, for a whole month, and came up with some "science" recently), you'd have a baseline. But even one set of twins is anecdotal, and not data.

    Is a big mac now and then gonna kill you? No. Have fun and account for it. Is "the lemonade diet" going to do damage long term? Yup.
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
    Options
    I think it's great that you've lost weight, maintaining the weight and still can eat junk food! No argue about that, that's a fantastic job done!

    Balance is everything. I don't talk about cutting the junk food out.

    However, depending on your goal about the look of your body and the way to achieving it, you will get better and faster results with a clean diet. Yes, it may be a tougher - and more boring - diet. But do you have high expectations and goals, this is the way.

    The people I've helped has transformed their bodies from fat to sexy, lean and ripped bodies. With diets based on clean quality food where junk food where their rewards.


    If you want to look great it's not all about calories. It's about how you split the macronutrients, it's about timing of nutrition, it's about sitting in the drivers seat and always find the way to enhance the metabolism. It's about preventing muscle loss and to speed up the fat burning. It's about the finding new ways to shock the body and not let the body adapt.
    Back this up with science.

    You can have an OK body and be satisfied with that.

    Stop right now.
    GREAT bodies all over this site who don't "eat clean."


    You can have a great body and be satisfied with that.

    You can choose different ways to loose weight. It's not black or white. It's just better or worse ways of doing it.


    I push for the clean and quality way.


    I am glad to see that you push for another way. That makes more possibilities for the forum members to choose a path for their road to weight loss.

    Trolls be trollin'