Is 'eating at deficit' enough?
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Ok here's an anecdotal and awkward take on the whole situation. Weekend before this past one I was visiting some family and gorged myself on everything in sight. My [estimated] logging showed like 3500 calories over one day and maybe 2000 over the next. But when I came home and weighed my weight had gone up 11lbs from my last "lowest" weight. It's taken the whole week to come back to to pre-inhaling everything in sight levels. Well the point is kind of moot because if I did this every week I wouldn't actually lose weight over time. Just wondering if one were too eat too many carbs or or too much food or something on a smaller scale, perhaps the body consistently retains water to the point of making the individual look like they're not losing any weight, despite being in a deficit? Yeah I'm stupid. I just woke up I'm gonna get breakfast going and get ready for work
Yes, water retention can make you look like you haven't lost weight, but there's a limit to how much water a reasonably healthy person will retain. In other words, it may mask a 2-3 lb loss, but it won't mask a 25 lb loss (unless you have a serious medical issue that causes THAT much water retention, in which case you should see a physician). Don't forget that that 11 lbs included not just water retention but your gut and intestines being full of loads of food as well.0 -
After seeing how everyone was jumping on the OP, I was going to step in and try to give some validation to some of the points she made.
But I decided to check out her diary first, and NAHHHHH, she is on her own with this one.
In my opinion, Shakeology would fall under the garbage category. And I think even Jonny -'McDonalds'-than eats more veggies than OP does,
I don't see many jumping but because of this post I did look at her diary...
I want to find that bacon that is 69 calories for 1.5 slices...:laugh:
Hmm? My bacon says 80 calories for two "pan fried" slices. For this reason I try to be careful to soak up the juices/fat with a paper towel once the bacon has cooked (I then throw in eggs so I usually don't drain them on a paper towel). The brand I'm using now is "Farmland lower sodium" I had one slice with dinner last night 40 calories. I would have preferred them to just list the calories with the fat that liquefies off and all, but I guess this is the latest marketing thing0 -
I wonder what the point of this post is, because you don't seem to be asking a question.
Weight loss is solely determined by caloric deficit. Do you know what /weight/ really is? It's your relationship with gravity. It tells you your relative mass according to the planet that you're standing on. It honestly has nothing to do with your health.
If you want to be FIT and HEALTHY you have to pay attention to what you eat. If you want to WEIGH LESS you only need a caloric deficit.0 -
I don't have as big of goals as other people do, so I can't just shove fistfuls of food in my mouth and still eat at a deficit. I have to eat friggin air to lose any weight, and I don't feel like eating air, so I'm just letting the weight come off if it wants to. If I ate too much chocolate, I'll cut down on dinner to make up for it. Not everyone lives in this perfect world where everyone supports your eating habits.0
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Everyone is different. Personally carbs are my downfall. I can eat clean and lose all kinds of weight even over my caloric intake. The best ides is to do a body fat % and see what works for you. Losing weight isn't a cookie cutter situation. Some people need different way to attack it.
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Sorry but, no. No one can eat above TDEE and lose weight. That would defy the laws of thermodynamics. It really is just calories.0 -
Everyone is different. Personally carbs are my downfall. I can eat clean and lose all kinds of weight even over my caloric intake. The best ides is to do a body fat % and see what works for you. Losing weight isn't a cookie cutter situation. Some people need different way to attack it.
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Sorry but, no. No one can eat above TDEE and lose weight. That would defy the laws of thermodynamics. It really is just calories.
Technically you are right. However, it's extremely difficult to know EXACTLY how many calories you're taking in because even food labels are often incorrect, it's extremely difficult to know EXACTLY how much you're burning per day and therefore it could appear as if you're eating over your TDEE and losing weight but your body is obviously either burning more than you realise or you are taking in less than you realise. And this is when it can appear as though you are not creating a deficit and still losing weight. What the person you quoted is probably experiencing is that their body functions more effectively on a clean diet and they end up expending more energy than they were previously which could be for a number of reasons. The body is a complicated vessel.0 -
Not technically right, absolutely right. A "clean" diet (I still haven't found 2 people who can agree on what that even is) or any other diet will perform EXACTLY the same given the same energy balance in terms of WEIGHT LOSS. Again, these types of arguments only muddy the water for people just starting out. WHAT you eat makes NO difference in terms of WEIGHT loss......NONE. 2000 calories of Twinkies or 2000 calories of kale at the same level of calorie burn will produce the same results for weight loss.Everyone is different. Personally carbs are my downfall. I can eat clean and lose all kinds of weight even over my caloric intake. The best ides is to do a body fat % and see what works for you. Losing weight isn't a cookie cutter situation. Some people need different way to attack it.
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Sorry but, no. No one can eat above TDEE and lose weight. That would defy the laws of thermodynamics. It really is just calories.
Technically you are right. However, it's extremely difficult to know EXACTLY how many calories you're taking in because even food labels are often incorrect, it's extremely difficult to know EXACTLY how much you're burning per day and therefore it could appear as if you're eating over your TDEE and losing weight but your body is obviously either burning more than you realise or you are taking in less than you realise. And this is when it can appear as though you are not creating a deficit and still losing weight. What the person you quoted is probably experiencing is that their body functions more effectively on a clean diet and they end up expending more energy than they were previously which could be for a number of reasons. The body is a complicated vessel.0 -
For weight loss, absolutely. See the prior responses above for further clarification.0
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Everyone is different. Personally carbs are my downfall. I can eat clean and lose all kinds of weight even over my caloric intake. The best ides is to do a body fat % and see what works for you. Losing weight isn't a cookie cutter situation. Some people need different way to attack it.
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Sorry but, no. No one can eat above TDEE and lose weight. That would defy the laws of thermodynamics. It really is just calories.
Saying a calorie is just a calorie violates the 2nd law of Thermodynamics.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC506782/0 -
Not technically right, absolutely right. A "clean" diet (I still haven't found 2 people who can agree on what that even is) or any other diet will perform EXACTLY the same given the same energy balance in terms of WEIGHT LOSS. Again, these types of arguments only muddy the water for people just starting out. WHAT you eat makes NO difference in terms of WEIGHT loss......NONE. 2000 calories of Twinkies or 2000 calories of kale at the same level of calorie burn will produce the same results for weight loss.Everyone is different. Personally carbs are my downfall. I can eat clean and lose all kinds of weight even over my caloric intake. The best ides is to do a body fat % and see what works for you. Losing weight isn't a cookie cutter situation. Some people need different way to attack it.
End of
Sorry but, no. No one can eat above TDEE and lose weight. That would defy the laws of thermodynamics. It really is just calories.
Technically you are right. However, it's extremely difficult to know EXACTLY how many calories you're taking in because even food labels are often incorrect, it's extremely difficult to know EXACTLY how much you're burning per day and therefore it could appear as if you're eating over your TDEE and losing weight but your body is obviously either burning more than you realise or you are taking in less than you realise. And this is when it can appear as though you are not creating a deficit and still losing weight. What the person you quoted is probably experiencing is that their body functions more effectively on a clean diet and they end up expending more energy than they were previously which could be for a number of reasons. The body is a complicated vessel.
Disagree.0 -
After seeing how everyone was jumping on the OP, I was going to step in and try to give some validation to some of the points she made.
But I decided to check out her diary first, and NAHHHHH, she is on her own with this one.
In my opinion, Shakeology would fall under the garbage category. And I think even Jonny -'McDonalds'-than eats more veggies than OP does,
I don't see many jumping but because of this post I did look at her diary...
I want to find that bacon that is 69 calories for 1.5 slices...:laugh:
It's all those "superfoods" in Shakeology that makes a difference I'm sure.0 -
Drink lots of water and move your body. If you 'eat at deficit' and the scale still isn't moving then it may not be how much you are eating but what you are eating that is holding you back.
if the scale is not moving then you are eating at maintenance or at a surplus…
reduce intake slightly and see what happens..
most people that have this problem are not weighing/logging/measuring all of their food…0 -
in….for the snowflakes who defy the law of mathematics and physics...0
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After seeing how everyone was jumping on the OP, I was going to step in and try to give some validation to some of the points she made.
But I decided to check out her diary first, and NAHHHHH, she is on her own with this one.
In my opinion, Shakeology would fall under the garbage category. And I think even Jonny -'McDonalds'-than eats more veggies than OP does,
I don't see many jumping but because of this post I did look at her diary...
I want to find that bacon that is 69 calories for 1.5 slices...:laugh:
It's all those "superfoods" in Shakeology that makes a difference I'm sure.
According to the USDA website 1 slice of bacon only has 42 calories. So 1.5 slices of bacon would be only 63 calories, which she over estimated actually.0 -
If you look through the forums there is always talk about 'eating at deficit'. But, really it's more than just eating fewer calories than you burn. It's also about what you eat. Your body needs fuel. You can eat garbage and be at a calorie deficit, but you aren't going to feel good and it will probably hinder your weight loss/fitness goals.
Pay attention to those macro's and work on adding veggies and lean protein. Drink lots of water and move your body. If you 'eat at deficit' and the scale still isn't moving then it may not be how much you are eating but what you are eating that is holding you back.
What are macro nutrients? In a nutshell....I'm not sure.0 -
Everyone is different. Personally carbs are my downfall. I can eat clean and lose all kinds of weight even over my caloric intake. The best ides is to do a body fat % and see what works for you. Losing weight isn't a cookie cutter situation. Some people need different way to attack it.
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no everyone is the same ..it boils down to being in a calorie deficit…
unless you are diabetic or have some kind of carb sensitivity..but even then, it still comes down to eating less then you burn...0 -
If you look through the forums there is always talk about 'eating at deficit'. But, really it's more than just eating fewer calories than you burn. It's also about what you eat. Your body needs fuel. You can eat garbage and be at a calorie deficit, but you aren't going to feel good and it will probably hinder your weight loss/fitness goals.
Pay attention to those macro's and work on adding veggies and lean protein. Drink lots of water and move your body. If you 'eat at deficit' and the scale still isn't moving then it may not be how much you are eating but what you are eating that is holding you back.
It matters what your goals are. If weight loss is your only goal then Yes eating at a deficit is enough. If you are looking for overall health then some of what you say has merit. Macros are vital but all food is fuel and I do not believe there is any "garbage" foods as you say.
Twizzlers are garbage food. Delicious but garbage.0 -
Technically, if you eat less than you burn, no matter where you get your calories, you will lose weight.
That is the first law of Thermodynamics, (I believe)
BUT...... WHERE those calories come from, will affect your body composition, which will affect your metabolism.
i.e. if you do not eat enough protein to feed your muscles, then your muscle mass will lower and you will not burn as many calories. This means your BMR and TDEE are now lower and you must lower your intake to keep the same deficit.
Also, simple, processed sugars and carbs do not keep you full and satiated for very long, so you are hungry again soon after you eat. They also spike your blood sugar, (if that is all you are eating), and after the initial sugar high, there is a crash, and you will be reaching for more sugar/simple carbs soon in an attempt to get your energy level back up. For these reasons, it may be harder to stay within your calorie goal.
For certain people with PCOS, Diabetes, and other metabolic disorders, Macros definitely do make a big difference in their weight loss efforts. Their bodies do not process carbs/sugar the same way as a healthy person, and if they eat a high carb diet, they won't be able to eat as many calories as they could on a lower carb diet.
For the average healthy person, it is simply calories in-calories out. For a while anyway.
Common sense goes along way in the process.
Most people realize that you would not be healthy eating nothing but donuts all day.
They also realize that eating 100% 'clean' every single day for the rest of your life, and never having a donut, or pizza,etc, is very unlikely.
Moderation. It is an amazing thing.0 -
^that!0
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Wrong.If you look through the forums there is always talk about 'eating at deficit'. But, really it's more than just eating fewer calories than you burn. It's also about what you eat. Your body needs fuel. You can eat garbage and be at a calorie deficit, but you aren't going to feel good and it will probably hinder your weight loss/fitness goals.
Well, unless you ACTUALLY mean eating out of the bin (err, lets ignore the times I've done that :P), then a lot of what I eat others would term 'garbage' and I've done just fine on both accounts.
I do make an effort with protein these days, but haven't in the past and have been ok too.0
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