Quality of food or quantity, which is more important to you?

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

I ask because I see in a lot of diaries things like a breakfast of real junk food and at the end of the day the calorie intake is right but the food quality is soooo wrong. Not that I'm judging, to each his own and I've seen some great weight losses with this method.

Do you count every calorie and weigh you food? Do you plan out your meals the day before? I do count my calories but have never weighed my food, can't imagine it. Do you think it's important to do that and if so, why isn't counting calories enough? One thing I do religiously is plan my meals a day ahead. That way I'm not starring in the fridge or cupboard trying to figure out what to eat.

First, you can't use pejoratives like 'junk' in describing other people's food and then claim to not be judging. Language doesn't work that way.

Secondly, I count every calorie and weigh my food whenever possible (95% of the time). I plan out my meals in that when I go to the grocery, I know what I'm going to be eating for the next week. You can't imagine weighing your food? You should if you want to be as accurate as possible. Isn't calorie counting enough? Yes it is but when you see people saying that they aren't losing weight despite doing everything right, 99% of the time it's because they have either one or both sides of the calories in/ calories out equation wrong. Most times, it's underestimating how many calories they are taking in. People who encounter this problem and are willing to make a tiny lifestyle change, weighing their food, quickly find just how inaccurate eyeballing can be. Also, once you get close to goal weight and you get to the point that your deficit should be rather small, perhaps only 150-250 calories, that amount of accuracy become increasingly important.

Planning ahead is great but even planning ahead doesn't account for the fact that your eyes and their estimates are not as accurate as a digital scale that tells you quantity down to the gram.

Finally, your thread title: I enjoy both quantity and quality but it depends on the food. I like quality in high calorie items like gelato, chocolate, cake, etc. I like quantity in low calorie items like salad. I'll have a huge bowel (knowing I'll suffer consequences later) in order to fill me up if I'm having one of those 'want to eat all the foods despite my lack of calorie allowance' days.

Freudian slip?

aedreana

I am a fat craver so, quality. I need that fat content in my food. One ounce of potato chips is worth a thousand baked potatoes if there's no margarine on them!

BrainyBurro

I ask because I see in a lot of diaries things like a breakfast of real junk food and at the end of the day the calorie intake is right but the food quality is soooo wrong. Not that I'm judging, to each his own and I've seen some great weight losses with this method.

Do you count every calorie and weigh you food? Do you plan out your meals the day before? I do count my calories but have never weighed my food, can't imagine it. Do you think it's important to do that and if so, why isn't counting calories enough? One thing I do religiously is plan my meals a day ahead. That way I'm not starring in the fridge or cupboard trying to figure out what to eat.

1.) Not judging? 'Cuz it kinda sounds like judging to me. "Real junk," "food quality is soooo wrong," etc.

inorite? OP sure sounds awfully judgy to me too. :huh:

SunofaBeach14

You're not judging but judging, and you count calories but don't weigh? What are you counting then?

fatcity66

I'd say quality, but this is coming from someone who had this for lunch



But normally I would honestly say quality

This is what I call a QUALITY lunch! Seriously.

I do want to add, weighing your food is SO important. I was struggling to lose weight very slowly (maybe .5lb/wk) and I started weighing and measuring everything again. I broke through my plateau, lost 2 lbs the next week, and now it seems like I am losing steadlly without any problem. And I am eating probably the same amount of "junk," as I am healthy food, yet I feel great and have a TON of energy.

47Jacqueline

I have a scale, a set of cups and a set of spoons. I've spent my life yoyo-ing and got here when I decided to stop it.I weighed and measured my way through weight loss and I still occasionally check myself.I was on maintenance for six months and then decided to lower my body fat and lose another five pounds. But now I'm less apt to weigh my food, but I do tend to measure it. Also, I shop in whole foods a lot and can have the butchers and such weigh my food for me before I buy it.

Sooner or later, I hope to stop logging because I really don't need to do it any more. My last dietician really encouraged me to break the compulsion.Unfortunately she relocated a few months ago. I've decided to stop after I reach my next goal. It's taking more time than I have time for and I know portions like the back of my hand.

As far as "junk" food, I don't think it's appropriate to make assumptions about what other people put in their mouths. People who succeed learn a lot on MFP; those who don't don't.

My interest these days is much more about being a healthy, strong, pretty 67-year-old. I come from longevity genes and I intend to emulate the healthy elders I have gotten to know this year.

Annesoucy1957

always this battle between good vs bad food. I personally view losing weight as a whole, eating food that provide me with good nutrient with as little calories as possible. I need food to prevent heart disease, prevent osteoporoses and other little nasties that often catched up with you. I would rather avoid them, than dealing with them.

If I have to choose between an apple at 100 calories and a small bag of snack cookies at the same calorie level, I will choose the apple without even thinking about it because of the illness I wish to prevent.

So even if I can lose weight eating all the food I love, it wont fullfill my other needs. Same for exercises I will lose weight without them and yet I still do it every day because the weight loss is easier to achieve and my body looks better.

So to each its own way of eating depending on their goals.

amandzor

Quality for health.

Quantity for weight.

SunofaBeach14

always this battle between good vs bad food. I personally view losing weight as a whole, eating food that provide me with good nutrient with as little calories as possible. I need food to prevent heart disease, prevent osteoporoses and other little nasties that often catched up with you. I would rather avoid them, than dealing with them.

If I have to choose between an apple at 100 calories and a small bag of snack cookies at the same calorie level, I will choose the apple without even thinking about it because of the illness I wish to prevent.

So even if I can lose weight eating all the food I love, it wont fullfill my other needs. Same for exercises I will lose weight without them and yet I still do it every day because the weight loss is easier to achieve and my body looks better.

So to each its own way of eating depending on their goals.

I'll choose the apple too, but if it's a matter of satisfying a craving with 1/2 a cup of ice cream, or a beer in the evening, then I'm satisfying the craving. My diet is mostly lean meats, vegetables, fruit, yogurt, eggs, and egg whites, but I leave room for the extras. What people seem to missing is that is what IIFYM is about. It's not eating junk food 24/7. We mention moderation because it works over the long term and it does result in a lean physique and solid health markers when combined with the right amount of calories and strength training.

lemonsnowdrop

What makes a food "junk"? I've never understood this and I never will.

Annesoucy1957

always this battle between good vs bad food. I personally view losing weight as a whole, eating food that provide me with good nutrient with as little calories as possible. I need food to prevent heart disease, prevent osteoporoses and other little nasties that often catched up with you. I would rather avoid them, than dealing with them.

If I have to choose between an apple at 100 calories and a small bag of snack cookies at the same calorie level, I will choose the apple without even thinking about it because of the illness I wish to prevent.

So even if I can lose weight eating all the food I love, it wont fullfill my other needs. Same for exercises I will lose weight without them and yet I still do it every day because the weight loss is easier to achieve and my body looks better.

So to each its own way of eating depending on their goals.

I'll choose the apple too, but if it's a matter of satisfying a craving with 1/2 a cup of ice cream, or a beer in the evening, then I'm satisfying the craving. My diet is mostly lean meats, vegetables, fruit, yogurt, eggs, and egg whites, but I leave room for the extras. What people seem to missing is that is what IIFYM is about. It's not eating junk food 24/7. We mention moderation because it works over the long term and it does result in a lean physique and solid health markers when combined with the right amount of calories and strength training.

edited because having problem with the quote function, i replied below, sorry about that

simplydelish2

If you don't weigh your food - how do you count the correct amount of calories? Weighing (and measuring) your food is paramount to knowing how many calories you are really eating.

Quality of food = healthy lifestyle.
Quantity of food = can achieve weight loss, but you aren't going to end up healthy in the end.

xenu01

This is why I was keeping my diary closed for a long time and just recently only allow friends to see it. What I eat is none of anyone else's business but mine. Sure, the community is part of why we come here, but everyone's individual body and what they put in it is a private concern. For heaven's sake, all many fat people have to do to be judged by strangers is to exist in public.

Achrya

always this battle between good vs bad food. I personally view losing weight as a whole, eating food that provide me with good nutrient with as little calories as possible. I need food to prevent heart disease, prevent osteoporoses and other little nasties that often catched up with you. I would rather avoid them, than dealing with them.

If I have to choose between an apple at 100 calories and a small bag of snack cookies at the same calorie level, I will choose the apple without even thinking about it because of the illness I wish to prevent.

So even if I can lose weight eating all the food I love, it wont fullfill my other needs. Same for exercises I will lose weight without them and yet I still do it every day because the weight loss is easier to achieve and my body looks better.

So to each its own way of eating depending on their goals.

Eating just an apple or just a bag of snack cookies have the same effect: Hunger. So I would never eat just either.

Also: 100 calorie apples? Where? When?! Mine are always around 200 calories. I could eat two packs of your cookies for that. Might have a better macro breakdown (Apple is just carbs, cookies will probably have some fat and maybe a little protein)

Annesoucy1957

Of course even if I want to eat a certain way for my health I will indulge in a scrumptious piece of cheese, so you see we can all agree on certain things. Some will adhere to a stricter diet because they have incentive to do so. When I was 20, my concerned were not the same as when I was 30 or now closer to 60.

This was an answer in regard to sunofabeach post.

SunofaBeach14

Of course even if I want to eat a certain way for my health I will indulge in a scrumptious piece of cheese, so you see we can all agree on certain things. Some will adhere to a stricter diet because they have incentive to do so. When I was 20, my concerned were not the same as when I was 30 or now xloser to 60.

meh, I'm 41

calypsocoin

You're not judging but judging, and you count calories but don't weigh? What are you counting then?

Weighing may be essential for some foods such as meat (except for prepackaged ground meat), but often measuring food works just as well. As someone who cooks frequently, I can measure and sometimes estimate cups, tablespoons, etc. (more easily with food than liquid) and derive calories from that serving size as most MFP foods provide more than one measurement to log calories. But maybe you were referring to just meat or both weighing and measuring and I misunderstood. Also looking at the total weight of a package of meat and dividing to find an average for each piece is acceptable for some people as well.

Sharon_C

I lost 26 pounds and have been successfully maintaining for a year now and I've never once weighed or measured my food.

SunofaBeach14

You're not judging but judging, and you count calories but don't weigh? What are you counting then?

Weighing may be essential for some foods such as meat (except for prepackaged ground meat), but often measuring food works just as well. As someone who cooks frequently, I can measure and sometimes estimate cups, tablespoons, etc. (more easily with food than liquid) and derive calories from that serving size as most MFP foods provide more than one measurement to log calories. But maybe you were referring to just meat or both weighing and measuring and I misunderstood. Also looking at the total weight of a package of meat and dividing to find an average for each piece is acceptable for some people as well.

I don't always measure now, but I certainly did for over a year as a food scale is a great wake up call. I now only weigh in a cut, and I strongly recommend that if you haven't used one that you do.

caesar164

What makes a food "junk"? I've never understood this and I never will.

Anything with excessive sugar, and no real nutrition is junk! Empty calories, that Reese's cheesecake up there, that's junk! Any food product that comes off an assembly line. Processed foods full of preservatives and ingredients you could barely pronounce=junk!
The reason for a food scale is accuracy... You will better at guesstimating weight after some time with a food scale...