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

jkwolly

Why is it so expensive for you??? I get this stuff at Costco.. The ground beef is even cheaper! And the fat free mil is 3.23 a gallon..

I live in Hawaii. 10lbs of chicken breast, even at costco, is gonna set me back a pretty penny. Protein powder, however, I can get on amazon for the same price it'd be on the mainland.

Just saying

Same here, actually. Maybe it's the market here in Western Canada? Not sure.

I can't remember the cost for the 10lbs pack of chicken at Costco, but I know it's a boat load. And price per protein powder is waaaaaay less.

caesar164

Why is it so expensive for you??? I get this stuff at Costco.. The ground beef is even cheaper! And the fat free mil is 3.23 a gallon..

I live in Hawaii. 10lbs of chicken breast, even at costco, is gonna set me back a pretty penny. Protein powder, however, I can get on amazon for the same price it'd be on the mainland.

Just saying

Same here, actually. Maybe it's the market here in Western Canada? Not sure.

I can't remember the cost for the 10lbs pack of chicken at Costco, but I know it's a boat load. And price per protein powder is waaaaaay less.

Really? 10 pounds of chicken cost more then 50 dollars?? A tub of protein cost the same everywhere considering its baught online... Dont they have farms in Hawaii and western Canada? That kind of sucks lol...

1FearlessFighter

definitely quality, i ALWAYS buy organic non processed, whole grain foods and always make my own stuff eg, pasta with organic wholegrain spelt flour, but generally i would go over my calorie goal but at least im providing my body with the right natural foods that would definitely be more beneficial in the long term for my health

stealthq

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.

If you want accuracy, weighing is essential for all solids. All liquids should be measured in measuring cups - unless it's water or very similar where the 1g/mL conversion can be used to weigh it instead.

Cups, tablespoons, etc are not accurate. Ever try weighing the tablespoon of peanut butter you just measured? Most people are surprised by how much it is off.

But, if you don't need accuracy, don't bother - plenty of people lose, maintain, or gain without weighing. But, if you want to have a small deficit, a small surplus, or maintain within a narrow range ... best to weigh.

Idefinenichelle

Quality for health.

Quantity for weight.

^Agreed

And as far as everyone getting on OP for saying "junk food" we all have our definitions of it. Whatever.

jkwolly

Why is it so expensive for you??? I get this stuff at Costco.. The ground beef is even cheaper! And the fat free mil is 3.23 a gallon..

I live in Hawaii. 10lbs of chicken breast, even at costco, is gonna set me back a pretty penny. Protein powder, however, I can get on amazon for the same price it'd be on the mainland.

Just saying

Same here, actually. Maybe it's the market here in Western Canada? Not sure.

I can't remember the cost for the 10lbs pack of chicken at Costco, but I know it's a boat load. And price per protein powder is waaaaaay less.

Really? 10 pounds of chicken cost more then 50 dollars?? A tub of protein cost the same everywhere considering its baught online... Dont they have farms in Hawaii and western Canada? That kind of sucks lol...

Almost, actually! The 5lbs bags are $23.99 - and my protein powder is $38

ETA: I went to Costco yesterday and was able to double check LOL!

lemurcat12

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?

I'm sure lots of other people have said this already, but weighing your food isn't something you do in addition to counting calories. It's a way to make counting calories more accurate. Like this morning I made a vegetable omelet. I could have eyeballed or put my vegetables in a cup, but how much is actually in that cup depends on how tightly I pack it (with my kale), how small I cut my zucchini, etc. Similarly, I could have decided my eggs were kind of large but not extra large (and I often do this--farm eggs, so no designation). But since I was making an omelet anyway I weighed them.

I don't think this is necessary--I was losing before I started weighing--but it actually makes it a lot faster and easier for me. Trying to guess whether it's a cup or a cup and a quarter takes more time than sticking in 1.23 servings of an 100 gram entry, since you put it on the scale. And putting it on the scale takes less time and makes less mess than actually trying to use measuring cups. Estimating would have eventually seemed burdensome to me, whereas so far weighing seems unlikely to. But YMMV--it just seemed like you thought we were weighing because it was important to us to eat 3 lb of food a day or some silliness.

Hornsby

They are both pretty important to me...they are both pretty important to long term success (one would be hard pressed to do the SAD and maintain a healthy weight without meticulously counting calories forever).

That said, context and dosage are also very important and a lot of newbs completely miss the boat here...a lot of newbs have an all or nothing mentality which isn't going to lead to any kind of long term success either. You see, a doughnut for breakfast and a bowl of ice cream at lunch isn't going to negate all of the other nutrition I've taken in for the day either. A lot of newbs also have a big misconception about what actually constitutes proper nutrition and categorize perfectly healthy foods as "bad" because of the calories or whatever...or something has fat (OMG the debil) and really don't understand that fat is essential to proper nutrition...again, context and dosage.

I've been on this little safari now for almost 2 years and have been maintaining for just over a year. I don't log or count calories...haven't done so for my entire year of maintenance save for a spot check here and there. I've been able to do this because I took the time to learn how to eat during the weight loss process (just one little piece of the entire process towards being a healthier and fitter you).

Counting calories helped me balance out my nutrition and helped me to see the bigger picture...my diet as a whole rather than getting overly wrapped up in the minutia of individual food items. I also weighed pretty much everything...I don't know why you wouldn't...you may be logging 4 oz of chicken breast, but if you haven't cut it in half it's likely you're actually eating 8 oz. What good is it to count calories when you don't actually know how much you're eating...you're just guessing at that point. Again, this was something I used to learn...I don't really use the scale all that much anymore because I've seen what an ounce of almonds looks like a million times over and I know that the average chicken breast for my particular brand is around 8 ounces, etc. I know these things because I took the time as part of the process to learn these things so that I could carry them over into perpetuity without being leashed to MFP or my scale.

You have to understand that this is all a process. Trying to do a complete 180* and change every little thing over night is probably not going to work...it's a series of baby steps. My nutrition now is a far cry different (and better) than it was 2 years ago...but I had to start the process somewhere...and my diary didn't look quite so awesome as it would not when I first started out...but I still lost the weight...I still made myself healthy...I still made myself a fit *kitten* 40 year old.

Process, context, dosage....

Not sure anything else needed to be said after that post... Perfect.

Oh, but there is no such thing as junk food, so that make the OP null and void...lol.

asdowe13

It's always funny what people include in "junk" food.

IMO, if it comes in a box or a bag or a can it's probably "junk food." That definition is very broad and there are certainly exceptions but basically it works. And, yes, everyone is going to consume some junk food. My concern lies with people who eat ONLY junk food. Their diaries are full of cereals, bars, fruit snacks, frozen meals, pre-made dinners, etc. but very little (or no) meat or dairy or veggies or fruit. That's totally their choice and no business of mine. But I do wonder if they are aware that this is not really the best food they could be eating and I feel a measure of concern for them. As a society, we are dangerously ignorant about nutrition.

I see your opinion and I disagree with it.

Food that comes in a bag or a box or a can - will and most always has some form of nutrition to it. Whether it's protien, fat, carb, fibre, sugar, sodium whatever, it's still a nutrient and can be used in a blanced healthy diet.
No food is inherently bad, it can all be part of a nutritious diet.

hyg99

Being very careful what I say as I honestly don't believe I judge others... but I do see what the op means by some diaries having very little actual food in them due to their choices and I sometimes think, crikey, I'd be starving hungry if that's all I ate. Obviously it's totally their choice, I personally choose my calories to fit my needs and I don't like being hungry, so for me there's an element of quantity needed, so lots of veg / salad.
Saying all that Friday and Saturday I put in my wine etc into mfp and then work my food calories round it, choosing lower calorie food in order to not go to far over. It's all about choice.

59gi

Quality of food very important!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#1 killer cancer which is fed by a high sugar diet
#2 heart disease which is due to high sugar diet

Flab2Fab27

Quality of food very important!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#1 killer cancer which is fed by a high sugar diet
#2 heart disease which is due to high sugar diet

soidade

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.

I'm sufficiently obese that losing weight is much more important at the moment than eating healthy food.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Quality of food very important!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#1 killer cancer which is fed by a high sugar diet
#2 heart disease which is due to high sugar diet

Sources?

mustgetmuscles1

Quality of food very important!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#1 killer cancer which is fed by a high sugar diet
#2 heart disease which is due to high sugar diet

Sources?

Sources? Didnt you see all the exclamation marks? That is all the information you need to know just how dangerous sugar is.

jofjltncb6

Quality of food very important!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#1 killer cancer which is fed by a high sugar diet
#2 heart disease which is due to high sugar diet

LOLwhat?
:huh:

Okay, I guess I'm in now...

...while enjoying some cheap pizza for dinner.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Quality of food very important!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#1 killer cancer which is fed by a high sugar diet
#2 heart disease which is due to high sugar diet

Sources?

Sources? Didnt you see all the exclamation marks? That is all the information you need to know just how dangerous sugar is.

Right, what was I thinking? :noway:


:laugh:

3dogsrunning

Why is it so expensive for you??? I get this stuff at Costco.. The ground beef is even cheaper! And the fat free mil is 3.23 a gallon..

I live in Hawaii. 10lbs of chicken breast, even at costco, is gonna set me back a pretty penny. Protein powder, however, I can get on amazon for the same price it'd be on the mainland.

Just saying

Same here, actually. Maybe it's the market here in Western Canada? Not sure.

I can't remember the cost for the 10lbs pack of chicken at Costco, but I know it's a boat load. And price per protein powder is waaaaaay less.

Really? 10 pounds of chicken cost more then 50 dollars?? A tub of protein cost the same everywhere considering its baught online... Dont they have farms in Hawaii and western Canada? That kind of sucks lol...

East coast of Canada here and chicken costs over $60 for 10lbs unless I catch a sale. Eggs are about $3 a dozen.
We also don't have a Costco.

Protein powder - much cheaper.

jmv7117

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.

I will choose quality over quantity of food any day! While I was actively losing weight, I did count calories and weighed some but not all foods for a short period of time. I think weighing food was not important for me but for those not losing weight when they are logging at a deficit, then I think it is a useful tool. I honestly don't think counting calories is enough for several reasons but for many underestimating the calories consumed is a problem. I personally don't plan my meals ahead but I can see where it would work for some.

mleemingstrode

I count my calories, just recently started using a scale to measure as I was a bit too generous with portions and it was slowing my weight loss. I eat healthy and the better I feel the more healthy I eat so I don't drink soda, juice rarely, or do energy drinks. I adjust my workouts to how I feel and what I have or plan on eating. Some days walking the dogs is fine but others, we must Zumba away.