Does what you eat matter as long as you stay under cals?

Gallen88

I don't mean this question as in i can just eat cakes and pies all day as long as i stay under my calorie count.

I mean it in the sense of not having your diet completely together yet but still staying under your caloric goal. I know you have to eat healthier but MFP said in order me to lose 2lbs a week i have to burn at least 2,090 calories weekly. This week i burned 3,536 but my diet wasn't the greatest. For the most part i stayed under my cals but again, my diet wasn't the best

Liftng4Lis

Nope it really doesn't matter. It's not ideal, but so long as you're at a deficit, you will lose.

Meshellwantsthis

I am curious to see what others reply, and where the information comes from more importantly. I am like you, I usually go over daily and even weekly my goal calorie burn, and am under my caloric intake daily because of it, but my diet really isn't the greatest. Just still struggle with finding healthier options that I actually think taste good, and am afraid if I fall off the excersize wagon, of course although I never want to go back to how I was, am so afraid if the "food" part of this weight loss and the app, and the tracking, and so forth isn't put in check, all of this will be for nothing, if I don't learn and get the food part of this under control.

Gallen88

This food struggle is SO REAL.. it has ALWAYS been real for me

I am curious to see what others reply, and where the information comes from more importantly. I am like you, I usually go over daily and even weekly my goal calorie burn, and am under my caloric intake daily because of it, but my diet really isn't the greatest. Just still struggle with finding healthier options that I actually think taste good, and am afraid if I fall off the excersize wagon, of course although I never want to go back to how I was, am so afraid if the "food" part of this weight loss and the app, and the tracking, and so forth isn't put in check, all of this will be for nothing, if I don't learn and get the food part of this under control.

_HeartsOnFire_

You will lose weight if you are in a calorie deficit. Doesn't matter what you eat.

Now, am I suggesting people eat pizza, ice cream, and bread all day long? No. Am I suggesting a balanced diet in moderation? Why yes, yes I am.

I have lost my weight eating out, making food myself, eating pizza, drinking beer, all in moderation. I keep it in my calorie goal (most days).

ETA: You don't have to eat things you don't like or that don't taste good. You can also try new things in new ways. The key is to find something you can do the rest of your life.

I had fried ice cream tonight. #noregrets

kaseyr1505

Yes, you can lose weight on a diet of Twinkies and Coke if you stay under your calorie deficit. It might be harder, because those foods aren't filling, but it can be done.

pbandbananas1996

Nope, doesn't really matter that much what you eat as long as you're eating at a deficit. But if you want your body to be healthy, you should try and eat at least some healthy foods. You can make healthy food taste just as good as junk food.

KylaDenay

For weight loss nope

For health yes

gabrielleelliott90

I don't take notice of anything but my daily calorie goal. And as it is 1200, I make sure to eat that amount. I regulary go a few over, but I still lose weight. And I eat junk. Which I'm not proud of. Obviously it won't be nutritious to the body, but no matter what you eat as long as you eat the calories calculated for you, you will lose weight.

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nikkylyn

You will lose if you are in a deficit. But how will you feel?

That being said you still can have your treats here and there.

I feel best when I eat a good portion of fruits veggies and proteins and I feel better also.

But heck I still enjoy my chips a hoy and icecream!!

Its about balance.

Oxmarqt

It has already been mentioned but there are 2 different things when it comes to eating. There is eating to lose weight and there is eating to be healthy

If you consume less calories then you burn you will lose weight. If you eat healthy foods only you can both lose and gain weight.
There are a whole bunch of proper weight unhealthy people out there.

Personally, I am focusing on the numbers first while SLOWLY making changes to the quality. I try to make one quality change every 2 weeks. By the time I reach my goal my body/taste buds/brain should be accustomed to the veggies and other unprocessed foods.

parsaamin88

Makes a huge difference. Maybe not scale-wise but in terms of over all energy, nutrition and health!

slucki01

From a purely weight loss perspective, you will lose if you have a calorie deficit. But how will you feel and how long will you be able to sustain this? I find that eating veggies and protein helps to satiate me and I feel better. If you eat a bit more and make sure it's healthy and continue to exercise you will lose weight AND you'll be able to continue to lose weight over time without feeling like you're on a "diet".

That doesn't mean you can't have treats, you just have to plan for them and not go crazy with them.

Its about balance.

fabulousmomma

I don't take notice of anything but my daily calorie goal. And as it is 1200, I make sure to eat that amount. I regulary go a few over, but I still lose weight. And I eat junk. Which I'm not proud of. Obviously it won't be nutritious to the body, but no matter what you eat as long as you eat the calories calculated for you, you will lose weight.

I'm with you on this one. I too am in a 1200 calorie goal. I'm usually under a smidge, or sometimes bang on but as long as I'm close to or a little over, eating what I want in moderation has been working for me.

fabulousmomma

I don't take notice of anything but my daily calorie goal. And as it is 1200, I make sure to eat that amount. I regulary go a few over, but I still lose weight. And I eat junk. Which I'm not proud of. Obviously it won't be nutritious to the body, but no matter what you eat as long as you eat the calories calculated for you, you will lose weight.

I'm with you on this one. I too am in a 1200 calorie goal. I'm usually under a smidge, or sometimes bang on but as long as I'm close to or a little over, eating what I want in moderation has been working for me.

Oh and its definitley about balance! Good luck and Happy Saturday everyone.

mizroxy13

I eat the entire spectrum and lose weight as long as I stay within my macros. It's the only lifelong, sustainable way and it feels effortless.

I tend to eat mostly healthy because I eat to make myself feel the best and that's what works. But I DEFINITELY have my treats!

peaceissues

It does not matter what you eat, but what do you think will happen once you reach your goal weight and stop counting your calorie intake? You will still eat your junk food and as time passes you'll end up gaining weight again. In my opinion I believe its better to stay away from junk food all together. Replace it with healthy foods, and by the time you reach your goal weight you will be used to eating healthy and won't even miss the junk food.

vismal

I don't mean this question as in i can just eat cakes and pies all day as long as i stay under my calorie count.

I mean it in the sense of not having your diet completely together yet but still staying under your caloric goal. I know you have to eat healthier but MFP said in order me to lose 2lbs a week i have to burn at least 2,090 calories weekly. This week i burned 3,536 but my diet wasn't the greatest. For the most part i stayed under my cals but again, my diet wasn't the best

For pure weight loss, you could actually "eat cakes and pies all day long" as long as you come in under your calorie goal. To be "healthy" you also must give consideration to how much protein, carbs, and fats you get in, as well as micro nutrients like vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber content. Also, many people have trouble with hunger if they eat too many calorie dense foods in comparison to nutrient dense foods. Increased hunger can lead to be non compliant with your diet. So whether or not what you eat "matters" depends entirely on context.

treyangelosante16

Yes absolutely. What you eat is just as important maybe more so than how much.

JustFindingMe

Nope it really doesn't matter. It's not ideal, but so long as you're at a deficit, you will lose.

This

vismal

Yes absolutely. What you eat is just as important maybe more so than how much.

Not at all. You could eat 100% nutrient rich, minimally processed whole foods, and if you eat more calories then you burn, you will lose ZERO weight.

myrtille87

If you've only got 1,500 calories to play with per day, the reality is it's pretty hard to feel full whilst eating high calorie foods. I could blow those calories on one meal and then be hungry all day which would such. There's no way I'm going to eat a whole bag of sweets on my way home from work as a snack anymore, because I won't have any calories left for a satisfying dinner.

So I prioritise planning 3 reasonably healthy, satisfying meals per day. If I spend 300 calories on breakfast, 400 on lunch and 500 on dinner (for example), that leaves me with another 300 calories for snacks (or more if I exercise). So I might choose to blow those calories on a doughnut or a couple of glasses of wine, or I might go for several smaller, healthier snacks, depending on how I feel.

But I only have the calories to spend on treats because I've eaten sensibly for my main meals or have exercised, leaving me with spare calories to enjoy.

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Katla49

You will lose if you are in a deficit. But how will you feel?

That being said you still can have your treats here and there.

I feel best when I eat a good portion of fruits veggies and proteins and I feel better also.

But heck I still enjoy my chips a hoy and icecream!!

Its about balance.

This is well said. I will add that many of us find that eating too much sodium interferes with weight loss by increasing our body's tendency to retain water. As you go along, you will likely begin to make healthier choices. The secret to success for me has been portion control and patience. It took a long time to gain the weight and it doesn't fall off quickly.

SLLRunner

Yes absolutely. What you eat is just as important maybe more so than how much.

Not at all. You could eat 100% nutrient rich, minimally processed whole foods, and if you eat more calories then you burn, you will lose ZERO weight.

This.

Eating at a deficit is what causes weight loss no matter what you eat.

Eating a variety of foods in a way that will essentially meet your macros is what contributes to health.

For me, it's about balance, and I eat plenty of sweets and what others would categorize as "forbidden foods," which I don' believe in.

The only things I don't eat are those which I am intolerant to (soy and lactose), and i go light on the caffeine because too much makes me retain water and sets my heart racing like crazy).

zoeysasha37

For weight loss, it really doesn't matter. It's about calories in verse calories out. But as far as health, that's a different story

I personally just try to eat a balanced diet that includes the foods that I love, but in moderation. I have cake, cookies, whatever , but in moderation. I practice portion control.

laurenweird

This has been an interesting read, thank you to all those who posted

I am obese and coming from as very unhealthy liftstyle so I am trying to do both (lose weight and eat healthier) and my weight loss is going quite well but I did wonder whether it was from the healthy food or the calorie watching!

astroophys

I don't think it matters when it comes to fat/weight loss. But, for instance, both my parents developed Type 2 diabetes (even though one of them lives a really active lifestyle and was muscular and in the normal weight range). So, I have chosen to not eat sweet junk foods. I still love my sugar, so I do eat a fair amount of fruits (but I keep this in check). I want to keep the weight off for the rest of my life (I'm in my 20s). I also want to have a healthy body for the rest of my life. I have no interest in taking pills to regulate my blood sugar and my blood pressure. Not happening. I've seen it (my mother), and it's no fun. So, I choose healthier foods for the long haul (past weight loss).

But, again, when it comes to losing weight, it really doesn't matter. There are people who have lost weight eating at McDonald's for every meal. That Supersize Me guy was just overeating constantly, which is why he gained weight in that documentary.