Does it matter what you eat as long as you don't pass your c

jcolon20

I wanna lose atleast 50lbs. I find it hard to believe that as long as i dont go over my calorie count then its ok and i'll still lose weight. Is this possible? I am eating fruits, going to gym 4x/week for 2 hrs and drinking lots of water by the way, but i also want to enjoy certain foods. Is that ok? what is best to stay away from and what is acceptable?

Sidesteal

Yes it's okay but if you take it to ridiculous levels by eating cake and cookies all day you will have some health issues that may pop up.

Best bet is to eat whole and minimally processed foods for "most" of your diet and then throw in some junk food here and there to keep you happy.

Cold_Steel

Find what works for you. The only 100% reliable advice you will ever need is in one simple word "moderation."

_Bro

^Sidesteal is right on point about this..

A calorie is a calorie.. everything past that is nutrition.
Nutrition in the long term always matters.

rgrange

as long as you don't go over your calorie limit you'll lose weight. For example, I enjoy alcohol and drink it often, so I make sure to leave room for alcoholic beverages by eating less than I would had I not planned on drinking later.

carrie_eggo

Think of your calories like money. You can spend your whole weeks paycheck on lottery tickets but when it comes down to the end of the month you can't pay the mortgage. The same thing goes with your body...you can spend your calories on the fun stuff but when it's all said and done your body doesn't get the important nutrients that it needs.

It's ok to have some fun once in awhile....just budget.

HartsHeart

I have really enjoyed this thread. I have really learned a lot. Thanks for posting this to the group & thank you all for your answers. :O)

MJ7910

from personal experience when i first started out i was just eating whatever and felt like i didn't have much energy. i was still below calories. when i started eating nutritious food with protein, vitamins, etc i felt so much better like i had more energy and it has also helped me preserve lean mass and burn fat. helps me keep my endurance for working out too. so that's why i eat good things. sure, in the end, it is about the calories. but i find i can eat a lot of great tasting foods that have good nutrients too.

Going4Lean

When i was loosing the weight myself I was eating the same things I always ate , but I was having smaller portions.
I also walked alot and without noticing myself people started telling me i was loosing weight.

hdlb123

Technically - No, it doesn't matter what you eat as a long as you stay under your calorie goal.

But if you eat things that are good for your body, you will feel a whole lot better then if you eat snickers and cheese burgers all day long. And you don't want to be counting calories for the rest of your life, making some healthy changes/choices will help you keep your weight off in the long run.

ninerbuff

I wanna lose atleast 50lbs. I find it hard to believe that as long as i dont go over my calorie count then its ok and i'll still lose weight. Is this possible? I am eating fruits, going to gym 4x/week for 2 hrs and drinking lots of water by the way, but i also want to enjoy certain foods. Is that ok? what is best to stay away from and what is acceptable?

You have to get in your essentials and vitamins for the body to work efficiently. But once you have and have leftover calories to spare, it basically doesn't matter what you eat to fulfill it.


A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ComeAroundSundown

In simple terms, all you need is a caloric deficit to lose weight. Look up the guy who lost 26(?) pounds by eating twinkies every day! Although as the other posters have stated - adequate nutrition is significant. Health isn't solely about being in a healthy weight range

summer827

Think of your calories like money. You can spend your whole weeks paycheck on lottery tickets but when it comes down to the end of the month you can't pay the mortgage. The same thing goes with your body...you can spend your calories on the fun stuff but when it's all said and done your body doesn't get the important nutrients that it needs.

It's ok to have some fun once in awhile....just budget.

Exactly how I think of it! I often "save up" or "earn" calories for something really worthwhile and I don't feel deprived. I never tell myself that there is any one food that I cannot have.

anulle2009

I think it will work to a point! I have lost what I have lost watching what I eat but still enjoying the good stuff. But i have hit a block were the weight is not coming off as fast anymore. It gets annoying

vxmittyxv

Think of your calories like money. You can spend your whole weeks paycheck on lottery tickets but when it comes down to the end of the month you can't pay the mortgage. The same thing goes with your body...you can spend your calories on the fun stuff but when it's all said and done your body doesn't get the important nutrients that it needs.

It's ok to have some fun once in awhile....just budget.

Why is it that everything alot becomes so clear when it is put in terms of money. Just a thought. LOL

sandspur2012

This is very relevant to your question.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html

koosdel

Calories determine how much you lose, macros determine what you lose (and how you look).

EricMurano

Another thing to think about is satiety. 300 calories of chocolate is a lot smaller in volume than 300 calories of vegetables. You'll feel really full if you eat 300 calories of vegetables than you would the chocolate.

EricMurano

*double post*

capriciousmoon

I think the main problem that comes from eating what people label "junk foods" is because it is easier to underestimate the calories in some of those foods. If you keep a calorie deficit you'll lose weight. It's just best to eat mostly healthy to get proper nutrition and have more energy to exercise.

BeautyFromPain

I think it comes down to this question -
do you wana lose weight or do you wanna be healthy?

jnhu72

Think of your calories like money. You can spend your whole weeks paycheck on lottery tickets but when it comes down to the end of the month you can't pay the mortgage. The same thing goes with your body...you can spend your calories on the fun stuff but when it's all said and done your body doesn't get the important nutrients that it needs.

It's ok to have some fun once in awhile....just budget.

That's a great way to put it. I for the most part eat healthy calories, but I occasionally do plan for a meal that isn't healthy. I think of as the "cheat meal", even though I have enough calories put aside for it, so I can indulge but not gain weight.

EricMurano

I think the main problem that comes from eating what people label "junk foods" is because it is easier to underestimate the calories in some of those foods. If you keep a calorie deficit you'll lose weight. It's just best to eat mostly healthy to get proper nutrition and have more energy to exercise.

+1!! It's the other side of what I said. You stop eating when you get a certain volume. If there's less calories in the same volume then it's easier to stay in a calorie deficit.

Also I find when I have a treat then I can't have as big of a dinner as I'd like. It's all about weighing up your options

em9371

You will lose weight by sticking to your calories even if you only eat junk but to be healthy and have lots of energy you should make good choices on where you get *most* of those calories from.

RahBuhBuh

Think of your calories like money. You can spend your whole weeks paycheck on lottery tickets but when it comes down to the end of the month you can't pay the mortgage. The same thing goes with your body...you can spend your calories on the fun stuff but when it's all said and done your body doesn't get the important nutrients that it needs.

It's ok to have some fun once in awhile....just budget.

This. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who "budgets". Also, I have discovered that junk just isn't as filling. 500 calories of cake is just a few bites. 500 calories of a fruit and nut salad will carry me all afternoon.

Dave198lbs

I think it comes down to this question -
do you wana lose weight or do you wanna be healthy?

you can do both

LuckyLeprechaun

Another thing to think about is satiety. 300 calories of chocolate is a lot smaller in volume than 300 calories of vegetables. You'll feel really full if you eat 300 calories of vegetables than you would the chocolate.

THIS! I have stopped thinking in terms of calorie content and started thinking interms of calorie density. I cannot finish the volume of broccoli it takes to make up 300 calories, but the 1/16th slice of caramel pecan apple pie I had yesterday was only about three bites for those same 300 calories. When I think of it this way, I gravitate towards foods that are not calorically dense. I do not want to go around feeling like I am starving, and in order to hit my calorie goals, I must avoid high density foods.

Edited to add: OR I can workout to earn the extra calories needed. Always forget that, but it's totally fine to bust your *kitten* to earn those foods you really want to enjoy!

krazyforyou

I think it will work to a point! I have lost what I have lost watching what I eat but still enjoying the good stuff. But i have hit a block were the weight is not coming off as fast anymore. It gets annoying

krazyforyou

Weight loss does get slower the closer you come to goal weight. Dont let that throw you.

trefor

I LOVE that analogy...that calories are like your budget!! Blow your pay cheque too early after payday and there's nothing left to pay the bills!

MaximalLife

I wanna lose atleast 50lbs. I find it hard to believe that as long as i dont go over my calorie count then its ok and i'll still lose weight. Is this possible? I am eating fruits, going to gym 4x/week for 2 hrs and drinking lots of water by the way, but i also want to enjoy certain foods. Is that ok? what is best to stay away from and what is acceptable?

Of course it matters what you eat, but enjoy certain unhealthy treats in moderation..

If you want to be healthy, eat healthy foods: lean meats, whole grains and nuts, fresh fruits and veggies and low fat dairy.