Eat as natural as possible!!!

busey

Its all about going back to basics..... like our grandparents did. When you cook from scratch you get to control everything. It's a habit that we all should be doing. My parents are european and when i was younger and asked if we could go to McDonalds, cause all my friends would get to eat that, I would beg my father to take us and his answer would always be " why do you want to eat that garbage". They would never eat out or buy anything in a box. It just make sense, doesn't it?

CMmrsfloyd

I have an N=1 experiment that proves this wrong...consistently lose 2lbs a week with a 500 calorie deficit. Simply gut flora alone has more effect on weight loss than the calories you eat. If you body is healthy you will drop weight as a side effect not the other way around.

Or it could be that your activity level is set lower than what you're actually burning, thus it *looks* like you have a 500 calorie deficit the way your profile is set but it's completely possible that your real life deficit is 1000 calories/day. Possibly. Since the activity level is pretty much a best guess, not an exact science. ;-)

I am set to lose 1/2 lb per week but I usually lose closer to 1 lb per week, probably b/c my activity level is set too low (it's set to sedentary). But I kind of like it that way for now LOL. Might adjust it when I am a little closer to my goal.

CMmrsfloyd

Its all about going back to basics..... like our grandparents did. When you cook from scratch you get to control everything. It's a habit that we all should be doing. My parents are european and when i was younger and asked if we could go to McDonalds, cause all my friends would get to eat that, I would beg my father to take us and his answer would always be " why do you want to eat that garbage". They would never eat out or buy anything in a box. It just make sense, doesn't it?

You can still get fat off of cooking from scratch if you are not conscious of the calories.

SergeantSunshine_reused

I have an N=1 experiment that proves this wrong...consistently lose 2lbs a week with a 500 calorie deficit. Simply gut flora alone has more effect on weight loss than the calories you eat. If you body is healthy you will drop weight as a side effect not the other way around.

Or it could be that your activity level is set lower than what you're actually burning, thus it *looks* like you have a 500 calorie deficit the way your profile is set but it's completely possible that your real life deficit is 1000 calories/day. Possibly. Since the activity level is pretty much a best guess, not an exact science. ;-)

Yup! Mfp says my maintenance is 1700 calories. Bodymedia fit gives me 2200 on rest days. :P

grinch031

Yeah but the most important aspect of weight loss is adherence to the plan. And even if you hit goal, you have to stay on a maintenance plan or you regain everything back.

Even with my crap I am at over 100g protein per day, so with the combination of the crap I love and all that filling protein, I'm sticking to my plan just fine. ;-)

Exactly. Many people if they take out all processed foods they would quit after a week. Me included. Can't and dont want to eat 100% healthy 100% of the time.

Okay but the reality is that the majority of all dieters fail in the long term.

SergeantSunshine_reused

Yeah but the most important aspect of weight loss is adherence to the plan. And even if you hit goal, you have to stay on a maintenance plan or you regain everything back.

Even with my crap I am at over 100g protein per day, so with the combination of the crap I love and all that filling protein, I'm sticking to my plan just fine. ;-)

Exactly. Many people if they take out all processed foods they would quit after a week. Me included. Can't and dont want to eat 100% healthy 100% of the time.

Okay but the reality is that the majority of all dieters fail in the long term.

Fad dieters yes, people who think they have to have to treat it as if they eat one cookie they fail, yes. But people who treat it as a lifestyle change and Incorporate foods they enjoy with healthy and unhealthy foods, will make it. I am one of those I have kept my excess weight off even though I go on full diet breaks and vacations. When I was dumb and like 15 i tried low carb, south beach, and the iron fist ways. Gave up very quickly because I was miserable. I found what works and wont gain in back

RNmomto4

Before I got pregnant with baby #4, I hit a weight loss plateau--I started eating cleaner, and I lost the weight and got to goal easily!

Now, after having baby #4, I am 4 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight--I think eating cleaner helped me get there faster and I do feel less abdominal bloating.

I do splurge on weekends here and there, but for the most part, eat a pretty clean diet. I think calories in vs calories out is great for most, but once I hit that plateau, I had to change it up....clean eating is what worked for me!

MaximalLife

I have an N=1 experiment that proves this wrong...consistently lose 2lbs a week with a 500 calorie deficit. Simply gut flora alone has more effect on weight loss than the calories you eat. If you body is healthy you will drop weight as a side effect not the other way around.

Or it could be that your activity level is set lower than what you're actually burning, thus it *looks* like you have a 500 calorie deficit the way your profile is set but it's completely possible that your real life deficit is 1000 calories/day. Possibly. Since the activity level is pretty much a best guess, not an exact science. ;-)

Yup! Mfp says my maintenance is 1700 calories. Bodymedia fit gives me 2200 on rest days. :P

Bodymedia, or "BM" for short, includes exercises with activity while MFP separates our cardio exercises.
I prefer MFP to BM.

BM just has a smell I don't like.....

CMmrsfloyd

Yeah but the most important aspect of weight loss is adherence to the plan. And even if you hit goal, you have to stay on a maintenance plan or you regain everything back.

Even with my crap I am at over 100g protein per day, so with the combination of the crap I love and all that filling protein, I'm sticking to my plan just fine. ;-)

Exactly. Many people if they take out all processed foods they would quit after a week. Me included. Can't and dont want to eat 100% healthy 100% of the time.

Okay but the reality is that the majority of all dieters fail in the long term.

Good thing I'm not on a diet cutting out the crap that I love. I'm learning how portion control and moderation so that I can still enjoy what I love while continuing to lose weight. And I'm pretty much in the MFP Mafia now and probably never leaving, so maintenance shouldn't be an issue. LOL

SergeantSunshine_reused

I have an N=1 experiment that proves this wrong...consistently lose 2lbs a week with a 500 calorie deficit. Simply gut flora alone has more effect on weight loss than the calories you eat. If you body is healthy you will drop weight as a side effect not the other way around.

Or it could be that your activity level is set lower than what you're actually burning, thus it *looks* like you have a 500 calorie deficit the way your profile is set but it's completely possible that your real life deficit is 1000 calories/day. Possibly. Since the activity level is pretty much a best guess, not an exact science. ;-)

Yup! Mfp says my maintenance is 1700 calories. Bodymedia fit gives me 2200 on rest days. :P

Bodymedia, or "BM" for short, includes exercises with activity while MFP separates our cardio exercises.
I prefer MFP to BM.

BM just has a smell I don't like.....

That is why I said rest days though. Days where I just chill out and do no exercise.
With exercise it gets up to 3k sometimes.

Shock_Wave

I stay away from the frozen food sections of the stores. There is absolutely nothing that is good for me to eat in those isles. I mostly make my food at home and I always cringe when I see mothers and their over weight kids grabbing tons of stuff in those isles all the time.

CMmrsfloyd

Sunshine, you make me want a BM so bad. Not the stinky kind. LOL

Elundari

I used to be an awful cook - now I cook all the time and I am enjoying it - using spices and garlic make my meals so tasty that a lot of the processed stuff tastes awful now.

I do still have some processed snacks - baked crisps, special k chocolate snacks etc so I can get my measure of 'healthy junk food' and don't feel too deprived!

SergeantSunshine_reused

LMAO xD Thats why I call it BMF instead ;D

It is pretty awesome! it helped me realize even at 1300 net I was undereating by a huge amount!

grinch031

Yeah but the most important aspect of weight loss is adherence to the plan. And even if you hit goal, you have to stay on a maintenance plan or you regain everything back.

Even with my crap I am at over 100g protein per day, so with the combination of the crap I love and all that filling protein, I'm sticking to my plan just fine. ;-)

Exactly. Many people if they take out all processed foods they would quit after a week. Me included. Can't and dont want to eat 100% healthy 100% of the time.

Okay but the reality is that the majority of all dieters fail in the long term.

Fad dieters yes, people who think they have to have to treat it as if they eat one cookie they fail, yes. But people who treat it as a lifestyle change and Incorporate foods they enjoy with healthy and unhealthy foods, will make it. I am one of those I have kept my excess weight off even though I go on full diet breaks and vacations. When I was dumb and like 15 i tried low carb, south beach, and the iron fist ways. Gave up very quickly because I was miserable. I found what works and wont gain in back

Yeah but the majority of people who follow the same approach as you fail also. So if certain foods are addictive and one tries to keep them in their diet, chances are they'll sooner or later stop moderating and start overeating again.

SergeantSunshine_reused

Fad dieters yes, people who think they have to have to treat it as if they eat one cookie they fail, yes. But people who treat it as a lifestyle change and Incorporate foods they enjoy with healthy and unhealthy foods, will make it. I am one of those I have kept my excess weight off even though I go on full diet breaks and vacations. When I was dumb and like 15 i tried low carb, south beach, and the iron fist ways. Gave up very quickly because I was miserable. I found what works and wont gain in back

Yeah but the majority of people who follow the same approach as you fail also. So if certain foods are addictive and one tries to keep them in their diet, chances are they'll sooner or later stop moderating and start overeating again.

That is a lack of willpower. Dieting can suck and people are too lazy sometimes. They don't want to commit. Has more to do with that than actually foods IMO.
I didn't cut out anything really, just limited. And when I go on my month long vacations I eat what I want and rarely gain much. I know many people that are the same on here. Personality and lack of willpower really

becoming_a_new_me

Yeah but the most important aspect of weight loss is adherence to the plan. And even if you hit goal, you have to stay on a maintenance plan or you regain everything back.

Even with my crap I am at over 100g protein per day, so with the combination of the crap I love and all that filling protein, I'm sticking to my plan just fine. ;-)

Exactly. Many people if they take out all processed foods they would quit after a week. Me included. Can't and dont want to eat 100% healthy 100% of the time.

Okay but the reality is that the majority of all dieters fail in the long term.

Fad dieters yes, people who think they have to have to treat it as if they eat one cookie they fail, yes. But people who treat it as a lifestyle change and Incorporate foods they enjoy with healthy and unhealthy foods, will make it. I am one of those I have kept my excess weight off even though I go on full diet breaks and vacations. When I was dumb and like 15 i tried low carb, south beach, and the iron fist ways. Gave up very quickly because I was miserable. I found what works and wont gain in back

Yeah but the majority of people who follow the same approach as you fail also. So if certain foods are addictive and one tries to keep them in their diet, chances are they'll sooner or later stop moderating and start overeating again.

Really? Because I'd have to say that I am an example of how false your statement is. Willpower is the key to everything. I can have a cheeseburger or some french fries as a small treat from time to time and not "fall off the wagon". The only time that I began to gain weight again is when I got lazy and did not follow my lifestyle change and ensure that my caloric intake did not exceed my bodily needs.

I eat fairly clean because I like the taste of fresh food that I prepared myself and I get to eat more of it than packaged and prepared food. The thing is though that if I wanted to eat packaged food, I could and still lose weight as long as I eat below my caloric needs.

People only fail because they abandon the process, not because the ate a hot dog.

grinch031

Yeah but the most important aspect of weight loss is adherence to the plan. And even if you hit goal, you have to stay on a maintenance plan or you regain everything back.

Even with my crap I am at over 100g protein per day, so with the combination of the crap I love and all that filling protein, I'm sticking to my plan just fine. ;-)

Exactly. Many people if they take out all processed foods they would quit after a week. Me included. Can't and dont want to eat 100% healthy 100% of the time.

Okay but the reality is that the majority of all dieters fail in the long term.

Fad dieters yes, people who think they have to have to treat it as if they eat one cookie they fail, yes. But people who treat it as a lifestyle change and Incorporate foods they enjoy with healthy and unhealthy foods, will make it. I am one of those I have kept my excess weight off even though I go on full diet breaks and vacations. When I was dumb and like 15 i tried low carb, south beach, and the iron fist ways. Gave up very quickly because I was miserable. I found what works and wont gain in back

Yeah but the majority of people who follow the same approach as you fail also. So if certain foods are addictive and one tries to keep them in their diet, chances are they'll sooner or later stop moderating and start overeating again.

Really? Because I'd have to say that I am an example of how false your statement is. Willpower is the key to everything. I can have a cheeseburger or some french fries as a small treat from time to time and not "fall off the wagon". The only time that I began to gain weight again is when I got lazy and did not follow my lifestyle change and ensure that my caloric intake did not exceed my bodily needs.

I eat fairly clean because I like the taste of fresh food that I prepared myself and I get to eat more of it than packaged and prepared food. The thing is though that if I wanted to eat packaged food, I could and still lose weight as long as I eat below my caloric needs.

People only fail because they abandon the process, not because the ate a hot dog.

Statistically speaking of course.

SergeantSunshine_reused

A little bit confused where are going with this then? Just stating that some people fail at losing weight?

Bikini27

Really? Because I'd have to say that I am an example of how false your statement is. Willpower is the key to everything. I can have a cheeseburger or some french fries as a small treat from time to time and not "fall off the wagon". The only time that I began to gain weight again is when I got lazy and did not follow my lifestyle change and ensure that my caloric intake did not exceed my bodily needs.

I eat fairly clean because I like the taste of fresh food that I prepared myself and I get to eat more of it than packaged and prepared food. The thing is though that if I wanted to eat packaged food, I could and still lose weight as long as I eat below my caloric needs.

People only fail because they abandon the process, not because the ate a hot dog.