Does it matter what you eat????

blueeyes25s

I was just wondering what does it matter what you are eating if you are staying on track with your calories/protein/fat/carbs, etc? I have been plateaued forever; then I kind of went of track for a bit and now I'm back at it again. Anyways.... does it truly matter what you are eating or do you need to consistently eat healthy choices to lose?

Ex. Tonight I am going to dinner. I was looking at the menu trying to determine what I can eat to stay w/in my goal. Does it matter if I choose a 600 calorie sandwich vs a 600 calorie salad?

tjradd73

in the long run...NO! A calorie is a calorie!!! BUT....you may FEEL better or worse with one type of food versus another, and you may get more bang for your buck with the salad versus the sandwich! If you are craving the sandwich...get it! just don't get the fries to go with it, and realize that you MAY be hungrier a lil earlier...otherwise enjoy!

ps...I don't recommend doing these swaps everyday...as your body will crave the extra protein and good carbs to keep functioning properly for your runs and other workouts...but somedays(such as my ravioli yesterday)...you just need (and want) something different!

aproc

It all comes down to calories in the end. When I lost weight years ago, I still ate a lot of processed foods but just stayed within my calories. Now I make sure I'm eating whole foods and clean for the most part but it's all based on what your goals are and how your own body responds to the different foods.

magerum

A calorie is a unit of measurement. The laws of thermodynamics apply to everyone. You can eat anything you want within your calorie range. That being said...your health, energy, appearance, etc... may suffer from poor food choices, but your weight typically will not. I found that I now actually prefer the healthier foods because of how they make me feel!

Do I eat nothing but health food? Nope. I eat ice cream daily. Artificial sweetners daily. Coke Zero's, daily... that's about it for my "junk" I think.

-M

zellagrrl

It's all in how you feel about it. But for me, bread sits heavier and doesn't make me feel particularly good, so I'd go for the salad. Just personal preference.

WickedGarden

I noticed that when I ate fast foo/d (even though I stayed within my calories) I would look 'puffy' or bloated. When I eat healthy clean foods, I feel better and look leaner, not so puffy. Didn't matter how much water I drank.

Something along the lines of a 90/10 ratio of clean/processed foods is ok. I'm not a 100% clean eater.

wftiger

Plateaus happen. It is your body's way of stabilizing itself. As soon as it is in a happy place again you will start losing.

Here are a few sites that might over some advise. But no, it does not matter what you eat or when you eat it. A calorie is a calorie.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss-plateau/MY01152
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/10-ways-to-move-beyond-a-weight-loss-plateau
http://www.oprah.com/health/Weight-Loss-Advice-Fitness-Plateau-Dr-Katz

blueeyes25s

Thanks for all your input!

jacksonpt

Overall calories matter. Fat intake matters. Protein intake matters.

Eat what you want as long as you hit your goals in the above areas. As someone else said, some foods may keep you full longer, others may help/hurt cravings, etc... but those are all largely individual. Everything starts with total cals, fat and protein.

HeartlessHarlot

Watch Fathead, it's on Netflix instant (or was a month ago).

It's a guy's answer to Supersize me (really not trying to start a debate here) and what Morgan Spurlock didn't do so well in his documentry.

The jist was, this guy ate fast food, stayed around 2500 cals a day and actually lost weight and a bit of body fat.

There was also that teacher a few years back that ate ALL junk food and stayed at his 1500 cals and lost weight.

So, yes, it'll work. You might not feel thebest eating bad food, I know I don't, but it'll work.