"WHOLE" food VS "BAD" food

tiaamato

thanks for the info to read. lookes like i'm going to go with the 80/20, so is that only 20% of calories can be junk food, or do u have to go by 20% of fat and carbs too?

belgerian

Certain foods for me cause cravings in that study done about fast food Super Size Me it states the combination of foods causes your body to crave the same foods over and over. So for me mentally I make a serious effort not to eat any Junk well except for Ice Cream. But you get the point.

chuisle

thanks for the info to read. lookes like i'm going to go with the 80/20, so is that only 20% of calories can be junk food, or do u have to go by 20% of fat and carbs too?

20% of calories should be non 'whole' foods by this rule. Carbs and fats can be whole foods of course! Vegetables are mostly carbs. Olive oil is great for you.

What is whole foods depends on your personal preferences.

Lesa_Sass

Besides the fact that whole foods are just better for you period? It also takes more energy to digest whole natural foods than it does packaged crap.

The way we look and feel while eating whole foods is way beyond what the scale says. I will be 44 next week and am often told I look in my mid to late 20s, I look younger now than I did 10 years ago. I promise you it is due to my diet.

WE ARE WHAT WE EAT.

But please, if you do decide to eat your calorie goal in junk, spare us the "I have not lost weight in 2 months and want to give up" thread.

I find it very interesting that people are more concerned about what they feed their animals than they do themselves. Its a pity really.

ipag

somanyrhoades

so pretty much i would still lose weight eating crappy foods (within my daily limits) but i might no "feel" as great if i were eating veggies and all that? like maybe if i ate crappy food, i wouldn't wanna do my workout in the evening as where if i ate "whole foods" i would feel energized? is that the difference?

That is the difference and it's a HUGE one! It's true that you can lose weight by essentially eating anything, but think about this.... one fast food junk meal can meet almost all of your calorie needs. Is that what you want? to eat one time a day? Also, food is meant to feed your body. It is how we get energy, heal from illness and injury, and keep our bodies functioning at maximum potential. If you are eating junk all the time, you are not getting enough micronutrients (vitamins, minerals etc) to keep yourself healthy. Being healthy isn't just about being an appropriate weight, it's about giving your body what it needs to survive. Fake processed garbage, excess sodium, trans fat, saturated fat.... that's what you're getting when you eat fast food and drink soda and eat junk. Those things have been linked with a ton of serious health conditions including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and generalized feelings of, well feeling like crap. So THAT'S the difference. You may be an appropriate weight but will it really matter if your heart gives out at 45 and you end up with gangrene from uncontrolled diabetes?

magj0y

my daily goals are as follows:

calories 1700
carbs 170
fat 57
protein 128
sugar 24

so what is the difference in reaching these goals with fast food than with "whole" foods? if it all totals the same numbers at the end of the day, does it really matter? if u say yes, please explain y.

I think quality is also important as quantity.
No, you don't have to eat like a saint, but if all 170 of your carbs are empty, it's not going to be that great. It's hard enough getting over 100 grams of protein with out shakes! I have some bone loss, so I try and munch on a can of alaskan wild salmon a few times a week. (for D, it must be Alaskan, and it must be wild)
A double quarter pounder w/ cheese has 42 grams of protein, 40 grams of carbs, and 43 grams of fat. 9 on sugar, 1300 sodium and the carbs are pretty empty. At 740 cals, you have less than 1K left. while you can get a lot done in 1k, doing this every day simply isn't good for you.

**This is JUST a sandwich. Not a whole lunch or dinner.

Spend your calories wisely, mix it with some healthy stuff and you'll be fine. Just add water with so much sodium

bcattoes

The difference for weight loss is likely not much, if any. But for overall health the difference could be substantial. How much difference it makes depends on many things specific to you alone (genetics, how much and what type exercise you do, stress level, medical history, family history, etc.)

Akimajuktuq

Besides the fact that whole foods are just better for you period? It also takes more energy to digest whole natural foods than it does packaged crap.

The way we look and feel while eating whole foods is way beyond what the scale says. I will be 44 next week and am often told I look in my mid to late 20s, I look younger now than I did 10 years ago. I promise you it is due to my diet.

WE ARE WHAT WE EAT.

But please, if you do decide to eat your calorie goal in junk, spare us the "I have not lost weight in 2 months and want to give up" thread.

I find it very interesting that people are more concerned about what they feed their animals than they do themselves. Its a pity really.

I love this post!

I eat in a different way than some people on MFP and sometimes when I respond to the "Help me, I can't lose weight" posts I get jumped on. Yet, I'd really like to share what I'm doing since I feel AMAZING and have found a way to end cravings and binging, and the happy side effect is weight loss (and it's SAFE imo, based on thousands of hours of research, experimentation with my own body, and observation of my Inuit neighbours). Yet, I've noticed that many "help me" posts maybe really don't want to try something different, or sometimes won't even stick to their SAD "healthy" eating plan. Calories in, calories out; if that works for you great, but it doesn't work for EVERYONE.

I agree with this post; the quality of food is paramount. I live in the Arctic and can't even access what many people take for granted, yet I am able to do well with what I have (and order a few things that I can't get here and NEED). Admittedly, I have occasional access to some foods that other people would love to have (wild caribou, char, etc).

tiaamato

In no way shape or form was i saying that i was gonna eat fast food all day everyday. I'm just asking questions because i dont know. i cut out soda 3 months ago and lost 18lbs, so i know now that i'm only drinking water.

i tried the fast food today to see the difference...and ive noticed my sodium is thru the roof and i feel tired right now, where as when i'm eating clean, i did not feel tired till after my evening workout. thanks for all the tips. i was so focused on losing weight that i did not think of the way clean foods help then inside of my body. i got it now! thanks!

drwgal

I have to reach about 100 calories less than you do, and I can manage to do that in a healthy fashion. My metabolism has me eating about every 3-4 hours. I have breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, snack. As far as going over in your sugars, fats, and proteins, I would only worry about it if you were eating non healthy foods, such as Mcdonalds. I may go over my sugar, but it is all natural occurring sugar that is in my fruits and other foods, not from candy bars, cake, and stuff like that. I eat only what I need to eat, so if I am down 60 calories to my goal, I will eat 3 cups of plain, fresh baby spinach that I sautee. If I want I can even add 1/4 cup of cheese for flavor, as it will count as eating back my exercise calories.

I hope this makes sense?

tifferz_91

Three months ago it didn't matter to me, but NOW it does.

I don't care about counting calories & macros. I'm more concerned of WHAT i'm putting in my body.

I personally CHOOSE to eat organic non-gmo food now. I only eat processed foods about twice a month or so.



My health will ALWAYS come first.

jacolbioverton

Okay im having a dilemma i am trying to get cut with strength training. My body is not use to eating so much I just had a apple and peanuts as a snack after a run and im full however lunchtime is approaching is it really vital I eat at every meal?..

GrendlStig

Besides the fact that whole foods are just better for you period? It also takes more energy to digest whole natural foods than it does packaged crap.

The way we look and feel while eating whole foods is way beyond what the scale says. I will be 44 next week and am often told I look in my mid to late 20s, I look younger now than I did 10 years ago. I promise you it is due to my diet.

WE ARE WHAT WE EAT.

But please, if you do decide to eat your calorie goal in junk, spare us the "I have not lost weight in 2 months and want to give up" thread.

I find it very interesting that people are more concerned about what they feed their animals than they do themselves. Its a pity really.

I agree 100%! Don't ask for healthy eating suggestions if you're just going to ignore them and stuff down the LIttle Debbies.

SteveJWatson

I find it very interesting that people are more concerned about what they feed their animals than they do themselves. Its a pity really.

Interestingly (or not) we used to feed whey to pigs - if you soaked rolled barley in whey and used that as a whole feed they did very well on it.

SJVZEE

my daily goals are as follows:

calories 1700
carbs 170
fat 57
protein 128
sugar 24

so what is the difference in reaching these goals with fast food than with "whole" foods? if it all totals the same numbers at the end of the day, does it really matter? if u say yes, please explain y.

I lost almost 50lbs eating fast food, pre-packaged foods (ie lean cuisines and such), etc etc, but I did it with IF. For me, it really was about the calories and the 'magic' of intermittent fasting. Also, my recent blood work was the best its ever been, and that was while eating those kinds of foods. I enjoy the foods I eat and I'm the healthiest I've ever been.

haroon_awan

This article by Lyle McDonald is very interesting
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/hormonal-responses-to-a-fast-food-meal-compared-with-nutritionally-comparable-meals-of-different-composition-research-review.html

I'm not sure about the hormonal response in the body after consuming fast food at multiple meals for several days, I am may hazard a guess that it would be different (ie negative) but the purpose of the article is to explain that in a single meal, the hormonal response is very similar when eating a fast food meal and a non-fast food, whole meal. It isn't saying that the hormonal response is the same every time, nor is it saying that the results would be the same in; trained v. untrained individuals; young v. old; healthy v. unhealthy individuals (I haven't read it in a while so I think this is fair to say). But I would be interested to see the responses of others.

dutchk

I really don't think of it as "whole" food, but rather "good" food. That's probably just semantics, though. If you're just tracking a few items (protein, carbs, and fat, for example) you are really cutting yourself short. It was mentioned before about fast foods having ingredients that encourage bad eating habits. Many years ago I was a smoker and I am now starting to realize that fast foods, junk foods, and processed foods in general have many things in common with cigarettes. Primarily, they create a bodily desire, craving and even perhaps an addiction, to wanting more of the same. It has been proven with diet sodas. Though they contain little or no calories, they continue to stimulate body sensations (taste for example) to crave more sweets.

Equally important, in my opinion, is a need to track other macros, that aren't listed in the default report. You can access them by changing your dietary settings. For me, I need to closely watch cholesterol, saturated fat, and sodium due to a hereditary disposition to diabetes and coronary issues. I also closely monitor iron and potassium because they are a major factor in my weight loss progress and energy levels. Fast foods and processed foods are typically ultra high in unhealthy macros (trans fats, cholesterol, saturated fat, and sodium) while lacking any real good nutrient values.

So are you interested in looking good in a bathing suit or in good health and fitness (a byproduct of which is looking good in a bathing suit)?