Can you really eat anything and lose?

BikinimomE

Calories in vs calories burned. It is a simple biological fact. Question is do you really want to eat only 3 jelly donuts or one McDonald's meal all day? You could do this and yes you will lose weight. But you will be malnourished and on the path to poor health. The number on the scale does not indicate good health and wellness. Food for thought, eh?

KCramer12

Yes i do occasionally have a day were I eat what i want and stay in my cal intake and i have lost and am still losing!

geohow11

Yes! I lost 20 pounds eating more or less anything I wanted. If it fits into your calorie goal and you're not overeating, you can eat or drink ANYTHING and lose. For your health, it's obviously better to fill up some or most of those required calories with healthy food (which I'm trying to do now) but it terms of actual weight loss, the type of food doesn't matter. It's calories in, calories out. Plain and simple.

Agreed!

slim_photographer

yes, but you can make it harder or easier on yourself depending on the quality of the fuels you put in your body.
"You wouldn't water plans with soda, would you?" - Michelle Obama

superhippiechik

Yes. It will take forever and you will never be "tight",but I have lost all of my weight like this. Just look at my diary! I have 10 pounds to go and I wonder if I will get there eating like I do.

midoswife

I wanna say no
cause when i want to eat chocolate and drink iced coffee with whipped cream and still stay within my calories I gain weight so the answer is no.
you have to not only look at your calories intake but also look at your sugar, your fat if any of these are red then you ll not lose anything

HypersonicFitNess

NO! You may lose weight in the beginning but in the long run you will not be healthy and the weight loss will cease (garbage in, garbage out). If you are used to eating junk, you do not have to go cold turkey if you feel this will cause you to fail; take it one step at a time replacing junk at each meal with a healthy alternative. Fried chicken for baked or roasted chicken; fries for salad (dressing on the side used sparingly). Try to incorporate lots of vegetables and fruits into your diet and start reading labels. Again, this is going to take some time to transition to a better way of life, but it will be worth it in the end. You will be a leaner, meaner, sexier machine (and a lot more healthier, you won't get sick as often).

christimw

everything in moderation? so if one donut is fine, does that mean one hit (or puff, or whatever you do) of crack will be ok for you to? i mean, it may not be good for you, but in moderation its ok. i'll be fine if i only use it once a week? that's moderation right? of course not, so why is food that is bad for you ok in moderation?

not being a smart *kitten*, i really don't get it.

dexter4564

Yes, but the foods you want to eat tend to be binge foods, and it's very difficult to not go over your limit if you are eating very small portions of calorie-rich foods because you will feel less full.

Personally I just eat junk stuff every sunday, and it's working out for me.

stroutman81

In very simplified terms, I view things like this. Calories dictate the quantity of weight lost. Nutrients dictate the quality of weight lost.

If you're solely concerned about the number on the scale, the former is technically all that you need to concern yourself with. If you, like most, are also concerned about health and physique though, the latter needs to be a significant consideration as well.

californiagirl2012

Yup and that is the best way. Eat what you want within a calorie budget. I found that once I started doing that I ate a lot less so I wanted to make what I eat count more (so I feel good and fuel my workouts). Having strong fun workouts is key for me. So I choose healthy foods that I LIKE. I only eat what I like, and try to be flexible so I can usually eat what I feel like eating. Once you start eating healthy you usually crave healthy foods (I do anyway).

If you add too many diet restrictions that is what leads to failure because it drives you nuts. It helped me to know I could have that SBUX oatmeal cookie once a week if I wanted. I added it to the diary first and worked around it. It might mean I have a taco salad instead of a taco (with the tortilla). If you want one high calorie thing you usually have to take out another to make it balance out.

Good luck!

beckajw

I wanna say no
cause when i want to eat chocolate and drink iced coffee with whipped cream and still stay within my calories I gain weight so the answer is no.
you have to not only look at your calories intake but also look at your sugar, your fat if any of these are red then you ll not lose anything

No, you're not gaining weight if you stay within your calories and eat chocolate. Something else is going on. You didn't stay within your calories the week before, or you aren't eating enough, or you ate a high sodium meal before you weighed in.

Sugar and fat will NOT cause your weight loss to stall.

Southernb3lle

Moderation.

MadtownMadisonian

There does seem to be a developing view among medical professionals that for at least one group of people, not all calories are the same. Those who have some form of insulin resistance - for example, due to metabolic syndrome or polycystic ovarian syndrome - do better with a diet that looks more like South Beach, i.e. low on refined sugars and simple carbohydrates, and instead an emphasis on lean proteins, good fats like olive oil, and complex/high fiber carbohydrates. So, best to stay off the white bread, cakes and pasta for them.

Mr_Bad_Example

Just out of curiosity…have any of you lost weight eating anything you wanted but staying with in your calorie limit???

Yes. I've never deprived myself of any kind of food and I've been able to lose and maintain quite well.

Of course, if I decide on having two Snickers bars in a day, I have to scale back what I have for the rest of the day. It's controlled gluttony, and it's the best diet ever.

"controlled gluttony" --- I like that. I may steal that from you and use it later. lol.

Please do - I'll only ask for a small royalty... :bigsmile:

Mr_Bad_Example

please i urge anyone on this thread to watch the documentary called "fat head" last i checked it was on netflix.
essentially yes you can eat anything and lose weight!!

Hmm... since that's pretty much my philosophy on eating and losing weight, would that make me a "Fat Head"? If so, I'll bear the name with pride.

korygilliam

I did. I am very picky, started out not liking any fruit or veggie nor water. I lost my first 40 pounds just by starting exercise and eating whatever, but staying in my calories (ate fries, chicken fried chicken, whatever)

But...as I got closer to my goal, I have had to change that to get my weight moving. I now have a couple of fruits and veggies that I will eat (still don't get daily recommended number, but better than none) and I drink more water than Diet Dr. Pepper.

Keep in mind that this is a lifestyle change, not a diet...so start off eating whatever and focusing on calories, but start making little changes to make it sustainable after you reach your weight goals. Otherwise it will just come right back on.

Good luck

abyt42

Yes....and my tastes are changing. I'm finding myself craving garden fresh tomatoes and zucchini...and really not wanting the chocolate old fashioned that's currently sitting on the counter in the break room....and I honestly mean all parts of that sentence.
NSV FTW!

WendyTerry420

everything in moderation? so if one donut is fine, does that mean one hit (or puff, or whatever you do) of crack will be ok for you to? i mean, it may not be good for you, but in moderation its ok. i'll be fine if i only use it once a week? that's moderation right? of course not, so why is food that is bad for you ok in moderation?

not being a smart *kitten*, i really don't get it.

For the record, one hit of crack won't hurt you.

If you believe otherwise, then you are probably a D.A.R.E. graduate! :smokin:

ETA: And again, let's stop comparing food with chemicals that are potentially dangerous and highly addictive. That is utterly absurd.

stroutman81

There does seem to be a developing view among medical professionals that for at least one group of people, not all calories are the same.

I think you mean all nutrients.... not all calories. A calorie is a unit of measurement. It can't be anything but. Just as an inch is an inch and a degree is a degree. Nutrients and calories are not one in the same. Nutrients deliver energy to our bodies, which we measure in calories using the atwater factors... a relatively antiquated system.

That said, unless you're reading or paying attention to really ignorant people, I think you'd be hard pressed to find any versed person claiming that the various nutrients have identical pathways and implications within the human system.

tsh0ck

I wanna say no
cause when i want to eat chocolate and drink iced coffee with whipped cream and still stay within my calories I gain weight so the answer is no.
you have to not only look at your calories intake but also look at your sugar, your fat if any of these are red then you ll not lose anything

Uh ... wrong. Unless you defy the rules of science.

tsh0ck

everything in moderation? so if one donut is fine, does that mean one hit (or puff, or whatever you do) of crack will be ok for you to? i mean, it may not be good for you, but in moderation its ok. i'll be fine if i only use it once a week? that's moderation right? of course not, so why is food that is bad for you ok in moderation?

not being a smart *kitten*, i really don't get it.

Because the only truly unhealthy food is one eaten in excess.

Folks seem to think that when this topic comes up, ALL that people are eating all day is chocolate and mtn dew. No one here is suggesting that. They are suggesting that adding a candy bar or a soda or a bowl of ice cream to your day of fruits, veggies, chicken, etc., is just fine. Especially if your macros are met for the day.

christimw

what is eta? and yes, i graduated dare in 5th grade. lol but i'm completely against the dare program. bad foods can have chemicals that are highly addictive. so really, yeah it is comparable. its just a different chemical.

beckajw

what is eta? and yes, i graduated dare in 5th grade. lol but i'm completely against the dare program. bad foods can have chemicals that are highly addictive. so really, yeah it is comparable. its just a different chemical.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

You were asking just to be a smartass then, right?

christimw

No..I wasn't. ? I really don't understand it. But, if all you're going to do is laugh at me for being curious, I'll just end my discussion now.

beckajw

No..I wasn't. ? I really don't understand it. But, if all you're going to do is laugh at me for being curious, I'll just end my discussion now.

'

Yes you were. You know very well that crack is NOT comparable to a donut.

da1128

Absolutely. The key is moderation. I had pizza this past weekend and enjoyed every delicious, cheese-laden bite and I still lost two pounds. I did burn off the calories though. To be honest, I've been really surprised to discover that if I keep my body adequately fueled, (In other words, EAT) I tend to drop pounds quickly.

ChubsterBones

Honestly providing individuals are able to moderate their intake of crack (or any other illegal recreational drug for that matter) then sure, they can take that one hit every so often. If people develop addictions, serious addictions where they'll do anything for the hit (be it drugs or food) then you have to rethink everything, but if you are able to control yourself and understand the difference between planning to take a hit to keep yourself ticking over and indulging a little bit every now and then and you're perfectly happy with the potential consequences then go for it.

Each must find the way that suits them best. For some it means cutting everything out, but for many in this thread it means realising that painting various foods in the same light as the boogeyman, to be avoided at all costs, just doesn't work for them. For a lot of people sustainable changes must be made, and sustainability can be found in seeing that the harm in consuming "unhealthy" food in small amounts is negligible.

However it is slightly hyperbolic to compare various illegal and highly addictive drugs to unhealthy food, that smells a little like the all too frequent scaremongering.

tsh0ck

No..I wasn't. ? I really don't understand it. But, if all you're going to do is laugh at me for being curious, I'll just end my discussion now.

'

Yes you were. You know very well that crack is NOT comparable to a donut.

Well, not a plain donut. But powdered? That's a gateway donut. You'll be eating maple bars and jelly-filled with sprinkles in no time. Then? Only a matter of time before you decide to eat a cookie.

TonyStark30

Your diet will only be succesful long term if you can achieve this.