can you still eat certain junk/fast foods and lose weight?
lovelyMYlovely
Posts: 1,066 Member
Can you eat these things and be under your calorie goal and still lose weight? im 5'2 and i get 1200 calories a day... will I still lose some weight? I am a junk food addict and trying to help myself... that is why I am here, also to hopefully lose 10 pounds but my main idea is to stop eating junk/fast food because its controlling my life and I get in the worse mood if I dont get any and take the anger out on others.... So I been doing baby steps .... Alot better when I first started 3 days ago though!!
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Replies
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Just lose weight? Yes, as long as you are in calorie deficit.0
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Yeah as long as it's within your calorie deflict. You probably won't feel too great though.0
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Yes. Just do what you are doing and cut it out of your diet in baby steps.
Try to slowly start eating healthier and start eating in a way that you will be able to continue to uphold in the future. Otherwise all the weight loss will be for nothing!0 -
Technically, yes, you can still eat these things and lose weight, but you'll feel like crap and be hungry all the time. If you can fit maybe one square of dark chocolate or one fun-sized candy bar into you calorie allotment per day, go for it. Hopefully it will take the edge off of the craving and not lead to a Snickers binge. As for fast food, there isn't really anything healthy out there. Even the really good stuff is loaded with sodium and hidden calories. Try to limit yourself as much as you can, and best luck reaching your goals.0
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it is harder when you only have 1200 calories to work with.
I DO eat fast food on occasion. A Wendy's single ( with cheese)with the top bun removed is about 530 calories. A full sized apple pecan chicken salad ( one dressing) is 500 calories. A chipotle burrito bowl is almost 700 calories! Most of the time I don't eat the fries...and Friday I made the mistake of ordering a milkshake--half of a regular shake was almost 400 calories!0 -
haha ok thank u everyone! and yes I think I have started feeling like crap.. after eating alot of junk today.. even though it was little portions...Yeah as long as it's within your calorie deflict. You probably won't feel too great though.0 -
A calorie is not a calorie. What is your diet like?0
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I would need to look at what you are eating now.0
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what!? lol......... does that mean haha no offense.... I dont get it.. and my diary is wide open 4 public haha.. just so u know...A calorie is not a calorie. What is your diet like?0 -
The problem with fast food is most of it is high-calorie. Even healthy restaurants have many high-calorie items. Try reading the nutritional info (or using the MFP food database) before you choose what to eat.
With only 1200 calories, a bag of chips could easily be 1/4 of your daily intake, but it's not healthy or filling, so it will make the rest of the day harder. If you want junk food, try to limit it to only a few squares of chocolate or a 40g bag of chips.
You can also earn more calories by exercising. It takes a lot to burn off a 300 calorie bag of chips, but if you're working out anyway, you can afford a bit more.
Also, make sure you're getting enough nutrition. You still need vitamins, minerals, and protein. You also don't want too much sodium, which most snack foods have in abundance.
Try to eat as healthy as you can stand. You can still have a snack once in a while, but resist the urge to make it a routine. Don't let your cravings control you.0 -
I believe you can eat anything in small amounts and still lose weight. But it has to be in balance.
For example, I eat chips every few weeks. But I literally count out my 16 chip serving and enjoyed every one of them. I like ice cream. I eat at 1/4 cup at a time and love every bite.
Remember - the first bite always tastes the best.0 -
Yep. No doubt about it. However, if you are eating only 1200 calories of junk food all day, there is also no doubt that you are very malnourished.0
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When a junk food craving hits, try to eat something healthy first and then if you still want the junk just have a small portion. My husband is not on board with the whole losing weight thing and gets so offended when I don't eat the junk he cooks, so I eat small helpings of it and try to balance the rest of the day with healthy options.
If you feel like you are "depriving yourself" of treats I think you'll be less likely to stick with it. So I say indulge once in awhile but be aware of serving sizes! When you realize how small a serving is you may find it's not worth it. There are a lot of healthier options you can substitute.
If you are craving sweets a bowl of fruit with 1 serving of whip cream is going to pack way less fat/calories than a donut or chocolate bar, for example, and pack way more nutrition!0 -
If you have a particular favorite guilty pleasure, (example McDonalds big mac with fries), try cutting it back to once a week. You will feel less deprived, and it will give you something to look forward to.
This past weekend mine was a waffle breakfast at my local eatery with all of the fixin's (bacon, etc.) I don't eat like that every day obviously, but it's a nice treat once in awhile...0 -
And ditto on the fruit in place of sweets. I do that, and it works like a charm.0
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And ditto on the fruit in place of sweets. I do that, and it works like a charm.
I have to agree with this!0 -
ok cool nice to know!!! I will try that...And ditto on the fruit in place of sweets. I do that, and it works like a charm.0 -
A calorie is not a calorie. What is your diet like?
Then what else is a calorie?0 -
i had two grilled chicken breasts from KFC for 440 calories. 80g of protein
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haha thats funny!! I thought the same thing... I was very confusedA calorie is not a calorie. What is your diet like?
Then what else is a calorie?0 -
i had two grilled chicken breasts from KFC for 440 calories. 80g of protein0
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I havent stopped eating anything, I still eat a candy if i feel like it, or a bite of chocolate, or cake when we have a bday, I went to Carls Jr the other day after 10 months and ate a hamburguer stealing french fries of my ´neighbor´..
So yes you can lose weight, as long as its not all the time, once in a while and moderation is the key.0 -
Well I don't know if it will be enough for your body to stay charged. Yes you can eat it all day and yes you can still loose weight but you will get sluggish and feel yuck after awhile! I used to eat it a lot and never realized how bad I was until I lost weight and was eating right! Holy Moly but I would start slow and start adding healthy snacks in between Good Luck! 0
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You are 5'2" and trying to get down to 95lb?
Oh, and yes you can eat whatever you want - as long as you are at a calorie deficit you will lose weight. The more nutritiously dense your diet is, generally the healthier however.0 -
haha thats funny!! I thought the same thing... I was very confusedA calorie is not a calorie. What is your diet like?
Then what else is a calorie?
Brittany,
Yes you can lose weight while incorporating some fast food into your diet. However, being on a calorie limit you will quickly discover that you'll be better off eating fast food "once in a while" since it will eat through your calorie allowance in a hurry.
Also, you should still pay attention to macronutrients (protein, carbs, fats). Often times a food item may fit your calorie allowance but not your macro allowance. You can still lose weight while disregarding macros but I wouldn't recommend it.
Here's something that's basically a generalization of sorts:
Calories ---> Change in weight.
Macros
> Change in body composition
Micronutrients
> Health
It is for this reason (among others) that you would not want to exclusively eat ice cream to reach your calorie limit.
EDIT: Also--- you should probably rethink your target weight. That's awfully low for your height.0 -
yummy I didnt know they sold grilled chicken breast at KFC! I usually ate crispy.. also do they have that bone on it or no?... and 440 for 2 is great ......i had two grilled chicken breasts from KFC for 440 calories. 80g of protein0 -
haha thats funny!! I thought the same thing... I was very confusedA calorie is not a calorie. What is your diet like?
Then what else is a calorie?
how they are stored in your body or used0 -
Can you eat these things and be under your calorie goal and still lose weight? im 5'2 and i get 1200 calories a day... will I still lose some weight? I am a junk food addict and trying to help myself... that is why I am here, also to hopefully lose 10 pounds but my main idea is to stop eating junk/fast food because its controlling my life and I get in the worse mood if I dont get any and take the anger out on others.... So I been doing baby steps .... Alot better when I first started 3 days ago though!!
I'm 5'1" and still everyone is different.
All it takes is a calorie deficit. It really is about calories. I tell people this all the time and they say "Well if calories are all that matter why do you eat so clean???!!" Well, because it makes me feel better, sleep better, and perform better at my sports.
Too many changes at once can be hard on some people. I've always eaten healthy so it easy for me to simply eat less. Eating at a calorie deficit is hard on people; even a small deficit puts your body in a state of flux with hormones and such. Everyone is different. Some people can handle a deeper calorie deficit than others, this is not right or wrong, it just is. Stress in your life affects your hunger hormones; lack of sleep, fatigue, job stress, family stress, financial stress, etc. Add in emotional eating issues and it gets even more complicated. Most people can only handle so much change/stress at once, they try to do too much and fail. Sometimes it might be a better strategy to eat at maintenance and make some small changes first, it really depends on how much stress you are taking in at the moment.
Exercise is for making your lean body mass pretty (especially lifting weights) for when the fat is gone. Losing fat with no muscle is ugly and cardio alone will not make you pretty. You cannot out exercise too many calories.
There is no mystery to weight loss, everyone thinks something is wrong, their metabolism is broken, they have low thyroid, they have menopause or whatever issue, they are as unique as a snowflake, whatever. I thought a lot of these things once too but once the doctor helped resolve the health issues for me I learned there is still no magic pill. Most people eat more than they need to and are not at good at estimating calories as they think they are. Most people have a lower BMR than they think they do. The only way to know for sure is to go to a lab and have it tested. It doesn't seem fair to have to eat less and feel a little hunger. It's hard to face the truth of it, very hard. It's not fun. It's drudgery at times. But if you learn to enjoy your smaller amounts of food (necessary to lose weight, since the reason we got fat in the first place was eating too much whether we knew it or not), and rejoice in your victories it can be done.
Your body loses weight in chunks, not linear. I have found that you can do everything right and your weight loss seems to plateau but if you are patient and keep exercising and eating at a deficit (however slight) you will lose it, it will suddenly "whoosh". There are so many variables for the scale; water retention, digestion, hormones, allergies, sodium, carbs, water intake, DOMS, inflammation, the list goes on. People mistakenly think they lose or gain weight when they eat more or less because of these fluctuations.
Losing weight requires tremendous patience. You will not lose it when you want it or where you want it. The body does its thing. Some apparent plateaus can last a month or so. You cannot make it happen faster. You must focus on two things; calories and exercise. Nothing else matters. Scales and metrics don't matter. The day in and day out grind of exercise and calories are all that matters. It is not very exciting until things fall into place. You get your victories and you ride one victory to the next.
The scale is a trend tool. The scale is good but put it away and only check once a week and only use it as a trend tool. It will fluctuate, it does not matter. Take front side and back progress pictures at least once a month. You will see differences that the metrics won't tell you and it's that little bit of NSV that will keep you going until the next victory.
To say eat more is wrong.
To say eat less is wrong.
To find the exact calories needed for YOU to be in a healthy sustainable calorie deficit is the right answer. Wait, if you need to adjust by 100 do it, wait, adjust, wait, adjust, wait. The tortoise wins this race.
At 5’2” a healthy weight range will be 101 – 131 Lbs. You won't really know what's good until you get there.0 -
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haha thats funny!! I thought the same thing... I was very confusedA calorie is not a calorie. What is your diet like?
Then what else is a calorie?
how they are stored in your body or used
Macronutrients have different functions but it doesn't make 1 calorie not equal to 1 calorie. It is a measure of energy, that is all.0
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