can you still eat certain junk/fast foods and lose weight?
Replies
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You can.
All about moderation.0 -
Try making some of your favorite fast foods at home with healthier ingredients. For example, I make cheeseburgers with lean beef, low-fat cheese, and those thin whole grain buns. Add lettuce and tomato, and YUM! Sara Lee makes a whole grain bun that looks and tastes pretty much like a regular white hamburger bun - try those.
Good luck! There's nothing wrong with having fast food once in a while, but too much of it and you won't feel your best.0 -
Yes and generally I feel just fine for it, too.
However, generally for me it's more on top of other food and I incorporate exercise which burns it off.
At a whole large bar of 'Galaxy Cookie Crumble' as part of a 5000 calorie binge last month.
Also cycled 49 miles and ran over 7 miles that day, leading to a total calorie burn of 6000 calories, so all was good!0 -
A calorie is not a calorie. What is your diet like?
So what exactly is a calorie then? Iz it a cookie?0 -
and I do have a low thyroid and even the medicine has had no change to my weight just my mood... so yes... Do you think 1200 is to much or to little?..... I also never exercise, have very tiny legs but a little pudge belly sort of.... and some arm fat.. but I am still 105 pounds....,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 -
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
If one is eating at a deficit, how does a calorie from each macronutrient differ?0 -
mmmm I love that salad from wendys!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 -
ok I will try that.. yummy.....Try making some of your favorite fast foods at home with healthier ingredients. For example, I make cheeseburgers with lean beef, low-fat cheese, and those thin whole grain buns. Add lettuce and tomato, and YUM! Sara Lee makes a whole grain bun that looks and tastes pretty much like a regular white hamburger bun - try those.
Good luck! There's nothing wrong with having fast food once in a while, but too much of it and you won't feel your best.0 -
My diary is open.. take a look. i eat pizza, i drink beer.. i cheat every single saturday.. but i dont "diet" i eat the absolute same as always.. i just use portion control.
YES, i eat more salads than before.. and YES i have a ton more fresh fruit.. but ill be damned if im going to eat like a rabbit the rest of my life, so i have learned how to eat a large salad before a meal.. or eat extra veggies and less potatos or rice.
Im not going to eat salad for a year then deicde i cant do that anymore & gain all my wait back.. screw that! Im doing this for life.
Eating "green" isnt for me, so if i wanna lose weight and not gain it back, i have to find out what works FOR ME.. and thats what im doing.
Send a request and if you wanna chat, let me know! :drinker:0 -
I would actually suggest that you eat at maintenance or a very slight deficit and focus on body composition - strength train.0
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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 protein
and how much saturated fat.... reason it tastes so good! I always find i eat too much and feel sick afterwards and ask why i ever ate it..0 -
Yep, yesterday I had KFC for lunch and steak and pizza for tea, I was under my calories and came up lighter today
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Calorie in vs calorie out
So technically if you *only* want to lose a few pounds sure you can eat junk as long as you are under your 1200 calories you will probably lose. But if you're eating high fat, high carb, high sodium foods and still under 1200 - it will take you quite a while to lose that 10lbs.
Good luck with that method.0 -
We are the same size (5'2) and have the same calorie allotment.
AND I WAS A SERIOUS JUNKIE! LOL
I still have junk from time to time, but for the most part I just try to eat better. But even if I don't eat so well (nutrition wise), I'm still losing! :-)0 -
A calorie is not a calorie. What is your diet like?
Then what else is a calorie?
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You can still have a calorie deficit, but nutritionally it isn't a good idea- you just aren't getting all the healthy stuff you'd find by eating a variety of lower calorie foods... The good news is you don't have to go cold turkey- I think your tastes change and you learn to appreciate new foods (especially those that keep your hunger at bay.) Good luck!0
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Just from a quick glance at your diary...looks like you could use some more fruits an veggies in your day for snacks. Maybe look into some ways to sneak those in, they will definitely help fill you up without hurting your daily calories!0
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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!!
There are some MFPers who would think that *most* of my diet is junk, but my body fat is down 12.35% since I began MFP on July 5. So yes, apparently, you can eat quite a bit of so-called "junk" food and still lost weight.0 -
Yeah as long as it's within your calorie deflict. You probably won't feel too great though.
I ate almost a half a pizza last night and feel fantastic.
Lets remain objective on this thread.0 -
As long as you stay under you calories, you should be able to eat whatever you want and lose weight. Obviously, the less junk you eat, the better though - healthwise0
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I found for me...when I did eat junk, diet soda, processed, and fast foods. I just craved more junk. I did lose weight when I started anyway....but soon the weightloss stopped and I had to make more changes...giving up diet soda, junk...and started eating clean. I feel so much better for it now. I have hit my goal...in fact I went lower then it. I started at 232.8 pounds...my goal was 128 pounds....and ended up at 113.0 pounds. I feel better now then any junk food has ever made me feel!!
Good luck to you : )0 -
It's high in sodium but I still eat Taco Bell's crunchy beef fresco tacos and Subway 6 inch whole wheat/turkey/veggies/mustard sandwiches.
As far as junk food goes, I don't eat much of it but when I do, I make sure I have room for it in my daily cals. or have it on a day when I've had a heavy workout. I'm talking something little, not a full blown binge. You have to be able to have treats and foods that you love or it's a DIET and you'll never be able to maintain your weight loss.
Good luck.0 -
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.
I completely agree - I've lost 7lb since the beginning of September (only another 11lb to go) and I haven't denied myself anything. I've had pizza, chinese, chocolate and even good nights out drinking. The difference is I don't do it all day everyday and I try and exercise regularly0 -
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.
Exactly! If you eat junk food (high calorie food) while trying to stay under your cal limit. You will either starve because one meal will take up all your cals, or you'll have to workout ALLLL DAY. lol Neither of those are too much fun, so eat healthy! Also, junk food IN MODERATION is cool. One Big Mac a month wont kill you. :-P0 -
I'm so glad I found this thread. I get SO TIRED of people saying I need to cut out my mayo, I need to replace my butter with something else, or that I shouldn't eat fast food... which for the record I don't even hardly do! ALL my stats are good... I exercise DAILY and at least for an hour. I walk/jog and always burn well over 400 calories... sometimes burning 1,000 calories.
I still eat cookies, IN MODERATION. I still eat chips, IN MODERATION. I started this journey with ONE thing in mind... I will not.. absolutely REFUSE to give up foods I love so much. Why do I have to do that if this is just a lifestyle change? I'm not DIETING, I'm changing my life.
My carbs are never over now... my sodium is never over... my sugar is about even, sometimes over, and my protein is sometimes over and my fiber is ALWAYS over. I drink a ton of water now, and I stay in the 1,500 range. I'm losing inches, and yes, the lbs are coming off slow, but I don't want to lose all fast and furious anyhow and then gain all that back.
If cutting things completely out of your life is what you want, fine... but I'M personally not doing it. Moderation has always been my saying, and I continue to say it... if you are watching what you are eating, and you keep under, why WOULDN'T you lose weight? Especially if you only have fast food occasionally.0 -
<---- Just ate 5 guys for lunch, stayed with in my calorie goal,have lost 30 pounds and been maintaining for a year almost.
It can be done.. but being on only 1200 calories, it's going to be a bit hard. I suggest a lot of exercise for extra calories or upping your calorie goal.0 -
Been doing it for years, OMG all I eat is fast food and candy/chips and i'm not really that fat. only problem is I cannot stick to the calorie deficit usually eat 4000 when only supposed to eat 20000
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