Can you eat anything you want?

ladyraven68

Fatty foods don't make you fat - eating in excess of your TDEE does, and that doen't matter if it was caused by eating burgers or apples.

Also, this, from the Must Read thread...

http://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/#cleandirty

DiaryOfaThickFitWoman

Fatty foods don't make you fat - eating in excess of your TDEE does, and that doen't matter if it was caused by eating burgers or apples.

Also, this, from the Must Read thread...

http://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/#cleandirty

All of this! Ty!

DesertDriver

I have to say that I still eat mostly what I want but the key to success is two things ...

1. Eat what you want and be happy cutting out all the foods you enjoy could lead to loss of motivation ... but do it in moderation and keep within your target calorie goal

2. Regular Exercise

Just my thoughts ;-)

MinimalistShoeAddict

I have lost 16 lbs since I started dieting in mid November and my husband is considering reducing his calories as well. The only problem is that he and I eat very differently. I'm by nature a very plain and picky eater who enjoys eating the same things repeatedly. He is a junk food junkie who hates veggies or anything healthy. It's amazing to me that he is only overweight by maybe 5 to 10 lbs. Now, my question is, can you eat ANYTHING you want as long as you stay under your calorie limit?He works during the day and doesn't usually eat anything until 4pm when he has an early dinner. So can he just save his 1,800 cals to eat a big dinner and still lose weight? He is a big McDonalds junkie, so a couple double cheeseburgers is still under his calorie limit so if he ate junk like that every night would he still lose weight just due to being under his limit? I'm hoping he will make healthier choices as he sees changes, but at least he is starting somewhere and it's my job to be supportive of him and not lecture him. In theory, will his plan work for him?

I am not saying this is healthy, but this article (Twinkie Diet) will prove the point that counting calories is all that is required to lose weight. Of course we all know that health means more than just the number on a scale:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html

fizzletto

Be careful. If he's under his calorie limit then yes he will lose weight, but he may become malnourished. There is a difference between being 'undernourished' and 'malnourished'.

'undernourished' means you haven't had enough food. He won't have that problem. But 'malnourished' means you may get enough food, but you haven't got enough nutrients. There's no way he'll be able to get enough vitamin C, calcium, iron, potassium, vitamin D, B-vitamins, omega 3, etc just from going to McDonalds every day.

He may feel full enough and he may lose weight but he will start to suffer the consequences of not enough nutrients in his diet. He may get very ill.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

It's an oft-misunderstood concept and many people like to engage in 'all or nothing' reasoning when debating it. It doesn't mean you can eat ANYTHING you want, as much as you want - it means you can eat foods you enjoy and don't have to engage in unnecessary restriction/elimination of foods or entire food groups as long as you're hitting your calorie and macronutrient goals.

Speaking strictly in terms of weight loss, it truly is calories out > calories in - macro and micronutrients don't matter. You could lose weight eating nothing but twinkies all day long (in fact, that exact thing has been done). If you're going to add in consideration of satiety, general health and body composition, macros and micros do in fact matter very much.

This. Why does this debate always have to be so black and white? I'm not going to eat ALL junk food, but I don't think having it sometimes is going to hurt me.

That said I usually don't just because of satiety and because I don't enjoy it like I once did.

LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo

Technically speaking yes you will lose weight by having an all junk food but the main question is, how about your arteries, uric acid, blood sugar etc.? Weight loss =/= healthy.

ladyraven68

Be careful. If he's under his calorie limit then yes he will lose weight, but he may become malnourished. There is a difference between being 'undernourished' and 'malnourished'.

'undernourished' means you haven't had enough food. He won't have that problem. But 'malnourished' means you may get enough food, but you haven't got enough nutrients. There's no way he'll be able to get enough vitamin C, calcium, iron, potassium, vitamin D, B-vitamins, omega 3, etc just from going to McDonalds every day.

He may feel full enough and he may lose weight but he will start to suffer the consequences of not enough nutrients in his diet. He may get very ill.

Are you saying there is no calcium, iron, protein etc in a McDonald's?

A big mac is about 550 calories, so about a 5th of a mans recommended daily calories, but it would actually provide a quarter of their daily requirements of iron, calcium and protein.

So, they could eat 4 big macs, still be at a deficit, and have met their protein, iron and calcium targets.

To say junk food has no nutritional value is wrong. It has it's place in a balanced diet.

Eating fat doesn't make you fat, eating over your daily calorific needs does.

DavPul

yes, he will lose weight. no, he will not be healthy.

False. Her husband eats like i do and I've lost much more than 5-10 lbs. I'm also in great health. McDonald's, Taco Bell, and pizza were the staples of my diet the last 6 months

The original post described my dh perfectly. He also is what you would call in great health, but I beg to differ. The damage just isn't showing yet, and anyone who does this will eventually pay the price. I like the idea of slow change, I am hoping to encourage my dh not to count calories, but to eat better. I want him to be an example for our ds .

this conversation has devolved from science to religion. i know you're looking better, feeling better, weigh less, and all your tests come out clean, but one day, ONE DAY, you're gonna pay. *shakes fist at the sky*

SoDamnHungry

Yes. I lost ten pounds eating total garbage.

EvgeniZyntx

yes, he will lose weight. no, he will not be healthy.

Bull.
Yes, eat what you like, yes he will be healthy if he eats a minimum of food with sufficient micronutrients and eats the needed protein and fat.

Phelps, of Olympic fame, eats what a lot of people would consider "unhealthy food" but keeps winning those medals.
Like Dav, I eat whatever I like, within reason, at a calorie deficit and am healthy.

drgmac

I don't think so, at least in the short run. If a person eats a lot of refined carbs such as white bread and crackers, these things turn into sugar and spike your glycemic index. This means your body will secrete more insulin and shoot your blood sugar levels down after they have spiked. This is because, although these products are not sugar, they are converted into sugar and the body treats them as such. As a result, when the levels drop, you will become hungry, dizzy, lightheaded, etc. and then have the urge to eat more and possibly the same things to repeat the pattern. This is a very dangerous cycle.

I do not eat refined carbs of any kind and I feel much better for doing so. I eat a lot of protein which keeps hunger at bay and helps to burn fat at to build muscle...building muscle ultimately burns MORE calories. This cycle is much more figure and health friendly than the former.

kathyms13

your question .... can you eat anything you wont, yes of cors you can, and as much as you wont as well, big mountains of food yes burgers fries cakes anything .......... but if you wont to live healthy live a better quality of life , you shouldnt WONT TO EAT ANYTHING.

DavPul

Be careful. If he's under his calorie limit then yes he will lose weight, but he may become malnourished. There is a difference between being 'undernourished' and 'malnourished'.

'undernourished' means you haven't had enough food. He won't have that problem. But 'malnourished' means you may get enough food, but you haven't got enough nutrients. There's no way he'll be able to get enough vitamin C, calcium, iron, potassium, vitamin D, B-vitamins, omega 3, etc just from going to McDonalds every day.

He may feel full enough and he may lose weight but he will start to suffer the consequences of not enough nutrients in his diet. He may get very ill.

we've now gone from religion to pure fantasy. please define malnourished. do you think that the mere act of slicing potatoes and frying them changes their chemical composition? 1 potato is half of your vitamin C and about a third of your potassium. It's also 20% of your iron. it's even got calcium, but even better, a chocolate shake from McD's is 33% of your calcium. drink up.

since my divorce last year, almost all of my food comes from one fast food joint or another. yet i can run 8 miles without slowing down for a sip of water. when the run is over, i can lift the back of your car off the ground with my bare hands (kidding, as we know i'll be wearing gloves). this is malnourished?

i turned 40 last year and had my second kid, so i got all two complete physicals at different points of the year. all this malnourishment, clogged arteries, high sugar levels, cholesterol, none of it showed in either test. The first test came back good, but the one 6 months later came back great. That was 6 months ago, before I could run half a mile without stopping, and when i was still 25 lbs away from goal weight.

I'm not advocating eating exclusively at mcdonalds or eating junk food every day, all day, but you guys can't just make up your facts to as you go along.

Poetry_In_Pics

I actually eat whatever my family eats for the most part (with some modifications here and there) ... I just measure & portion it out and have been very successful. Granted, when I go to McDonald's I get a salad... but yes, if he stays under the recommended calories for the day he should still lose weight.

billsica

I'm not advocating eating exclusively at mcdonalds or eating junk food every day, all day, but you guys can't just make up your facts to as you go along.

Why not? Do you have a peer reviewed article saying I can not?

OP, try slipping in some ALLI into his diet, this pretty much will force him to eat clean.

AllTehBeers

Be careful. If he's under his calorie limit then yes he will lose weight, but he may become malnourished. There is a difference between being 'undernourished' and 'malnourished'.

'undernourished' means you haven't had enough food. He won't have that problem. But 'malnourished' means you may get enough food, but you haven't got enough nutrients. There's no way he'll be able to get enough vitamin C, calcium, iron, potassium, vitamin D, B-vitamins, omega 3, etc just from going to McDonalds every day.

He may feel full enough and he may lose weight but he will start to suffer the consequences of not enough nutrients in his diet. He may get very ill.

we've now gone from religion to pure fantasy. please define malnourished. do you think that the mere act of slicing potatoes and frying them changes their chemical composition? 1 potato is half of your vitamin C and about a third of your potassium. It's also 20% of your iron. it's even got calcium, but even better, a chocolate shake from McD's is 33% of your calcium. drink up.

since my divorce last year, almost all of my food comes from one fast food joint or another. yet i can run 8 miles without slowing down for a sip of water. when the run is over, i can lift the back of your car off the ground with my bare hands (kidding, as we know i'll be wearing gloves). this is malnourished?

i turned 40 last year and had my second kid, so i got all two complete physicals at different points of the year. all this malnourishment, clogged arteries, high sugar levels, cholesterol, none of it showed in either test. The first test came back good, but the one 6 months later came back great. That was 6 months ago, before I could run half a mile without stopping, and when i was still 25 lbs away from goal weight.

I'm not advocating eating exclusively at mcdonalds or eating junk food every day, all day, but you guys can't just make up your facts to as you go along.

rml_16

your question .... can you eat anything you wont, yes of cors you can, and as much as you wont as well, big mountains of food yes burgers fries cakes anything .......... but if you wont to live healthy live a better quality of life , you shouldnt WONT TO EAT ANYTHING.

I am wont to eat whatever I want in moderation.