Choose your calories wisely

ACarp24

It seems to me like some of the new members, and even people who have been on here for awhile are under the impression that as long as you are within your calorie limit for the day, you are eating healthy. THROW THIS LOGIC OUT THE WINDOW,BECAUSE IT ISN'T TRUE! Please know that I am in no way trying to degrade anyone, I'm just concerned. Just because you can go to pizza hut, eat a slice of pizza, and stay within your limit doesn't mean you should. I know that at least for me, I joined this website to start eating different foods, not to simply limit what I used to eat. I see way to many diaries with people over their fat limit significantly everyday. And I also know that every once in awhile its ok to go out with your friends and be bad, but a lot of people are doing it as much as once a week! For these people, and you know who you are, be aware that what you're doing isn't healthy, and I encourage you to take a good look at your diary and ask yourself, is this really what I should be eating?
and so ends my rant. comments are welcome

confuseacat

You are so right. If you eat 1500 calories worth of pizza every day you may be within your calories but it is not a healthy choice. I think most people get that but some may not.

mromnek

You are 100%, absolutely and completely correct about the wisdom of choosing your calories. But this is something that has driven me insane on a number of fronts.

I started off counting calories and managing my serving sizes. This worked out for a short bit. Then I started looking at fat, with saturated and unsaturated fats. I had gotten those under control and I started looking at proteins, wondering why I was going over daily and what did it mean. See where I am going with this? After I tackled each "metric" of my food intake, I moved on to another challenge.

I have looked at a few food diaries and thought, "There is no wonder that you haven't lost weight... look at what you are eating and calling exercise!" But as I have thought about it, these people will either figure it out, or they will fail and quit. You can patiently and politely give these people advice, but if they are not ready for it, they won't listen. If they are ready for it, they will actually come asking for the advice.

ka_42

Thank you for the kind reminder!

mromnek

Oh yeah, and ironically, tonight I am going out for Pizza. It will be the 2nd time this year I will treat myself. Before Jan 1, I would typically eat pizza at least 1 or 2 times a week.

mollyelliott

i think its more than ok, and even HEALTHY.. to eat what ever you want once a week. whether it be pizza or ice cream or whatever. its psychologically soothing. everything in moderation. its clinically proven that people who allow themselves to have some freedom in their diet are more successful long term- because without having pleasure foods dieting is tedious and like a punishment, rather than being rewarding. i see no problem in going and having a slice of pizza or whatever once a week, especially if they are staying under their calorie goal. i know personally, if i know im going out to eat, i budget that into my calorie count for the day so that i do stay under, and dont have to worry. you only live life once, so you might as well enoy it.

CrystalT

I see way to many diaries with people over their fat limit significantly everyday.

I hope you are looking at more than just someone's fat totals before you judge them. There are reasons for going over on fat. For example, I started following the Flat Belly Diet Sunday and it pushes monounsaturated fats. You'll see that I go over my fat everyday because of it even though what I'm eating is healthy.

I agree that there are people (on this site and else where) who fool themselves into thinking they are eating healthy just because they limit their calories. I just think there is a lot more to look at than fat and calories.

sheri3762

I understand what your saying, but for me personally, I do eat something we would consider "bad" once a week for one meal. It may be grilled chicken at KFC or 2 slices of chikcen BBQ pizza at Pizza Hut or possible an ice creme cone and I'm still consistantly dropping weight and inches but I also make sure I workout on that day too. . Again, this is my personal preference. The way I've approached this is like many, a lifestyle change with adaption of very healthy eating habits. I know I do not want to give up chocolage, ice cream, pizza, ect. forever, so I have to figure out how to have it in moderation so that I do not ever go back to eating unhealthy all the time. I'm afraid that if i thought I could never again eat the things I really enjoy, then I may not do so well with the changes I've made. Again, this is my personal preference and according to my doctor i am being very wise in how I've approached this. She even has splurges on a regular basis and feels our overall health is what is most important, Good luck to you on your journey!

sonnacchio

I get it, and I do try to eat healthy...BUT...I guess if I want to "spend" my calories on pizza, or girl scout cookies, or ice cream AND I can stay within my calories for the day; I call that living a realistic life. I try to treat my calories like $ and I choose what and how much I eat very carefully. I use myfitnesspal to help me monitor how much I am eating on a daily basis. I don't think choosing to eat pizza is necessarily bad...Perhaps I am missing the point.

adegonia

I am probably one of the new people that you are referencing although looking back through my food diary I haven't been doing too terrible. I guess I just see it a little different. I didn't join to become a health nut (no offense to anyone who is I just don't have the desire) I joined to loose weight but do it by a lifestyle change not by a superstrict diet that I will grow tired of. I don't really like many healthy foods and to be honest can't afford to eat the way I would like to. I know that since I have joined I have made better choices for myself even if they aren't also the most healthy. Example I would skip breakfast enjoy a 1200 calorie lunch at taco bueno and then go home and eat another 1000 calorie or so dinner followed up by some ice cream most nights. So even though you may look at our diaries and think there is still a lot of room for improvement, admittedly so here, I also know that I am making better choices that I can stick with and I am losing weight. I think most people fail because they get sick of being so strict on themselves and let go completely. So if I feel like a cookie, I eat a cookie but I also keep in the back of my head that if I eat that cookie I will have to eat salad for dinner which for me is a vast improvment.

mvl1014

Since I'm one of your friends whose diary you can see, I will comment on this topic. I have no idea if I'm one of the people you're referring to, but I just want to give you my perspective.

1) I absolutely agree with you about not all calories being equal.
2) My first goal in starting MFP was controlling my portions.
3) I don't very often long fruits & veggies. If you ever see ranch dressing and croutons but no salad (or butter but not corn) you may wonder about this.
4) I'm not yet concerned with fine-tuning macronutrients. It will come, but I need to tackle one thing at a time.

Mellie13

I agree to a degree. I also think some people are fooled into thinking that "light" or "sugar free" or "reduced fat" or even "fat free" means that it's healthy. IT'S NOT!!!! It is usually loaded with chemicals that are not real food. It is about much more than just calories, so I agree with you there, but I also agree with the fact that psycologically it is harmful to deprive yourself. That is why diets always fail! It must be a lifestyle change. Sorry, I'm off my soap box now.

♥seoid♥

ditto mvl

GRose

I am a new member & while I would like to completly change my eating habits to be more healthy most of the time, I have accepted the fact that it takes me a long time to get something started. I know that I may not be eating the best foods for me all of the time but by doing things in small steps, I know that I can accomplish not just weight loss but also a new way of life. If taking small steps (like eating 1-2 slices of Pizza Hut pizza instead of 5) helps me to satisfy my craving while still assisting me with my ultimate goal of being a healthier, happier person, then that's what I need to do for me. Besides, tracking everything (food, excercize, etc..) is a HUGE step for me, as I am not used to doing so.

Having said that, I do agree that eating whatever you want just to use your calories is not an effective way of watching what you eat. There are quite a few different things that go into determining whether or not you're making healthy choices and doing your best to be a healthier person.

I hope this doesn't come across too harsh.. I just wanted you to be aware of where I was coming from & where others may be coming from as well.

questionablemethods

Right on! I agree. However, I think it is also important to remember that large changes often take time. When I started getting educated about nutrition, my first goal was to get my calories under control. It was too much to also worry about the quality of my food. Then I got the macronutrient stuff under control. Then I started to get clean and taking out all the processed junk and eating organic, pesticide- and chemical-free whole foods. And I look at the bottles of salad dressing I used to eat and see high fructose corn syrup is the first ingredient or I think about the artificial sweeteners I used to eat and I think "I used to think THIS was healthy?" BLECH!

But hey! I've been allowing myself one or two Girl Scout cookies most nights. I agree that sometimes we need to allow ourselves treats. Consistency is key--not perfection. Some people can make huge changes in their lives all at once. For other people, it is an incremental process.

faithstephenson

I think each person has to decide for themselves, hopefully with input from a good doctor, what is the best way for them to reach their goals. I know that I fail when I say "I can't have___". So when I started here, I decided to start with limiting portion size of what I normally ate, without regard to fat content ot anything else. Once I got used to that, and my weightloss leveled off a bit, I decided to try to keep that fat number in check. Now I do most days. I've even started to choose to use reduced fat items, as long as taste doesn't suffer. This is how I will be able to live. Not saying "I can't...", but "Today I choose..." Your method may work long term for you, but I know from experience it won't for me. You may need to just have some patience with people as they figure out what they can and can't do.

simona1972

Joining MFP I had goal in the forefront of my mind....controlling portions so that I wasnt overeating. I knew this was a HUGE problem for me.

As I did that and realized just how small a serving was - especailly of my beloved fat laden goodies, my whole way of looking at food changed. When I think back to how I was eating just 3 months ago, I cringe. My typical diet would:

Breakfast - Fast Food Breakfast Sandwiches - usually 2 or 3 depending on the sandwich and how big it was.
Lunch - Burger and Fries
Dinner - Fried meat of some sort - no veggies except potatoes.

I'd be snacking all day on chocolate, chips, cookies, crackers. You name it, I ate it. Weekends was always pizza & wings or Chinese Food.

So I agree that we should choose our calories wisely. But at the same time, I also think that it comes naturally with time. As we feel healthier, we crave healthier foods. I dont think I could stomach what I used to eat and I dont want to even venture a try. But I will also say that if I want a treat, I'll have one. The difference is now...the treats are few and far between and if I do eat something a little more caloric and fattier, I make up for it with exercise.

I also wanted to add that I think fat isnt the only culprit of unhealthy eating - someone could be using heart healthy fats and that's a good thing...processed food is HUGE on my list of foods that should be banned...and that's anything from boxed granola bars that are all sugar, to fake sugar substitues they put in foods like sugar free puddings and the like. Processed food, IMO is a greater evil because they're filled with sugars - I used to snack on these all day and think since it was a granola bar or it said "sugar free" on it, I was fine. Okay...I'll get off my soapbox now...

ACarp24

I'm not talking about mono unsaturated and poly unsaturated fats, I'm talking about people who's fat and calories are clearly coming from the wrong source.

I see way to many diaries with people over their fat limit significantly everyday.

I hope you are looking at more than just someone's fat totals before you judge them. There are reasons for going over on fat. For example, I started following the Flat Belly Diet Sunday and it pushes monounsaturated fats. You'll see that I go over my fat everyday because of it even though what I'm eating is healthy.

I agree that there are people (on this site and else where) who fool themselves into thinking they are eating healthy just because they limit their calories. I just think there is a lot more to look at than fat and calories.
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nolachick

bumping to read later but I will say I am guilty as I was looking thru my diary last night I noticed constantly going over fats and sodium.
and no I'm not happy about that!

mworld

i just looked at yours and total tangeant....boy i miss Wegman's. When I lived in NY that Dewitt location was amazing. Easy to eath healthy when you have a store of that caliber that is so cheap!

godblessourhome

regarding the fat, it is just as important to make sure you are not too far UNDER on fat as it is to be too much OVER fat. a diet too low in fat can also cause you to come up short on several important dietary nutrients, such as the mineral zinc, some b vitamins, and certain essential fatty acids that your body needs (a fat is made up of fatty acids). you also need fat in your diet in order to help your body absorb the fat-soluble vitamins such as a, d, e, and k, as well as other compounds like lycopene.

I'm talking about people who's fat and calories are clearly coming from the wrong source.

it may be crystal clear to you, but it may not be that clear to them. in most cases, i think people are doing the best they can. you really have no idea what people's motives for joining are. also, many times people don't log every thing (i personally don't log exercise unless it goes over what i consider part of my lifestyle, yet i do a workout video/run on the treadmill/play the wii and walk my dog daily, so my exercise shows up as very minimal.)

that said, you are absolutely correct that choosing your calories wisely is important! thanks for the reminder! the problem is that we each have different priorities on what is the most important. it could be portion-control as mentioned, it could be being 'healthy' (of which there are lots of different ideas) like your goals, it could be eating clean without pesticides, chemicals/processed and hormone-injected food. health is a journey that most people are just beginning.

i think your intention with this post is very admirable, but it is clear that a lot of people now feel a little hurt and/or judged. at the very least, defensive about their choices.
dawn

Papi1991

I don't think it's "depriving" yourself if you are replacing the pizza with something that is equally delicious but has a ton fewer calories. And as for chemicals in "Low fat" foods I don't really worry about those. I am not on a low fat diet or anything like that, I have simply chosen to make a life style change and eat foods that are better for me. Not only do I feel better but I am dropping the weight pretty well too. I have already lost around 30lbs and joined to have some help with the rest I want to lose. And to be perfectly honest one slice of pizza hut pizza is bad no matter how you look at it. Some people( me included at the start of my diet) can fool themselves into thinking otherwise. Personally i'd rather spread those calories over the day so I feel full and don't starve at the end of the day. Hope all that makes sense.

kdiamond

ITA!!! Save the bad meals for occasional cheat nights out only, and eat only food you prepare at home! All calories are not created equal!

mromnek

I think there are several posts on here that are important.

@MVL: I know exactly what you mean by the micronutrients. Like you I was interested primarily in portion control when I came to MFP. The only reason I started looking at other things is that I am an anal/anal type person (analytical and obsessive) and wasn't satisfied with just portion control. If you have had success with portion control then you are succeeding on your terms, not anyone elses.

Several others had commented on the improvements they have made. I think that is entirely acceptable. Take my earlier post that I went out for pizza tonight. Not only did I go out for pizza, I went out for pizza buffet... and I enjoyed it like you would never believe. Here is what we didn't count: historically, I would eat pizza buffet at between 1 and 2 meals a week. Lets assume I ate 2000 calories at a pop, 1.5 times per week. I have not eaten pizza buffet That is 33000 calories I didn't eat in the past 11 weeks. How about the 33000 mg of sodium I didn't eat? Don't look at the negative, but the positive. Yep, I planned on jumping off the wagon tonight, but I know that I can atone for my sins in the next few days on the exercise bike.

As I said in my first post on this thread, everyone makes their progress at their own rate. Fiber, vegetables, fruits, fats, sodium, cholesterol, calories, carbohydrates, etc... we all have our own battles. Some of us are further along the journey than others. Some of us will be getting off the train at earlier destinations than others. Some will be on bullet trains, others will be on mule trains. The important thing is that we reach our destinations. (remember the tortoise and the hare?)

One last thought (from my signature): In necessary things we are united, in debatable things we have freedom, and in all things we have charity.
What are the necessary things: keep trying, don't quit, reach your goals
What are the debatable things: do I eat my exercise calories, to carb or not to carb, to exercise or not exercise
What is charity: appreciate each other for our differences

Wolfena

When I started this journey, my goal was to lose weight and keep it off. I have (for the most part) done that. I have changed my eating habits immensely as compared to 4-5 years ago. I've learned a lot about fat, protein, fiber, nutrients, sodium, sugar, etc along the way.

I don't ever intend to eat "perfectly healthy"

I like my ice cream, burgers and fries, pizza and barbeque ribs. I enjoy potato chips sometimes and candy too (chocolate, MMMmmmmmm) I know I will never weigh 120 pounds and be perfectly shaped with little body fat because I DO like these and indulge on them quite frequently- although, not in the quantities I used to pre-weight loss. I eat processed foods purchased from the grocery store and probably always will - sure, I read labels and there's some things I will never ever buy and eat again- but there's plenty out there that I still do.

I know doritoes have no nutritional value and lots of fat, and the same for donuts... but they taste good and they make me happy. When I am happy, my body is happy because I am not miserably moping around feeling deprived and mad at the world because I "can't" or "shouldn't" eat the food that I just want to eat (regardless of whether or not it's good for me)

I am not perfect, I do not eat perfect, I do not strive to be perfect nor do I strive to eat perfect. I do not think it's a good idea to give myself an unrealistic goal. In my world, yes... cutting out all junk and processed food is unrealistic. I don't want to, don't think I really need to. If you looked at my food diary (go ahead if you want- it's public) you'd probably be shocked at the amount of "crap" I eat. I know I could probably cut back a bit and lose faster - but it's hard for me!

Anyway, I'd like to think of myself as a weight loss success, I lost 60 pounds in 7 months back in 2006. I gained a few back, but I am working on losing them again and am currently still down 56 pounds from that original high weight (see signature if you'd like) I must be doing SOMETHING right! I am only 7 pounds away from my desired weight, which isn't so bad IMO. I'm not really unhappy where I am now, but it's nice to have that extra cushion (you know, incase I go on vacation and REALLY pig out!) LOL

Seriously - this is how I feel, and I can't be ALL wrong because my weight has stayed off and I've been eating all that unhealthy stuff the whole time. Everyone has different levels of what they want out of life - including their nutritional and exercise life. What works for you won't work for someone else... obviously, what works for me would never work for you!! :laugh:

I do find it extremely rude to read through other people's food diaries and make judgments about them based on what they eat. People here are in many different steps of progress along the way and most people take baby steps as they learn. You have NO IDEA what they ate before to compare and think they are eating poorly now. The food diary is here for us to learn from. It tracks what we eat and shows us what we need improvement with and it's up to us to take that information and tweak and adjust our diets as needed until we get to where we want. It really p*sses me off when someone makes people feel that they should be ashamed of ANYTHING they eat, that they need to keep their diaries private for fear of negative feedback from others who think they are "helping" them. If they want help and ask for it, that's one thing.... otherwise, keep your opinions to yourself!

People join MFP and sites like this mostly because they are overweight. Most people become overweight because they eat a lot and of the wrong foods. They don't just miraculously join a site and automatically start eating perfectly and exercising like a maniac overnight! We should be here to offer support, suggestions and advice, not to belittle and judge.

My thought is that people should look through other's food diaries to see what the people are eating who HAVE lost lots of weight, maybe get some ideas for new meals or snacks that look good and healthy. Learn from them - not judge because of them.

OK OK OK.... I'm getting off my soap box now.

Sorry. :blushing:

BamaRose0107

Just My 2 Cents Here!

We all joined this site for many different reasons and I really don't think it is a positive thing for people to feel like there are food diary monitors looking and judging what people are eating. You can't know the whole story behind why they are eating a certain way. I know when I started losing weight my first priority was to cut back on portions of unhealthy foods and add healthier foods to each meal. I knew for me if I tried to just start eating perfectly healthy I would failed miserably. So for me I would have been proud of eating 3 slices of pizza, but when I first started losing I could eat a whole pizza by myself.

I also know that there was another post some time back where a person was judging other peoples food diaries and alot of people got really irritated and alot of people made their diaries private! Just something to think about. The last thing we need to do is make people feel judged on a site that for many is about motivation and support.

PattyTheUndefeated

I'm going to eat that slice of pizza and enjoy it, dammit. If I'm within my calories, I think I should be able to enjoy a slice of pizza every now and then. I'm sure most people on this board have the intelligence to make that call. You do have to make wise choices when you have a limited amout of calories, but you also have to eat like human being.

Moderation is key. Torture and ridiculous unmanageble rules are not.

Just my two cents.

lchisum

I think that it is great that everyone is willing to share knowledge with each other on this site, but it is also important not to let education begin to sound like accusation or this site will be no different than other weight loss programs where people feel judged. Also, saying people will either learn or fail is very black and white...none of us knows the path that each of us walks daily... the old saying that to walk a mile in your neighbors shoes, etc... well the same is true with what we choose to eat. Foods and meals we choose are influenced by such a divers variety of things (from stress to ethnicity) that it is very narrowminded to try to judge others based upon what works for you. Also, statements such as "what you call exercise," is very demeaning and I am saddened to see such mean spirited statements on this website. Any attempts should be rewarded with encouraging and supportive comments or met with silence. Mom was very wise to remind us that, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." Sometimes, even though our intentions may be good, our words can cause pain and suffering that lingers far beyond our ability to understand. I hope and pray that I am always encouraging and supportive to you all. I know that by participating in this website, you are trying (regardless of the level) to make a better life for yourself from the inside out and I wish you all the best!

tkrall

I agree to some extent to what you are saying. Have you ever heard, "people don't fail, diets fail". I understand eating healthy and keeping active. But I also believe in being happy. I've joined this site for many reasons. Fist was to get healthy, second was to lose weight, third was to know that people where here to support me in my journey. All calories are not created equal, and watching your fat intake is extremely important. But isn't your mental health just as important? If I would completely stop eating some of the foods that I love I would be miserable. If I was miserable, why would I want to keep moving foward? Does that make any sense? Why make yourself miserable to lose weight? I believe most of this journey is about portion control and learning what you can and can not do. Not about eating ONLY "healthy" foods all the time. That is not a life in away. Life is meant to be enjoyed.

acakeforawife

So many great comments on here!

I will say that I absolutely agree with you, that not all calories are created equal, and that portion control is not the ONLY factor in weight loss (or, maybe more accurately, in maintaining that weight loss long term.) BUT I also remember when I started out -- how overwhelming it all was. Portion control was the only thing I had room in my brain for. :laugh:

Seriously though, can you imagine a person just starting out and thinking, suddenly, "I gotta cut my calories in HALF of what I used to eat. I have to give up ALL my standby meals and comfort foods and favourite tastes. I gotta eat healthy fats like flax whatever that is! I gotta eat less meat, less carbs, less sodium -- apparently all I'm gonna eat is cottage cheese and lettuce. GREAT." And that's exactly why soooooo many people don't make it.

For me, I've been doing this a year and a half now. And the type of foods I eat has changed sooooo dramatically but it's all happened slowwwwwly and over time, and only when I wanted it to and was ready -- only when I found my OWN reasons to do it.. To me that's how you change for a lifetime. Anything else is just 'dieting'.

Great post though, really enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts!

confuseacat

You are so right. If you eat 1500 calories worth of pizza every day you may be within your calories but it is not a healthy choice. I think most people get that but some may not.

That being said so I am not misunderstood.. If you want to have a cheat once a week or so it is ok. as long as you don't do it every day.makes the changes seem more bearable and makes you less likely to give up altogether. I personally do not feel right about checking out other peoples food diaries unless they are asking me to. I have enough trouble with my own:blushing: