A side thread off of the 5000 calorie day thread...

_SusieQ_

I think the OPs confusion isn't with the advice the successful people give. She wonders how they got successful if they eat so badly. I think some of you are answering this, but in a roundabout way.
The thing is: The people who are most supportive and give the best advice probably have been at this for a long time. That's how they got knowledgeable. They now have things under control and can afford an indulgence now and then. For them, bacon is not such a big deal anymore, and it shouldn't be.
But, that is why what seems like a contradiction really isn't.

No, not quite. If I'm reading you right you think that these people "afford an indulgence" NOW that they are at goal, or close to. But that isn't what they are saying. They are saying they did this and STILL achieved goal. They got successful while not eliminating the foods they love and crave, just making it fit into their macros.

Crankstr

if someone would have told me to eat whatever i want in moderation when i first started losing weight i would have failed miserably.......i was as strict as you could be the first 6 months which engrained the habit of eating clean and healthy then loosened up from there to integrating my favorite unhealthy options into my diet on occasional basis...i think telling someone who has 100 lbs to lose that you should eat whatever you want in moderation is irresponsible. by the way i lost my first 40 lbs by not touching a weight and only doing cardio and eating 1200 cals a day...and by looking at my pics you can see i shouldnt have done this because the cardio ate away all my muscles when i went into "starvation mode"

I see what you are saying, but most of us are not saying to eat whatever you want in moderation whenever you want!

we are saying meet your macro goals first, then leave a small amount for something enjoyable.

Krys_140

if someone would have told me to eat whatever i want in moderation when i first started losing weight i would have failed miserably.......i was as strict as you could be the first 6 months which engrained the habit of eating clean and healthy then loosened up from there to integrating my favorite unhealthy options into my diet on occasional basis...i think telling someone who has 100 lbs to lose that you should eat whatever you want in moderation is irresponsible. by the way i lost my first 40 lbs by not touching a weight and only doing cardio and eating 1200 cals a day...and by looking at my pics you can see i shouldnt have done this because the cardio ate away all my muscles when i went into "starvation mode"

And if I had started off with such a strict diet, I would have rage quit. It's not irresponsible - it worked for me, and it's worked for others. It's just different from what you decided would work for you. Congrats on your losses.

ItsCasey

A. We don't eat 5000 calories a day all the time. Some people do it as a refeed, some people do it to celebrate reaching a certain milestone, and some people simply realize one indulgent day is not going to undo weeks, months, or even years of hard work.

B. That thread was started by a woman who had a specific reason for wanting to eat 5000 calories in a day, and she was asking for suggestions on what to eat. She was not asking for opinions on whether or not she SHOULD eat 5000 calories in a day.

Most average people aren't putting in the workouts that these ripped people obviously do that make eating like that and looking like THAT possible.

Then those people should maybe get off their *kitten* and stop being so average. If you want to eat like a boss and look like a boss, you have to train like one, too.

IronPlayground

You're making it sound like those people are so extraordinary and spend hours and hours in the gym. They're still normal people, they just have discipline and are consistently working hard while still enjoying life.

Some of those 'normal folks' you're talking about have trouble sticking with a diet precisely because it's so strict.

But please, continue talking about them like they're freaks of nature, it's helping your point.

All this right here. I spend 60 mins working out 3x per week and 15-30 mins working out on 3 other days. It's not exactly superhuman to get in 45 mins of exercise 6 days per week. I don't even run. So yes, please stop acting like people that get in shape are from a different planet or something. A lot of the "super shape" people have 'before' photos that would blow your mind with how out of shape they were when they began.

I ask you a counter question: Since it's known that most people fall off the diet wagon because it's too restrictive and they end up missing their favorite foods, what is so wrong with telling them that they can lose weight while continuing to eat things they enjoy? So many threads here are "OMGZ I BINGED THIS WEEKEND AND ATES A DONUT SO NOW I WANT TO GIVE UP." And we're like, "Meh, whats wrong with donuts, don't panic, eat your normal calorie deficit today and you'll be fine."

In one corner I see a bunch of people achieving incredible results without stressing out, having a good time, telling jokes, and making post after post trying to help people. In the other corner, I see a bunch of people stressing out about invisible nutritional boogeymen, panicking if they don't have access to "clean" foods, having anxiety attacks about eating a company functions and family holidays, and continually dropping from the site because they had two days of fast food so they quit everything.

I know which corner I want to stand in. How bout you?

This is excellent!

Most of the successful people on this site have developed a healthy relationship with "all" foods. They understand that it isn't the particular foods that are making people fat, but the amount of particular foods that are making people fat.

Build your diet around your life not your life around your diet.

tabinmaine

if someone would have told me to eat whatever i want in moderation when i first started losing weight i would have failed miserably.......i was as strict as you could be the first 6 months which engrained the habit of eating clean and healthy then loosened up from there to integrating my favorite unhealthy options into my diet on occasional basis...i think telling someone who has 100 lbs to lose that you should eat whatever you want in moderation is irresponsible. by the way i lost my first 40 lbs by not touching a weight and only doing cardio and eating 1200 cals a day...and by looking at my pics you can see i shouldnt have done this because the cardio ate away all my muscles when i went into "starvation mode"

I guarantee you that you would be much larger and further ahead had you NOT eaten 1200 cal and cardio'd yourself to death...... you are just now rebuilding what your body consumed

magerum

Without reading through all the responses (I did read the OP), here are my thoughts:

First, I wish I had a time machine to go forward 20 or 30 years into the future and see how those people eating dirty yet sporting six packs are doing. Seriously. Then, I'd like to take a peek at myself and some of the other clean eaters here and see how we compare.

Because I have heard so many stories of people who had great physiques in their younger years who are suffering from all kinds of degenerative (and preventable!) diseases, who have a beer belly and are totally out of shape.

I believe that you can get away with eating dirty for a while. I did for a summer--ate at Taco Bell almost every lunch, but I was walking a good portion of the day and lost weight. However, that's not something I could do now in my 30's after having 3 children. And most people can't walk as much as I did to keep the calories down.

In hindsight, I'm in the second best shape of my life right now, minus the weight I need to lose. The first best shape would be when I was doing P90X when I got pregnant with my 3rd. And my goal is that by the next pregnancy (I kind of feel like we'll have another one), I want to be in even better shape than that! MFP is helping me do that. :happy:

Most of the people responding to this, in support of eating what you want, are in their mid 30's and 40's. Just sayin'.

ILoveTheBrowns

if someone would have told me to eat whatever i want in moderation when i first started losing weight i would have failed miserably.......i was as strict as you could be the first 6 months which engrained the habit of eating clean and healthy then loosened up from there to integrating my favorite unhealthy options into my diet on occasional basis...i think telling someone who has 100 lbs to lose that you should eat whatever you want in moderation is irresponsible. by the way i lost my first 40 lbs by not touching a weight and only doing cardio and eating 1200 cals a day...and by looking at my pics you can see i shouldnt have done this because the cardio ate away all my muscles when i went into "starvation mode"

I guarantee you that you would be much larger and further ahead had you NOT eaten 1200 cal and cardio'd yourself to death...... you are just now rebuilding what your body consumed

i started 11/2010.......ive looked the way i look now for the last 15 months

sharondbosley

I cant eat my 1200 calorie a day that my doctor has me on. How can u eat 5,000 calories. I need help in eating the calories I'm suppose to eat. Any ideas on how I can eat the calories I am supposed to eat in a day?

Elzecat

I think the message that gets lost is this:

You can eat ANYTHING as long as you PLAN for it within your calories.

The question that most often brings out the "I eat whatever I want" responses is usually coming from someone new to "dieting", who for whatever reason believes that they have to eat healthier in order to lose weight. They start off their new lifestyle by severely restricting their diet to things they may not enjoy, and eliminate things they have always loved eating, out of some misguided notion that this is the way it has to be.

And, the results of such a major change in habits are typically immediate success, followed fairly quickly by failure to continue following the new "diet" because it's too restrictive, too big of a change too quickly, and not nearly enjoyable enough to keep up. That's how you end up with "cheat days", "binges" and other backsliding.

Those of us who've had some measure of success by simply eating in moderation tend to want to spread the word that it can be done this way, and that it is much easier to keep up with because it requires a LOT less will power than a 100% change in diet would.

For those individuals who wish to eat healthier, I say there is nothing wrong with that. Just do it gradually. Changing your eating habits is just like changing any other habit. It requires practice, will power, and constant attention. If you change everything about how you eat, it requires that much more of all three, and is unsustainable for most people (not all people, but most).

quoted for brilliance.
:drinker:

ILoveTheBrowns

if someone would have told me to eat whatever i want in moderation when i first started losing weight i would have failed miserably.......i was as strict as you could be the first 6 months which engrained the habit of eating clean and healthy then loosened up from there to integrating my favorite unhealthy options into my diet on occasional basis...i think telling someone who has 100 lbs to lose that you should eat whatever you want in moderation is irresponsible. by the way i lost my first 40 lbs by not touching a weight and only doing cardio and eating 1200 cals a day...and by looking at my pics you can see i shouldnt have done this because the cardio ate away all my muscles when i went into "starvation mode"

Most important part of any diet is adherence, the more strict the diet, the less adherence has been shown to be. So it'd prob be irresponsible not to promote the most flexible way of dieting.

i understand it works for some i jsut feel a majority of people starting out cant handle the responisibility....i feel it equates telling a guy whos trying to kick smoking that its ok to smoke every now and then just dont overdue......some people could quit that way....most would go right back to smoking a pack a day

kitka82

I believe that you can get away with eating dirty for a while. I did for a summer--ate at Taco Bell almost every lunch, but I was walking a good portion of the day and lost weight. However, that's not something I could do now in my 30's after having 3 children. And most people can't walk as much as I did to keep the calories down.

Ugh Taco Bell is a weight loss plan in itself. Every time I eat that crap I spend the whole next day regretting it.

Anyway. I lost over 60 pounds eating less of whatever I wanted. I ate fast food, red meat, ice cream, and 100 calorie packs. I ate sugar free fudgsicles every day lol. That's not ALL I ate though. And I did drink water.

I eat a bit differently now. Less 100 calorie packs. More whole foods. Still whatever I want. Lucky for me I like veggies and fruits and now eggs. The point is that you don't need to eat a certain way to lose weight, as long as you are eating at a caloric deficit.

Show me someone who lost weight without drinking any water, and we'll talk.

Crankstr

Without reading through all the responses (I did read the OP), here are my thoughts:

First, I wish I had a time machine to go forward 20 or 30 years into the future and see how those people eating dirty yet sporting six packs are doing. Seriously. Then, I'd like to take a peek at myself and some of the other clean eaters here and see how we compare.

Because I have heard so many stories of people who had great physiques in their younger years who are suffering from all kinds of degenerative (and preventable!) diseases, who have a beer belly and are totally out of shape.

I believe that you can get away with eating dirty for a while. I did for a summer--ate at Taco Bell almost every lunch, but I was walking a good portion of the day and lost weight. However, that's not something I could do now in my 30's after having 3 children. And most people can't walk as much as I did to keep the calories down.

In hindsight, I'm in the second best shape of my life right now, minus the weight I need to lose. The first best shape would be when I was doing P90X when I got pregnant with my 3rd. And my goal is that by the next pregnancy (I kind of feel like we'll have another one), I want to be in even better shape than that! MFP is helping me do that. :happy:

Most of the people responding to this, in support of eating what you want, are in their mid 30's and 40's. Just sayin'.

41 here.

SweetestLibby

if someone would have told me to eat whatever i want in moderation when i first started losing weight i would have failed miserably.......i was as strict as you could be the first 6 months which engrained the habit of eating clean and healthy then loosened up from there to integrating my favorite unhealthy options into my diet on occasional basis...i think telling someone who has 100 lbs to lose that you should eat whatever you want in moderation is irresponsible. by the way i lost my first 40 lbs by not touching a weight and only doing cardio and eating 1200 cals a day...and by looking at my pics you can see i shouldnt have done this because the cardio ate away all my muscles when i went into "starvation mode"

And if I had started off with such a strict diet, I would have rage quit. It's not irresponsible - it worked for me, and it's worked for others. It's just different from what you decided would work for you. Congrats on your losses.

I think that the difference is understanding what "moderation" is for you. I dieted several times with the strict mindset and ended up raging, quiting, and binging. Once I learned what my "moderation" was I was able to do it and stick with it.

3laine75

i think most of the people making the posts you are talking about have mentioned moderation and they probably assume we are all adults and have a bit of common sense.

you obviously know not to eat 5000 cals a day if you have had to sign up to this site in the first place.

EmmaKarney

To me, counting calories and losing body fat is kind of separate from my desire to eat a healthy, organic, fresh diet.

majope

Without reading through all the responses (I did read the OP), here are my thoughts:

First, I wish I had a time machine to go forward 20 or 30 years into the future and see how those people eating dirty yet sporting six packs are doing. Seriously. Then, I'd like to take a peek at myself and some of the other clean eaters here and see how we compare.

Because I have heard so many stories of people who had great physiques in their younger years who are suffering from all kinds of degenerative (and preventable!) diseases, who have a beer belly and are totally out of shape.

I believe that you can get away with eating dirty for a while. I did for a summer--ate at Taco Bell almost every lunch, but I was walking a good portion of the day and lost weight. However, that's not something I could do now in my 30's after having 3 children. And most people can't walk as much as I did to keep the calories down.

In hindsight, I'm in the second best shape of my life right now, minus the weight I need to lose. The first best shape would be when I was doing P90X when I got pregnant with my 3rd. And my goal is that by the next pregnancy (I kind of feel like we'll have another one), I want to be in even better shape than that! MFP is helping me do that. :happy:

Most of the people responding to this, in support of eating what you want, are in their mid 30's and 40's. Just sayin'.

41 here.

49 here. No superpowers, no genetic freak. Active (runner) but not a gym rat. 200 pounds back at Christmas, 2010. 159 today, 7 pounds to goal weight.

Open diary.



Edited for date typo.

magerum

I cant eat my 1200 calorie a day that my doctor has me on. How can u eat 5,000 calories. I need help in eating the calories I'm suppose to eat. Any ideas on how I can eat the calories I am supposed to eat in a day?

How'd you become over weight if you can't eat 1200 calories a day?

Mother_Superior

It's much better to put in the work necessary to learn how to have a healthy attitude towards food. The more restrictive your diet is, the less sustainable it is in the long term. Learn to eat in such a way that you can not only enjoy food, but enjoy it for the rest of your life without agonizing over it. If we'd all learned to balance it out the same way the successful people referenced here have, there'd be far fewer of us in need of a place like this.

To all the reasonable people in this thread:

juliemouse83

I know which corner I want to stand in. How bout you?

Yea, I'm with this guy.

I'm standing over her with Dave and Lea.

Totally, totally, totally want to stand in this corner!

I'm standing here with Ges...

Look, to me, it's like this: I lift three times a week and do C25K three times a week. On my rest day I still do "stuff" like walking the dogs, gardening, etc. You have to put fuel in the car if you want to go somewhere. If I meet my macros and get all my good stuff in, if I want wine, sunflower seeds, or even FRENCH FRIES, I am going to have them. It's that simple.

Cutting out all of my favorite stuff is not sustainable. Not at all for me. I want to be happy while I experience this lifestyle; not be miserable...

So I hope there is room for one more in the happy corner. :bigsmile: <-- happy me

ETA: I don't spend two hours in the gym. I lift for 45-60 minutes and Couch to 5K 30-40 minutes...I don't abandon anyone, neglect anyone, or shirk my responsibilities. :drinker: My bubble baths last longer than the majority of my workouts.