Can you really eat anything and lose?
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Sure. Especially recently. What got things working for me was thinking with "lifestyle change" and not "diet" in mind. If I think this way I can make sustainable decisions.
Like this past week... My BF got me a box of french macarons (one of my favorite treats EVER) to cheer me up... I had two a day. I also ended up eating out a lot more than usual this past week because of a combination of events... A Restaurant/Brewery, Sushi/Hibachi Place, Chain Seafood Place, Cafe... Also had the yearly fantasy football draft party...so chips, dips, high cal apps, cake... Plus (for the past three weeks) I couldn't be hardcore exercise cat because I'm recovering from an ankle injury.
I still lost a lb last week.
NOW. I definitely don't eat like that all the time, and I still got in wholesome foods between all that and I logged EVERYTHING so I could keep an eye on my calories. I think I only went over my cals (1300) 1 day. I agree that you don't want to keep ingesting primarily "empty calories" and crap foods. You will lose, but you won't feel healthy or energetic - or look it.
I also review my diary every two weeks. Just to see how my habits have been in relation to my mood, energy levels, weight loss trends. Etc. Some times I lose a lb a week, sometimes .5, sometimes it's .5 in two weeks. But I guess the key is it still keeps going down. 0 -
It's simple calories in vs. calories burned, but just limiting the number of calories calls for lifestyle changes. While no food is off limits, eating everything you used to eat will put you over your macros. It's just like managing a budget. If you have only a certain amount to spend, you're going to ask yourself questions like "is it worth it?" and "would I rather?"
With fewer calories in the budget, many of those empty calories no longer seem worth it, so it's unlikely that someone staying in their macros will eat 4 jelly donuts only to starve the rest of the day. While I still eat french fries a couple of times a week, I no longer eat cold, soggy fries just because they're there. I only eat the hot crispy ones because they are "worth" it to me, so I end up leaving some on the plate. I don't drink calories because I want to enjoy chewing/savoring the food. I don't pig out on chips & salsa or bread before a meal because I want to have room left for my meal. If I know I want dessert, I'll order a smaller, lower calorie meal and/or only eat half in order to "afford" it.0 -
When I quit smoking, I didn't replace the cigarettes with fake cigarettes, which would have perpetuated the behavior and kept me on the permanently "missing them" train. I've tried to do that when breaking my bad eating habits, too... replace the bad foods with completely new ones, not fake food substitutes. Today I have friends on MFP who, sadly, are on that hamster wheel and don't get it. Without a seed change in mindset, I don't see how any of our hard work can be permanent... and the cycle continues. Just as I'm not a complete non-smoker (no cravings at all), I am on my way to being a non-junk food eater (no cravings at all).
My hard work is permanent, because I didn't replace the foods I love. I continued to eat them in moderation and can continue to eat them for the rest of my life.0 -
Just out of curiosity…have any of you lost weight eating anything you wanted but staying with in your calorie limit???
Yes, its awesome. I thought I actually had to eat healthy to lose weight when I found out I didn't I was so relieved.0 -
I eat anything I want. I just changed what I wanted :-)
EXCELLENT!! I like that way of thinking.0 -
When I quit smoking, I didn't replace the cigarettes with fake cigarettes, which would have perpetuated the behavior and kept me on the permanently "missing them" train. I've tried to do that when breaking my bad eating habits, too... replace the bad foods with completely new ones, not fake food substitutes. Today I have friends on MFP who, sadly, are on that hamster wheel and don't get it. Without a seed change in mindset, I don't see how any of our hard work can be permanent... and the cycle continues. Just as I'm not a complete non-smoker (no cravings at all), I am on my way to being a non-junk food eater (no cravings at all).
My hard work is permanent, because I didn't replace the foods I love. I continued to eat them in moderation and can continue to eat them for the rest of my life.
Same here. I learned that there is a difference between having one serving of a food and eating it until I am stuffed.
I do not believe there is ANY food on the planet that can even come close to doing the harm that cigarettes do. To compare the two is nonsensical.
Also.........
It is interesting to me to see the number of naysayers on this thread. Just because a particular person can't figure out how to enjoy pizza, pancakes, or chocolate while staying within their calories, doesn't mean that the rest of us can't figure it out either. Clearly from the responses, a LOT of MFPers have figured out how to eat food that is both nourishing and enjoyable, while fitting in the occasional "treat" as well.0 -
Same here. I learned that there is a difference between having one serving of a food and eating it until I am stuffed.
I do not believe there is ANY food on the planet that can even come close to doing the harm that cigarettes do. To compare the two is nonsensical.
Also.........
It is interesting to me to see the number of naysayers on this thread. Just because a particular person can't figure out how to enjoy pizza, pancakes, or chocolate while staying within their calories, doesn't mean that the rest of us can't figure it out either. Clearly from the responses, a LOT of MFPers have figured out how to eat food that is both nourishing and enjoyable, while fitting in the occasional "treat" as well.
exactly.
outside of the very few close people I have told, no one knows im actively trying to lose weight.
im not dieting. im just living life better..
it also drives people nuts since they see me eating out with friends or partying... and they feel they 'cant do that'...0 -
Just out of curiosity…have any of you lost weight eating anything you wanted but staying with in your calorie limit???
Yes. I've never deprived myself of any kind of food and I've been able to lose and maintain quite well.
Of course, if I decide on having two Snickers bars in a day, I have to scale back what I have for the rest of the day. It's controlled gluttony, and it's the best diet ever.0 -
Yes. 0
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Just out of curiosity…have any of you lost weight eating anything you wanted but staying with in your calorie limit???
Yes. I've never deprived myself of any kind of food and I've been able to lose and maintain quite well.
Of course, if I decide on having two Snickers bars in a day, I have to scale back what I have for the rest of the day. It's controlled gluttony, and it's the best diet ever.
"controlled gluttony" --- I like that. I may steal that from you and use it later. lol.0 -
I'm sure you can, but are you on here strictly to lose weight or are you on here to live a healthier life and make better choices? Everyone needs an occasional treat.0
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ME ME ME ME!!0
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I am!!
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That is exactly how I've done it, actually... however, I tend to like fruits and veggies and whole grains. But I know plenty of people who have eaten just "BAD FOODS" and lost weight staying under their calorie limit. I hope they will chime in on this. :] 0
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...two words... "skinny fat"0
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I don't do it, but when I was here last year I had a few people on my friends list who ate nothing but garbage and still lost.
Although it is possible to eat nothing but crap and still lose weight, I don't recommend it because:
-You'll be malnourished
-You'll likely be hungrier than if you ate foods with a better nutrient profile
-You'll probably lose more lean mass than was necessary
-Your odds of maintaining the loss are very low
AMEN. This is why Weight Watchers didn't work for me. I stayed within points, but I was miserable and cheating myself. Eating cleaner and leaner leads to a LOT more satisfaction at the end of the day, and more energy at the gym. (At least, in my experience.) However, that doesn't mean I don't get a treat every now and then. No deprivation.0 -
...two words... "skinny fat"
No. Skinny fat has nothing to do with whether you give up foods that some people consider to be junk. Skinny fat comes from just losing weight without building any muscle. You can eat a completely organic whole food diet and still be skinny fat.0 -
Just out of curiosity…have any of you lost weight eating anything you wanted but staying with in your calorie limit???
Yes. I've lost 30 lbs since the end of January (slow & steady). I still eat whatever I want, just in moderation. I always use portion control & keep up with the calories/sugar, and of course I exercise daily. I also have a 'cheat' day on Saturday's so if I have been craving fast food or something greasy, I allow myself to have it, but not too much of it. I love food too much to deprive myself.0 -
You can, but you have to do it the right way... For me...I just have to balance things out. Like if I have fast food for lunch then at dinner I'll make a small portion of baked chicken or something and load up on veggies and fruit. It's all about portion size and moderation. I was always able to eat basically whatever I wanted when I was younger but I was also more active. Now that school sports and such have ended I gained the weight because I didn't stay active enough or adjust how I ate, (I never realized how hard it was to stay active after I quit aying soccer... Man is it hard to get back up to that kid of activity level!) so now it's about focusing on more fruits and veggies and less fast food and pizza. And for me... If I do end up eating fast food, I usually try to do just a little bit more cardio to burn off the extra calories. Since I started myfitnesspal I really haven't altered what I eat too much... Just have changed how much I eat of everything, but just because something works for one person doesn't mean it's going to work for another.0
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...two words... "skinny fat"
No. Skinny fat has nothing to do with whether you give up foods that some people consider to be junk. Skinny fat comes from just losing weight without building any muscle. You can eat a completely organic whole food diet and still be skinny fat.
AMEN... I love when people come here and spout that crap off.0 -
Yes, you can. But, let's look at some comparisons...
Yes, you can eat junk. In the end though, you will be hungry, bloated, and unsatisfied. This will make you more likely to binge. You can always have things in moderation.0 -
Yes, you can but... compare these meal days.
Breakfast - One Pop Tart or... 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1 T flax seed, Splenda, 1 cup water, 1 cup coffee, 1 T sugar free Creamer
Lunch - Pizza or... 2 slices whole wheat Healthy Life bread, 6 slices turkey, 2 tsp spicy mustard, half an avocado, romaine lettuce, 14 mini carrots (the big ones), 1/2 cup cauliflower, 1 apple
Dinner - Velveeta shells and cheese with broccoli - or 2 grilled Tilapia fillets (or chicken) One whole red bell pepper, 1/2 red onion- All grilled, plus 3/4 cup brown rice
Snacks - 2 mini candy bars or....Dannon light and fit, sugar free vanilla yogurt with 1 T flax seed and 1/2 or 1 cup fruit
You tell me which meals would keep you full and nourish your body! Yes, it's easier to eat food that easy to prepare but it's full of 'bad' calories, sodium - which will make you retain water, make you feel like you're starving and possibly raise your blood pressure. You're better off to eat healthy food to nourish your body and MAKE ROOM for treats by moderately cutting cals in all 3 meals and exercising. It's not a DIET. It really is a lifestyle change and no 'diet' will maintain your weightloss once you stop. You have to LEARN how to eat correctly, move more and KNOW how many calories are going in and out.0 -
I have 0
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So far so good for me. It's the only way I'll stick to this. I do make changes in how MUCH I eat of what I want, though. Instead of drinking 5-6 sodas a day, I'll limit it to 1 or 2.
I also have my calories set at -2 lbs/loss a week because I usually end up going over by a few hundred calories. When it is set low, and I go over, I actually end up eating the calories for a -1 lb/loss or so. It works out well because I don't feel deprived of what I want to eat, I don't have binges, and the weight has kept moving in the right direction.
Find what works best for you because that's going to be the foundation that will keep you going or cause you to fall off completely.0 -
It depends on what you want to eat. :drinker:0
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My hard work is permanent, because I didn't replace the foods I love. I continued to eat them in moderation and can continue to eat them for the rest of my life.
This, pretty much. Before I joined MFP I lost 25lbs by still eating what I wanted, but paying extra attention to my body and what it actually wanted. The frequency at which I consumed them dropped significantly as I started to understand that instead of grabbing something as soon as the craving hit I should take the time to think about what i'm craving and why. I want to instill long-term changes with a great amount of flexibility in terms of what I do/do not eat and an understanding that a little of what you fancy does you very little harm providing you do not let what you fancy control what you eat on a regular basis.
I also try not to let my calorie budget dictate my life. If I go over i'm over, if I go under i'm under, what matters to me is that i'm not eating for the sake of eating or starving for the sake of weight loss. If i'm hungry, i'll eat, but only after asking myself whether or not i'm hungry or reaching for food because i'm stressed/upset/bored. I may be losing at a slower rate than my obsessively calorie counting and now strictly vegan friend, but i've always been a tortoise so I see no reason to try and be a hare now.0 -
I ate a chocolate-dipped mint ice cream cone for breakfast. Blood work is great, blood pressure is generally 106/60 and pulse sits around 80 to 85. I went on a 2-mile road run yesterday, despite 96 degree heat, and feel great this morning. In six months, I've lowered my body fat almost 10 percent. So, well, I'll just leave it at that.0
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please i urge anyone on this thread to watch the documentary called "fat head" last i checked it was on netflix.
essentially yes you can eat anything and lose weight!!
I LOVED that movie! It was hilarious!
Even though he was eating fast food, you'll notice that his diary had a lot of salads on it, and he never ordered fries. Yes, you can eat whatever you want, but he still did everything in moderation keeping within his calories....for example, if he had a double cheeseburger one meal, then it was salad for the next. He would also eat grilled chicken sandwiches, etc.
Basically the same principal as here....calories in/calories out. Moderation is key. 0 -
Just out of curiosity…have any of you lost weight eating anything you wanted but staying with in your calorie limit???
YES!!!0 -
I've had okay experience with eating anything and losing weight. I guess I watch my calories and eat crappy food rather often, just less of it. I will admit that with the obscene amount I exercise, I should be losing more...but I do tend to eat a lot of fatty things although I have made some healthier choices overall. Watching what I eat for lunch has been most effective.0
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