You can reach your goals with the foods you love!

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MinimalistShoeAddict
MinimalistShoeAddict Posts: 1,946 Member
in Success Stories
Every day I see people on MFP struggling with giving up the foods they love in order to achieve their weight loss goals. I am here to say you can accomplish your goals without sacrificing your favorite foods. Eating should be fun not a chore!

I track my calories on a WEEKLY basis and consistently hit my macro targets over that time period. When I have days like today (ate an entire dozen chocolate chip cookies in the middle of the night) I just make up for it on other days during the week. Between last summer when I joined MFP and this January I lost almost 15kg by eating at a deficit to my TDEE.

During my weight loss period I AVERAGED about 1200 calories a day plus more to make up for any cardio exercise burn. Since I practice intermittent fasting I would eat more than this on most days to make up for the days I fasted. I found the calculations very easy thanks to an excel spreadsheet that I created to track my weekly macro targets.

Similarly I track just about everything relating to my running and lifting. For each run I record the shoes I wear, average heart rate, speed, distance and average incline. All of my strength workouts are tracked in a similar manner so that I can track my strength divided by my body weight over time for various exercises. Besides running my first marathon, I have specific strength goals I am working towards this year. Aside from my Stronglifts 5x5 exercises I would like to be able to perform a one arm Pull Up/Chip Up. I have been progressing towards this goal by focusing on weighted Chin Ups and other related exercises.

I am now eating at a small surplus as I add muscle. I am making progress in both running and lifting. After entering my first 5k in December, I ran my first 10k and half marathon in January. I plan on running my first marathon this fall. I started the Stronglifts 5x5 program in January and love it! If I have one regret about my journey so far it would be not starting to lift earlier. I think I would have retained more muscle mass during my weight loss last fall had I been lifting in additional to running at the time.

My blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol are all very healthy. My body fat percentage is about 10%. I am 176cm tall and weigh about 61.5kg. I believe in IIFYM and intermittent fasting.

If you consume fewer calories than your TDEE you will lose weight, no matter the source of your caloric intake. I never gave up pizza, donuts, cookies or bacon cheeseburgers when I was losing weight.

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Replies

  • _Frankie_
    _Frankie_ Posts: 36
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    Hear hear! In my experience, if you try to give up the foods you love - you'll only end up going crazy and overindulging on them later! It's best to have a healthy balance I find. Besides, people have got to be realistic. We live in a world surrounded by food temptations, night and day, 24/7. If you get into the game expecting willpower alone to steer you clear of all the treats in the world, you're in for a disappointing time! Everything in moderation.
  • mrsjobba2
    mrsjobba2 Posts: 81 Member
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    Thank you for posting. If I thought I had to give up certain foods I wouldn't be able to do it - in fact I'd probably want them even more. For me it's now moderation and balance- I log all I eat but if I go out for lunch with friends I'd make a vegetable soup for tea and try to do some exercise to balance.
    It's got to be a change in life rather than diet.
  • MinimalistShoeAddict
    MinimalistShoeAddict Posts: 1,946 Member
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    Hear hear! In my experience, if you try to give up the foods you love - you'll only end up going crazy and overindulging on them later! It's best to have a healthy balance I find. Besides, people have got to be realistic. We live in a world surrounded by food temptations, night and day, 24/7. If you get into the game expecting willpower alone to steer you clear of all the treats in the world, you're in for a disappointing time! Everything in moderation.

    Thanks for your support! There are certain things I don't think I could ever give up such as pizza and caffeine. Its nice to know I can eat whatever I want so long as I can fit it into my weekly macro targets.

    I also agree with you on the lifestyle issue. I no longer run to lose weight. I run and do strength training because I enjoy it and it has become part of my lifestyle at this point.
  • MinimalistShoeAddict
    MinimalistShoeAddict Posts: 1,946 Member
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    Thank you for posting. If I thought I had to give up certain foods I wouldn't be able to do it - in fact I'd probably want them even more. For me it's now moderation and balance- I log all I eat but if I go out for lunch with friends I'd make a vegetable soup for tea and try to do some exercise to balance.
    It's got to be a change in life rather than diet.

    I agree with you about moderation. I just took a photo of my diet this morning to prove that such days don't have to derail anyone as they can still fit into your weekly targets. I eat much healthier most days and am not concerned with an occasional morning such as this one.
  • Nutella91
    Nutella91 Posts: 624 Member
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    I KNOW IT'S AWESOME
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
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    IIFYM

    I also like to include a (micros) addendum :P
    MFP hates me when I eat a can of pumpkin and vitamin A is over 9000!
  • pattynoonan9
    pattynoonan9 Posts: 6 Member
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    I am slowly figuring this out. I realized a few evenings ago that I have spent the last 20 years trying to lose weight. I have reached my taget (140 lbs) a few times, but then my love of baking and the cold canadian winters making me lazy again let the weight creep back on (160 lbs). I "diet" = restrict, for a while, losing a few pounds, then fall into temptation since I love to bake and cook and eat at restaurants with my husband...and you know the rest. Weight comes back. As I get closer to 50 years old, I really want to figure this out and learn how to reach my goal and stay there. I've clued in that daily exercise has to part of my life, even if it is just a walk. MFP helps me keep on track and keep track.
  • MinimalistShoeAddict
    MinimalistShoeAddict Posts: 1,946 Member
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    So for a day all you ate way vitamins and a ton of cookies? I guess if that works for me. Not the lifestyle change I am looking for. I did give up foods during the weight loss phase and for me, I am better for it. Now I am happy back in maintenance and eating foods in moderation.

    But yes...people need to find whatever works for me. That daily log is a no go for me.

    That is not all I ate! That is just what I ate between midnight and 4am. This was just an example of one day not being enough to ruin anyone's progress. Most days I eat much more balanced meals. I hit my calorie and macro targets every week.
  • MinimalistShoeAddict
    MinimalistShoeAddict Posts: 1,946 Member
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    IIFYM

    I also like to include a (micros) addendum :P
    MFP hates me when I eat a can of pumpkin and vitamin A is over 9000!

    Good point!
  • MinimalistShoeAddict
    MinimalistShoeAddict Posts: 1,946 Member
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    I KNOW IT'S AWESOME

    Thanks for your support!
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
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    Although, certain foods are hard to fit in. I can't fit Cheesecake Factory's 3,000 + calorie pasta into my personal macros :P

    Well... calorie wise I could try squeezing it in on a re-feed with some 4 protein shakes... compromises and serving sizes may have to be adjusted aka take-home-box. I used to love IF because it allowed me to go out to eat and still eat 2,000 meals with my friends :P

    The best thing is once you start REALLY understand how food works you there are more "yes's than no's" Food is energy no matter whether it comes from a white potato, orange potato, purple potato...
  • purplelizzard
    purplelizzard Posts: 93 Member
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    I agree! I refuse to give up the foods I love. In order for me to eat those I watch what I eat the rest of the day, work out more, or a combination of both! :) I have lost 23 lbs in 4 months because of that.
  • MinimalistShoeAddict
    MinimalistShoeAddict Posts: 1,946 Member
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    I agree! I refuse to give up the foods I love. In order for me to eat those I watch what I eat the rest of the day, work out more, or a combination of both! :) I have lost 23 lbs in 4 months because of that.

    Congratulations on your success! Hooray for IIFYM!
  • smboston
    smboston Posts: 68
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    Your diary repeatedly shows us that we don't have to give up foods that we love. If anyone needs proof: start with your diary. Thanks!
  • broox80
    broox80 Posts: 1,195 Member
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    Thank you for posting this. I have wanted to post asking for success stories from people who didnt give up eating foods they love all together. I didnt due to the fear of those few poops who would be all negative. I eat healthy and exercise all week and splurge a little on the weekend and have lost 30 pounds!!
  • enewsome2
    enewsome2 Posts: 355 Member
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    You said it!

    If I had to give up things that I loved to lose weight, I doubt I'd do it.

    I usually eat really healthy/lower cals during the week, so on the weekend I can have wine or beer. Or pizza. Or all three.

    It's all about balance :)
  • Velum_cado
    Velum_cado Posts: 1,608 Member
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    Yep. I'm generally eating the same things I ate before. I wouldn't have made it this far if I weren't.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
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    Hear hear! In my experience, if you try to give up the foods you love - you'll only end up going crazy and overindulging on them later! It's best to have a healthy balance I find. Besides, people have got to be realistic. We live in a world surrounded by food temptations, night and day, 24/7. If you get into the game expecting willpower alone to steer you clear of all the treats in the world, you're in for a disappointing time! Everything in moderation.

    Three-thousand calories in cookies, in the middle of the night, is practicing moderation?
  • ashlinmarie
    ashlinmarie Posts: 1,263 Member
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    I definitely eat what I want, just in moderation. I have a long way to go but normally I'd have quit by now when I limited what I could eat.

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