can you eat what you want and lose weight?

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I would err on the safe side and go for moderation and making smarter choices, ie buying/making healthier versions of the things you like. For instance I used to eat 2 bagels with way too much cream cheese for breakfast; now I'll have 1 whole wheat english muffin + 2 tblspon light cream cheese and maybe a banana and cup of skim milk and I'll be good to go for hours. The best thing is that it still tastes delicious!

You can make healthier versions of just about anything, just look around on these forums and elsewhere on the net for ideas!

The OP didn't ask if eating certain foods makes some people binge on more of that food. That's a whole different ball game. There's a difference between staying in your calorie budget eating what you want and eating some ice cream and then pigging out on the whole carton. If you are someone that can't control your eating then it might be wise to avoid those foods although for me I know that as soon as you tell me I can't have ice cream that's all I think about until it does become a binge!

Wouldn't work for me... May work for you

In my experience I cannot just eat whatever I want. I know if I eat junk my body craves it. I can tell when I have been eating cleaner (nearly no processed foods) because my body runs better and doesn't even think about eating those things. For me I would just much rather not eat junk and feel better. Plus I love eating- and I can eat way more things in a day if I eat nonprocessed junky food.

portion control i guess.

i just use my rice bowl (1c) and smaller (1/2c) to eat with. even if you have to refill a small plate you're more conscious than if you devour one huge serving. it doesn't make you behave, it just makes you aware.

and yeah, this afternoon at lunch i was pretty dumb. i ate a small bowl of baked fries and went back for another, but i was pretty conscious of it and balanced it out later. sorta, heh.

I've lost almost 40 in 18 pounds months eating anything and everything I love.

There's a saying around here "if it fits in your macros"' Yes eat what you want in smaller, appropriate portions.

I don't completely forbid myself anything. I do find that I can do better on my workouts if I make healthy choices most of the time.

Do you just want to lose weight? Or would you like to be healthy too? The majority of your diet should be nutritious whole foods. Give your body the nutrition it needs you will feel much better. That being said an occasional treat is fine if the majority of your diet is good.

I mean yes and no. Can you still have a night out once in a while and have a couple slices of pizza without becoming a fatasorisrex? Yeah.

Can you have cake for breakfast every day as long as it's under your calories? Maybe for the first couple of weeks or month if your extra overweight but long term, hellsss no!
Diet nutrition effects how your body burns, works and effects your ability to perform physical activity. If you eat a muffin for breakfast and other crap, your still gonna end up with sugar crashes, feeling foggy. You won't get the proper energy you need. And you'll void out the healthy foods you do eat...

I do ... Chocolate and ice cream daily for me on top of my red wine.

A couple of those I moderate

you can but make sure you are putting in work at that gym

You can, per se, eat whatever you want, yes.

However, I think you'll come to realize, as I did, that these bad foods we were once so used to consuming are not nearly as satisfying as the healthier options that we can have much more of. Sure, Pizza/icecream/chocolate is wonderful, but when the smallest portion possibly eats up a good 1/4 or more of your budget, you'll start to think twice.

But, to each their own and I hope you are able to find what works for you!

I eat what I want, when I want, just not as much as I used to want.

Pretty much this, although the amount I "used to want" is still sometimes the same. That's where I sacrifice though: I simply cannot eat unlimited amounts of food. I'm quite active, so I get to eat plenty. Most days, it feels like I get to eat a lot. Sometimes, I do want more, and that's when I have to exercise self-control (or else go over my goals, but be aware of the consequences).

it seems that people are eating what they want e.g chocolate,chips,cakes etc and they seem to have lost weight.

I lost my weight (and am maintaining it) by including all those kinds of foods. Chocolate is something I eat nearly every day for example, just not huge amounts. Nothing is off limits. My diet has changed over time, and I do focus more on nutrition, but that is something that has happened gradually, because I care more about nutrition now, not because I made huge, arbitrary changes all at once.

There's also a lot of food that I hardly ever eat now because the enjoyment of it just isn't worth the calories. You have to work that part out for yourself. For me, chocolate, red wine, homemade brownies & cookies, hot buttered toast and cheddar cheese are all worth "spending" calories on. Pizza, cake, ice cream, beer and Chinese takeaways are worth it sometimes, but less often, and mostly if I've got a lot of calories to work with. Crisps (chips), coke, McDonalds etc are things I hardly ever eat because even though I like the taste of them, I don't enjoy them that much to waste calories on. If you look at it like a budget, it makes sense to spend most of your calories on foods that support your health, and then spend whatever is left on things you really enjoy. If you are a millionaire and have a huge budget, you have more to "waste". If you're on a very tight budget, you have to make every penny/calorie count.