Does it matter what I eat?

A calorie deficit is all that is needed to lose weight. There is no reason to label foods as good or bad. Eat foods for nutrition, save some room for extra things you enjoy (like pizza) and exercise for fitness.

My personal opinion is you should be trying to eat healthy at least most of the time. I try to get into my day 2 servings of dairy, minimum 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, picking complex carbs over simple carbs most of the time, getting 2-3 servings of lean protein a day and at least 2 tsp of a healthy oil in daily. Are there days I don't get these all in yes of course but I feel better and have less cravings if I do this.

I still enjoy and work into my day things I enjoy like pizza, cookies, candies, etc. But they are planned for.

You can lose weight eating anything so long as you're at a deficit. Being healthy, however, is another matter. Healthy foods lead to a healthy body overall.

For losing weight...nope. doesn't matter. For a healthy body that looks and feels good and functions the way it should..yup..matters a lot.

I've seen a different set of opinions here, but I'm seriously wondering. Does it matter what I eat as long as i can fit it into my calories for the day? For example, I ate two slices of pizza and some soda yesterday but still went under my calories, so will I still lose weight or gain it because i ate "bad" food?

Calories are the only significant factor for weight loss.

Eating a varied diet with a balance of nutrients is beneficial for other reasons. And there are small differences in the way our bodies process various types of food, but basically these things don't matter for weight loss (or gain). Anyone who tells you different is either selling something or doesn't know what they're talking about.

http://www.fitocracy.com/knowledge/calories_matter_stop_bashing_the_first_law/

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Calories are the only significant factor for weight loss.

Eating a varied diet with a balance of nutrients is beneficial for other reasons. And there are small differences in the way our bodies process various types of food, but basically these things don't matter for weight loss (or gain). Anyone who tells you different is either selling something or doesn't know what they're talking about.

http://www.fitocracy.com/knowledge/calories_matter_stop_bashing_the_first_law/
[/quote]

YES, he is right about the loosing or maintaining weight factor. You can do it on fewer calories of unhealthy or unhealthily prepared foods, but do you want to be healthy and at a healthy weight or at a healthy weight with health issues caused by unhealthy eating habits? THAT is the question you have to ask yourself.

I have pizza sometimes and I LOVE pepperoni, but since it is not part of my regular diet it's not hurting my health. Same is true for hamburgers, nachos, and a Payday candy bar. My blood tests (done yearly at work for free so I take them up on it !LOL!) are all MUCH better than they once were. I was not and am not diabetic BTW. That's what most people think when I say something about blood tests. I am simply talking about regular testing like CBC, Liver Panel, and Thyroid Panels. My blood sugar has never been an issue but yes it is on a safer side of the "normal" range now that I don't drink soda and eat candy bars so regularly. Fruit is a GREAT substitute and fills you up better actually! Bake, broil, and grill your meat instead of deep frying. Use spices for flavor and enjoy the tastes!

So do what you choose to do as long as you are happy with your choice and yourself, but don't think for one minute that eating unhealthy and unhealthily prepared foods is not an issue as long as you do it under a certain calorie count. Unhealthy is unhealthy no matter how many calories you are talking about.