Do I have to give up sweets to lose weight???

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  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
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    I think the incorrect calories that the OP is logging for strength training (which varies WILDLY from person to person) is small fry compared to the possible inaccuracies in her food logging.

    A lesson for everyone! AGAIN! Me included.
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
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    I just want to add that it's so important to look at the long term here. It's all well and good losing the weight, but how are you going to keep it off? imo that's why it's so important not to make drastic changes to your diet that you can't sustain. If you can't seriously see yourself a year, 2 years, 10 years from now eating a diet that has no sweets, bread or dairy in it, then there's no point cutting them out now. There's no good reason to completely cut them out anyway, unless you have a particular medical condition, allergy or intolerance that dictates that you should.

    Nutrition is very important for health but any changes you want to make can happen gradually over time. To start with, make sure you get a good balance of macros (carbs, protein, fats). Eat plenty of fruit/vegetables. If you don't feel you're getting enough of something, gradually work more into your diet. The way I eat now is so different from when I started on MFP, but it's all been small, gradual changes, and I've cut nothing out. I still regularly eat bread, dairy and chocolate, because I enjoy them and they're not evil. Balance and portion control are key. It's great that you've moved from 40-50%ish sweets to 20%ish - you're likely getting a much better nutritional balance now.

    Do what works for you, and do what you can sustain indefinitely. Look at making progress over time, not being perfect. Any further changes you want to make to your diet - make them gradually and make sure you can live with them. Eat the food you love. The more you feel like you're "on a diet" the more likely it is that you won't manage to keep it up in the long term.

    Well put. I agree.
  • Go_Mizzou99
    Go_Mizzou99 Posts: 2,628 Member
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    I eat sweets, pizza, soda, mcdonalds, burgers....
    Moderation is the key. I eat 1400-1500 and some of my exercise calories and I'm consistently losing.
    Good luck :)

    Plus I consume alcohol...just stay in your calorie goal.
    Deprivation is not fun.
    Moderation is much better.
  • mxmkenney
    mxmkenney Posts: 486 Member
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    Not sure of how you are getting exercise calories if it is jogging or walking be wary of eating these calories back.

    Why does it matter how you're getting your exercise, in terms of eating back calories?

    Actually this observation was my question as well. OP thinks she should be losing 1.5 lbs a week based on her deficit, I thought her question was why her big numbers weren't translating to the scale = what you're eating or what you burn. If MFP tells you a 150lb woman burned 500 calories from walking a mile and you inhale those calories back, your efforts may not be reflected on the scale from where you sit.

    So OP we're about the same age, what are you doing for exercise to burn approximately how many calories (gah just realized this would be in your diary probably!). I have to work really intensely for an hour to burn 500 calories personally --> like jacks, heavy kicks, plyo jumps

    Janie - I am doing weights for 30 minutes, and then jogging or stationary bike for 30-60 minutes per day 3-6 days a week. I usually burn roughly 500 in an hour of stationary bike based on what MFP says. I know weight training doesn't burn much.
  • mxmkenney
    mxmkenney Posts: 486 Member
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    Okay Sexystef. What kind of numbers would you typically expect for strength training? 500 calories per hour sound about right? If so I guess the OP can keep it up. As for walking I believe she logged 30 minutes of walking as 280 calories for a XX lb woman, which is just too much

    there is no way to know exactly what calories are burned during weight lifting. It is all defined by sets, reps, weight lifted, the person doing it, rest between sets, exercises done...but it is not a low calorie burn.

    As you said in your post you are not an expert in weight lifting, you don't lift weights so saying it is a low calorie burn reflects your lack of understanding of weight lifting.

    As for the rest if you noticed I said eat back 50% of the calories logged as MFP over estimates on cardio exercise which is reflected when you do a HIIT session from fitness blender (me personally) and the calorie range is between 164-253 and when I log it on MFP it gives 274...

    @ JaneiR36 and SexyStef - I try to only eat 50% of my calories back up to 300, so if I burned 500, I would eat back 250, but if I burned 700, I would only eat back 300. As for the homemade items in my diary, those are my recipes that I added, so I know they are accurate. I will give you the fact that the 1/3 banana probably is not as accurate as using grams, which I try to do most of the time. You know you can adjust the serving by the drop down menu too - so if I want to have 6 slices of turkey pepperoni, I can change it to per slice to get an accurate calorie count. Like I said, I really try to measure and weigh everything, but if I don't I will always over-estimate the portion to be safe. And conversely, I try to under-estimate calories burned and eat only half back just in case MFP's stats are high.
  • mxmkenney
    mxmkenney Posts: 486 Member
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    I just want to add that it's so important to look at the long term here. It's all well and good losing the weight, but how are you going to keep it off? imo that's why it's so important not to make drastic changes to your diet that you can't sustain. If you can't seriously see yourself a year, 2 years, 10 years from now eating a diet that has no sweets, bread or dairy in it, then there's no point cutting them out now. There's no good reason to completely cut them out anyway, unless you have a particular medical condition, allergy or intolerance that dictates that you should.

    Nutrition is very important for health but any changes you want to make can happen gradually over time. To start with, make sure you get a good balance of macros (carbs, protein, fats). Eat plenty of fruit/vegetables. If you don't feel you're getting enough of something, gradually work more into your diet. The way I eat now is so different from when I started on MFP, but it's all been small, gradual changes, and I've cut nothing out. I still regularly eat bread, dairy and chocolate, because I enjoy them and they're not evil. Balance and portion control are key. It's great that you've moved from 40-50%ish sweets to 20%ish - you're likely getting a much better nutritional balance now.

    Do what works for you, and do what you can sustain indefinitely. Look at making progress over time, not being perfect. Any further changes you want to make to your diet - make them gradually and make sure you can live with them. Eat the food you love. The more you feel like you're "on a diet" the more likely it is that you won't manage to keep it up in the long term.

    Well put. I agree.

    Thanks, this makes sense. I don't want this to consume my life, I just want to be healthy and happy. :)
  • mxmkenney
    mxmkenney Posts: 486 Member
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    Your food diary seems way more sophisticated than mine, you seem to know what you're doing. I saw a couple 100 calorie muffins - from my muffin for breakfast days, these must be super tiny, and sausage/egg/cheese at 133 calories - 133 would maybe be a portion of my sausage total but I do use two fairly thick slices for breakfast

    Oh, and MFP has me setup at 1560 to lose .5 lb a week.

    The muffins are actually pre-portioned muffin tops, and the sausage/egg/cheese cups are a homemade recipe: 3 turkey sausage patties, 12 egg whites and 1/2 cup shredded lowfat cheese makes 12 of these cups, so 1 cup is just under 50 calories. :) I'm telling you I really try hard to get the numbers right.

    I have a deficit of close to 500 a day just from food, plus the extra calories from working out that I do not eat back (half) which should show a loss of at least one pound a week depending on how many days I work out that week. But about 3500 to 4800 calorie deficit per week based on a TDEE of 1950. The numbers aren't exact, but I know I should be losing at the very LEAST 1/2 pound a week for sure. Been stalled for 3 weeks now. :(
  • hkristine1
    hkristine1 Posts: 950 Member
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    Janie - I am doing weights for 30 minutes, and then jogging or stationary bike for 30-60 minutes per day 3-6 days a week. I usually burn roughly 500 in an hour of stationary bike based on what MFP says. I know weight training doesn't burn much.

    I know that it's really difficult to estimate calories burned if you don't have a heart rate monitor, but I would recommend not adding in any of your strength training calories. I also would not add any calories for cleaning, unless you're going around like a crazy person and keeping your heart rate up while doing it.

    Also, 500 calories on a stationary bike seeems pretty high UNLESS your workout is super intense. That's the problem with these guestimates that MFP puts out - it gives the same number to everyone but doesn't know if you're pedaling at a "ho hum" pace while reading a book and barely breaking a sweat, or whether you're dripping sweat and you keep up a high intensity for the whole ride (or at good intervals, with combinations of hills and sprints, etc).

    I do a spin class several times a week, and while I feel it is a really good workout every time (dripping sweat after 10 minutes), there are definitely days when I KNOW the workout was more intense, or I pushed myself harder, or whatever. One online program tells me that a 60 minute spin class burns 615 calories on average. Another program says it's closer to 530. I go with the lower number to be "safe" - even though I know there are some days when the intensity must get me closer to the 615. (I also only eat back a portion of my exercise calories).

    So, ask yourself with your stationary biking, are you pushing yourself to the total max on your rides? If not, your calorie burn is probably lower than 500. (I know you make up for some of this by only eating half of the calories). Also, I understand (although I can't explain the physics behind it) that doing intervals burns more calories than a steady ride. So, rather than ride at the same pace/gear etc for 60 minutes, it's better to do a mix of sprints / hills / resting... My favorite (I know I'm crazy because a lot of people HATE them) are "jumps" where you're out of the saddle for a count of 8, in the saddle for 8, up for 4, down for 4, up for 2, down for 2, up 1, down 1, up 1, down 1 (etc. for about 30 seconds of up/down on a 1-count), and then start over at 8... do this for about 3-5 minutes... then do something else to change it up.

    Good luck.
  • hkristine1
    hkristine1 Posts: 950 Member
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    I have a deficit of close to 500 a day just from food, plus the extra calories from working out that I do not eat back (half) which should show a loss of at least one pound a week depending on how many days I work out that week. But about 3500 to 4800 calorie deficit per week based on a TDEE of 1950. The numbers aren't exact, but I know I should be losing at the very LEAST 1/2 pound a week for sure. Been stalled for 3 weeks now. :(

    This happens to me, too - I will drop a bunch, and then stall out and drop nothing - but then, after a few weeks, I'll drop another 2-3 lbs pretty quickly... then stall out again.

    I think a lot of this is hormonal. I also notice, for me, that my water and salt intake are HUGE factors in seeing the scale drop. If my water is too low, and salt too high... the scale refuses to budge no matter what my caloric intake is for that time period.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,503 Member
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    No, you just have to give up eating too much of them.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Wtn_Gurl
    Wtn_Gurl Posts: 396 Member
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    if you can say "Food is fuel" and look at your food choices like that, maybe you wont eat the stuff making you fat and teasing your cravings.

    it helps me getting a whole different attitude and emotions toward food.

    i love pastry and sweets, muffins,etc. especially cupcakes with frosting! so if i see a plate of cupcakes with an inch of frosting, I will totally crave it like a drug addict seeing heroin.

    so i think, well i will taste this for 5 minutes, but if i dont lose this weight, my body will continue to have pains from the overweight my body is finding it cant carry too well anymore. so in the short run, yeah those sweets that make you fat will be delicious, but then the long run, the big picture, they are really hurtful, if thats keeping you from losing weight and conquering your cravings.

    I do not do the everything in moderation. i am doing well without it. others say its ok. what works for YOU is what you should do.

    I eat delish greek yogurt which has some sweetness but is far better for me. and i eat fruit. after not indulging in sweets like cakes and pastries, fruit does taste really sweet.

    its your decision - 5 minutes of pleasure, or 1 year of fat hurting you. all in that one cupcake.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I lose faster when I eat less sugar, even when calories are the same. Too much sugar makes me bloat.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
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    I have a deficit of close to 500 a day just from food, plus the extra calories from working out that I do not eat back (half) which should show a loss of at least one pound a week depending on how many days I work out that week. But about 3500 to 4800 calorie deficit per week based on a TDEE of 1950. The numbers aren't exact, but I know I should be losing at the very LEAST 1/2 pound a week for sure. Been stalled for 3 weeks now. :(

    This happens to me, too - I will drop a bunch, and then stall out and drop nothing - but then, after a few weeks, I'll drop another 2-3 lbs pretty quickly... then stall out again.

    I think a lot of this is hormonal. I also notice, for me, that my water and salt intake are HUGE factors in seeing the scale drop. If my water is too low, and salt too high... the scale refuses to budge no matter what my caloric intake is for that time period.


    Exactly!!

    Weight loss is not always linear. It took me weighing everyday to know my weight really would fluctuate up to four pounds in the same day. I literally have only one week a month when I see my "lowest" weight then it's back on the sea-saw. Had to be really patient and trust the process to finally notice a downward trend, or accept a "range of weights" instead of a single number. Hahah. So I would say:

    Three weeks is not really a stall. Give yourself a break, OP!

    But if you want to clean up your numbers a bit I really would restate doing something with the exercise calories. You have a great formula but you must use good inputs. It's like when I was reviewing a high X nutrient day and wanted to see what made me successful. There was no one smoking gun; it was a combination of all the entries. Pepperoni slices? Bet you can weigh those too :wink: heh just messing with ya
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
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    When i started eating more fruit, my desire for sweets was drastically lower. Pastries and chocolate shakes just don't seem appealing to me when i've had plenty of sweet juicy delicious fruit that day.
  • airangel59
    airangel59 Posts: 1,887 Member
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    I eat sweets, fast food & junk food...I eat them in moderation of course, I fit them into the diary and plan my meals around them. There is no way I can stick to a plan long term if I have give up sweets (etc) , it works for me.
  • AbsolutelyAnnie
    AbsolutelyAnnie Posts: 2,695 Member
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    You can eat sweets and lose weight. I eat all foods in moderation. Enjoy your life!
  • Miamiuu
    Miamiuu Posts: 262 Member
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    an average candy bar is around 250 calories. you can burn that off walking an hour a day.
  • Robin_Bin
    Robin_Bin Posts: 1,046 Member
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    [Not reading all the other responses, so excuse repeats.]

    Don't give up anything that you aren't willing to give up for the rest of your life. Just eat it in moderation. I eat chocolate almost every day -- I've switched over time to higher quality, darker chocolate, but less of it. Some sweets have few to no calories. Have you ever had licorice tea? Fruit is a great way to eat nutritiously and satisfy a sweet tooth. I love berries, and they're good for me! And how about chocolate dipped, fresh strawberries?

    Trying to leave something you really like completely out of your diet is likely to result in cravings, binges, and other issues.

    Here's a blog entry about cravings which includes some things you can eat when you want sweets - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Robin_Bin/view/cravings-282817 and here's a list of over 100 "treats" for under 100 calories: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Robin_Bin/view/snacks-of-100-calories-or-less-267198
  • thesupremeforce
    thesupremeforce Posts: 1,207 Member
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    I eat pretty much whatever I want to eat. There's certainly nothing wrong with bread, chocolate, or dairy.
  • njitaliana
    njitaliana Posts: 814 Member
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    I looked at your diary, and I think it might help to increase vegetables (1/2 cup is one serving of cooked; 1 cup is 1 serving of raw) and to decrease some of the sweets. Maybe try substituting some fresh fruit for some sweets besides increasing the veggies.

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