DO YOU EAT WHAT YOU WANT EVERY DAY?

Stilllosing26
Stilllosing26 Posts: 256 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
When people think of dieting they think of no sweets, no sugar, and no treats. But, I think you should be able to eat what you enjoy everyday (in moderation of course). Do you agree? Can you still lose weight this way as long as you stay at your calorie goal? What things are you eating everyday as a treat? Or something you incorporate into your diet that may not be "healthy"?
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Replies

  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I eat what I want and have a treat of chocolate everyday...

    IIFYM
  • LTKeegan
    LTKeegan Posts: 354 Member
    This is a thing people refer to as IIFYM or if it fits your macros. You can eat whatever you want to and stay under your calorie goal (and macros) and in theory, you'll lose weight*.



    * If you don't get enough protein, some of that weight is muscles

    * If you get too much salt you'll hold on to water and not see the scale move as fast

    * If you eat 1500 calories of cookies you'll be much less full (ie WAYYYY starving) than if you ate 1500 calories of "healthy" foods.




    HOWEVER!! Personally, If I eat a lot of sugar, I crave more sugar and it starts to get out of hand, so I try to limit my treats.
  • Chain_Ring
    Chain_Ring Posts: 753 Member
    yes.
  • Jestinia
    Jestinia Posts: 1,153 Member
    Heck no, because I don't want a little bit, once I get started, I want all the chocolate.
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
    Yes, I eat what I want that fits within my macros. I like to try to get my protein out of the way early in the day. I just don't like most sources of protein, so I'd rather get it done and over with. Then at night, when I'm sitting with my family watching TV, I have all this room for the carby fat-filled goodness that I love. :love:
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
    I eat everything I want everyday within my calorie goal.
    That being said, I don't eat fried foods.
    I eat lots of veggies cause I love em!
    I eat poultry, fish and beef on occasion.
    I eat chocolate quite frequently.
    I have reached my weight goal + or - a couple of pounds.
    I love MFP cause I CAN eat whatever I love and still lose by cutting some calories!
  • tdotgirl
    tdotgirl Posts: 95 Member
    I eat what I want as long as I stay within my calories for the day. Seems to of worked for me
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    I eat what I want and have a treat of chocolate everyday...

    IIFYM

    ^This!

    Yesterday it was peanut butter. Today it might be chocolate. And, much of the time, it's wine. :drinker:
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    I don't diet. I track my food, plan things out. I make sure to eat at least 5 fruits/veggies each day, get enough protein. The rest varies. I've had a 200 calorie Klondike bar ice cream snack each of the last 3 days. (Will have another today - was on sale and there were 4 in the box.)

    I eat between 1400-1600 calories most days. I don't eat for entertainment or emotional support, but I do enjoy certain foods and I see nothing wrong with that. There are some things however that do not fit well into my reduced calorie plan. Such as hot wings. Hot wings for dinner can easily be 800-1000 calories and I'm not good at skimping on food for most of the day to save up for a huge meal. Or alcohol - a few drinks can range from 200-1000 calories depending on the situation. So every now and then, perhaps 2-3 times per month, I aim to eat at 'maintenance level' which for me means 1900-2000 calories. And room for those things that don't otherwise 'fit'. And if I have a very active day, I consume more overall as a result.

    I do make different choices when I have fast food. Such I tend to have a salad w/ blackened grilled chicken at Zaxby's, instead of fries & chicken fingers. But I've also discovered this salad is AWESOME. And if I want the fries/chicken fingers - I'll just have a little bit. I'm less likely to order desert at restaurants, but there are many things I can buy and/or make for sweets on my own. I just prefer to have more control over it.
  • indianarunner76
    indianarunner76 Posts: 108 Member
    Yes. Pasta, Reese puffs cereal, pepsi if I want.
  • ew_david
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
    YES.

    (why are we yelling)
  • PolacaFL
    PolacaFL Posts: 213 Member
    Yes.
  • belgerian
    belgerian Posts: 1,059 Member
    Myself I have to be careful becouse If I start eating certain foods I find myself eating the whole bag or container so no I do not or else I would be eating a gallon of ice cream, and a package of oreo cookies just to start.
  • Linda8989
    Linda8989 Posts: 39 Member
    There is nothing that is forbidden in my plan. The key is to know what a serving is, and I need to stop at that point. That's the challenge : )
  • logg1e
    logg1e Posts: 1,208 Member
    God no. Left to my own devices I would eat takeaway for tea every night and graze on a pack of biscuits all afternoon. I'd have sugary cereal for breakfast and not bother with any dinner.

    However, I do try to save 100 calories for chocolate every day and I've not eaten 1 bite of something I didn't actually want to eat since I started in March.
  • karinajean2388
    karinajean2388 Posts: 162 Member
    Yes. I plan ahead and fit what I want into my calorie goal. If I want more, I move more.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    I had cookies for breakfast.
  • Jim_G10
    Jim_G10 Posts: 132
    Oh yes....
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    God no. Left to my own devices I would eat takeaway for tea every night and graze on a pack of biscuits all afternoon. I'd have sugary cereal for breakfast and not bother with any dinner.

    However, I do try to save 100 calories for chocolate every day and I've not eaten 1 bite of something I didn't actually want to eat since I started in March.

    A lot of us would actually.

    but we recognize that we need to control those impulses for weight loss and health...
  • gert1985
    gert1985 Posts: 53 Member
    No.
    I would eat Doritos and drink Mt Dew All.Day.Long.
    That's why I am where I am today.
  • Guinness80
    Guinness80 Posts: 39 Member
    I've tried restricting out all the "bad" foods in my diet in the past and all it did was make me want them more and I would end up on a binge when I finally let myself have them.

    This time I'm looking at portion control. And making sure when I do have something tasty that I eat it slowly and savor every single bite. I'm finding when taking my time like this I am satisfied with a lot less of the sweet stuff.
  • lsorci919
    lsorci919 Posts: 772 Member
    Yup I eat what I want. I heart chocolate and eat it quite often during the week. I try to keep the naughty foods under control but if I want the fat snacks I will most likely eat the fat snacks. :drinker:
  • Stilllosing26
    Stilllosing26 Posts: 256 Member
    I try to fit in an oreo or two, and some ice cream! Peanut butter is an everyday thing (it fits into my macros, and it's healthy all-natural! Sometimes Nutella, or reeses will make an appearance too!
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    I always eat food that I want to eat and only foods that I enjoy eating. I make the effort to eat a balanced diet, but for all the nutrients my body needs I choose foods that I really like to provide those. Life's too short to force yourself to eat foods you hate, and it's also too short to deprive yourself of foods that you love. You just need to pay attention to getting all the right nutrients in the right balance, and the right portion sizes for your body's needs. For any nutrient there's loads of food that provide them. And once you've eaten all the nutrients you need, if you have calories remaining, eat what you want to get those calories.

    so basically, you can eat what you want, you just have to pay attention to portion sizes and ensuring you're getting all the nutrients you need in the process.
  • Tiff050709
    Tiff050709 Posts: 497 Member
    I try to limit the things I really want. I eat it sometimes. But if I ate it everyday I would gain weight because I do not seem to limit myself to the serving size. So for me, it's better if I don't eat it and don't have it in the house at all.
  • yvie63
    yvie63 Posts: 193 Member
    You can eat what you want within your calories so you could diet on chocolate bars as long as you don't exceed your calorie goal. Having said that you would soon get very bored (and very sick) if you did that every day. If you want to have any real quantity of food I find you are forced to eat healthier because healthier tends to be lower calorie - but I always save calories every day for a treat of some kind - chocolate, a glass of wine. My diet now consists of smaller and healthier versions of what I ate before so yes, I do eat what I want every day.
  • Jestinia
    Jestinia Posts: 1,153 Member
    You can eat what you want within your calories so you could diet on chocolate bars as long as you don't exceed your calorie goal. Having said that you would soon get very bored (and very sick) if you did that every day. If you want to have any real quantity of food I find you are forced to eat healthier because healthier tends to be lower calorie - but I always save calories every day for a treat of some kind - chocolate, a glass of wine. My diet now consists of smaller and healthier versions of what I ate before so yes, I do eat what I want every day.

    Sick and craving? Yes. Bored on chocolate bars all day every day? Never! There are so many kinds. :laugh:
  • looseseal
    looseseal Posts: 216 Member
    Well, I certainly don't eat what I don't want or something that I don't care for just because it's good for me.

    Food is tasty and should be enjoyed and by no means is any food "off limits". If you want sweets or chips or whatever then find a way to fit it into your overall calories for the day. There are some foods that if I start, yeah I won't stop. Tostitos corn chips are like crack to me. Those are one thing I have a very, very hard time just eating a serving of. If I really want to control it I could just buy a single serving bag. Or just blow off a day and consume mass quantities and get right back on track the next day. Food is meant to be enjoyed. Moderation 80% of the time allows for splurges and that's how it should be. Mindless eating is the real bad guy, it sucks you in and before you know it the bags are empty.

    I do know that the less sugar I eat (processed crap) the less I crave it. We've got Tastykakes and Oreos and Nutter Butters (Nutter Butters!!) sitting in the panty. Not even tempted. I bake home made all the time (haven't done much in the past several weeks). Made chocolate chip cookies last night. They're not my favorite anyways but I do like them 10 mins out of the oven, all warm and melty. One broke as I was taking it off the cookie sheet. When it cooled I ate some of the broken part ... it so didn't do it for me. At all. Passed on the rest.

    I do find myself getting into a rut of eating the same xx foods over and over again. I really need to get a good variety of foods/recipes under my belt.
  • Kita328
    Kita328 Posts: 370 Member
    Ill admit when I started I would have liked to say Yes Ill eat what I want in moderation....but that got me to fall off the wagaon a few too many times.

    I had to be strict with eating for quite some time- just for me to learn what fit in my macros. NOW... I can say yes. I eat what I want...when I want to- because I gained the knowledge of what foods in a day fit my macros- and that does help dictate wheather or not I am going to eat a bowl of rice or pasta at the end of the day or if I eat a lean protein and veggies. SO I guess it depends on how you look at it.

    Balance is the key. Some days are right on.. others are a bit off... I try to keep my eye more focused on the bigger picture. I like the weekly report to gauge how well I am on my macros....
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,956 Member
    Pretty much yes. I'm systematic, so I eat a lot of the same whole foods everyday, then mix in whatever I feel like eating and staying within calorie limits.

    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

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