Does it matter what I eat in my calorie budget?

I've lost 32 pounds since feb, I still have about 90 to go. But I eat anything I want as long as it fits. I cut out sodas and switched so flavored waters, sobe waters, tea with little sugar, and this tea mix I got at walmart that's only 5 calories per 8oz serving. Oh and zero calorie poweraids (besides the good old water) I try and walk 20 minutes a day (when weather permittes I have a 2yr old I can only go out when its nice. Other times I try and do something inside. Try and get some veggies in there. And fruits too. It helps with less calories but a fuller feeling. Good luck!

Andy morgan had a nice way of describing it as 'levels'.

First off, for weight loss the most important level is calorie deficit.

THEN macronutiient composition - making sure you get enough protein so your body doesn't try and use muscle to provide energy.

THEN micronutrients to generally keep your body working well.

Too many people worry about that third level when they haven't got the first two, which are consistently shown to be much more important, ight.

+1. 1 addition - getting adequate fat is nearly as important as adequate protein. Figure out the right minimums for each of those (in grams), hit those in whatever way makes the most sense for you, then do whatever you want with the rest of your calories.

Hi. My name is Ann. I've been using this app for a couple months now. I've lost 31lbs since January. I eat between 1,100-1,200 calories a day or less. I try not to go below 1000 though. I have cut out sodas, sugar, junk food. I eat pretty much what I want. I am in a bariatric surgical program. I 60mg of protein a day along with dairy, plenty of fresh fruit and raw and steamed vegetables and lean meats. I heat whole wheat bread and pasta too. I try to only eat read meat no more that 2 times a week. For instance, tonight, I had a sandwich with Oscar Myer ham and turkey,( they are 50 calories a serving, so I had 3 slices each), with 2 slices of bacon, lettuce, tomato, banana peppers, Nature's Own wheat bread,(40 per 2 slices), with 1/2 tbs. mayo, mustard. Pulse I had a 6" cucumber and 6 baby carrots. Total calories, only 249 for everything!! An I'm full!!! Earlier to day I was on the road, and of course, my husband has to go through a fast food place. I had 1/2 have of a 1/4lb hamburger with lettuce, tomato, pickles, lite on the mayo, ketchup and mustard. total calories for the whole burger is around 500cals. I only had half so I has only 250 calories. So eat what you want just keep it with in your calorie limit. Make sure you are eating with in an hour after you get out of bed in the morning and then eat every 3hrs through out the day. Get in the habit. That's what I've done. Now I've got to start exercising more! I try to do something for at least 30 minutes a day. Just as long as I've moving!! Good luck every one. Its a struggle but I've learned it can be done.

If you consume fewer calories, you'll lose weight.

If those calories come from cake and pizza, and there are no fruit or veggies included, that's not very healthy. But what did you do before? Shovel everything and anything down your mouth, going way over your calorie allowance? That was worse.

This journey is all about making the right steps at your own pace. Cut down your calories first and look at changing those calories into better ones later if you don't feel you can do it all at the same time. Not everyone can change their lifestyle overnight and that's fine. Just keep going in the right direction.

I just joined... haven't been logging in yet... I've been using this other diet logging/track app on my phone. However, I am going to start logging in with MFP...


ANYHOW,

I've lost 10 pounds... and this is going on my 3rd month of cutting calories. I now weigh 153-154 pounds... sometimes 155 pounds...

Anyhow, my current weight which is 153-154 has been at a stand still for the last two weeks.

I haven't been eating healthy like I was when I first started... but I haven't had any junk food or sodas or any processed food either.

I've had waffles, sausage, eggs (I love eggs so I eat them probably twice a day and all forms), baked chicken breast, corn, small bob evan links, and franks red hot sausage.

Those aren't the healthiest foods but they all fit my calorie budget.... is that ok?

Is that probably why my weight is at a stand still?

A calorie of one food is not the same as a calorie of another. It is less about the quantity of the calories and more about the quality of the calories. This will help you understand why.


Joanne Moniz
The Skinny on Obesity Group

Wrong again Joanne

OP log your food, make sure you are weighing and logging accurately. If you aren't losing you aren't in a calorie deficit, to lose it doesn't matter what you eat, it's all about the quantity.

I've lost a little weight eating what I want in moderation. You can check my diary.

Please read these links they will help:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide?hl=accurate+logging+step

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

Good luck

MFP has me down to have 1200 cals (some class that as a bit low but I'm 5'1" and only have 14lbs left to lose) but I'm not losing weight despite eating healthier, excercising and being in deficit. Would you advise that maybe eat my full daily allowance and any exercise that I do be my cal deficit?

Also, if I haven't eaten my full allowance by the end of the day and I'm not hungry, should I still have something to eat? Thanks

Would help if you open your diary

I suppose technically you CAN continue to eat "junk" food and stay in your calorie limit and lose weight...but that's not going to help you learn new patterns of eating, which is really the goal.

I'm eating 1200 calories a day. That doesn't give me a lot of room for "junk". COULD I eat junk and stay under my calorie limit? I suppose...but I'd be really hungry, never "satisfied" and on a path to poor health. I can get plenty of really good satisfying food in my calorie limit if I choose wisely and make sure most of what I'm eating is "the good stuff".

Well most people do not need to be at 1200 calories a day, and this is much more sustainable if you eat at a reasonable deficit, and not demonize any food, or label it as "junk".

The other thing we all have different goals, my goals are to lose weight in the most non miserable way while hitting my macros and eating ice cream nightly. By learning portion control and moderation

Food diary is now open.

I've back been on MFP for quite a few weeks now (but had computer probs, so unfortunately it only shows last 10 days), but for the majority of that time I was in deficit. I started T25 on 5th May and at first I tried to do the inital 5 day kick start eating plan, but it wasn't always practical, so started to follow some of the menu suggestions in the Insanity menu guide, some of the snack suggestions I would find more applicable to lunch though, so I just used to have summer fruits with Greek yoghurt or a low fat yoghurt when was at work - it prevented the funny looks, comments and questions!

One of the problems I've had with both of the plans is eating so much between meals, usually I just have general 3 meals a day and the odd snack, usually a yoghurt when I'm a bit peckish. I don't even have crisps (apart from the ones for my son), puddings, sweets, chocolate or biscuits in the house. It's not that I'm trying to eat healthier, it's always been that way - even when I was 3st heavier several years ago.

Oh and just want to let you know that I have a very large garden which is why I spent 5hrs in it today and got a large deficit. )

Plain and simple, yes it does matter what you eat. If your calorie goal is 1200 per day you dont want to waste it on oreos and ice cream. The better the quality of food you eat the better you will feel. Hitting your fats and protein is very important. Try and feed yourself the best you can.

I eat 'junk' every day. My diary is open if you want to look. I just weigh everything so I know I'm not underestimating how much I eat.

Food diary is now open.

I've back been on MFP for quite a few weeks now (but had computer probs, so unfortunately it only shows last 10 days), but for the majority of that time I was in deficit. I started T25 on 5th May and at first I tried to do the inital 5 day kick start eating plan, but it wasn't always practical, so started to follow some of the menu suggestions in the Insanity menu guide, some of the snack suggestions I would find more applicable to lunch though, so I just used to have summer fruits with Greek yoghurt or a low fat yoghurt when was at work - it prevented the funny looks, comments and questions!

One of the problems I've had with both of the plans is eating so much between meals, usually I just have general 3 meals a day and the odd snack, usually a yoghurt when I'm a bit peckish. I don't even have crisps (apart from the ones for my son), puddings, sweets, chocolate or biscuits in the house. It's not that I'm trying to eat healthier, it's always been that way - even when I was 3st heavier several years ago.

Oh and just want to let you know that I have a very large garden which is why I spent 5hrs in it today and got a large deficit. )

If you aren't weighing bananas or other fruit and veg, I would suggest you do

There are some links about calories burned while walking, since you seem to use that for exercise a lot. One I have seen is:

Net Calories burned = 0.3 X weight (lbs) X number of miles

If nothing it's a good place to cross check the calories you're logging for walking overall

Personally, I would log the steps from walking while gardening , but not much else. If you have one of those pedometer/activity trackers, that may be best if you'd like to capture calories from certain tasks that can fall under day to day activities

Yes and no. Regardless of what types of food you are eating, a caloric deficit is a caloric deficit. If you burn more calories than you take in, you will lose weight, even if all you eat are chocolate bars. However, for optimal health it is important to get the proper balance of protein, fat and carbs for your lifestyle. Fats regulate hormones and support healthy function of many organs. Protein allows all cells in the body to repair and builds muscle/maintains and strengthens bone. Carbohydrates assist in the release of certain brain chemicals and provide more immediate energy. Your body needs all of these things in the right amounts. Is eating out of your macros sometimes going to ruin your goals? Doubtful. You should be fine as long as your are weighing food (2 Tbsp of peanut butter looks a LOT different than 32g) and recording everything you eat accurately (again with peanut butter as an example: one small spoonful could be about 100cals). If you're stuck in a rut, try reducing your calories by another 50 or 100 each day and see what happens.

Also, your weight WILL fluctuate depending on what you've eaten and when. Eating a lot of sodium can make you retain water and add a pound or so. Try to weigh yourself at the same time of day, like in the morning before you've eaten anything and pay attention to your body measurements and how clothes fit as well. Try not to dwell too much on the number on the scale. If you weigh yourself 3 times in the same day, I bet you get very different readings.

Also your body is like a fireplace if you don't put wood in it the fire will go out, it is the same for your metabolism. If you don't feed your body enough your metabolism will slow down. I eat 4 times a day but keep in my calorie budget. I eat lots of protein to keep me full and carbs only before 3pm. I only take Saturday to cheat and eat something good like pizza and I go to the gym 5 days a week. I never thought I'd be small again but I was in a size 12 jean and now I can fit in a 6. Bottom line you have to diet and exercise together. At least I do. Doing one without the other doesn't work for me.

All foods are not created equal. Some foods contain better nutritional content, some are simply fillers that create many health deficiencies, and some even have the unique ability to help speed up your metabolism. Take for example peppers, which contain Capsaicin that helps speed up your metabolism rate. Point being, every food is unique in its own way, you just have to put in the due diligence behind what you digest.

For the food I tend to eat most of the time I try to apply the 5% fat per 100g rule (from a diet I did several years ago), though on the odd occasion I might treat (or if I've had a crappy day) myself to a pizza or spinach & ricotta tortellini with tomato & mascarpone sauce. Even the peanut butter (which I do measure) is a low fat version (and know that it's still over 5% fat, but came across it in the Insanity nutrition guide) and I buy oven chips that are lower in fat.

After following the 5% diet I feel guilty having something with a huge calorie or fat content, even if I'm having filled tortellini, if there is one that has 380 cals and another for 400 cals, majority of the time I tend to go for the one with fewer cals. I feel guilty if I eat anything high in cals, even all the ready meals I go for are a low fat version.

I don't weigh bananas, just put it down as small or medium in my food diary, but I always weigh out the summer fruits or grapes. The only treat I allow myself on a regular basis is a bottle of wine on a Friday and one on a Saturday, which is about 518 cals each, I know is empty cals, but I still count it and I don't have chocolate, sweets or biscuits in the house.

I started T25 2 weeks ago and thought I'd mention about being in the garden for 5hrs (nearly 50mins just mowing the lawns - there are 4!) is in case someone looked at my diary and noticed that I'd earned 1300+ in exercise. I don't drive so it means walking or bus to get anywhere and don't own a HRM or pedometer. I weigh myself in the same thing first thing on a Monday morning (though have to do this on a Saturday for the T25 too) and I measure myself on the first weekend of every month and again this is first thing wearing the same each time.

I know that some of the replies are aimed at the OP, but for the ones where I'm not sure are aimed at me, I just thought I'd share this info. However, whoever the advice is aimed at, it's all very helpful. Thank you.