Exercising but not necessarily eating healthy?

cpink67
cpink67 Posts: 14 Member
edited February 22 in Food and Nutrition
Okay, so I exercise (bike, run) and I play tennis. But I don't necessarily eat healthy-- a bowl of Cheerios for breakfast, a salad for lunch (but during the summer a PB&J), and normally I eat whatever for dinner (burger with beans, rice-a-roni, etc.), and a snack (popcorn, maybe a cookie) And I haven't been really watching my weight or anything, but I've decided I want to get fit. I can't really change my diet, because I don't buy the food in my house, and there's no way I can change that. But if I added some strength exercises, like sit ups and push ups, could I still get toned, even with my diet?

Replies

  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
    Depends what your goal is.

    During my loss i ate the same stuff i always did. Crisps, chocolate, chicken with skin, etc. But i exercised a ton (roughly 1k cals burned a day), and created the calorie deficit that way. And, as i was so big to start, i got "fit".

    I know ill never be "healthy", as i simply dont like the foods i should be eating to do that. But, if your goal is to get fit by just fat loss, itll work fine. If your goal is to get fit with optimum health, then thats a different matter.
  • cadaver0usb0nes
    cadaver0usb0nes Posts: 151 Member
    Measure and weigh your food, count the calories. If you eat within your calorie range and exercise you should be able to get fit. Can you research healthier alternatives to stuff you guys already buy, and then slowly over time add that stuff to the grocery list? Or maybe tell your parents or whoever buys the stuff "oh hey this one contains a lot of sodium/sugar/fat etc, I found that this brand seems healthier.."
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,368 Member
    You can get 'fit' but you won't lose fat unless you eat at a deficit. So yes, what you eat matters (as long as you eat at a deficit).
  • corgicake
    corgicake Posts: 846 Member
    Your body doesn't care where you get your food from, only that you get it and it's the stuff it needs. Calorie-dense foods and liquid calories are not the devil. Hamburgers are a calorie source. They have carbs, protein, and fat. If they have these three things in amounts that work with the rest of what you're doing, eat the hamburger. Eat two of them in a sitting if it makes sense given what you're doing. If you wanted to, you could create a meal plan out of nothing but things on fast food menus... and if the macros were right, it would work. Try to get at least some input on the grocery shopping, though.
  • sheltol
    sheltol Posts: 120 Member
    You can eat junk food and still do very well if you are exercising regularly. 7 years ago I completed my first half ironman fueling myself with jellybean, pizza, soda, and fast food galore. I weighted 152 lbs and was 18% body fat.

    However, 5 years later I got my act together and started eating unprocessed food, I cut out the candy and soda, I fueled with foods with one ingredient. My body composition went up a pound to 153 lbs but I dropped to 9% body fat.

    I would just say that yes, like some people here are saying - you can eat twinkies and lose weight. Just eat at a deficit.

    But you are exercising regularly, your body needs healthy fuels. Twinkies dont provide a lot of protein. You need to balance your macro nutirents to help repair and build muscle, replenish glycogen stores, and provide fats to absorb fat soluble micronutrients.

    Losing weight as a couch potato is a very different process than losing weight as an athlete.
  • aliwhalen
    aliwhalen Posts: 150 Member
    TBH, your diet doesn't sound especially unhealthy. I eat a bowl of Cheerios w/ banana for breakfast w/ skim milk, lunch is usually a ham and cheese sandwich or wrap, dinner is whatever I want to eat. Snacks are usually fruit, but I also like popcorn. I've still managed to lose almost 15 pounds. It's all about how MUCH you're eating of these things. I follow portion sizes on packages, I count my calories and still manage to have a glass of wine in the evening :)

    Best of luck!
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