Just stick to calorie deficit?!

Are you meeting your macros (carbs, fat, protein)?

I do either the 80/20 or 90/10 which means 80/90 nutrients dense foods and 10/20 snacks and booze.

Hi guys,

I wanted to ask if those of you that have been losing weight regularly are just sticking to a calorie deficit without worrying WHAT exactly you are eating? Or are you doing anything in particular that is helping (e.g cutting back in the refined carbs or fats etc etc)
I'm having trouble losing even though I'm sticking to a calorie deficit. The change in diet has upset my digestive system also somewhat and I don't feel like I'm filling up on the right things. A little point in the right direction would be amazing.

Many thanks

Leila

Creating an energy deficit is of primary importance to weight loss.

But that being said, yes it does matter what you eat. Food selection will have a profound effect on satiety, it will effect how you feel, and it will effect your ability to perform, it will effect the nutrient composition of your diet, and all of these things can collectively effect weight loss.

I wanted to ask if those of you that have been losing weight regularly are just sticking to a calorie deficit without worrying WHAT exactly you are eating?

For the most part I haven't worried about anything but the deficit. I have been trying to eat more protein since I started, but this week I decided to get a little more serious about hitting all of my macros. How long have you been logging?

Hi guys,

I wanted to ask if those of you that have been losing weight regularly are just sticking to a calorie deficit without worrying WHAT exactly you are eating? Or are you doing anything in particular that is helping (e.g cutting back in the refined carbs or fats etc etc)
I'm having trouble losing even though I'm sticking to a calorie deficit. The change in diet has upset my digestive system also somewhat and I don't feel like I'm filling up on the right things. A little point in the right direction would be amazing.

Many thanks

Leila

Creating an energy deficit is of primary importance to weight loss.

But that being said, yes it does matter what you eat. Food selection will have a profound effect on satiety, it will effect how you feel, and it will effect your ability to perform, it will effect the nutrient composition of your diet, and all of these things can collectively effect weight loss.

^^^^This^^^^^^

Yes, you can eat what ever as long as you are at a deficit, but we are all adults as another poster said and we know what a healthy diet should be. Reiterating what Sidesteel said, foods high in protein, whole grains and healthy fat will keep you satiated longer than processed foods.

Also, if you are not losing, and do not have a medical condition that hinders weight loss, it isn't because of the foods it is your caloric intake. You must not be logging accurately.

I agree with the others that are saying then you just are not at a deficit. Check if you are logging/weighint and measuring everything. If you are still not losing, you should cut back 100 calories/day and see how that goes. I dont know where your starting point is since your diary is closed.

pasta just eats up too many of my daily calories. I feel much better when I load up on the protein, though some days are just "carb" days because that is what I want. Would you open up our diary??

I agree with the other postings. For me, simply sticking to a calorie deficit didn't work. I was hungry and not seeing great results. Again, for me, I looked at what I was eating and had to make changes. healthy foods and food in it's natural state (i.e nothing processed, steam the vegetables, grill the chicken breast with no skin, etc.) worked and I was able to eat more food, because the calories are lower. Then i watched the carb, protein, fat and sugar intake carefully and the time of day i ate different things. decreased carbs, increased protein, no carbs after a certain time of day and watch the sugar. I'm amazed at how much sugar is in most foods we eat, even healthy stuff.
If you're hungry at night, eat a hard boiled egg or a healthy protein like cottage cheese (low fat) or a piece of white meat chicken. The egg is slower to digest and keeps you from feeling hungry. it also keeps your metabolism going through the night.
If something is not working, change it. I've lost 25 pounds so far and I'm going to keep going.

In terms of straight weight loss, no, eating brown rice isn't going to make you lose weight more than eating white rice would. If you're eating at a deficit, you will lose (barring any kind of medical issue obviously). However, as others have said, eating 1200 calories of Twinkies isn't going to make you feel great and you'll be hungry because your body won't be satisfied, etc. So people tend to choose healthier options, which makes sticking to the calories easier.

I've gone all over the place, eating 100% "clean," trying Paleo, etc., but finally have come to the conclusion that when I restrict my food lists, I just don't do as well. Plus, when I was thin, I pretty much just focused on calories, not worrying about if the fat-free sour cream had whatever in it. I've allowed "processed" foods back into my life and I'm finding it much easier to stay on track. But that's just me. I don't eat a lot of bread and pasta because I don't get as much satisfaction eating a small amount of pasta (I'm Italian, that could have something to do with it!). But I eat a mini bagel every morning with a Laughing Cow cheese slice and some grapes. It's like the yummiest breakfast for me and low in calories. I'm sure there are people out there who will want to destroy my comments and that's fine. To each his/her own. But bottom line is that if you stay under your calories, you should be losing.

You don't have to go all-out and cut out everything. First focus on getting your calories under your target, and then you can try to tweak your choices. Trying to do it all at once can be very daunting.

Good luck!

I agree with the other postings. For me, simply sticking to a calorie deficit didn't work. I was hungry and not seeing great results. Again, for me, I looked at what I was eating and had to make changes. healthy foods and food in it's natural state (i.e nothing processed, steam the vegetables, grill the chicken breast with no skin, etc.) worked and I was able to eat more food, because the calories are lower. Then i watched the carb, protein, fat and sugar intake carefully and the time of day i ate different things. decreased carbs, increased protein, no carbs after a certain time of day and watch the sugar. I'm amazed at how much sugar is in most foods we eat, even healthy stuff.
If you're hungry at night, eat a hard boiled egg or a healthy protein like cottage cheese (low fat) or a piece of white meat chicken. The egg is slower to digest and keeps you from feeling hungry. it also keeps your metabolism going through the night.
If something is not working, change it. I've lost 25 pounds so far and I'm going to keep going.

then basically you DID begin eating at a deficit...maybe without realizing it. Keep it going!

If you're bloated (or gassy) after upping your veggie intake, you may want to cook the veggies differently. Different veg can make you super gassy.

Can you look to your sodium levels to see if that's why you're bloated? If you're high in sodium, upping your water can help reduce the bloat.

Sometimes, when I'm bloated, a strong cup of coffee can cure what ails me (it does move things along, if you get my gist).

Thanks for your replies.
I'm trying to open my diary, think I was mistakingly trying to do it through the app.

I've cut the bread, pasta etc and I've been logging for 10 days, this is more of a question to start as I mean to go on I guess.
I'm starting my day with a bowl of fruit most days. Being honest I know this isn't keeping me satisfied, will definitely look into swapping this for eggs/protein as some of you have said as I may not feel so restricted.
I'm having issues this week as dieting (even with all the fruit and veg) has really messed up my digestion. I've never been this unbelievably bloated and in pain because if it, I won't go into it too much. Maybe this could also be why the scales aren't budging. I think I may have taken away too much of the bulky food and it's doing me no favours.
I'll definitely get the scales out on the kitchen counter as I am estimatIng a lot or getting the stats from the brands available through the app.
When you guys talk about Macros should these nessasarily be filled to be satisfied and to be getting all of the nutrients needed.
Forgive me I'm a little diet clueless! Diets to me are all or nothing hence my previous carb free diet. This time around I'd like to do it healthily and long term. ????

In the beginning I did not worry too much about macros...it was enough for me to weigh/measure log faithfully. Once I got that under control I began focusing on the macros. Some days I'm close, others I am way off. Don't look at it as a "diet". It is a lifestyle change. I like that expression so much better! If you need help figuring out what your daily calories should be, this is a great calculator:
http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

This particular calculator will take into account your "exercise" so if you use this, do not eat back your calories.If you want help, feel free to message me!

I'm seriously starting to wonder if I'm not eating enough.

I'm seriously starting to wonder if I'm not eating enough.

You may be eating too little, but that's not why your weight loss would be stalled.

I generally eat whatever I want and just keep a calorie deficit. One thing I will say is that making sure you get plenty of protein helps, because you stay full longer.

I'm seriously starting to wonder if I'm not eating enough.

You may be eating too little, but that's not why your weight loss would be stalled.

No? Please, tell me more. Seriously - because eating too little seems to be the feedback I've gotten so far from others.

Weight loss is caused by caloric deficit. The larger the deficit, the larger the loss. The smaller the deficit, the smaller the loss. There are complications involving nutrition, muscle/fat loss, etc., but that's pretty much it as far as pure weight loss goes.

Your body needs fewer calories as it gets smaller and if you've lost weight it is possible that your metabolism has slowed and it is possible that you burn fewer calories than someone the same weight who hasn't lost weight, but these changes are only enough to (marginally) slow weight loss and are not large enough to stop it completely.