How can I cut calories without having to cut out the foods that I like?
Options
Replies
-
OP, you need to enter your stats and goals into MFP to get a calorie goal. Then start accurately and consistently logging your food. If what you are eating and drinking fits in your calorie goal, then you are fine. If it doesn't, then you have gotten a lot of good suggestions on how to make the food you love fit. Or you can add a bit more exercise to give yourself more calories to eat. It really is that simple :drinker:
Having said that, it can be tough to stick to a weight-loss calorie goal when you are drinking so many of your calories. That might be the easiest place for you to make changes if you need to.0 -
ILUVPOPPYDEARLY wrote: »SnuggleSmacks wrote: »You don't have to give up anything you love, just cut down on the more calorie-laden stuff. Think sugar and starchy carbs, plus the stuff that sneaks up on you like dressings and condiments.
Mix half as much grape juice with some sparkling mineral water to make a spritzer.
Try eating only half the bagel each morning, with one slice of cheese.
Try sugar free cocoa. If you use milk, try almond milk instead.
For the pasta dinners, try cutting about a third of the amount and adding a salad. Look for some new, lower-calorie dressings...either vinegar or yogurt based, as they can be delicious and save a LOT of calories.
And definitely save the Starbucks for a treat, not an everyday snack.
Maybe not eat red meat every meal...branch out with some delicious poultry and seafood dishes which will save some calories. With the right spices and sauces, you can hardly tell that meat sauce has turkey instead of beef.
Keep real portion sizes in mind...for proteins, that's the size of your palm. A 12-ounce steak is like 3 meals, not 1. There's nothing wrong with mixing proteins, either. A smaller piece of steak with some shrimp on top for an extra low-cal protein punch is a good choice. You still get all the flavor, but don't have to worry about the extra calories.
What about halving or quartering all of my meals? Like half or a quarter of a Frappuccino, steak or pasta dish instead of a full one so I can at least get the taste.
Nothing wrong with that, if that's what you want.
The best thing to do to start with is figure out how many calories you need to eat each day to maintain a deficit for weight loss, and then see what you can fit in those calories. If you have enough cals available, go ahead and drink your frap if you want it. Just try to stay within your calorie goal, and try to hit your macros, but what you eat within those guidelines is up to you.0 -
I don't know what you should do. But if it were me, I'd totally get rid of the frappuccino and have a really nice cup of regular coffee instead - I mean, good beans, fresh, served by some poor soul with a master's in history, very nice cup of jo - with 1 tablespoon of 10% cream and 2 teaspoons of sugar. (Then again, I think that tastes good). Instead of the grape juice, I'd get a sparkling water, maybe with some flavouring (I personally like Perrier Lime but I'm sure there's something grapey around). I'd do a skim milk version of the hot chocolate. Under no circumstances would I take a loss to ziti or eggs in favour of a liquid.
I don't see a problem with making substitutions when they involve a ridiculous drink like that frappuccino. Jesus christ.0 -
ILUVPOPPYDEARLY wrote: »Afternoon snack: during the weekday, I always get a customized vanilla bean Frappuccino from Starbucks with Java chips, a shot of white mocha syrup and caramel sauce.
That's not a "snack", that's a calorie bomb.
0 -
ILUVPOPPYDEARLY wrote: »galgenstrick wrote: »arditarose wrote: »christinev297 wrote: »arditarose wrote: »Eagerlylookingforward wrote: »You really need to cut out carbs in your liquids, so the daily hot chocolate and fraps need to be sugar free. In fact if you can cut them out you will notice a huge savings in calories. There are other noodles that are made with rice, yellow beans, udon etc. try them instead of regular pasta. It may take a few tries, but you really will start enjoying them more than regular pasta.
No
Care to explain why?
I often see just plain "NO" as a reply here. Which isn't really a helpful response at all
I just don't think it's really appropriate to tell someone they're drinks need to be sugar free. Will you save calories? Sure. You can eat regular pasta too. If the OP wants to try noodles made out of yellow beans, fine. I also don't know how someone could just assume that another person would start enjoying yellow bean noodles better than regular pasta.
430 calories in a grande frappuccino, 170 calories in 8oz. of grape juice, 138 calories in 1 packet of swiss miss.
That's 738 calories completely wasted. I think it's completely appropriate.
Is diet soda okay? If I switch up between diet soda and water for all of my meals will that be okay?
For sure. Baby steps are best. Just make a small change, and see how that works over a week or two. Like the others said, you don't need to cut it out completely for weight loss, but for health purposes that much sugar isn't helping you.0 -
Liftng4Lis wrote: »christinev297 wrote: »arditarose wrote: »Eagerlylookingforward wrote: »You really need to cut out carbs in your liquids, so the daily hot chocolate and fraps need to be sugar free. In fact if you can cut them out you will notice a huge savings in calories. There are other noodles that are made with rice, yellow beans, udon etc. try them instead of regular pasta. It may take a few tries, but you really will start enjoying them more than regular pasta.
No
Care to explain why?
I often see just plain "NO" as a reply here. Which isn't really a helpful response at all
Because its unnecessary to give up anything. Nothing needs to be "sugar free", she doesn't have to give up carbs. She just needs a caloric deficit to lose weight, thats it. It's CICO and learning moderation will benefit for a sustainable diet.
Lose weight yes, but if you want that weight to be mostly fat you need to have a reasonably healthy diet to meet your macros.
Edit: oops! Double post was an accident!0 -
galgenstrick wrote: »Liftng4Lis wrote: »christinev297 wrote: »arditarose wrote: »Eagerlylookingforward wrote: »You really need to cut out carbs in your liquids, so the daily hot chocolate and fraps need to be sugar free. In fact if you can cut them out you will notice a huge savings in calories. There are other noodles that are made with rice, yellow beans, udon etc. try them instead of regular pasta. It may take a few tries, but you really will start enjoying them more than regular pasta.
No
Care to explain why?
I often see just plain "NO" as a reply here. Which isn't really a helpful response at all
Because its unnecessary to give up anything. Nothing needs to be "sugar free", she doesn't have to give up carbs. She just needs a caloric deficit to lose weight, thats it. It's CICO and learning moderation will benefit for a sustainable diet.
Lose weight yes, but if you want that weight to be mostly fat you need to have a reasonably healthy diet to meet your macros.
No you don't. You need to be eating enough protein, have a small to moderate deficit only (i.e. no more than 1lb/week), and lift heavy weights at hte gym. None of this requires eating any weird pasta substitutes or cutting out Starbucks. Sugar doesn't somehow kill one's muscular maintenance.0 -
Liftng4Lis wrote: »For me, I don't like to drink my calories, as I want food. You don't need to give up your frap, just get a little smaller one. Eat lots of meat and fat, so you're sated. I pre-log my days and include my "treats", so I never feel I'm going without.
Except perhaps.. A chocolate oreo cheesecake milkshake?
0 -
galgenstrick wrote: »Liftng4Lis wrote: »christinev297 wrote: »arditarose wrote: »Eagerlylookingforward wrote: »You really need to cut out carbs in your liquids, so the daily hot chocolate and fraps need to be sugar free. In fact if you can cut them out you will notice a huge savings in calories. There are other noodles that are made with rice, yellow beans, udon etc. try them instead of regular pasta. It may take a few tries, but you really will start enjoying them more than regular pasta.
No
Care to explain why?
I often see just plain "NO" as a reply here. Which isn't really a helpful response at all
Because its unnecessary to give up anything. Nothing needs to be "sugar free", she doesn't have to give up carbs. She just needs a caloric deficit to lose weight, thats it. It's CICO and learning moderation will benefit for a sustainable diet.
Lose weight yes, but if you want that weight to be mostly fat you need to have a reasonably healthy diet to meet your macros.
No you don't. You need to be eating enough protein, have a small to moderate deficit only (i.e. no more than 1lb/week), and lift heavy weights at hte gym. None of this requires eating any weird pasta substitutes or cutting out Starbucks. Sugar doesn't somehow kill one's muscular maintenance.
We're saying the same thing I think. If you eat all those drinks + the pasta, then there's probably not enough room left for the protein. That's about 1000 calories of carbs and fat and not much protein. I don't know OP's calorie target so it's hard to say, but I do agree with your post.0 -
swole_elsa wrote: »Liftng4Lis wrote: »For me, I don't like to drink my calories, as I want food. You don't need to give up your frap, just get a little smaller one. Eat lots of meat and fat, so you're sated. I pre-log my days and include my "treats", so I never feel I'm going without.
Except perhaps.. A chocolate oreo cheesecake milkshake?
It's beautiful. 0 -
galgenstrick wrote: »galgenstrick wrote: »Liftng4Lis wrote: »christinev297 wrote: »arditarose wrote: »Eagerlylookingforward wrote: »You really need to cut out carbs in your liquids, so the daily hot chocolate and fraps need to be sugar free. In fact if you can cut them out you will notice a huge savings in calories. There are other noodles that are made with rice, yellow beans, udon etc. try them instead of regular pasta. It may take a few tries, but you really will start enjoying them more than regular pasta.
No
Care to explain why?
I often see just plain "NO" as a reply here. Which isn't really a helpful response at all
Because its unnecessary to give up anything. Nothing needs to be "sugar free", she doesn't have to give up carbs. She just needs a caloric deficit to lose weight, thats it. It's CICO and learning moderation will benefit for a sustainable diet.
Lose weight yes, but if you want that weight to be mostly fat you need to have a reasonably healthy diet to meet your macros.
No you don't. You need to be eating enough protein, have a small to moderate deficit only (i.e. no more than 1lb/week), and lift heavy weights at hte gym. None of this requires eating any weird pasta substitutes or cutting out Starbucks. Sugar doesn't somehow kill one's muscular maintenance.
We're saying the same thing I think. If you eat all those drinks + the pasta, then there's probably not enough room left for the protein. That's about 1000 calories of carbs and fat and not much protein. I don't know OP's calorie target so it's hard to say.
I don't think OP knows her calorie goal either!
OP, have you figured this out yet?0 -
You don't need to lift heavy weights at the gym to lose mostly fat!!! You can if you like, but it is not necessary...any more than going sugar free is necessary.galgenstrick wrote: »Liftng4Lis wrote: »christinev297 wrote: »arditarose wrote: »Eagerlylookingforward wrote: »You really need to cut out carbs in your liquids, so the daily hot chocolate and fraps need to be sugar free. In fact if you can cut them out you will notice a huge savings in calories. There are other noodles that are made with rice, yellow beans, udon etc. try them instead of regular pasta. It may take a few tries, but you really will start enjoying them more than regular pasta.
No
Care to explain why?
I often see just plain "NO" as a reply here. Which isn't really a helpful response at all
Because its unnecessary to give up anything. Nothing needs to be "sugar free", she doesn't have to give up carbs. She just needs a caloric deficit to lose weight, thats it. It's CICO and learning moderation will benefit for a sustainable diet.
Lose weight yes, but if you want that weight to be mostly fat you need to have a reasonably healthy diet to meet your macros.
No you don't. You need to be eating enough protein, have a small to moderate deficit only (i.e. no more than 1lb/week), and lift heavy weights at hte gym. None of this requires eating any weird pasta substitutes or cutting out Starbucks. Sugar doesn't somehow kill one's muscular maintenance.
0 -
MoiAussi93 wrote: »
You don't need to lift heavy weights at the gym to lose mostly fat!!! You can if you like, but it is not necessary...any more than going sugar free is necessary.galgenstrick wrote: »Liftng4Lis wrote: »christinev297 wrote: »arditarose wrote: »Eagerlylookingforward wrote: »You really need to cut out carbs in your liquids, so the daily hot chocolate and fraps need to be sugar free. In fact if you can cut them out you will notice a huge savings in calories. There are other noodles that are made with rice, yellow beans, udon etc. try them instead of regular pasta. It may take a few tries, but you really will start enjoying them more than regular pasta.
No
Care to explain why?
I often see just plain "NO" as a reply here. Which isn't really a helpful response at all
Because its unnecessary to give up anything. Nothing needs to be "sugar free", she doesn't have to give up carbs. She just needs a caloric deficit to lose weight, thats it. It's CICO and learning moderation will benefit for a sustainable diet.
Lose weight yes, but if you want that weight to be mostly fat you need to have a reasonably healthy diet to meet your macros.
No you don't. You need to be eating enough protein, have a small to moderate deficit only (i.e. no more than 1lb/week), and lift heavy weights at hte gym. None of this requires eating any weird pasta substitutes or cutting out Starbucks. Sugar doesn't somehow kill one's muscular maintenance.
Weight lifting helps maintain muscle mass. This is why we all tell people to lift weights while in a deficit. Simply eating 100g of protein isn't going to magically prevent muscle loss, much like eating that protein while in a caloric surplus and not lifting weights won't magically mean you gain more muscle than fat.0 -
swole_elsa wrote: »Liftng4Lis wrote: »For me, I don't like to drink my calories, as I want food. You don't need to give up your frap, just get a little smaller one. Eat lots of meat and fat, so you're sated. I pre-log my days and include my "treats", so I never feel I'm going without.
Except perhaps.. A chocolate oreo cheesecake milkshake?
and there are ALWAYS exceptions......IN!!!!0 -
galgenstrick wrote: »galgenstrick wrote: »Liftng4Lis wrote: »christinev297 wrote: »arditarose wrote: »Eagerlylookingforward wrote: »You really need to cut out carbs in your liquids, so the daily hot chocolate and fraps need to be sugar free. In fact if you can cut them out you will notice a huge savings in calories. There are other noodles that are made with rice, yellow beans, udon etc. try them instead of regular pasta. It may take a few tries, but you really will start enjoying them more than regular pasta.
No
Care to explain why?
I often see just plain "NO" as a reply here. Which isn't really a helpful response at all
Because its unnecessary to give up anything. Nothing needs to be "sugar free", she doesn't have to give up carbs. She just needs a caloric deficit to lose weight, thats it. It's CICO and learning moderation will benefit for a sustainable diet.
Lose weight yes, but if you want that weight to be mostly fat you need to have a reasonably healthy diet to meet your macros.
No you don't. You need to be eating enough protein, have a small to moderate deficit only (i.e. no more than 1lb/week), and lift heavy weights at hte gym. None of this requires eating any weird pasta substitutes or cutting out Starbucks. Sugar doesn't somehow kill one's muscular maintenance.
We're saying the same thing I think. If you eat all those drinks + the pasta, then there's probably not enough room left for the protein. That's about 1000 calories of carbs and fat and not much protein. I don't know OP's calorie target so it's hard to say, but I do agree with your post.
Right - OP could meet her macros with the starbucks thing, or the pasta, but she'd be feeling pretty ropey by midnight if she picked the former. I would guess. Or maybe she'd go over her calories. It's happened. But hey, why not try. (My reason for 'why not try', is that it's demoralizing to go over your calories, and it's crappy to feel ropey, for most people.) But, why not try.0 -
galgenstrick wrote: »galgenstrick wrote: »Liftng4Lis wrote: »christinev297 wrote: »arditarose wrote: »Eagerlylookingforward wrote: »You really need to cut out carbs in your liquids, so the daily hot chocolate and fraps need to be sugar free. In fact if you can cut them out you will notice a huge savings in calories. There are other noodles that are made with rice, yellow beans, udon etc. try them instead of regular pasta. It may take a few tries, but you really will start enjoying them more than regular pasta.
No
Care to explain why?
I often see just plain "NO" as a reply here. Which isn't really a helpful response at all
Because its unnecessary to give up anything. Nothing needs to be "sugar free", she doesn't have to give up carbs. She just needs a caloric deficit to lose weight, thats it. It's CICO and learning moderation will benefit for a sustainable diet.
Lose weight yes, but if you want that weight to be mostly fat you need to have a reasonably healthy diet to meet your macros.
No you don't. You need to be eating enough protein, have a small to moderate deficit only (i.e. no more than 1lb/week), and lift heavy weights at hte gym. None of this requires eating any weird pasta substitutes or cutting out Starbucks. Sugar doesn't somehow kill one's muscular maintenance.
We're saying the same thing I think. If you eat all those drinks + the pasta, then there's probably not enough room left for the protein. That's about 1000 calories of carbs and fat and not much protein. I don't know OP's calorie target so it's hard to say, but I do agree with your post.
Right - OP could meet her macros with the starbucks thing, or the pasta, but she'd be feeling pretty ropey by midnight if she picked the former. I would guess. Or maybe she'd go over her calories. It's happened. But hey, why not try. (My reason for 'why not try', is that it's demoralizing to go over your calories, and it's crappy to feel ropey, for most people.) But, why not try.
I've met my day's calorie, fat, and carb goals by eating brownies... didn't feel any different than when I meet those goals with PB and bananas. Daily variety and all.0 -
galgenstrick wrote: »Liftng4Lis wrote: »christinev297 wrote: »arditarose wrote: »Eagerlylookingforward wrote: »You really need to cut out carbs in your liquids, so the daily hot chocolate and fraps need to be sugar free. In fact if you can cut them out you will notice a huge savings in calories. There are other noodles that are made with rice, yellow beans, udon etc. try them instead of regular pasta. It may take a few tries, but you really will start enjoying them more than regular pasta.
No
Care to explain why?
I often see just plain "NO" as a reply here. Which isn't really a helpful response at all
Because its unnecessary to give up anything. Nothing needs to be "sugar free", she doesn't have to give up carbs. She just needs a caloric deficit to lose weight, thats it. It's CICO and learning moderation will benefit for a sustainable diet.
Lose weight yes, but if you want that weight to be mostly fat you need to have a reasonably healthy diet to meet your macros.
No you don't. You need to be eating enough protein, have a small to moderate deficit only (i.e. no more than 1lb/week), and lift heavy weights at hte gym. None of this requires eating any weird pasta substitutes or cutting out Starbucks. Sugar doesn't somehow kill one's muscular maintenance.
+1
I lift, eat lots of protein, and make sure I eat enough fat and fiber. The rest takes care of itself, but then I eat a very wide variety of foods which includes a lot of vegetables, so I don't have to worry much about deficiencies. And I am eating Hagen Daz pomegranate gelato even as we speak.
OP, if you look at the success forum, you'll find that the majority of people who had success at losing and keeping off large amounts did so with moderation, not with cutting out food groups (including sugar). That's not to say that some others haven't also had success by eating Paleo or vegetarian or whatever, but the majority stuck with moderation of the foods they like.
This will not only help you develop a healthier relationship with food in general, but it also won't set you up to gain the weight back the moment you go back to eating regular food, and it won't set you up to feel deprived because you can never go to Starbucks again.
0 -
Brownies have more stuff in them than frappuccinos.0
-
Liftng4Lis wrote: »swole_elsa wrote: »Liftng4Lis wrote: »For me, I don't like to drink my calories, as I want food. You don't need to give up your frap, just get a little smaller one. Eat lots of meat and fat, so you're sated. I pre-log my days and include my "treats", so I never feel I'm going without.
Except perhaps.. A chocolate oreo cheesecake milkshake?
and there are ALWAYS exceptions......IN!!!!
Smoothies and milkshakes are always pretty filling though anyways. Throw in some chocolate protein powder and you've got yourself a meal!0 -
It helps, but it is not necessary to maintain muscle mass. Just like not drinking sugary drinks helps weight loss, but is not necessary. By the way, ketogenic diets also preserve muscle mass...but nobody is claiming you need to do that.MoiAussi93 wrote: »
You don't need to lift heavy weights at the gym to lose mostly fat!!! You can if you like, but it is not necessary...any more than going sugar free is necessary.galgenstrick wrote: »Liftng4Lis wrote: »christinev297 wrote: »arditarose wrote: »Eagerlylookingforward wrote: »You really need to cut out carbs in your liquids, so the daily hot chocolate and fraps need to be sugar free. In fact if you can cut them out you will notice a huge savings in calories. There are other noodles that are made with rice, yellow beans, udon etc. try them instead of regular pasta. It may take a few tries, but you really will start enjoying them more than regular pasta.
No
Care to explain why?
I often see just plain "NO" as a reply here. Which isn't really a helpful response at all
Because its unnecessary to give up anything. Nothing needs to be "sugar free", she doesn't have to give up carbs. She just needs a caloric deficit to lose weight, thats it. It's CICO and learning moderation will benefit for a sustainable diet.
Lose weight yes, but if you want that weight to be mostly fat you need to have a reasonably healthy diet to meet your macros.
No you don't. You need to be eating enough protein, have a small to moderate deficit only (i.e. no more than 1lb/week), and lift heavy weights at hte gym. None of this requires eating any weird pasta substitutes or cutting out Starbucks. Sugar doesn't somehow kill one's muscular maintenance.
Weight lifting helps maintain muscle mass. This is why we all tell people to lift weights while in a deficit. Simply eating 100g of protein isn't going to magically prevent muscle loss, much like eating that protein while in a caloric surplus and not lifting weights won't magically mean you gain more muscle than fat.
0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.7K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.8K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 395 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.3K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 960 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions