Eat whatever you want and still lose weight?
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maillemaker wrote: »I am a firm believer in eating what ever the heck I want just in moderation!
For me, "eating whatever the heck I want" and "moderation" are at direct odds with one another. Because what I want to eat never fits within my allotted calorie limits. Thus it always boils down to what I get to eat, now what I want to eat.
Eating whatever the heck I want is how I got fat to begin with.
Eating whatever you want, or how much you want? There's a big difference between the two. I've lost a lot of weight eating whatever I want - just not as much as I used to when I was obese.1 -
Eating whatever you want, or how much you want? There's a big difference between the two.
Not to me. What I want to eat is a Cracker Barrel Country Boy breakfast, Five Guys little bacon cheeseburger and fries for lunch, and a rack of baby back ribs and then ice cream for dessert.
Not gonna happen on a 1570 daily calorie allotment.
You see, for me, what I want to eat is to eat to satiety. This is at direct odds with a calorie deficit.
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I'm 50 years old. I'm not as hungry as I used to be. I eat what I want, sure, but small portions.1
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TheVirgoddess wrote: »maillemaker wrote: »I am a firm believer in eating what ever the heck I want just in moderation!
For me, "eating whatever the heck I want" and "moderation" are at direct odds with one another. Because what I want to eat never fits within my allotted calorie limits. Thus it always boils down to what I get to eat, now what I want to eat.
Eating whatever the heck I want is how I got fat to begin with.
Eating whatever you want, or how much you want? There's a big difference between the two. I've lost a lot of weight eating whatever I want - just not as much as I used to when I was obese.
Some foods are very difficult to fit in - so calorie dense that just a little bit is more than enough calories, and at the same time taste in a way that any amount is never enough.
Food should make you happy and satisfied, not leave you more hungry.
My solution has been to find out which foods I like that I can eat to satiety, focus on them, and have small amounts of the hyperpalatable stuff very, very rarely.1 -
I stil eat what I want, just with more water/veggies/fruit. I'm only in my first month but I'm down 10lbs.
That's essentially all I did with my diet. I haven't had any chocolate recently, but I've noticed that in the 3 weeks of changing my habits.. I haven't actually WANTED it, either! I'm down 11lbs, right now, weigh in on Fridays!1 -
Yep - I lost 60+ in 2011 - eating whatever I wanted - nothing was off my menu (besides sad diet food like fat-free cheese and and fat-free salad dressing). I've continued to maintain my goal weight for 3.5 years... continuing to eat whatever I feel like eating. As long as I stay active and stay within my calorie goal, managing my weight is pretty effortless.1
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I eat what I want as long I have the calories and my macro. Feel free to add me peeps.1
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maillemaker wrote: »Eating whatever you want, or how much you want? There's a big difference between the two.
Not to me. What I want to eat is a Cracker Barrel Country Boy breakfast, Five Guys little bacon cheeseburger and fries for lunch, and a rack of baby back ribs and then ice cream for dessert.
Not gonna happen on a 1570 daily calorie allotment.
You see, for me, what I want to eat is to eat to satiety. This is at direct odds with a calorie deficit.
Then you're talking about something entirely different.
The OP is talking about eating she wants - not eating what she wants ALL the time. That's part of this weight loss thing - sacrifices. I want to eat McDonalds Egg McMuffin for breakfast, with a latte, Panera for lunch and pizza for dinner. So I do - just not all on the same day.
You can certainly eat to satiety - every meal, and stay within your goals (which seem a little low, IMO). But you have to put some work and thought into - and that's on you.1 -
kommodevaran wrote: »TheVirgoddess wrote: »maillemaker wrote: »I am a firm believer in eating what ever the heck I want just in moderation!
For me, "eating whatever the heck I want" and "moderation" are at direct odds with one another. Because what I want to eat never fits within my allotted calorie limits. Thus it always boils down to what I get to eat, now what I want to eat.
Eating whatever the heck I want is how I got fat to begin with.
Eating whatever you want, or how much you want? There's a big difference between the two. I've lost a lot of weight eating whatever I want - just not as much as I used to when I was obese.
Some foods are very difficult to fit in - so calorie dense that just a little bit is more than enough calories, and at the same time taste in a way that any amount is never enough.
Food should make you happy and satisfied, not leave you more hungry.
My solution has been to find out which foods I like that I can eat to satiety, focus on them, and have small amounts of the hyperpalatable stuff very, very rarely.
That sounds sensible, and a lot of people feel the same way. I've found that weighing out strict servings or even half servings of foods I love works for me. A half serving of lemon ricotta ravioli mixed with some veggies and a half tablespoon of butter ends up feeling very decadent and satisfying. Add some chicken and it's a very healthy meal. A slice of pizza cut into very narrow wedges and presented beautifully over a salad pleases the eye as much as the palate. Craving a greasy cheeseburger? Make sliders and oven fries. Making your food beautiful contributes to satiety. So does eating on smaller dishes.
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I basically eat what I want too. In a perfect world I would only eat fast food once, maybe twice a week. But I'm single and I live off of a busy road so I end up eating out a lot. I just try to eat more veggies with my other meals.
I do try to watch my sodium intake though. The scale will not move if I eat a bunch of high sodium stuff all the time.1 -
kommodevaran wrote: »TheVirgoddess wrote: »maillemaker wrote: »I am a firm believer in eating what ever the heck I want just in moderation!
For me, "eating whatever the heck I want" and "moderation" are at direct odds with one another. Because what I want to eat never fits within my allotted calorie limits. Thus it always boils down to what I get to eat, now what I want to eat.
Eating whatever the heck I want is how I got fat to begin with.
Eating whatever you want, or how much you want? There's a big difference between the two. I've lost a lot of weight eating whatever I want - just not as much as I used to when I was obese.
Some foods are very difficult to fit in - so calorie dense that just a little bit is more than enough calories, and at the same time taste in a way that any amount is never enough.
Food should make you happy and satisfied, not leave you more hungry.
My solution has been to find out which foods I like that I can eat to satiety, focus on them, and have small amounts of the hyperpalatable stuff very, very rarely.
I agree with you, and that's generally my approach.
But I'm also going to amend my previous statement. I think it's easier for me to "eat what I want", because my appetite is pretty low - eating too much was never my issue. I can happily eat half of a restaurant kids meal and be totally satisfied. So it's entirely possible (probable even) that I don't know how hard it is for people who have bigger appetites. I shouldn't pretend it's easy for everyone, just because it's been easy for me.
So @maillemaker I'm sorry if I seemed dismissive. That wasn't very nice of me.0 -
I hope this stays a nice, simple thread directed toward junk food lovers and their ability to lose weight successfully, and doesn't turn into a "you can't live on chocolate cake!" mess...1
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SnuggleSmacks wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »TheVirgoddess wrote: »maillemaker wrote: »I am a firm believer in eating what ever the heck I want just in moderation!
For me, "eating whatever the heck I want" and "moderation" are at direct odds with one another. Because what I want to eat never fits within my allotted calorie limits. Thus it always boils down to what I get to eat, now what I want to eat.
Eating whatever the heck I want is how I got fat to begin with.
Eating whatever you want, or how much you want? There's a big difference between the two. I've lost a lot of weight eating whatever I want - just not as much as I used to when I was obese.
Some foods are very difficult to fit in - so calorie dense that just a little bit is more than enough calories, and at the same time taste in a way that any amount is never enough.
Food should make you happy and satisfied, not leave you more hungry.
My solution has been to find out which foods I like that I can eat to satiety, focus on them, and have small amounts of the hyperpalatable stuff very, very rarely.
That sounds sensible, and a lot of people feel the same way. I've found that weighing out strict servings or even half servings of foods I love works for me. A half serving of lemon ricotta ravioli mixed with some veggies and a half tablespoon of butter ends up feeling very decadent and satisfying. Add some chicken and it's a very healthy meal. A slice of pizza cut into very narrow wedges and presented beautifully over a salad pleases the eye as much as the palate. Craving a greasy cheeseburger? Make sliders and oven fries. Making your food beautiful contributes to satiety. So does eating on smaller dishes.
You describe very much like how I do it - my new (MFP era) favorite dishes include a small (20-30 grams) piece of delicious full fat cheese and some fruit (usually pear or grapes); green apple slices (or orange sections) and peanut butter; pear and almond or cashew butter; full fat greek yogurt, nuts or nut butters, maybe honey or maple syrup. I eat a lot of chicken, thigh or wings, with skin; pork, lamb and beef chops; salmon, herring; sometimes duck or oysters; today was cockles. Vegetables for dinner is often just defrosted and lightly heated peas or green beans, very simple, but they are so fresh and appetizing; grilled/baked corn on the cob goes well with a good chunk of red meat and baked parsnips with honey, olive oil and sesame seeds. I can make soup from just about any vegetable wonderful and creamy with my immersion blender. Not included what I eat for dinner, I chew my way through four pounds of raw vegetables per week. Same amount of fruit, I love fruit! I just bought a big bag of uglies dirt cheap, and the smell and taste like candy. If I want a fruit or chocolate smoothie I'll just whip one up. I get enough fiber from oatmeal and crispbread - for dinner I want white rice or pasta; or I'll make mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes with red chili, or bake chunks of them in the oven. I can choose between all kinds of porridge - oats, millet, polenta, tapioca or semolina, I cook it with milk and water, and serve with butter.
As long as I do the cooking, I get to eat amazing food every day - oh, the smell and the taste - and the idea that I can create something like that, for almost no money, and it's healthy - it just blows my mind - and it's so much fun too!0 -
I am a firm believer that I'll eat what I want as long as I don't go over 1300 calories. I don't eat back my calories either because that's useless. If I eat a chocolate chip brownie that is 300 calories, oh well that was my lunch. This prompts me to make better food choices anyway so I can actually get full.
Feel free to add me anyone, my diary is open and you can see the amazing amount of popsicles and watermelon I eat haha. 1 -
Add me.. i was starting to feel bad about not being able to stick to a healthy diet 24/7.. this thread is exactly what i needed to read right now lol1
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I am just starting back up and eating better food, but don't believe in cutting out food groups to lose weight or I would just crave them more...please add me I am also tired of the no this or that groups because I refuse to give up what I like....moderation works just as well:)1
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I eat what I want in moderation, whatever I can fit into my daily calorie alottment - feel free to add me as I would be happy to motivate and be motivated by like-minded people !!1
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yes enjoy anything in moderation1
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Down 54 lbs just exercising and eating everything in moderation.
Elimination diets are only effective in the short term. They are simply unsustainable in the long term (but that's what makes them so profitable).1 -
TheVirgoddess wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »TheVirgoddess wrote: »maillemaker wrote: »I am a firm believer in eating what ever the heck I want just in moderation!
For me, "eating whatever the heck I want" and "moderation" are at direct odds with one another. Because what I want to eat never fits within my allotted calorie limits. Thus it always boils down to what I get to eat, now what I want to eat.
Eating whatever the heck I want is how I got fat to begin with.
Eating whatever you want, or how much you want? There's a big difference between the two. I've lost a lot of weight eating whatever I want - just not as much as I used to when I was obese.
Some foods are very difficult to fit in - so calorie dense that just a little bit is more than enough calories, and at the same time taste in a way that any amount is never enough.
Food should make you happy and satisfied, not leave you more hungry.
My solution has been to find out which foods I like that I can eat to satiety, focus on them, and have small amounts of the hyperpalatable stuff very, very rarely.
I agree with you, and that's generally my approach.
But I'm also going to amend my previous statement. I think it's easier for me to "eat what I want", because my appetite is pretty low - eating too much was never my issue. I can happily eat half of a restaurant kids meal and be totally satisfied. So it's entirely possible (probable even) that I don't know how hard it is for people who have bigger appetites. I shouldn't pretend it's easy for everyone, just because it's been easy for me.
So @maillemaker I'm sorry if I seemed dismissive. That wasn't very nice of me.
That was a thoughtful response. Nicely done!
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I eat what I want in moderation. But for ME moderation might mean that I can "spend" 200 calories on delicious junk food (or whatever I am craving). Or it might mean I occasionally eat a piece of cake and call it dinner. Not every meal is everything I want in life. There just isn't enough room in my caloric budget, and that's the truth. I see some saying they disapprove of a "low calorie" diet, but at 4'11, MFP only gives me 1210 for a mere .5 lb loss. I exercise my way up to around 1400 most days, but that's still not a lot to work with. So I ultimately chose to eat more volume, satiating food, and much less of the calorie dense food. But believe me, if I was taller and had a lot more calories to spare, I would be enjoying junk much more often!1
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I believe you can eat anything you want and still lose weight. However, that fat, irresponsible voice inside of me keeps interpreting that to mean she can eat EVERYthing she wants. Nope.1
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2snakeswoman wrote: »I believe you can eat anything you want and still lose weight. However, that fat, irresponsible voice inside of me keeps interpreting that to mean she can eat EVERYthing she wants. Nope.
haha! That voice is in my head some days, too!1 -
I eat really well everyday and because of my working out, nutritional balance is key... however, I splurge every night with a homemade dessert and even with ice cream (I make dessert every night of the week).. I just make it fit..
I think the majority rules in the aspect that the elimination diet is subject to complete failure.
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I don't think anyone here thinks elimination diets are a good idea (?)1
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I don't think anyone here thinks elimination diets are a good idea (?)
Here in this thread, or here on MFP? Because definitely there are a lot of folks on MFP who follow restrictive diets or eliminate (or attempt to eliminate) certain food groups. Look how many rampant sugar is the devil threads we have going on in the forums lately?
Or maybe I misunderstood what you were saying?
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I meant in this thread, I think we're all in agreement!1
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OP I am firmly on Team Moderation. I eat the foods I enjoy, fitting in all the things I love on a regular basis. I agree with someone who commented earlier that I may not be able to fit in everything I want, in the amount I want, every single day, but I've been at this for 2+ years, have lost 30 lbs and moved to maintenance, and for me the process was not particularly painful or difficult.
I added a lot of healthier habits in order to be successful - I move A LOT more than I ever did before. If I don't get 12K steps in a day, I'm probably either sick or stuck on a long road trip like I was last week. I cook more at home, which has multiple benefits - I really enjoy cooking, it saves me money, and it helps me control my calories. Now when I eat at restaurants, which I still do, every week, it is far more enjoyable.
I love wine, I also love gelato. Some days I can fit in both, some days I have to choose. I am far from a clean eater, but I enjoy eating nutrient dense foods and find that when I do, it enables me to be satisfied and easier to work in the treats that I want daily.0 -
I eat whatever it is that I want, I just don't eat as much as I think I want. I keep it within my calories for the day. I found that if I tried to give up specific items, the cravings knocked me off the diet train real quickly.1
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I'm eating whatever I want to, too Usually it's two home cooked meals a day (I keep finding yummy recipes to try out) and snacking on whatever is near, be it a chocolate bar or ice-cream, or fruits and berries ^^ I've lost 17 kilos in a year 1
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