Eat whatever you want and still lose weight?
Options
Replies
-
For around twenty years, I tried every restrictive diet out there. I usually couldn't last more than a few days. When I finally realized that I could just count calories and eat what I wanted, it was as though the heavens opened and and the birds were singing lol.
See to me, counting calories is a restrictive diet. MFP has me at 1570 calories a day. I find it horribly restrictive and I am always hungry. But that is the way it always is when I'm losing weight. If I'm not hungry the scale isn't moving.0 -
maillemaker wrote: »For around twenty years, I tried every restrictive diet out there. I usually couldn't last more than a few days. When I finally realized that I could just count calories and eat what I wanted, it was as though the heavens opened and and the birds were singing lol.
See to me, counting calories is a restrictive diet. MFP has me at 1570 calories a day. I find it horribly restrictive and I am always hungry. But that is the way it always is when I'm losing weight. If I'm not hungry the scale isn't moving.maillemaker wrote: »For around twenty years, I tried every restrictive diet out there. I usually couldn't last more than a few days. When I finally realized that I could just count calories and eat what I wanted, it was as though the heavens opened and and the birds were singing lol.
See to me, counting calories is a restrictive diet. MFP has me at 1570 calories a day. I find it horribly restrictive and I am always hungry. But that is the way it always is when I'm losing weight. If I'm not hungry the scale isn't moving.
I agree. If you're used to eating a lot, and got enjoyment out of that (as I did), then calorie counting is indeed restrictive. With that said, I only have a 250 calorie deficit (.5 lb loss each week) and I exercise every day so I can eat more. I never go to bed hungry, but I WISH I could eat more! Still, I would absolutely not forbid myself from any food group.0 -
If it meets, I eats.0
-
I agree. If you're used to eating a lot, and got enjoyment out of that (as I did), then calorie counting is indeed restrictive. With that said, I only have a 250 calorie deficit (.5 lb loss each week) and I exercise every day so I can eat more. I never go to bed hungry, but I WISH I could eat more! Still, I would absolutely not forbid myself from any food group.
I don't forbid myself food groups anymore, I work hard to try and fit things in my allowance.
But I'm always hungry. I sometimes go to bed early to avoid being hungry.
I exercise also but I think all that does is make me *more* hungry by increasing my caloric deficit. You get to eat some of it back but at the end of the day I'm still in a deficit so I'm still hungry.0 -
The "there are no evil foods" approach definitely works best for me, and it's actually helped me learn to be far more thoughtful about how I eat than the times I tried restriction-based diets.
Edited to add that kale may actually be in my "evil" category. Still deciding...
Nowadays I am making really conscious choices about what I want, plus making sure that I enjoy and take the time to savor those choices. That's edged me toward cooking a lot more, eating more fresh fruits and veggies (fresh just tastes better), learning to appreciate and use a big variety of spices and seasonings, and insisting on quality over quantity - I can walk past the generic soft-serve ice cream at the fair, but I have a lovely pint of Apple Caramel Pie Talenti Gelato in my freezer for when I want to plan a treat.
So ironically, my 'eat what I want' decision has ended up establishing far healthier eating habits than the supposedly 'healthy' diets I tried to force on myself previously. Go figure
Oh, and please don't kick me out of your thread! I'm a 1200-a-day person, but it's because I am barely 5'3" tall and have a tiny frame. I exercise up to about 1300 a day at the moment, and hope to increase my exercise levels (because I am liking the way this exercise thing makes me feel) even further, so anticipate being able to operate from a higher caloric base in future.
Good points! Sticking to a calorie budget forces me to make choices at every turn....and the choice is almost always "healthy" because it makes sense to save those calories for something REALLY good and worthwhile later.0 -
I eat anything I want!! Including 'Junk' food Down 42lbs
0 -
So ironically, my 'eat what I want' decision has ended up establishing far healthier eating habits than the supposedly 'healthy' diets I tried to force on myself previously. Go figure
Same for me. I used to rarely have a salad, or any vegetables, really, on a regular basis. Now I have them because COOKIE LATER!!!
0 -
I lost weight eating what I wanted. 42lbs. Then I gained it back because I stopped counting the calories I was inhaling. The next time I changed the way I thought about food. What I want is to be lighter, healthier and more mobile. So now I eat meals high in protein and fiber. I feel so much better than when I was balancing weight loss with pizza and fast food. This feels more sustainable as well. I know I can over eat with these foods but it will be alot harder to gain weight eating veggies than it will eating a doughnut.0
-
PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »So ironically, my 'eat what I want' decision has ended up establishing far healthier eating habits than the supposedly 'healthy' diets I tried to force on myself previously. Go figure
Same for me. I used to rarely have a salad, or any vegetables, really, on a regular basis. Now I have them because COOKIE LATER!!!
This is an excellent point and I think one of the key things that people fail to understand about those who practice moderation. A lot of people hear the phrase, "there's nothing wrong with eating XYZ food, in moderation" and turn that into the strawman argument, "Sure, you can eat nothing but (insert unclean food of choice: twinkies, oreos, doritos, McDonalds) and lose weight but you won't be healthy".
I eat more vegetables, more whole grains, more "clean" foods in general now than I ever did before. I also spend a lot of time thinking about food, planning my meals, figuring out how I'm going to fit in the "treats" I want. If I have a day filled with nutrient dense foods, and am under my calorie goal, does my one serving of gelato at the end of the day suddenly render me unhealthy? Even if I get some of my other nutrient dense foods from processed food, does that make me unhealthy? If I have greek yogurt and a Kashi bar for breakfast (like I did today), a burrito bowl from Chipotle or Qdoba for lunch, and then grilled chicken, veggies, and rice for dinner, ending with wine and gelato - is that an unhealthy day? That seems pretty healthy to me, but for some reason if people say they don't eat clean, because they don't demonize food, then everyone assumes I'm sitting around eating nothing but Oreos all day long.
0 -
Came across this thread and I am so happy people share my same love for food !! At the end of the day "diets" don't work. When I am told what to eat and when to eat and how many times per day I always end up crashing and burning. I do not like feeling deprived what so ever!
Look at effing Mediterranean women! They eat bread and drink wine on the daily and are thin! They know the key to life which is balance:)0 -
I eat what I like
. I'm not too far off my goal now, and I still eat cake and chocolate 0 -
Hi fellow food lovers! So glad I found this thread. I haven't posted anywhere else because I don't feel like arguing with people that don't even know me, or how my body reacts to food. I'm like a lot of peeps here, I eat mostly healthy home cooked meals because I have to cook for my husband, as well as myself. If I want to have something not so healthy then I'll have it and fit it in. Being 5'2" and 65 yr. old my calories allowed are precious to me. Even though my exercise routine usually gives me @ 400 extra calories a day, I hardly ever use more than a 100 or so. But, they are there if I need them. It is refreshing to find a thread that is positive and to know that there is no "right" way to lose weight, just what is right for you. 0
-
I eat whatever I want all the time. Gained 84lbs with pregnancy. Baby is 11 months and I have lost 62lbs. Luckly I don't like junk food. (I loved it when I was pregnant)0
-
Hi fellow food lovers! So glad I found this thread. I haven't posted anywhere else because I don't feel like arguing with people that don't even know me, or how my body reacts to food. I'm like a lot of peeps here, I eat mostly healthy home cooked meals because I have to cook for my husband, as well as myself. If I want to have something not so healthy then I'll have it and fit it in. Being 5'2" and 65 yr. old my calories allowed are precious to me. Even though my exercise routine usually gives me @ 400 extra calories a day, I hardly ever use more than a 100 or so. But, they are there if I need them. It is refreshing to find a thread that is positive and to know that there is no "right" way to lose weight, just what is right for you.
This is truly what I wanted when I started this thread. See, inspiration is really the point. There is no right or wrong way to do this. We just need to do it and stick to it! I feel like losing weight and getting healthy would be much easier for people if the idea of it was more positive. I say, do what works for you and encourage others to do the same. But most importantly enjoy your new eating habits because you have to do this for the rest of your life! Feel free to ADD ME!
0 -
PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »So ironically, my 'eat what I want' decision has ended up establishing far healthier eating habits than the supposedly 'healthy' diets I tried to force on myself previously. Go figure
Same for me. I used to rarely have a salad, or any vegetables, really, on a regular basis. Now I have them because COOKIE LATER!!!
This is an excellent point and I think one of the key things that people fail to understand about those who practice moderation. A lot of people hear the phrase, "there's nothing wrong with eating XYZ food, in moderation" and turn that into the strawman argument, "Sure, you can eat nothing but (insert unclean food of choice: twinkies, oreos, doritos, McDonalds) and lose weight but you won't be healthy".
I eat more vegetables, more whole grains, more "clean" foods in general now than I ever did before. I also spend a lot of time thinking about food, planning my meals, figuring out how I'm going to fit in the "treats" I want. If I have a day filled with nutrient dense foods, and am under my calorie goal, does my one serving of gelato at the end of the day suddenly render me unhealthy? Even if I get some of my other nutrient dense foods from processed food, does that make me unhealthy? If I have greek yogurt and a Kashi bar for breakfast (like I did today), a burrito bowl from Chipotle or Qdoba for lunch, and then grilled chicken, veggies, and rice for dinner, ending with wine and gelato - is that an unhealthy day? That seems pretty healthy to me, but for some reason if people say they don't eat clean, because they don't demonize food, then everyone assumes I'm sitting around eating nothing but Oreos all day long.
I agree. It's too bad this seems to be a polarizing topic in the forums. I don't think it's so black and white. Most people who "eat whatever they want" seem to do the same (I think), but they aren't very vocal about the nutritious parts. It's hard to take someone seriously when they talk about all the junk they eat and don't talk about all the other, nutritious, food they eat to balance it. I wish more people were honest and talked more about BOTH types of foods.0 -
PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »So ironically, my 'eat what I want' decision has ended up establishing far healthier eating habits than the supposedly 'healthy' diets I tried to force on myself previously. Go figure
Same for me. I used to rarely have a salad, or any vegetables, really, on a regular basis. Now I have them because COOKIE LATER!!!
This is an excellent point and I think one of the key things that people fail to understand about those who practice moderation. A lot of people hear the phrase, "there's nothing wrong with eating XYZ food, in moderation" and turn that into the strawman argument, "Sure, you can eat nothing but (insert unclean food of choice: twinkies, oreos, doritos, McDonalds) and lose weight but you won't be healthy".
I eat more vegetables, more whole grains, more "clean" foods in general now than I ever did before. I also spend a lot of time thinking about food, planning my meals, figuring out how I'm going to fit in the "treats" I want. If I have a day filled with nutrient dense foods, and am under my calorie goal, does my one serving of gelato at the end of the day suddenly render me unhealthy? Even if I get some of my other nutrient dense foods from processed food, does that make me unhealthy? If I have greek yogurt and a Kashi bar for breakfast (like I did today), a burrito bowl from Chipotle or Qdoba for lunch, and then grilled chicken, veggies, and rice for dinner, ending with wine and gelato - is that an unhealthy day? That seems pretty healthy to me, but for some reason if people say they don't eat clean, because they don't demonize food, then everyone assumes I'm sitting around eating nothing but Oreos all day long.
I agree. It's too bad this seems to be a polarizing topic in the forums. I don't think it's so black and white. Most people who "eat whatever they want" seem to do the same (I think), but they aren't very vocal about the nutritious parts. It's hard to take someone seriously when they talk about all the junk they eat and don't talk about all the other, nutritious, food they eat to balance it. I wish more people were honest and talked more about BOTH types of foods.
Yeah, I guess. I think because I know many of those people, and know that when they say, "If It Fits Your Macros" they truly mean, if it fits their macros they will eat it, and if not, they won't. It is possible to hit your macros on nothing but McDonalds, but I don't know anyone who does that in actuality. The majority of the people saying, "I fit the junk food in" mean, they fit it in AFTER they have eaten nutrient dense foods to help them meet their macro and micro nutritional profile.
I agree, and have mentioned that a couple of times in those polarizing threads, that I think for the most part, people in both camps eat relatively similarly. You have clean eaters who say, "I eat 80% clean and 20% treats" and you have IIFYM folks who say, "I fit it in after I hit my macros". A blind comparison of diaries of eaters in both camps would probably be difficult to label as one or the other. There are a few extreme examples though, in both camps, and those are the ones that drive me crazy...
What I don't like is this theory that if you are eating anything processed, you are automatically "unhealthy". That's my biggest pet peeve. Everything is processed in some way or another.
0 -
PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »So ironically, my 'eat what I want' decision has ended up establishing far healthier eating habits than the supposedly 'healthy' diets I tried to force on myself previously. Go figure
Same for me. I used to rarely have a salad, or any vegetables, really, on a regular basis. Now I have them because COOKIE LATER!!!
This is an excellent point and I think one of the key things that people fail to understand about those who practice moderation. A lot of people hear the phrase, "there's nothing wrong with eating XYZ food, in moderation" and turn that into the strawman argument, "Sure, you can eat nothing but (insert unclean food of choice: twinkies, oreos, doritos, McDonalds) and lose weight but you won't be healthy".
I eat more vegetables, more whole grains, more "clean" foods in general now than I ever did before. I also spend a lot of time thinking about food, planning my meals, figuring out how I'm going to fit in the "treats" I want. If I have a day filled with nutrient dense foods, and am under my calorie goal, does my one serving of gelato at the end of the day suddenly render me unhealthy? Even if I get some of my other nutrient dense foods from processed food, does that make me unhealthy? If I have greek yogurt and a Kashi bar for breakfast (like I did today), a burrito bowl from Chipotle or Qdoba for lunch, and then grilled chicken, veggies, and rice for dinner, ending with wine and gelato - is that an unhealthy day? That seems pretty healthy to me, but for some reason if people say they don't eat clean, because they don't demonize food, then everyone assumes I'm sitting around eating nothing but Oreos all day long.
I agree. It's too bad this seems to be a polarizing topic in the forums. I don't think it's so black and white. Most people who "eat whatever they want" seem to do the same (I think), but they aren't very vocal about the nutritious parts. It's hard to take someone seriously when they talk about all the junk they eat and don't talk about all the other, nutritious, food they eat to balance it. I wish more people were honest and talked more about BOTH types of foods.
Yeah, I guess. I think because I know many of those people, and know that when they say, "If It Fits Your Macros" they truly mean, if it fits their macros they will eat it, and if not, they won't. It is possible to hit your macros on nothing but McDonalds, but I don't know anyone who does that in actuality. The majority of the people saying, "I fit the junk food in" mean, they fit it in AFTER they have eaten nutrient dense foods to help them meet their macro and micro nutritional profile.
I agree, and have mentioned that a couple of times in those polarizing threads, that I think for the most part, people in both camps eat relatively similarly. You have clean eaters who say, "I eat 80% clean and 20% treats" and you have IIFYM folks who say, "I fit it in after I hit my macros". A blind comparison of diaries of eaters in both camps would probably be difficult to label as one or the other. There are a few extreme examples though, in both camps, and those are the ones that drive me crazy...
What I don't like is this theory that if you are eating anything processed, you are automatically "unhealthy". That's my biggest pet peeve. Everything is processed in some way or another.
Yep, scrambled eggs are technically processed (by heat). I agree there are some people who are nutty about the processed stuff. But the majority on MFP seem to follow the moderation/IIFYM mentality.
What I see here are threads (kind of like this one), that lead with the "whatever I want" but don't disclose the rest. It's kind of misleading and tempting to start an argument. If people want to create these threads, why not automatically disclose the rest of the balance of nutrients? I think that would shut down any opponents pretty quickly. The constant posting of "mmm, pizza!" makes it look that's ALL some people eat (I mean, I WISH!).0 -
PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »So ironically, my 'eat what I want' decision has ended up establishing far healthier eating habits than the supposedly 'healthy' diets I tried to force on myself previously. Go figure
Same for me. I used to rarely have a salad, or any vegetables, really, on a regular basis. Now I have them because COOKIE LATER!!!
This is an excellent point and I think one of the key things that people fail to understand about those who practice moderation. A lot of people hear the phrase, "there's nothing wrong with eating XYZ food, in moderation" and turn that into the strawman argument, "Sure, you can eat nothing but (insert unclean food of choice: twinkies, oreos, doritos, McDonalds) and lose weight but you won't be healthy".
I eat more vegetables, more whole grains, more "clean" foods in general now than I ever did before. I also spend a lot of time thinking about food, planning my meals, figuring out how I'm going to fit in the "treats" I want. If I have a day filled with nutrient dense foods, and am under my calorie goal, does my one serving of gelato at the end of the day suddenly render me unhealthy? Even if I get some of my other nutrient dense foods from processed food, does that make me unhealthy? If I have greek yogurt and a Kashi bar for breakfast (like I did today), a burrito bowl from Chipotle or Qdoba for lunch, and then grilled chicken, veggies, and rice for dinner, ending with wine and gelato - is that an unhealthy day? That seems pretty healthy to me, but for some reason if people say they don't eat clean, because they don't demonize food, then everyone assumes I'm sitting around eating nothing but Oreos all day long.
I agree. It's too bad this seems to be a polarizing topic in the forums. I don't think it's so black and white. Most people who "eat whatever they want" seem to do the same (I think), but they aren't very vocal about the nutritious parts. It's hard to take someone seriously when they talk about all the junk they eat and don't talk about all the other, nutritious, food they eat to balance it. I wish more people were honest and talked more about BOTH types of foods.
Yeah, I guess. I think because I know many of those people, and know that when they say, "If It Fits Your Macros" they truly mean, if it fits their macros they will eat it, and if not, they won't. It is possible to hit your macros on nothing but McDonalds, but I don't know anyone who does that in actuality. The majority of the people saying, "I fit the junk food in" mean, they fit it in AFTER they have eaten nutrient dense foods to help them meet their macro and micro nutritional profile.
I agree, and have mentioned that a couple of times in those polarizing threads, that I think for the most part, people in both camps eat relatively similarly. You have clean eaters who say, "I eat 80% clean and 20% treats" and you have IIFYM folks who say, "I fit it in after I hit my macros". A blind comparison of diaries of eaters in both camps would probably be difficult to label as one or the other. There are a few extreme examples though, in both camps, and those are the ones that drive me crazy...
What I don't like is this theory that if you are eating anything processed, you are automatically "unhealthy". That's my biggest pet peeve. Everything is processed in some way or another.
Yep, scrambled eggs are technically processed (by heat). I agree there are some people who are nutty about the processed stuff. But the majority on MFP seem to follow the moderation/IIFYM mentality.
What I see here are threads (kind of like this one), that lead with the "whatever I want" but don't disclose the rest. It's kind of misleading and tempting to start an argument. If people want to create these threads, why not automatically disclose the rest of the balance of nutrients? I think that would shut down any opponents pretty quickly. The constant posting of "mmm, pizza!" makes it look that's ALL some people eat (I mean, I WISH!).
I think the majority of the MFP veterans are IIFYM folks. There are quite a few clean eating zealots, at least it seems that way lately as well. It seems like a lot of the newer members are the ones though, posting about wanting to try out clean eating, because they saw it on Pinterest or Facebook, or because someone they know told them they can eat whatever they want as long as its clean and not have to count calories. Those are the kind of posts that then seem to bring out the fighting, and ultimately the extremists on both sides.
I think this thread itself is sort of an anomaly, it is far more common to see someone say, "I'm going to start eating clean" and then people chime in with "what does that mean" or "yeah me too, I wash all my fruits and vegetables". Clean eating is such a vague and arbitrary term, just as saying, "I eat whatever I want" means something different to everyone.
TL/DR - I agree with you - just a few more specifics all around would probably be helpful for people to know whether or not an argument is necessary!
0 -
I eat whatever I feel like eating. Fortunately for me I have a very active life so I can occasionally have things like... THE ENTIRE PIZZA....I eat dairy, gluten. sugar, meat and junk food...( I also eat fruit and veggies and healthy things) And I eat late night snacks and take advantage of exercise calories. I am down 15 pounds in 75 days. That's a .2 pound a day loss.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 389 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
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 920 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions