Can I lose weight eating real food butter, rice etc?

bertobelle77
bertobelle77 Posts: 17 Member
edited November 20 in Health and Weight Loss
I really need to lose weight as I am now over 16 stone. I am vegetarian and I have been investigating various diets and I am not crazy about any of them really. Most are low carb or low fat or rely heavily on processesd foods, many like paleo don't really suit a veggie. I like real food, I like butter and full fat dairy, I like cheese, wholemeal bread, keifer, brown rice, pulses, avocados and nuts. The cause of my weight gain is my sweet tooth the only processed food I eat is buscuits and cakes which I eat daily, large portions, I simply eat too much and total lack of exercise.

Researching diets it seems that the best for weight loss are low carb and low fat but nutritionally these aren't always the best because we need good fats in our diet in decent quanity and full fat dairy has loads of top quality nutrition Vitamin K2 for example in cheese. Also while I am fine with limiting carbs like bread, pasta and white potatoes more than I currently do I can't really see a problem with having some quinoa or brown rice with my evening meal or eating oats for breakfast.

Yes the cookies and the cakes do have to go, I need to use portion control and get some daily exercise as well as making sure I am getting a bit more protein especially as I intend to start strength training.

Am I crazy to think I can eat real, whole food as long as I cut out the sweets, watch my calories and exercise?


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Replies

  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    If you eat little enough of anything, you can lose weight.
  • maroonmango211
    maroonmango211 Posts: 908 Member
    No you are not crazy, yes you can lose weight eating all the foods you love along with a huge variety of healthy ones you can learn to love after trying the. Calories in vs. calories out. Personally I still try to eat a whole lot of "healthy" foods that are nutrient dense so I fuel my body with what it needs but I definitely still have my bacon, ice cream, wine and deep fried goodies often too just in smaller amounts.
  • Laurend224
    Laurend224 Posts: 1,748 Member
    I really need to lose weight as I am now over 16 stone. I am vegetarian and I have been investigating various diets and I am not crazy about any of them really. Most are low carb or low fat or rely heavily on processesd foods, many like paleo don't really suit a veggie. I like real food, I like butter and full fat dairy, I like cheese, wholemeal bread, keifer, brown rice, pulses, avocados and nuts. The cause of my weight gain is my sweet tooth the only processed food I eat is buscuits and cakes which I eat daily, large portions, I simply eat too much and total lack of exercise.

    Researching diets it seems that the best for weight loss are low carb and low fat but nutritionally these aren't always the best because we need good fats in our diet in decent quanity and full fat dairy has loads of top quality nutrition Vitamin K2 for example in cheese. Also while I am fine with limiting carbs like bread, pasta and white potatoes more than I currently do I can't really see a problem with having some quinoa or brown rice with my evening meal or eating oats for breakfast.

    Yes the cookies and the cakes do have to go, I need to use portion control and get some daily exercise as well as making sure I am getting a bit more protein especially as I intend to start strength training.

    Am I crazy to think I can eat real, whole food as long as I cut out the sweets, watch my calories and exercise?


    You don't even need to cut out the sweets. :p
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    Everything, in moderation. I haven't given up a single thing. I fit the foods I eat into my calorie goal.
  • FlyingMolly
    FlyingMolly Posts: 490 Member
    edited June 2015
    Eating real food is the best way to lose weight, in my opinion, as long as you don't eat too much of it. It doesn't sound like you need "a diet"; you just need to commit to cutting way back on the snacks and sweets.

    Allow yourself a treat now and then, but be brutally honest with yourself about how big "a treat" is and how often "now and then" is. Weigh it on a food scale and log it in MFP and fill the rest of your diary with whatever real, whole, wonderful foods you want.

    Diets are lame. Food is what your body runs on.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Why does it have to be so extreme?
  • rachelbouc
    rachelbouc Posts: 65 Member
    edited June 2015
    You can totally eat real food and lose weight! Even sweets! My biggest hurdle is chocolate. I still eat it, but it doesn't bother me when it's around any more. I eat cake, ice cream, and chocolate and still maintain at least a 1lb loss a week (it should be more but I have a little problem tracking everything). I had a bridal shower and a birthday party in one week. There were a lot of sweets and indulgent foods, but I came out on top. Just count calories and exercise for bonus calories. I like to go by what my math teacher in high school use to say "Keep it simple, stupid" meaning there is no magical diet that slims or magical fat burning foods.
  • 85Cardinals
    85Cardinals Posts: 733 Member
    Every 2 or 3 weeks I'll have a cheat day where I eat nothing but butter and rice. It's all about maintaining a calorie deficit long-term!
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    You don't even have to cut out the sweets if you don't want to. Eat the foods you currently eat and enjoy - just less of them.
  • MakePeasNotWar
    MakePeasNotWar Posts: 1,329 Member
    As long as you watch your portion sizes, you can eat any foods you want and lose weight. For health reasons, you want to make sure you are getting a lot of nutrient dense foods like fruits and veggies, protein (I am also veggie, so I eat a lot of beans and tofu), and enough fat, but as long as you limit (don't eliminate, just be more careful re portions) the high calorie density foods, you should lose weight just as easily as you could on any "diet".

    When I am trying to lose weight, I tend to limit portions of avocado, oils, nuts, desserts, and bread, and eat all the veggies, fruits and beans I want. That way I'm getting enough food, but I am also having some of the richer things I like, so I don't feel hungry or deprived.
  • bertobelle77
    bertobelle77 Posts: 17 Member
    Thanks all that does help me decide. I do eat heaps of fresh veggies and fruit each day but it is the portions and extra's that are my undoing. I am open to letting myself have a treat now and again! I am sure I read chocolate is good for you so perhaps I can have some of that each week but as you say I will need to fit it into my daily calorie goal. I think nutrient dense food as in lots of vitamins and minerals as well as eating as big a variety as possible is so much better than eating low fat processed foods it will just take a bit more disapline to check portion sizes etc.

  • softblondechick
    softblondechick Posts: 1,275 Member
    Measure everything. Get a scale, and use cups and teaspoons.

    You can eat what you want. But, you need to measure it. For example, I pour a serving of cereal, what I consider a serving....is about three servings!
  • bertobelle77
    bertobelle77 Posts: 17 Member
    Yeah I think mesuring is something I need to do to make sure I am not cheating myself on portion size. I have a tendency to do that too, fill the bowl and think that is a normal service size when a serving is like a quarter of the bowl. I need some smaller bowls :(
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Ninkyou wrote: »
    Everything, in moderation. I haven't given up a single thing. I fit the foods I eat into my calorie goal.

    BOOM!
  • Gska17
    Gska17 Posts: 752 Member
    I haven't cut out a single food item. I've mostly ditched butter, though. I just don't care for it all that much.
  • bertobelle77
    bertobelle77 Posts: 17 Member
    Aww I love butter, two eggs scrambled in a little butter keeps me full all day pretty much, I can skip it on toast though.
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  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
    The best thing you can do is to stop researching diets and get back to the basics. You can work out the fine details of what foods work best for you after you get your calories in order.
  • michellemanigault5
    michellemanigault5 Posts: 1 Member
    For me , I had to make a choice. Once I did that I was successful . The Eat Clean Diet has been the ticket for me . Best of Luck to you !
    I really need to lose weight as I am now over 16 stone. I am vegetarian and I have been investigating various diets and I am not crazy about any of them really. Most are low carb or low fat or rely heavily on processesd foods, many like paleo don't really suit a veggie. I like real food, I like butter and full fat dairy, I like cheese, wholemeal bread, keifer, brown rice, pulses, avocados and nuts. The cause of my weight gain is my sweet tooth the only processed food I eat is buscuits and cakes which I eat daily, large portions, I simply eat too much and total lack of exercise.

    Researching diets it seems that the best for weight loss are low carb and low fat but nutritionally these aren't always the best because we need good fats in our diet in decent quanity and full fat dairy has loads of top quality nutrition Vitamin K2 for example in cheese. Also while I am fine with limiting carbs like bread, pasta and white potatoes more than I currently do I can't really see a problem with having some quinoa or brown rice with my evening meal or eating oats for breakfast.

    Yes the cookies and the cakes do have to go, I need to use portion control and get some daily exercise as well as making sure I am getting a bit more protein especially as I intend to start strength training.

    Am I crazy to think I can eat real, whole food as long as I cut out the sweets, watch my calories and exercise?


  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,979 Member
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Ninkyou wrote: »
    Everything, in moderation. I haven't given up a single thing. I fit the foods I eat into my calorie goal.

    BOOM!

    ^^ This. I had no issues hitting my goal and gave up nothing.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    edited June 2015
    Gska17 wrote: »
    I haven't cut out a single food item. I've mostly ditched butter, though. I just don't care for it all that much.

    Do you hate kittens, too?

    ;)
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    I really need to lose weight as I am now over 16 stone. I am vegetarian and I have been investigating various diets and I am not crazy about any of them really. Most are low carb or low fat or rely heavily on processesd foods, many like paleo don't really suit a veggie. I like real food, I like butter and full fat dairy, I like cheese, wholemeal bread, keifer, brown rice, pulses, avocados and nuts. The cause of my weight gain is my sweet tooth the only processed food I eat is buscuits and cakes which I eat daily, large portions, I simply eat too much and total lack of exercise.

    Researching diets it seems that the best for weight loss are low carb and low fat but nutritionally these aren't always the best because we need good fats in our diet in decent quanity and full fat dairy has loads of top quality nutrition Vitamin K2 for example in cheese. Also while I am fine with limiting carbs like bread, pasta and white potatoes more than I currently do I can't really see a problem with having some quinoa or brown rice with my evening meal or eating oats for breakfast.

    Yes the cookies and the cakes do have to go, I need to use portion control and get some daily exercise as well as making sure I am getting a bit more protein especially as I intend to start strength training.

    Am I crazy to think I can eat real, whole food as long as I cut out the sweets, watch my calories and exercise?


    Bolded is the path to get started. Go with small changes like portion control or gong for 30 minute walk a couple times a week. Me, I eat what I like, just smaller portions of it.
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,979 Member
    Gska17 wrote: »
    I haven't cut out a single food item. I've mostly ditched butter, though. I just don't care for it all that much.

    Do you hate kittens, too?

    ;)

    At least it wasn't peanut butter getting the hate. :)
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    Eating at a deficit is how you lose weight. How you achieve that Deficit is up to you.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    I'm a vegetarian too. I still eat full fat cottage cheese, 2% Greek yogurt, Parmesan cheese, feta cheese, avocado, eggs, olive oil, almonds ... and cookies and ice cream... along with lentils and grains.

    I just eat everything in the proper portions to achieve my weight loss goals.

    Don't you think it makes the most sense to learn to eat the right amounts of the foods you love so that you can sustain a way of eating to maintain your weight loss? Dieting should never just be something you "do" and then "stop". Take the opportunity during the phase of weight loss to LEARN all about portions and the difference between what you think your body wants and what your body actually needs (in terms of calories).
  • bertobelle77
    bertobelle77 Posts: 17 Member
    Thank you all I think I am coming to that conclusion tonight that I just need to keep my calories down and then I eat what I enjoy and exercise is of course a biggie. It is just that you can get caught up in all the diet mythology, loads of my friends are doing Slimming World (UK thing) at the moment, they are losing weight but eating low fat processed garbage to achieve it, that is fair enough for them but I just couldn't face it. It would be nice to show it could be done another way!
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    Am I crazy to think I can eat real, whole food as long as I cut out the sweets, watch my calories and exercise?

    I haven't cut anything out of my diet and have lost 24 lb.
    I still eat butter, full fat dairy, potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, dessert. I eat less of some things.
    Just stick to your calorie goal. That is all you absolutely need to do for weight loss.
    Choose a way of eating that you can stick to for the rest of your life not a diet.

  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    Thank you all I think I am coming to that conclusion tonight that I just need to keep my calories down and then I eat what I enjoy and exercise is of course a biggie. It is just that you can get caught up in all the diet mythology, loads of my friends are doing Slimming World (UK thing) at the moment, they are losing weight but eating low fat processed garbage to achieve it, that is fair enough for them but I just couldn't face it. It would be nice to show it could be done another way!

    If you'd like, click on my profile and read through my diary. It's public.

    I'm older and shorter, so my calories are lower, but you'll see I still eat butter and stuff like that.

    Lately I've been on a salad kick, but that's not always the case. I get in potato or pasta moods too!

  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    kami3006 wrote: »
    Gska17 wrote: »
    I haven't cut out a single food item. I've mostly ditched butter, though. I just don't care for it all that much.

    Do you hate kittens, too?

    ;)

    At least it wasn't peanut butter getting the hate. :)

    Hahaha - I totally don't like peanut butter at all!
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Thank you all I think I am coming to that conclusion tonight that I just need to keep my calories down and then I eat what I enjoy and exercise is of course a biggie. It is just that you can get caught up in all the diet mythology, loads of my friends are doing Slimming World (UK thing) at the moment, they are losing weight but eating low fat processed garbage to achieve it, that is fair enough for them but I just couldn't face it. It would be nice to show it could be done another way!

    You have a good plan that is going to work for you.smiley-happy026.gif

This discussion has been closed.