Can I eat junk and lose weight?

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135

Replies

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Options
    anirud1 wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    anirud1 wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    anirud1 wrote: »
    anirud1 wrote: »
    If I eat McDonald's, Wendy's, hamburger helper, spaghetti, etc. BUT STAY WITHIN MY CALORIE GOAL will I still lose weight??

    Sarcasm?? If yes, good one.
    A lot of push for calorie deficit but less nutrition talk. Sad!

    I take it you are against fast food

    Haha!
    No, I am not against fast food at all.
    Even my dietary intake is not 100% clean and I eat out (fast food) every now and then but do meet my nutrition goals set by MFP app.
    But when I see people replying by just one sentence everywhere regarding 'CICO' without mentioning about nutrition at all (even if they are aware of it and following themselves), I literally flip out.
    When we know it is a lifestyle change and sooner or later have to follow a proper 'nutritious' diet plan if want to make weight loss long term, why ignore nutrition part of the diet when advising someone.

    It's all about context. It's actually something most people miss on these boards and why many arguments start.


    Can you lose weight eating only junk food, absolutely. Will you become healthier? It depends. The bloodwork from the twinkie experiment would suggest that you can. All of his labs improved (kind of suggesting obesity > food you eat or the diet you follow). But NO ONE on this board, in all of my time, would ever suggest a diet consisting only of fast food. Most of us encourage getting 80-90% of their calories from nutrient dense foods. This can include things at fast food restaurants (I mean, do you even Chipotle?). And funny enough, many fast food restaurants are adding much "healthier" options these days.

    If you did not like my suggestion, just ignore it. There is nothing wrong with it.
    Please do not pick on me just to increase number of your feedbacks. (I think there is craze for it.)
    I did not ask for any suggestions here, did I?
    Thank you!

    Kind of the pot calling the kettle black don't you think? Its a public forum. And in a public forum format, you have public conversation. You mentioned what bothered you and I provided you the context to the conversation.

    Sometimes, people just want to understand the semantically correct answer. Not only did I provide that, I provided additional value to the conversation... much like your previous response about half truths. I am not here to get my post count up or anything, I am here to help people.

    13,000 + and counting.
    Keep it up, one day you will get a noble peace prize for writing unnecessary posts on MFP.
    Good luck!

    Post-shaming? Really?

    Lemon is one of the few round here who knows what he's talking about and can back it up

    How about you?
  • Aani15
    Aani15 Posts: 172 Member
    Options
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    anirud1 wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    anirud1 wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    anirud1 wrote: »
    anirud1 wrote: »
    If I eat McDonald's, Wendy's, hamburger helper, spaghetti, etc. BUT STAY WITHIN MY CALORIE GOAL will I still lose weight??

    Sarcasm?? If yes, good one.
    A lot of push for calorie deficit but less nutrition talk. Sad!

    I take it you are against fast food

    Haha!
    No, I am not against fast food at all.
    Even my dietary intake is not 100% clean and I eat out (fast food) every now and then but do meet my nutrition goals set by MFP app.
    But when I see people replying by just one sentence everywhere regarding 'CICO' without mentioning about nutrition at all (even if they are aware of it and following themselves), I literally flip out.
    When we know it is a lifestyle change and sooner or later have to follow a proper 'nutritious' diet plan if want to make weight loss long term, why ignore nutrition part of the diet when advising someone.

    It's all about context. It's actually something most people miss on these boards and why many arguments start.


    Can you lose weight eating only junk food, absolutely. Will you become healthier? It depends. The bloodwork from the twinkie experiment would suggest that you can. All of his labs improved (kind of suggesting obesity > food you eat or the diet you follow). But NO ONE on this board, in all of my time, would ever suggest a diet consisting only of fast food. Most of us encourage getting 80-90% of their calories from nutrient dense foods. This can include things at fast food restaurants (I mean, do you even Chipotle?). And funny enough, many fast food restaurants are adding much "healthier" options these days.

    If you did not like my suggestion, just ignore it. There is nothing wrong with it.
    Please do not pick on me just to increase number of your feedbacks. (I think there is craze for it.)
    I did not ask for any suggestions here, did I?
    Thank you!

    Kind of the pot calling the kettle black don't you think? Its a public forum. And in a public forum format, you have public conversation. You mentioned what bothered you and I provided you the context to the conversation.

    Sometimes, people just want to understand the semantically correct answer. Not only did I provide that, I provided additional value to the conversation... much like your previous response about half truths. I am not here to get my post count up or anything, I am here to help people.

    13,000 + and counting.
    Keep it up, one day you will get a noble peace prize for writing unnecessary posts on MFP.
    Good luck!

    Post-shaming? Really?

    Lemon is one of the few round here who knows what he's talking about and can back it up

    How about you?

    You win, do I need to say it again?
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    Options
    anirud1 wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    anirud1 wrote: »
    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    anirud1 wrote: »
    anirud1 wrote: »
    If I eat McDonald's, Wendy's, hamburger helper, spaghetti, etc. BUT STAY WITHIN MY CALORIE GOAL will I still lose weight??

    Sarcasm?? If yes, good one.
    A lot of push for calorie deficit but less nutrition talk. Sad!

    I take it you are against fast food

    Haha!
    No, I am not against fast food at all.
    Even my dietary intake is not 100% clean and I eat out (fast food) every now and then but do meet my nutrition goals set by MFP app.
    But when I see people replying by just one sentence everywhere regarding 'CICO' without mentioning about nutrition at all (even if they are aware of it and following themselves), I literally flip out.
    When we know it is a lifestyle change and sooner or later have to follow a proper 'nutritious' diet plan if want to make weight loss long term, why ignore nutrition part of the diet when advising someone.

    First of all the op didn't ask about nutrition. She asked would she still lose weight. So mentioning nutrition would not be answering her original question.

    Secondly, I've saw replies saying stuff like , "sure but I wouldn't advise fast food for every meal"

    Question: Why you bother to tell half the truth?
    If you are in favour of healthy weight loss and see it as a lifestyle change and have time to comment every now and then, why not share wealth of your knowledge with others. I mean, share whatever you got, why hold it back?

    Because the assumption is the OP knows about nutrition and that she should be eating a healthy balanced diet otherwise why pose the question

    If someone know about nutrition + assumptions?
    Great way to start with.
    Then why not assume they know about CICO as well?
    Please let it go, you win!

    You've got it all wrong---it's not win or lose when posting. It's helping others get the right mindset and knowlege to lose weight. This is not a contest. The experienced posters are doing their best. And what do you think could help the OP?
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    Options
    I eat a well balan
    anirud1 wrote: »
    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    anirud1 wrote: »
    anirud1 wrote: »
    If I eat McDonald's, Wendy's, hamburger helper, spaghetti, etc. BUT STAY WITHIN MY CALORIE GOAL will I still lose weight??

    Sarcasm?? If yes, good one.
    A lot of push for calorie deficit but less nutrition talk. Sad!

    I take it you are against fast food

    Haha!
    No, I am not against fast food at all.
    Even my dietary intake is not 100% clean and I eat out (fast food) every now and then but do meet my nutrition goals set by MFP app.
    But when I see people replying by just one sentence everywhere regarding 'CICO' without mentioning about nutrition at all (even if they are aware of it and following themselves), I literally flip out.
    When we know it is a lifestyle change and sooner or later have to follow a proper 'nutritious' diet plan if want to make weight loss long term, why ignore nutrition part of the diet when advising someone.

    First of all the op didn't ask about nutrition. She asked would she still lose weight. So mentioning nutrition would not be answering her original question.

    Secondly, I've saw replies saying stuff like , "sure but I wouldn't advise fast food for every meal"

    Question: Why you bother to tell half the truth?
    If you are in favour of healthy weight loss and see it as a lifestyle change and have time to comment every now and then, why not share wealth of your knowledge with others. I mean, share whatever you got, why hold it back?

    She didn't ask about nutrition. So it isn't half truth at all. Why would I go off talking about something she didnt ask about?
    I included that nobody would ever suggest eating only treats, like McDonald's for each meal . I don't think anyone here ever would suggest eating Only McDonald's every day.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
    edited October 2015
    Options
    anirud1 wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    anirud1 wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    anirud1 wrote: »
    anirud1 wrote: »
    If I eat McDonald's, Wendy's, hamburger helper, spaghetti, etc. BUT STAY WITHIN MY CALORIE GOAL will I still lose weight??

    Sarcasm?? If yes, good one.
    A lot of push for calorie deficit but less nutrition talk. Sad!

    I take it you are against fast food

    Haha!
    No, I am not against fast food at all.
    Even my dietary intake is not 100% clean and I eat out (fast food) every now and then but do meet my nutrition goals set by MFP app.
    But when I see people replying by just one sentence everywhere regarding 'CICO' without mentioning about nutrition at all (even if they are aware of it and following themselves), I literally flip out.
    When we know it is a lifestyle change and sooner or later have to follow a proper 'nutritious' diet plan if want to make weight loss long term, why ignore nutrition part of the diet when advising someone.

    It's all about context. It's actually something most people miss on these boards and why many arguments start.


    Can you lose weight eating only junk food, absolutely. Will you become healthier? It depends. The bloodwork from the twinkie experiment would suggest that you can. All of his labs improved (kind of suggesting obesity > food you eat or the diet you follow). But NO ONE on this board, in all of my time, would ever suggest a diet consisting only of fast food. Most of us encourage getting 80-90% of their calories from nutrient dense foods. This can include things at fast food restaurants (I mean, do you even Chipotle?). And funny enough, many fast food restaurants are adding much "healthier" options these days.

    If you did not like my suggestion, just ignore it. There is nothing wrong with it.
    Please do not pick on me just to increase number of your feedbacks. (I think there is craze for it.)
    I did not ask for any suggestions here, did I?
    Thank you!

    Kind of the pot calling the kettle black don't you think? Its a public forum. And in a public forum format, you have public conversation. You mentioned what bothered you and I provided you the context to the conversation.

    Sometimes, people just want to understand the semantically correct answer. Not only did I provide that, I provided additional value to the conversation... much like your previous response about half truths. I am not here to get my post count up or anything, I am here to help people.

    13,000 + and counting.
    Keep it up, one day you will get a noble peace prize for writing unnecessary posts on MFP.
    Good luck!

    Yes, I have a very large post count. Maybe if you are around long enough, I will teach you a few things, like I have to many others on this board.

    And this isn't about winning or losing... it's about providing the OP with the correct information.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Options
    anirud1 wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    anirud1 wrote: »
    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    anirud1 wrote: »
    anirud1 wrote: »
    If I eat McDonald's, Wendy's, hamburger helper, spaghetti, etc. BUT STAY WITHIN MY CALORIE GOAL will I still lose weight??

    Sarcasm?? If yes, good one.
    A lot of push for calorie deficit but less nutrition talk. Sad!

    I take it you are against fast food

    Haha!
    No, I am not against fast food at all.
    Even my dietary intake is not 100% clean and I eat out (fast food) every now and then but do meet my nutrition goals set by MFP app.
    But when I see people replying by just one sentence everywhere regarding 'CICO' without mentioning about nutrition at all (even if they are aware of it and following themselves), I literally flip out.
    When we know it is a lifestyle change and sooner or later have to follow a proper 'nutritious' diet plan if want to make weight loss long term, why ignore nutrition part of the diet when advising someone.

    First of all the op didn't ask about nutrition. She asked would she still lose weight. So mentioning nutrition would not be answering her original question.

    Secondly, I've saw replies saying stuff like , "sure but I wouldn't advise fast food for every meal"

    Question: Why you bother to tell half the truth?
    If you are in favour of healthy weight loss and see it as a lifestyle change and have time to comment every now and then, why not share wealth of your knowledge with others. I mean, share whatever you got, why hold it back?

    Because the assumption is the OP knows about nutrition and that she should be eating a healthy balanced diet otherwise why pose the question

    If someone know about nutrition + assumptions?
    Great way to start with.
    Then why not assume they know about CICO as well?
    Please let it go, you win!

    You've got it all wrong---it's not win or lose when posting. It's helping others get the right mindset and knowlege to lose weight. This is not a contest. The experienced posters are doing their best. And what do you think could help the OP?
    Well said
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    Options
    I personally eat a well balanced diet that also includes treats. In fact, I enjoy a serving of ice cream almost every night . she didn't ask that though.
    She asked if someone ate treats at a deficit, would they still lose weight. Answer is yes. Calories in - calories out.
    If the op would like to talk about nutrition, I'd be more then happy to give her my opinion. But she didn't ask.
  • 2wise4u
    2wise4u Posts: 229 Member
    Options
    Eat what you want as long as you have a caloric deficit and you will lose weight. The question is.....should you eat junk food and fast food....probably not often. IMO, the fat and sodium in fast food is not good to eat on a regular basis if you're trying to lose weight.

    I indulge, but I also drink plenty of water, eat veggies, fruit and eat a decent amount of protein.

    I'd suggest you incorporate more fruits and veggies into your diet and if you have to eat on the run, opt for salad bars and places like Subway to at least get some nutritional benefit from your meals.

    Also, if you have to have fast food, opt for wraps and have a side salad. :smiley:
  • Aani15
    Aani15 Posts: 172 Member
    Options
    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    I eat a well balan
    anirud1 wrote: »
    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    anirud1 wrote: »
    anirud1 wrote: »
    If I eat McDonald's, Wendy's, hamburger helper, spaghetti, etc. BUT STAY WITHIN MY CALORIE GOAL will I still lose weight??

    Sarcasm?? If yes, good one.
    A lot of push for calorie deficit but less nutrition talk. Sad!

    I take it you are against fast food

    Haha!
    No, I am not against fast food at all.
    Even my dietary intake is not 100% clean and I eat out (fast food) every now and then but do meet my nutrition goals set by MFP app.
    But when I see people replying by just one sentence everywhere regarding 'CICO' without mentioning about nutrition at all (even if they are aware of it and following themselves), I literally flip out.
    When we know it is a lifestyle change and sooner or later have to follow a proper 'nutritious' diet plan if want to make weight loss long term, why ignore nutrition part of the diet when advising someone.

    First of all the op didn't ask about nutrition. She asked would she still lose weight. So mentioning nutrition would not be answering her original question.

    Secondly, I've saw replies saying stuff like , "sure but I wouldn't advise fast food for every meal"

    Question: Why you bother to tell half the truth?
    If you are in favour of healthy weight loss and see it as a lifestyle change and have time to comment every now and then, why not share wealth of your knowledge with others. I mean, share whatever you got, why hold it back?

    She didn't ask about nutrition. So it isn't half truth at all. Why would I go off talking about something she didnt ask about?
    I included that nobody would ever suggest eating only treats, like McDonald's for each meal . I don't think anyone here ever would suggest eating Only McDonald's every day.

    I did not pick on you, you did?
    I do not want arguments here, as I only have the good intentions to help others as much as I can.
    I do not bully people online but here on MFP, it is a rampant practice.
    Put a profile picture of a cat, dog or fish, choose a hanky panky profile name and act Dr. Phil.
    I do not care, just do not bother me. Do what you want, I am not competing here for posts number.
    I got a great deal of help from MFP community and I think it is good to give something back to this community. I never have intentions to pick fight with others, intentionally.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
    Options
    anirud1 wrote: »
    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    I eat a well balan
    anirud1 wrote: »
    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    anirud1 wrote: »
    anirud1 wrote: »
    If I eat McDonald's, Wendy's, hamburger helper, spaghetti, etc. BUT STAY WITHIN MY CALORIE GOAL will I still lose weight??

    Sarcasm?? If yes, good one.
    A lot of push for calorie deficit but less nutrition talk. Sad!

    I take it you are against fast food

    Haha!
    No, I am not against fast food at all.
    Even my dietary intake is not 100% clean and I eat out (fast food) every now and then but do meet my nutrition goals set by MFP app.
    But when I see people replying by just one sentence everywhere regarding 'CICO' without mentioning about nutrition at all (even if they are aware of it and following themselves), I literally flip out.
    When we know it is a lifestyle change and sooner or later have to follow a proper 'nutritious' diet plan if want to make weight loss long term, why ignore nutrition part of the diet when advising someone.

    First of all the op didn't ask about nutrition. She asked would she still lose weight. So mentioning nutrition would not be answering her original question.

    Secondly, I've saw replies saying stuff like , "sure but I wouldn't advise fast food for every meal"

    Question: Why you bother to tell half the truth?
    If you are in favour of healthy weight loss and see it as a lifestyle change and have time to comment every now and then, why not share wealth of your knowledge with others. I mean, share whatever you got, why hold it back?

    She didn't ask about nutrition. So it isn't half truth at all. Why would I go off talking about something she didnt ask about?
    I included that nobody would ever suggest eating only treats, like McDonald's for each meal . I don't think anyone here ever would suggest eating Only McDonald's every day.

    I did not pick on you, you did?
    I do not want arguments here, as I only have the good intentions to help others as much as I can.
    I do not bully people online but here on MFP, it is a rampant practice.
    Put a profile picture of a cat, dog or fish, choose a hanky panky profile name and act Dr. Phil.
    I do not care, just do not bother me. Do what you want, I am not competing here for posts number.
    I got a great deal of help from MFP community and I think it is good to give something back to this community. I never have intentions to pick fight with others, intentionally.

    No one is arguing or bullying anyone in this thread. And we are all hear to help. I am not here to get my post counts up. I am here and have been here for 6 years to support a community. It's why I have been a volunteer mod for 4 years. If all I cared about was post count, I would be in chitchat all day. And its rather insulting that you keep trying to take a whack at people with high post counts.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    Options
    anirud1 wrote: »
    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    I eat a well balan
    anirud1 wrote: »
    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    anirud1 wrote: »
    anirud1 wrote: »
    If I eat McDonald's, Wendy's, hamburger helper, spaghetti, etc. BUT STAY WITHIN MY CALORIE GOAL will I still lose weight??

    Sarcasm?? If yes, good one.
    A lot of push for calorie deficit but less nutrition talk. Sad!

    I take it you are against fast food

    Haha!
    No, I am not against fast food at all.
    Even my dietary intake is not 100% clean and I eat out (fast food) every now and then but do meet my nutrition goals set by MFP app.
    But when I see people replying by just one sentence everywhere regarding 'CICO' without mentioning about nutrition at all (even if they are aware of it and following themselves), I literally flip out.
    When we know it is a lifestyle change and sooner or later have to follow a proper 'nutritious' diet plan if want to make weight loss long term, why ignore nutrition part of the diet when advising someone.

    First of all the op didn't ask about nutrition. She asked would she still lose weight. So mentioning nutrition would not be answering her original question.

    Secondly, I've saw replies saying stuff like , "sure but I wouldn't advise fast food for every meal"

    Question: Why you bother to tell half the truth?
    If you are in favour of healthy weight loss and see it as a lifestyle change and have time to comment every now and then, why not share wealth of your knowledge with others. I mean, share whatever you got, why hold it back?

    She didn't ask about nutrition. So it isn't half truth at all. Why would I go off talking about something she didnt ask about?
    I included that nobody would ever suggest eating only treats, like McDonald's for each meal . I don't think anyone here ever would suggest eating Only McDonald's every day.

    I did not pick on you, you did?
    I do not want arguments here, as I only have the good intentions to help others as much as I can.
    I do not bully people online but here on MFP, it is a rampant practice.
    Put a profile picture of a cat, dog or fish, choose a hanky panky profile name and act Dr. Phil.
    I do not care, just do not bother me. Do what you want, I am not competing here for posts number.
    I got a great deal of help from MFP community and I think it is good to give something back to this community. I never have intentions to pick fight with others, intentionally.

    Well okay then. Not sure what any of that has to do with the original question though.

    You quoted me asking why I told a half truth.

    I answered your question.

    I also only have good intentions, if I didn't then I wouldn't even bother logging on.

    I haven't picked on anyone , just stated my opinion.

    And my opinion is - yes you can have treats like McDonald's and still lose weight while eating at a deficit.

  • qpmomma1
    qpmomma1 Posts: 220 Member
    Options
    I had a small bag of M&M's last night but I was still within my calorie and sugar intake for the day. Moderation is the key, but yes, you can have your treats and still lose weight.
  • radmack
    radmack Posts: 272 Member
    Options
    If I eat McDonald's, Wendy's, hamburger helper, spaghetti, etc. BUT STAY WITHIN MY CALORIE GOAL will I still lose weight??

    Sure as long as your calorie goal is correct. I do find that fast food makes me bloat quite a bit. Not sure if is the sodium or something else.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,669 Member
    edited October 2015
    Options
    psulemon wrote: »
    anirud1 wrote: »
    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    I eat a well balan
    anirud1 wrote: »
    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    anirud1 wrote: »
    anirud1 wrote: »
    If I eat McDonald's, Wendy's, hamburger helper, spaghetti, etc. BUT STAY WITHIN MY CALORIE GOAL will I still lose weight??

    Sarcasm?? If yes, good one.
    A lot of push for calorie deficit but less nutrition talk. Sad!

    I take it you are against fast food

    Haha!
    No, I am not against fast food at all.
    Even my dietary intake is not 100% clean and I eat out (fast food) every now and then but do meet my nutrition goals set by MFP app.
    But when I see people replying by just one sentence everywhere regarding 'CICO' without mentioning about nutrition at all (even if they are aware of it and following themselves), I literally flip out.
    When we know it is a lifestyle change and sooner or later have to follow a proper 'nutritious' diet plan if want to make weight loss long term, why ignore nutrition part of the diet when advising someone.

    First of all the op didn't ask about nutrition. She asked would she still lose weight. So mentioning nutrition would not be answering her original question.

    Secondly, I've saw replies saying stuff like , "sure but I wouldn't advise fast food for every meal"

    Question: Why you bother to tell half the truth?
    If you are in favour of healthy weight loss and see it as a lifestyle change and have time to comment every now and then, why not share wealth of your knowledge with others. I mean, share whatever you got, why hold it back?

    She didn't ask about nutrition. So it isn't half truth at all. Why would I go off talking about something she didnt ask about?
    I included that nobody would ever suggest eating only treats, like McDonald's for each meal . I don't think anyone here ever would suggest eating Only McDonald's every day.

    I did not pick on you, you did?
    I do not want arguments here, as I only have the good intentions to help others as much as I can.
    I do not bully people online but here on MFP, it is a rampant practice.
    Put a profile picture of a cat, dog or fish, choose a hanky panky profile name and act Dr. Phil.
    I do not care, just do not bother me. Do what you want, I am not competing here for posts number.
    I got a great deal of help from MFP community and I think it is good to give something back to this community. I never have intentions to pick fight with others, intentionally.

    No one is arguing or bullying anyone in this thread. And we are all hear to help. I am not here to get my post counts up. I am here and have been here for 6 years to support a community. It's why I have been a volunteer mod for 4 years. If all I cared about was post count, I would be in chitchat all day. And its rather insulting that you keep trying to take a whack at people with high post counts.
    My post count pwns yours. ;)

    And here's a great example of CICO and eating low quality, low nutrient foods with the possibility of not having failing health along with being eaten day in and day out long term.................long term prison inmates.
    It's rare to see very overweight/obese inmates. In fact lots of them are pretty jacked. They eat 3 meals a day of the lowest quality food portioned for each meal. Yes they can get commissary, but the majority of that ISN'T health food. It's candy bars and snacks.
    And for some reason, they can live 10 years and longer. They have a higher chance of death from confrontation than from what they eat.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

  • rhyolite_
    rhyolite_ Posts: 188 Member
    Options
    I eat out at fast-food/restaurant places once a day during the week for my lunch hour, and it hasn't affected my weight loss or health. If I always got a large fry or a dessert, I'd probably be very hungry. But since eating out is a part of my life, I try to choose lower calorie, nutrient dense options that will keep me feeling sated. It's worked for me so far. I've been hovering at maintenance for a while to give myself a mental break, but it helped me lose the first 30 pounds.

    (Only responding to up my post count, btw.)
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    Options
    Yes, you can include "junk" food in your diet an lose weight.


    (one more post under my belt)
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    Options
    If I eat McDonald's, Wendy's, hamburger helper, spaghetti, etc. BUT STAY WITHIN MY CALORIE GOAL will I still lose weight??

    No.





























    Just kidding.

    Yes (but keep an eye on your overall nutrition to ensure it is sufficient.)

  • acorsaut89
    acorsaut89 Posts: 1,147 Member
    Options
    I live squarely in the everything in moderation camp. I could have probably lost a lot more weight in the same time period as I've lost almost 90lbs by not indulging every now and then however for me, it's a sanity thing and I enjoy that aspect of having a social life.

    That being said, majority of the time I am tight with my eating: whole foods, high quality and nutritionally sound. The other, let's say 10 - 20 % of the time, I eat what I enjoy eating: going out for apps for girls night? YES! Having that extra beer? YES Grabbing me a big mac? YES I don't use food as a reward though - because I feel it's a little counter productive for me.

    A lot of people I've talked to about this have to cut some things out cold turkey, either for a while until they can figure out how to portion control or forever because with those foods they just cannot control how much of it they eat. I'm not one of those people anymore - I can have apps one night and the next day I am back on it: running 5KM, lean meats, veggies, portioned. I wasn't always like that but I am now . . . and it may or may not be for everyone.

    Another thing to keep in mind: while you can - as many have said - lose weight without thinking about what you're eating but right now your brain is used to seeing and consuming a certain quantity of food. If you want to lose weight and eat the same type of food the quantity is probably going to go way down. This will leave you feeling hungry and like you need more. It makes it really difficult to know how to stay within your individual calorie limit. If you're eating the more bang for your buck foods (high nutritional value, low calories) your brain will still see the same amount of food but you're actually consuming less calories. Sometimes it's as much psychological as physical. If you can deal with the smaller quantity then that's totally cool - and I say do what you gotta do. But for most people that would be really difficult.
  • ashbee03
    ashbee03 Posts: 270 Member
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    Technically you can eat whatever you want, and lose weight.
    As long as your calories are at a deficit.

    Now the only thing is, you won't be healthy, and you will lack in vitamins, etc.
    And also, those foods don't make you feel full for long, keep you craving processed stuff, etc. But if that's what you want, then go for it.