Please help me understand weight loss and nutrition
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I'm confused. How can pasta be a whole food but pizza is not?0
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I consumer over 30 packets of Splenda and/or Equal a day, I use artificial flavor enhancers and liquid stevia sweeteners all day, everyday. I use Xanthan Gum, Walden Farm products, etc which are all chemically enhanced. While it may not be healthy, it does not hinder my body composition. These are two different things.
I'd prefer to be healthy. If I find that my quest to get healthy and look better is hindered because of the "clean" foods that I eat, well, then I'll worry about it when it happens.
There's always exceptions, like the guy that ate twinkies for months, or the dude that lost all the weight by eating McD's for a month, but as I've said multiple times, WHAT WORKS FOR ME is that it is easier to stay within MY calorie count which makes it easier for ME to get healthy, loose fat, look better, and loose weight, by not eating pizza, twinkies, cookies, and other chemically processed foods.
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mtbiker1069 wrote: »
I consumer over 30 packets of Splenda and/or Equal a day, I use artificial flavor enhancers and liquid stevia sweeteners all day, everyday. I use Xanthan Gum, Walden Farm products, etc which are all chemically enhanced. While it may not be healthy, it does not hinder my body composition. These are two different things.
I'd prefer to be healthy. If I find that my quest to get healthy and look better is hindered because of the "clean" foods that I eat, well, then I'll worry about it when it happens.
There's always exceptions, like the guy that ate twinkies for months, or the dude that lost all the weight by eating McD's for a month, but as I've said multiple times, WHAT WORKS FOR ME is that it is easier to stay within MY calorie count which makes it easier for ME to get healthy, loose fat, look better, and loose weight, by not eating pizza, twinkies, cookies, and other chemically processed foods.
That's not exceptions. They ate less calories so they lost. That's to be expected.
And a food "not being healthy" does not mean it's gonna make you sick or unhealthy. Water is not healthy. It just exists.0 -
mtbiker1069 wrote: »...There's always exceptions, like the guy that ate twinkies for months, or the dude that lost all the weight by eating McD's for a month, but as I've said multiple times, WHAT WORKS FOR ME is that it is easier to stay within MY calorie count which makes it easier for ME to get healthy, loose fat, look better, and loose weight, by not eating pizza, twinkies, cookies, and other chemically processed foods.
You'll not hear me argue when somebody states it as "what works for ME" (absent some ridiculous thing like a cleanse/detox, juice fast, etc.). We're all wired differently and there's no 'one size fits all' answer. When I take exception is when people make blanket statements condemning foods/entire food groups as "bad" or that their way is the only possible way to do things.
I understand that "everything in moderation" doesn't work for everybody. Some aren't wired that way and it could cause epic binges. But I disagree that moderation is universally "unhealthy", "bad", "won't work", or any other blanket label people want to put on it, and I take exception to the binary thinking often displayed by "clean eaters' who can't imagine there being a middle ground between asceticism and gluttony.0 -
stevencloser wrote: »
That's not exceptions. They ate less calories so they lost. That's to be expected.
And a food "not being healthy" does not mean it's gonna make you sick or unhealthy. Water is not healthy. It just exists.
True, they did loose, and their heart numbers improved, but since it's not a valid study, it hard to tell what the long term health impacts of eating twinkies or Big Mac's every day will have on the body. I just can't imagine that's good for the body in the long term, in my opinion. I'm not willing to try it to see.
I do disagree with you water is not healthy, but that's a discussion for another thread...
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mtbiker1069 wrote: »To me, anything with added Chemicals: Products with artificial sweeteners, taste additives (MSG), partially hydrogenated vegetable shortening and margarine to name a few.
Not being a smart A here, but I probably should start specifying it by saying Chemically processed rather that processed.
To ME, bread, tortilla's, cheese, cured lunch meat, natural greek yogurt, beer, wine, bourban, while processed, is still made by natural processes and ingredients like yeast and active cultures that are natural.
Why not say "with additives" or some such. We'd have a better idea of what you are getting at. In that lots of processed foods don't have additives, I wouldn't otherwise.
(I also don't have problems with many additives or preservatives from a health standpoint, although I tend to eat whole foods that don't contain them for other reasons, but at least we'd be able to discuss the right thing and not the merits of pasta or cheese.)0 -
mtbiker1069 wrote: »@AnvilHead I don't remember every seeing a thread where someone said you have to eat clean 100% of the time with out ever "cheating" with "unclean" foods to be able to loose weight.
I'd like to read that, could you please point me to those comments or a thread?
Completely agree about Moderation is key!
Many of us think that approaching nutrition as about eating "clean foods" or "cheating" isn't a great way to look at it or even consistent with the nutrition guidelines. That doesn't necessarily mean that we eat a diet that is less consistent with good nutrition than yours is. I eat foods that I consider ones to include in moderation and not as nutrient dense as some others (cheese is one such example), but I certainly don't consider them a "cheat" or think it would be some ideal to exclude them entirely.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »
Why not say "with additives" or some such. We'd have a better idea of what you are getting at. In that lots of processed foods don't have additives, I wouldn't otherwise.
(I also don't have problems with those of those, although I tend to eat whole foods for other reasons, but at least we'd be able to discuss the right thing and not the merits of pasta or cheese.)
Perfect!!
If I could go back and edit my 1st post I would put "foods with chemical additives" rather that "fresh whole foods".0 -
mysteps2beauty wrote: »What is one of the first things people do when they find out they have cancer, they change the the foods they eat from processed to organic. And to be frank the raw food diet has an amazing affect on the body. Food is medicine.
Now, you can keep eating the processed stuff if you want to, and sometimes I get weak at the knees and imbibe...it does taste good (and there is a reason for that) but I know it's not the prime way to feed this organisim LONG TERM without some dire results.
...and I don't eat everything organic....but I for real am putting a halt to the eating all things sourced out of a chem lab.0 -
DemoraFairy wrote: »Dont eat everything you want, a calorie deficit is not enough as long as you're still eating proccesed food. Here's my advice: Start eating good home cooked meals rich in protein as well as fats and carbs. Reduce sugar intake to almost none or at least 5-6 tspoons/day. Eat fruits. And one personal advice that I recommend when one wants to loose weight fast: use intermittent fasting. Google it, research it and apply it. Youre gonna feel great and you are gonna loose weight, trust me! Oh, and keep the calorie deficit, that is important too. Good luck!
...No. You don't need to cut out processed food, or reduce sugar. And you don't need intermittent fasting (I know you didn't say you need it, just saying). You just need a calorie deficit. You can still lose weight perfectly easily eating those things you've said to cut out.
^^^^^ This0 -
I think the 'clean eating' label is a misguided symbol of pridefulness for some. I often see it being used while referencing 'cheat' days/meals, exceptions to individualized yet muddy rules, etc. While I'm sure this works great for some to drop weight, I don't think it is a good idea to develop a binary of good/bad, clean/unclean...especially for those losing weight. What happens when you want to reintroduce those foods that have been deemed 'unclean'? Do you feel guilty for doing it? Are you able to do it in moderation? And maybe right now you think you will 'eat clean' forever. But how did you eat before losing the weight? What happens absent the novelty of the scale going down and rapid beginner fitness/strength gains? I am really wondering what the thought process is because, to me, it seems unsustainable and ultimately guilt inducing.
I'd prefer to not demonize any foods. That's not to say I don't focus on filling my macros with fresh/basic ingredients--this I do most of the time. I just don't feel at all bad for rounding out my calories with ice cream or whatever else I have always enjoyed. I think this realistic approach it will serve me well through the rest of my weight loss and into maintenance.0 -
mtbiker1069 wrote: »
I never said all day in my sentence, but here is the copy and paste version from my OP - "nice strawman argument about people wanting to eat pizza and cookies and not be healthy." yes, it is a strawman argument because no one is saying eat pizza and disregard nutrition. The argument is that you can eat pizza and make it a part of an overall healthy diet.
So these people at the gym that you know gave you a run down of every single food they consume over an average week???
My point is that there are plenty of people in the gym who eat pizza, twinkies, etc, and have no issue with their fitness level. The implication of your post is that if you eat those foods that ones gym performance will somehow be less than adequate to someone that eats "clean" foods, which is utterly ridiculous. Layne Norton can squat over 500 pounds and I am pretty sure he eats pizza and twinkies as part of his overall diet.
Yes, you did say "all day". Look at the quote in my post.... I took that before you edited your post...
Actually, yes, these people at the gym do give me a run down of every single food they consume. It's called the MFP Food Diary.
Did I ever say never eat pizza? Did I ever say never eat twinkies? Or Cookies? No, I did not.
I am saying WHAT WORKs FOR ME is that it is easier to stay within my calorie count which makes it easier for me to get healthy, loose fat, look better, and loose weight, by not eating pizza, twinkies and cookies. See what it say WHAT WORKS FOR ME????? Also note that I never, ever said that I never eat these things.
nope, never said all day. Anyone can go back and read my original post and I clearly did not edit it.
Way to move the goalposts. You said "people in your gym" and now you are saying people on your "MFP friend list" slight difference.
and I am still waiting on your justification as to how a clean eater would have superior gym performance over a non clean eater…..0 -
Eating organic food will not cure cancer, no matter what that slimeball who wrote the paleo book said.mysteps2beauty wrote: »What is one of the first things people do when they find out they have cancer, they change the the foods they eat from processed to organic. And to be frank the raw food diet has an amazing affect on the body. Food is medicine.
Now, you can keep eating the processed stuff if you want to, and sometimes I get weak at the knees and imbibe...it does taste good (and there is a reason for that) but I know it's not the prime way to feed this organisim without some dire results.
NOPE. My dad was diagnosed with colon cancer March 2014. Only diet change he made: no more eggs over easy (runny, raw yoke) and medium steaks. The one huge change to his body: 6 weeks of daily chemo and radiation, you know, poison used to kill the body's cells. A year and half later (and a couple surgeries) he's cancer free thanks to his doctors and their "chemicals". No way in hell eating organic would have removed his cancer...
A healthy diet may prevent cancer, though. Many cancers have strong ties to diets. If we eat healthy, we have a better shot at avoiding heart disease and some cancers, as well as other diseases.
I'm very glad for both your dad and you that he's better.
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A few people here do have a point... If someone comes in with a view point that doesn't match the mob mentality they get utterly crucified. It's really disheartening and frustrating to watch
I personally respect everyone's viewpoint and the way they choose to live their life, nutritionally speaking, and I certainly will not argue with someone who chooses a more natural eating path..0 -
Losing weight is all about a calorie deficit. One pound is 3,500 calories, so if you cut out 500 calories per day, you'll lose one pound in a week.
How you go about that calorie deficit is totally up to you, but some ways are healthier than others.
For example, say to lose a pound a week, you need to eat 1300 calories per day. So you eat some donuts for breakfast, and stop by McD's for lunch. You log your calories and realize you've already eating 1250 calories, and you're only halfway through the day. So you skip dinner. You go to the gym and burn 100 calories. You earned yourself a scoop of ice cream. By nighttime, it takes a LOT of self control to go to bed hungry. You will still lose weight eating donuts and Big Macs, but you won't be very happy doing it.
I see it all the time on MFP- people fighting off the urge to eat at the end of the day. People think "dieting" has to be this miserable experience where you are constantly fighting food. But it doesn't have to be that way.
When you start thinking about the types of foods you are eating, everything changes. When you substitute whole grains for refined ones, they break down more slowly, keeping you fuller longer. Eating more fiber (vegetables!!) also helps with this. Eating foods with low glycemic index (how quickly it turns into sugar in your blood) will help you avoid sugar rushes, which lead to hunger when you crash.
So, it's up to you how you lose the weight- but I promise you you'll be a lot happier the healthier you eat. I've noticed this in my personal life. I'm on a maintenance plan, at 1830 calories, but always end the day several hundred calories short, because the types of foods I'm eating don't cause me to feel deprived and hungry at the end of the day.0 -
mtbiker1069 wrote: »stevencloser wrote: »
That's not exceptions. They ate less calories so they lost. That's to be expected.
And a food "not being healthy" does not mean it's gonna make you sick or unhealthy. Water is not healthy. It just exists.
True, they did loose, and their heart numbers improved, but since it's not a valid study, it hard to tell what the long term health impacts of eating twinkies or Big Mac's every day will have on the body. I just can't imagine that's good for the body in the long term, in my opinion. I'm not willing to try it to see.
I do disagree with you water is not healthy, but that's a discussion for another thread...
So you're saying your N=1 is better than the other guy's N=1.0 -
I just must say my little opinion about conversation between guys at the beginning of the thread...
So! Eating at calorie deficit makes you loose weight. Simple as that. Eat less then you burn and you loose weight. BUT!!! This is not enough. You also need to cover the nutrition for your body. It's hell of a difference eat lets say grilled turkey with rice and salad and bag of candies!!!
+ I am totally up for cutting sugar completely! There is plenty of it in fruit and foods rich ich carbohydrates.0 -
@lisaloolovesbluelisaloolovesblue wrote: »Losing weight is all about a calorie deficit. One pound is 3,500 calories, so if you cut out 500 calories per day, you'll lose one pound in a week.
How you go about that calorie deficit is totally up to you, but some ways are healthier than others.
For example, say to lose a pound a week, you need to eat 1300 calories per day. So you eat some donuts for breakfast, and stop by McD's for lunch. You log your calories and realize you've already eating 1250 calories, and you're only halfway through the day. So you skip dinner. You go to the gym and burn 100 calories. You earned yourself a scoop of ice cream. By nighttime, it takes a LOT of self control to go to bed hungry. You will still lose weight eating donuts and Big Macs, but you won't be very happy doing it.
I see it all the time on MFP- people fighting off the urge to eat at the end of the day. People think "dieting" has to be this miserable experience where you are constantly fighting food. But it doesn't have to be that way.
When you start thinking about the types of foods you are eating, everything changes. When you substitute whole grains for refined ones, they break down more slowly, keeping you fuller longer. Eating more fiber (vegetables!!) also helps with this. Eating foods with low glycemic index (how quickly it turns into sugar in your blood) will help you avoid sugar rushes, which lead to hunger when you crash.
So, it's up to you how you lose the weight- but I promise you you'll be a lot happier the healthier you eat. I've noticed this in my personal life. I'm on a maintenance plan, at 1830 calories, but always end the day several hundred calories short, because the types of foods I'm eating don't cause me to feel deprived and hungry at the end of the day.
^^^ T H I S ^^^0 -
19gabriela01 wrote: »I just must say my little opinion about conversation between guys at the beginning of the thread...
So! Eating at calorie deficit makes you loose weight. Simple as that. Eat less then you burn and you loose weight. BUT!!! This is not enough. You also need to cover the nutrition for your body. It's hell of a difference eat lets say grilled turkey with rice and salad and bag of candies!!!
+ I am totally up for cutting sugar completely! There is plenty of it in fruit and foods rich ich carbohydrates.
Thank you for providing the perfect example of what I stated earlier upthread:The problem is that many "clean eating" fanatics suffer from binary thinking. They apparently can't grasp the possibility that one could eat in moderation - you're either 100% "clean" with nothing but organic vegetables, rainwater collected by hand from the Himalayas and unicorn poop, or you're sitting around stuffing your face with Twinkies, pizza and TV dinners all day, every day. It's one or the other, there couldn't possibly be any middle ground.
Because there's no possible way somebody could eat grilled turkey with rice, then have a few candies for dessert. Nooooo. Or that they could eat lean meats, fruits, vegetables and whole grains 80% - 90% of the time and indulge in whatever they want (staying within their caloric deficit) the other 10% - 20% of the time. Ab-so-lute-ly not. It's an either/or thing to many people - either you're a clean eater 100% of the time or you eat nothing but junk 100% of the time.
I'm not up for cutting *anything* completely out of my diet. I eat the same things I've eaten my entire life - just a lot less of some of them, and a lot less often. Again, context and dosage matter.0 -
christinev297 wrote: »A few people here do have a point... If someone comes in with a view point that doesn't match the mob mentality they get utterly crucified. It's really disheartening and frustrating to watch
I personally respect everyone's viewpoint and the way they choose to live their life, nutritionally speaking, and I certainly will not argue with someone who chooses a more natural eating path..
sorry, but correcting false information about "evil processed food" does not equal getting crucified.
OP asked for help in understand weight loss and nutrition and some tried to over complicate it.
eat in a calorie deficit
hit micros and get sufficient nutrition
hit macros
find a form of exercise and do it
realize that food is not evil
end thread/0 -
19gabriela01 wrote: »I just must say my little opinion about conversation between guys at the beginning of the thread...
So! Eating at calorie deficit makes you loose weight. Simple as that. Eat less then you burn and you loose weight. BUT!!! This is not enough. You also need to cover the nutrition for your body. It's hell of a difference eat lets say grilled turkey with rice and salad and bag of candies!!!
+ I am totally up for cutting sugar completely! There is plenty of it in fruit and foods rich ich carbohydrates.
and no one in this thread said that OP should not get adequate nutrition.
what if you eat grilled turkey with rice and candy in your day? Does the sugar negate the turkey?0 -
lisaloolovesblue wrote: »Losing weight is all about a calorie deficit. One pound is 3,500 calories, so if you cut out 500 calories per day, you'll lose one pound in a week.
How you go about that calorie deficit is totally up to you, but some ways are healthier than others.
For example, say to lose a pound a week, you need to eat 1300 calories per day. So you eat some donuts for breakfast, and stop by McD's for lunch. You log your calories and realize you've already eating 1250 calories, and you're only halfway through the day. So you skip dinner. You go to the gym and burn 100 calories. You earned yourself a scoop of ice cream. By nighttime, it takes a LOT of self control to go to bed hungry. You will still lose weight eating donuts and Big Macs, but you won't be very happy doing it.
I see it all the time on MFP- people fighting off the urge to eat at the end of the day. People think "dieting" has to be this miserable experience where you are constantly fighting food. But it doesn't have to be that way.
When you start thinking about the types of foods you are eating, everything changes. When you substitute whole grains for refined ones, they break down more slowly, keeping you fuller longer. Eating more fiber (vegetables!!) also helps with this. Eating foods with low glycemic index (how quickly it turns into sugar in your blood) will help you avoid sugar rushes, which lead to hunger when you crash.
So, it's up to you how you lose the weight- but I promise you you'll be a lot happier the healthier you eat. I've noticed this in my personal life. I'm on a maintenance plan, at 1830 calories, but always end the day several hundred calories short, because the types of foods I'm eating don't cause me to feel deprived and hungry at the end of the day.
if you are on a maintenance plan of 1830 and you don't hit 1830 calories then you are not in maintenance.
So you also avoid protein, because insulin spikes, right?
I never understand this all or neither mentality. Why can't you have a diet of vegetables, chicken, rice, donuts, and some ice cream as long as you hit micros and macros?
I just ate eight oreos and I am in my calorie, macro, and micro target for the day, did the oreos make my day unhealthy????0 -
[quote="lynn_glenmont;34350489"
So you're saying your N=1 is better than the other guy's N=1.[/quote]
Not saying that at all. I think you misunderstand the point of that post.
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19gabriela01 wrote: »I just must say my little opinion about conversation between guys at the beginning of the thread...
So! Eating at calorie deficit makes you loose weight. Simple as that. Eat less then you burn and you loose weight. BUT!!! This is not enough. You also need to cover the nutrition for your body. It's hell of a difference eat lets say grilled turkey with rice and salad and bag of candies!!!
+ I am totally up for cutting sugar completely! There is plenty of it in fruit and foods rich ich carbohydrates.
and no one in this thread said that OP should not get adequate nutrition.
what if you eat grilled turkey with rice and candy in your day? Does the sugar negate the turkey?
@ndj1979 lol candy doesn't negate turkey
in my opinion is that sugar just not necessary... today I had a chocolate bar and few haribos. Still under my calorie allowance but I could be without them too 0 -
19gabriela01 wrote: »19gabriela01 wrote: »I just must say my little opinion about conversation between guys at the beginning of the thread...
So! Eating at calorie deficit makes you loose weight. Simple as that. Eat less then you burn and you loose weight. BUT!!! This is not enough. You also need to cover the nutrition for your body. It's hell of a difference eat lets say grilled turkey with rice and salad and bag of candies!!!
+ I am totally up for cutting sugar completely! There is plenty of it in fruit and foods rich ich carbohydrates.
and no one in this thread said that OP should not get adequate nutrition.
what if you eat grilled turkey with rice and candy in your day? Does the sugar negate the turkey?
@ndj1979 lol candy doesn't negate turkey in my opinion is that sugar just not necessary
Do you think we have an obligation to avoid that which isn't necessary?0 -
19gabriela01 wrote: »19gabriela01 wrote: »I just must say my little opinion about conversation between guys at the beginning of the thread...
So! Eating at calorie deficit makes you loose weight. Simple as that. Eat less then you burn and you loose weight. BUT!!! This is not enough. You also need to cover the nutrition for your body. It's hell of a difference eat lets say grilled turkey with rice and salad and bag of candies!!!
+ I am totally up for cutting sugar completely! There is plenty of it in fruit and foods rich ich carbohydrates.
and no one in this thread said that OP should not get adequate nutrition.
what if you eat grilled turkey with rice and candy in your day? Does the sugar negate the turkey?
@ndj1979 lol candy doesn't negate turkey in my opinion is that sugar just not necessary... today I had a chocolate bar and few haribos. Still under my calorie allowance but I could be without them too
not necessary does not equal bad0
This discussion has been closed.
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