does anyone on here eat what they like but just count calories?
cheesyP
Posts: 56 Member
Like candy,juice,fried foods?
Can you give me advice
Can you give me advice
0
Replies
-
I do! I lost almost 70 pounds by just counting calories. Here's the thing though - you get a lot more bang for your buck if you fill those calories up with healthier food items. Yes, you can have french fries, but just know that for those 750 calories (or whatever) you could have had breakfast and lunch.0
-
Eating less than you burn is how you lose weight. Doesn't matter if it's from candy or salad.
Focus on nutritional foods first, because you still want to make sure you're fueling your body to work properly. Then work treats in as you can.0 -
Lots of people do. And there are lots of threads about it.
What advice do you want?
Can you make the number on the scale go down eating whatever you want? Probably.
Can you be your healthiest if you don't eat nutrient dense, whole foods? I'm gonna bet no.
Will maintenance be easy? Time will tell, but my gut bets no.
But yes, the number on scale can probably go down.
Now, given your OP, do you mean exclusively candy, juice, fried foods? Probably not.
Do you mean adding the foods you like into an otherwise balanced diet?0 -
This content has been removed.
-
I have tried it, but found it much more difficult, not only because it doesn't fill you up but because I found it harder to log and also because I need to be in a "calorie counting framework" to actually lose weight, and when I eat lots of junk, I don't feel like I'm being careful, in which case I go over... I'm aware there will be haters out there who will say that its a way of life, need to eat some foods you enjoy or you will quit, but I know that personally eating cake and sweets etc will make me fall of bandwagon... Yes, I do occasionally, but not too often0
-
Me!
Calorie deficit but quality of food does matter for energy and health, so I try to eat somewhat balanced. You can be sure to find some sort of chocolate, ice cream or other such delightful treats in my food diary daily though. 0 -
I would say most of us do just that.
And before the inevitable strawman is trotted out, no one is suggesting that you make foods like those you listed the bulk of your diet, but it's perfectly acceptable to continue to eat them, in moderation, such that they fit your overall calorie and macro goals.0 -
catscats222 wrote: »no - because i like to eat dinner
and i like to have a cookie at night
You can eat dinner and have some cookies and still lose weight.
0 -
I haven't cut out any foods that I like-I've lost over 50lbs and have been in maintenance for over two years now. I've also improved my blood work and I'm in excellent health. I eat fast food 2-3 times a week, fried food, sweet stuff, salty stuff, drink alcohol and diet soda etc. I also eat lots of veggies, whole grains, a bit of fruit, eggs, fish etc. I eat all the food, just less of it
0 -
This content has been removed.
-
Had all 3 of those listed yesterday... So, yea...0
-
catscats222 wrote: »@ sarajvz
what is the secret to getting that hdl so high? impressive #
do you ex a lot?
I don't exercise at all right now
I go in phases with it (mostly walking), but I haven't done anything since the beginning of September when my schedule changed. My last blood work was taken two weeks ago, so exercise wasn't a factor.
I don't really know why my HDL is so high right now-that's the highest its ever been and I'm not eating anything special. Actually, since I've been so busy I've been eating a lot of frozen dinner type things. I have started drinking black tea, but I haven't heard of that affecting cholesterol numbers?
eta: did some quick googling and it does look like black tea can affect cholesterol numbers, but just LDL, not HDL.0 -
Yes. I eat pretty much the same food I always did.
I pre-log my food for the day. It helps me to see what fits my calorie goal best for the day.
I choose to eat my calories rather than drink them. I mostly drink water or unsweetened tea.
Eat smaller portions of the higher calorie stuff. Pair it with more lower calorie food like vegetables to fill out your plate.
Make sure you are getting the food that meets your nutritional needs first- enough protein, several servings of vegetables or fruit a day- before using your calories up on low nutrition foods like candy.0 -
Like candy,juice,fried foods?
Can you give me advice
Advice about what?
Are you asking if you have to cut those things out to lose weight/be healthy? If so, of course not.
For losing weight, calories are what matters, but what you eat may make it harder or easier to stick to a lower calorie level and still feel satisfied. Many people find it difficult to eat a LOT of higher calorie foods (and not much in the way of lower calorie foods, like lean meats, fruits, and especially vegetables) and still feel satisfied, but that certainly does not mean that one can't feel satisfied/full when still including reasonable amounts of such foods. I typically have a little chocolate or half cup of ice cream or some cheese or other extra (and I might have a higher cal restaurant meal once a week) and never feel hungry as a result. Others will work in their favorites, perhaps wine or beer or candy or fries, etc.
For health/nutrition, you'd want to eat a balanced diet that supplies adequate protein and micronutrients (and certain kinds of healthy fats plus fiber) at a minimum, but you similarly can do that without cutting out stuff, if you don't want to, and you certainly don't need to limit yourself to what people think of as "diet foods."
You also don't have to think about everything right from the beginning. Sometimes it's easier to go in with an overall plan for changing your diet, but for a lot of people it is probably easier to just cut calories and figure out what is the easiest way for them to do that. I looked over my way of eating before getting started and figured out some of the ways I was getting extra calories and decided to change those things. If you feel like you don't know, logging for a while is really illuminating.0 -
That's how I started. It got me going.
However, over time I've adjusted to a more balanced approach. I like feeling fuller longer and try to hit my macro/micro goals. I did this by slowly substituting what I eat. I still have a treat everyday, but its more 80/20 than the 60/40 I started out at.
I still have bad days, but overall, I eat much healthier than I used to.0 -
Pretty much just chiming in to +1 all the advice you've already gotten.
My approach:
Set MFP to a reasonable calorie deficit/rate of loss
Eat a primarily nutrient dense diet and save room for "treats" if you can fit them in
If you choose to exercise, make sure you eat back at least a portion of those calories
It really is as simple as that. You can still eat the foods you listed... you probably shouldn't eat ONLY the foods you listed.0 -
I'm really impressed with the amount of people being awesome and reasonable here! It's good to see!
0 -
Yup that's exactly what I do. Which isn't to say the portions and frequencies with which I eat certain foods haven't changed, but that's more from better planning and picking foods I know are filling.0
-
I have to otherwise, I would give up. I have to eat what I like. I eat less than I used to and I don't generally eat it all in one day but I make room for all the things I like.0
-
WinoGelato wrote: »Pretty much just chiming in to +1 all the advice you've already gotten.
My approach:
Set MFP to a reasonable calorie deficit/rate of loss
Eat a primarily nutrient dense diet and save room for "treats" if you can fit them in
If you choose to exercise, make sure you eat back at least a portion of those calories
It really is as simple as that. You can still eat the foods you listed... you probably shouldn't eat ONLY the foods you listed.
^^All of this!0 -
rankinsect wrote: »Yup that's exactly what I do. Which isn't to say the portions and frequencies with which I eat certain foods haven't changed, but that's more from better planning and picking foods I know are filling.
Exactly. I still eat/drink all the things I've always eaten/drank - just some of them in smaller portions and with less frequency.
I don't believe in classifying foods as "good" or "bad". Context and dosage matter. Once you have an understanding of the calorie and macro contents of various foods, you can integrate them into your diet with varying degrees of moderation and maintain a deficit (or maintenance or surplus, whichever you're shooting for) while still eating a well-rounded diet and enjoying your meals.
Without knowing the OP's context, I'll say that trying to exist on a diet comprised entirely of candy, juice and fried foods would not be healthy or well-rounded (nor enjoyable). In reasonable amounts within the context of an overall well-rounded diet, there's absolutely nothing wrong with them (unless there are medical reasons not to eat/drink them or they trigger binges, in which case one would be better off without them).0 -
rankinsect wrote: »Yup that's exactly what I do. Which isn't to say the portions and frequencies with which I eat certain foods haven't changed, but that's more from better planning and picking foods I know are filling.
Exactly. I still eat/drink all the things I've always eaten/drank - just some of them in smaller portions and with less frequency.
I don't believe in classifying foods as "good" or "bad". Context and dosage matter. Once you have an understanding of the calorie and macro contents of various foods, you can integrate them into your diet with varying degrees of moderation and maintain a deficit (or maintenance or surplus, whichever you're shooting for) while still eating a well-rounded diet and enjoying your meals.
Without knowing the OP's context, I'll say that trying to exist on a diet comprised entirely of candy, juice and fried foods would not be healthy or well-rounded (nor enjoyable). In reasonable amounts within the context of an overall well-rounded diet, there's absolutely nothing wrong with them (unless there are medical reasons not to eat/drink them or they trigger binges, in which case one would be better off without them).
This guy know his shiz ^0 -
I eat whatever I want. I had a young college student at the gym tease me that it was great I lost 60lbs but it was only because I had to give up beer. My trainer gave me a look, because he knows I love beer. Here's the thing, you will learn that you have to be reasonable at times. If I want to drink a 250 calorie Imperial Russian Stout, I have to acknowledge that I'm sacrificing *food* for that beer. So I don't do it every single day. I go to Oktoberfest every year, have my beer and brats. I spike in water weight etc, log it, and go back down.
One of the reasons I exercise so much is so I can eat more. Last night my daughter wanted to go out to dinner. I ate a chicken wrap with sweet thai peanut sauce, and french fries. I had only eaten 1200 calories in my meals, so I ate half the wrap and half the fries.
You just have to think about it in advance, and then decide where to make the sacrifice. At some point you will decide to eat a salad, because you can't eat a 600 calorie burger, and 300 calories of fries at every meal. Unless you have a gob more calories than me!0 -
tracyannk28 wrote: »I do! I lost almost 70 pounds by just counting calories. Here's the thing though - you get a lot more bang for your buck if you fill those calories up with healthier food items. Yes, you can have french fries, but just know that for those 750 calories (or whatever) you could have had breakfast and lunch.
Totally this^
French fries wouldn't be worth it to me....but they might be worth it to you. We all pick and choose different things.
Logging foods you like allows you to make informed choices. Getting to goal without much information is often a mistake.0 -
Like candy,juice,fried foods?
Can you give me advice
I eat what I want, usually. I try to eat healthier versions, but if one day I eat half of an 18" pizzas (yes I did) then I count some of it for the days following so that my average calories per day stays the same. For example, I may eat 2000 calories instead of 1500 and then eat 1000 the next day to average 1500. Or I might eat 2500 and for the next 4 days eat 1250 in order to make up for the extra 1000. I always eat things I like. Today I missed breakfast, so I had vegetarian "chicken" parmesan with angel hair pasta, which was 672 calories (2oz angel hair pasta, 1 quorn garlic and herb cutlet, 2oz of part skim milk mozzarella cheese and 1 cup of chunky marinara, baked). Oh and I found out 2oz of angel hair pasta seems like a lot more than other pastas so I'd stick to that one. lol. It looks like so much more than penne when it's cooked, per serving. I ate some candy on Halloween and it put me over my calories, so I counted it for Sunday/Monday instead. Eat what you want, but maintain a daily average calorie level that will allow you to lose weight/maintain a deficit. Also, tossing in some vegetables and fruit would be better for your health. Good luck. 0 -
If you're hating what you're doing, you won't keep doing it, no
matter how good you know it is for you.
Find exercise you like & do a reasonable amount of it.
Eat food you like, in reasonable amounts.
If I want chocolate, I have chocolate, just a bit.
I like peanut butter, so I have it nearly every day... just a bit.0 -
If you're hating what you're doing, you won't keep doing it, no
matter how good you know it is for you.
Find exercise you like & do a reasonable amount of it.
Eat food you like, in reasonable amounts.
If I want chocolate, I have chocolate, just a bit.
I like peanut butter, so I have it nearly every day... just a bit.
You should try putting them together.
0 -
Yes I count calories... eat very lil carbs... most of my calories go for protein like salmon or chicken ... heavy on veggies and tgen tge rest to treats... chocolate, chips or nuts0
-
I count calories, and portion sizes. I do eat what I want except no white bread, no soda (diet or otherwise) and no added sugar.0
-
lilyrunner wrote: »I count calories, and portion sizes. I do eat what I want except no white bread, no soda (diet or otherwise) and no added sugar.
For me eating what I want includes white toast every morning (similar values to wholemeal but fewer calories), also as an after work snack, I also drink diet sodas daily and eat cookies and ice cream
I also count calories, watch my protein macro and nutritional spread and eat cookies and ice cream daily
Different strokes for different people0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.6K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.3K Health and Weight Loss
- 176K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.6K Fitness and Exercise
- 431 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.4K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.8K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions