Anyone eat what they want and manage to lose weight?
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kayleexbabeex wrote: »Says it all in the title really but I know so many people that literally eat what they want and still manage to stay at a decent weight and not put any on. Is it possible to not diet and still indulge in what you want with an exercise plan put in place? X
I took this to mean anything you want and as much as you want as long as you exercise.
I know someone who seems to be able to do this. It turns out, though, that they self-limit their intake without thinking about it. If they have a pig out meal one night, the next day they just have no appetite. It evens out to be the appropriate amount of food on average.
On the exercise side, they just naturally can't sit still. You never see them relax with a book. Their hobbies are active. This guy could surf everyday all day long and forget to eat. So yes this guy seems to eat big and drink big and never get fat.
My inclinations are nothing like this, so I eat any food (or food like thing) that I want, but I have to limit the quantity and force myself to exercise.0 -
kayleexbabeex wrote: »Says it all in the title really but I know so many people that literally eat what they want and still manage to stay at a decent weight and not put any on. Is it possible to not diet and still indulge in what you want with an exercise plan put in place? X
If you are already overweight just increasing exercise is not likely to work that well.
Understanding how much you are eating and taking steps to reduce that usually works much better and is part of the learning process.
I find that when I am reasonably active and pay some attention to how much I eat (and eat a reasonably healthy diet, as for me that's more filling), I don't have to count calories to maintain my weight and can mostly eat as much as I want. (It also helps if I train myself to eat only at mealtimes, as I find it really easy to overeat if I eat throughout the day.)
I'm interpreting your post as about dieting or not, and not about whether you can include all foods in your diet in some amount.0 -
kayleexbabeex wrote: »Says it all in the title really but I know so many people that literally eat what they want and still manage to stay at a decent weight and not put any on. Is it possible to not diet and still indulge in what you want with an exercise plan put in place? X
Food types - hell yes
Amounts - hell no
Look none of us got here by doing the right thing - we all have to adjust
Do you have to cut out specific foods or food groups - hell to the no
Do you have to cut out excess calories - yup
How do you do that? Up to you
For me I adjusted slowly what I ate - always with an eye on calories
Basically if you can't afford it out of your calories you can't have it
If you want it you find a way to adjust the other calories you're eating to eat it
the trade off is going hungry at another time - or changing another meal to a lower calorie hit
The trick is always hitting your nutritional requirements and eye on the calorie purse
if you've got the calories you can spend them - if you don't you can't borrow them from the future - you can save some to spend later in the week though
not rocket science once you think of it as a calorie purse
This exactly. Im down 72#, and have always included fast food and candy into my diet.....just not as frequently and in the same amounts as I used to. I imagine it will get easier it maintenance to fit in a bit more....but Im still 15-20# away.0 -
I'm not a heavy eater, so didn't have to cut back. I do 60 mins of cardio 5 days a week, burning about 600 extra calories. lost 30 lbs and keeping it off. started this about 2 1/2 years ago.0
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I got frustrated trying to stick to recommended macros so I stopped
I eat healthily just as I get more food for my calories but I have treats every day life's too short to starve & this is a lifestyle change not a eat lettuce and yoyo DIET0 -
This is my second time losing weight and last time it was zero junk too..... Worked just fine until I got with a bigger girl with a great face and she kept pushing the crap on me cause it made her feel bad that I wouldn't have any at all. So axe the junk and girls who eat it is my motto this time around. Nothing but CIA/NSA black ops girls who are gymnasts this time around lol. Maybe FBI if they are on top of things.
So you are going to the tried and true method for weight loss but not keeping it off....okayyyyy...
POster above nailed it...if you want to lose weight great cut out "junk" but if you want to lose and maintain the weight you have to include all foods you plan on eating at maintenance while losing or you will fail at the maintenance part...
and please don't blame your girl for what you put in your mouth...you could have said no thx but you didn't want to...0 -
Yeah I definitely do! I've lost about 4 lbs since Jan. too
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Yes, all food is on the table. How much has drastically changed, and I count everything, sneaky snacking included. I rarely eat fries with my fast food, choosing a salad instead (and a fry or two snuck from hubby's pack).0
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This is my second time losing weight and last time it was zero junk too..... Worked just fine until I got with a bigger girl with a great face and she kept pushing the crap on me cause it made her feel bad that I wouldn't have any at all. So axe the junk and girls who eat it is my motto this time around. Nothing but CIA/NSA black ops girls who are gymnasts this time around lol. Maybe FBI if they are on top of things.
So you are going to the tried and true method for weight loss but not keeping it off....okayyyyy...
POster above nailed it...if you want to lose weight great cut out "junk" but if you want to lose and maintain the weight you have to include all foods you plan on eating at maintenance while losing or you will fail at the maintenance part...
and please don't blame your girl for what you put in your mouth...you could have said no thx but you didn't want to...
I'm gonna stay close to silent on this one. Let's see where this ends up.0 -
kayleexbabeex wrote: »Says it all in the title really but I know so many people that literally eat what they want and still manage to stay at a decent weight and not put any on. Is it possible to not diet and still indulge in what you want with an exercise plan put in place? X
@kayleexbabeex I did stop dieting after 40 years because my weight just yo yo'ed higher and higher. While I now eat all I want I did have to 'change' my wants to be able to do that. After 18 months of low carb high fat way of eating it is working well per my lab tests, pain level and am no longer obese. More important I 'love' this way of eating. Never going hungry and having no cravings controlling me is awesome.
We are all different but I am sure you will find a Way of Eating that works for you. It does not matter what works for others it has to work for you if you are going to stick with it for long term health.0 -
kayleexbabeex wrote: »I know so many people that literally eat what they want and still manage to stay at a decent weight and not put any on.
In my experience, these people are either a) really young (what the hell my teenage metabolism was amazing. I moved less than I do now, ate more, and was 20 pounds lighter) or b) they're very muscular/athletic OR have calorie-burning jobs like being a waitress and are just burning off way more calories than they want to eat.
Or c) they're eating a lot of food in front of you, but cutting back when they're alone or with others (for some random coincidental reason.) Giving the illusion that they eat whatever they want.
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kayleexbabeex wrote: »I know so many people that literally eat what they want and still manage to stay at a decent weight and not put any on.
In my experience, these people are either a) really young (what the hell my teenage metabolism was amazing. I moved less than I do now, ate more, and was 20 pounds lighter) or b) they're very muscular/athletic OR have calorie-burning jobs like being a waitress and are just burning off way more calories than they want to eat.
Or c) they're eating a lot of food in front of you, but cutting back when they're alone or with others (for some random coincidental reason.) Giving the illusion that they eat whatever they want.
or they eat at maintenance because they either log or can do intuitive eating
or they log so they know what they can eat at any given time
or they just ran a 10k or lifted a lot of weight at the gym (but look like everyone else as far as muscles go)
I eat whatever I want in moderation.
check my diary the evidence is there.0 -
kayleexbabeex wrote: »Says it all in the title really but I know so many people that literally eat what they want and still manage to stay at a decent weight and not put any on. Is it possible to not diet and still indulge in what you want with an exercise plan put in place? X
I eat what I want, but not as much as I want. I also find what I want changed somewhat as I realized how different foods affect how long I feel full. You will have to count calories though as for weight loss, how many calories you eat is what matters, not what they are made up of.0 -
I think the goal is in learning to love the foods that love you back. Mindfully eating to nourish the body and soul and moving the body like it was meant to move shouldn't feel like deprivation or punishment. Getting to that place might take one over a few bumps in the road, but it's not insurmountable. We have been bombarded with processed and quick cheap food that tastes over the top good with flavor enhancers and looks so beautiful due to colorants. Take a step back and really think about your question.0
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You have to like what you eat, how else are you going to lose and then maintain? My diet has changed greatly from when I was bigger but that's because I cut out a lot of crap to start with and my tastebuds changed dramatically. I enjoy and look forward to my meals (apart from fish (eurgh!) but I feel like I should have it once a week), I eat chocolate every day and I drink way too much wine at the weekend. My meals are nutritious and I walk 45 minutes to and from work 5 days a week and do HIIT workouts or kickboxing for half an hour 5 days a week also. I lost 35lbs and have maintained for 19 months now.
Also be careful of judging these people who appear to be able to eat loads, not move yet stay the same weight. Unless you are with them 24/7 you don't know how they live....
Good luck!0 -
kayleexbabeex wrote: »I know so many people that literally eat what they want and still manage to stay at a decent weight and not put any on.
In my experience, these people are either a) really young (what the hell my teenage metabolism was amazing. I moved less than I do now, ate more, and was 20 pounds lighter) or b) they're very muscular/athletic OR have calorie-burning jobs like being a waitress and are just burning off way more calories than they want to eat.
Or c) they're eating a lot of food in front of you, but cutting back when they're alone or with others (for some random coincidental reason.) Giving the illusion that they eat whatever they want.
Yep. I was one of these people 'til my mid 20s. I was pretty active.
I know people now who others might think are those people (like my sister), but she is reasonably mindful about her eating and works out.
I know some others who just don't care about food and are thin. They can eat what they want, but what they want and what I want are not the same. ;-)0 -
Yes because I can manage to make things fit if I want them, no because there's just no way I could only eat what I want all the time, and stay within my calories. You have to compromise - have a lighter dinner and skip the bun on the burger so you can have a piece of chocolate instead, for example. But I've found that I just can't compromise on getting enough protein and fiber, or I get hungry.
So yes, but not all the time.
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the answer for me is no. what I want is almost always calorie dense, and if I want to eat more than one meal a day, I have to make other choices. I crave sweets, and last week ended up eating nothing but cookies for two whole days, because nothing else fit in my calories after giving in to my craving. that's not a healthy approach - the eat anything as long as you have a calorie deficit thing can be taken to an unhealthy extreme...skipping proper food entirely to fit in the snacks/sweets you want. I don't eat things I don't like, but most of what I eat when I'm trying to lose in a healthy manner is food that i'm rather neutral about. It doesn't satisfy cravings; it feeds the body. Eating what my body needs, not what I crave (often emotionally) is what I'm trying to learn. I think it's a bit disingenuous to say limiting portion size but eating exactly what you want is the way to go. The portion size of some of the things we crave would be so tiny, it's unrealistic to say we're satisfied by that, and that those tiny portions would be sustainable in the long run. For me, I have to make peace with a mentality that says I can eat many things I like and lose weight, but some of the recipes I love are just not going to work for me in meeting my goals.0
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This is the correct place for me to vent.
You know those super slim and trim girls that consume nothing but JUNK all day long, mindlessly without any real care or concern for their health and then have babies and still jump right back into the same figure.
Those - I hate them. I envy them. Im jealous of them!0 -
I feel that the operative words here are "what they want"..... If, perhaps what you "want" to eat is balanced foods that fuels (& fills) your body and stays within your calorie count; then Sure! If, on the other hand, what you "want" (like many of us on MFP) is Cake, Cookies, Pizza, Pop, Fast-Food and you "want" that on a daily basis and you consistently go over your calories, then Nope. To reiterate other posters - you cannot out train a heavy poor diet. Learning that balance is time well spent on MFP or anywhere else for that matter. From my experience, which isn't the same as most folks on here; being older (58), shorter (5'2"), desk job, Hypothyroid, lost 75# thus far... blah blah blah --- it is with sad acceptance that I have learned to eat what I "want" in my 1200 allowed calories a day and after 3+ years of this journey, I Want what best fuels me. And yep, there are times that means fuel my soul with a moist German chocolate cake (very small piece, thank you).
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Kind of. I stopped eating meat, except for chicken and fish. And also stopped eating breads. But other than that I eat what ever I like while being mindful. I've managed to loose 18 pounds in 3 weeks. But I also work out 4 times a week.0
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This is the correct place for me to vent.
You know those super slim and trim girls that consume nothing but JUNK all day long, mindlessly without any real care or concern for their health and then have babies and still jump right back into the same figure.
Those - I hate them. I envy them. Im jealous of them!
why...as far as you know they go home and run 10k on a treadmill to keep the weight off...
My sister is one of those women...eats whatever she wants, drinks etc...but workouts at least 90mins a day.0 -
This is the correct place for me to vent.
You know those super slim and trim girls that consume nothing but JUNK all day long, mindlessly without any real care or concern for their health and then have babies and still jump right back into the same figure.
Those - I hate them. I envy them. Im jealous of them!
why...as far as you know they go home and run 10k on a treadmill to keep the weight off...
My sister is one of those women...eats whatever she wants, drinks etc...but workouts at least 90mins a day.
These particular ones don't do any exercise.
..and good on your sister. I bet she looks great. Ive picked up cycling and intend to cycle about 100 miles per week. (to start off with)
Before the bullying brigade jumps me - I mentioned junk because it's usually high calorie.
Give me pizza, bread, pasta anyday though even though it bloats me out.0 -
No!0
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Yup. Logging just reminded me how I used to eat when I couldn't gain weight and I knew nothing about CICO. Usually at work people often wonder how I eat so much without gaining weight. If only they understood my little secret.0
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20yearsyounger wrote: »Yup. Logging just reminded me how I used to eat when I couldn't gain weight and I knew nothing about CICO. Usually at work people often wonder how I eat so much without gaining weight. If only they understood my little secret.
they wouldn't believe you even if you told them...
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This is my second time losing weight and last time it was zero junk too..... Worked just fine until I got with a bigger girl with a great face and she kept pushing the crap on me cause it made her feel bad that I wouldn't have any at all. So axe the junk and girls who eat it is my motto this time around. Nothing but CIA/NSA black ops girls who are gymnasts this time around lol. Maybe FBI if they are on top of things.
So you are going to the tried and true method for weight loss but not keeping it off....okayyyyy...
POster above nailed it...if you want to lose weight great cut out "junk" but if you want to lose and maintain the weight you have to include all foods you plan on eating at maintenance while losing or you will fail at the maintenance part...
and please don't blame your girl for what you put in your mouth...you could have said no thx but you didn't want to...
^^This, 100%
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Moderation, not deprivation. I eat all the foods I love. I try to fit them into my day. I exercise when I can. It's all about balance. Eat in a way that is sustainable for you.0
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This is the correct place for me to vent.
You know those super slim and trim girls that consume nothing but JUNK all day long, mindlessly without any real care or concern for their health and then have babies and still jump right back into the same figure.
Those - I hate them. I envy them. Im jealous of them!
Except you don't really know that that's how they live. For example, when I go to family gatherings or parties, I eat like there's no tomorrow. I eat ALL THE FOODZ. But when I go home, it's all normal stuff. I weigh my food. I exercise.
If you look at my profile, when I first started I wrote I wanted to be "one of those skinny b's running down the street" I always see by the gym. Guess what? Those skinny b's work hard to be that way. I used to envy them and now I'm one of them.
Don't assume that they eat junk all day long just because you see a small sampling of their day. Until you're babysitting them 24/7 you really don't know.
Also don't be jealous. You do you and you'll get there. Don't compare yourself to others. 0 -
To an extent, absolutely.
I have not 100% eliminated ANY single thing from my diet. I eat all of the things I like. I have a soda here and there. I have pizza 2-3x a month. I eat froyo a few times a WEEK. I go out to eat. I celebrate events with friends and family. I live life.
In a perfect world, I could eat 4 slices of pizza every day for dinner and a pint of Ben and Jerrys for dessert and still be at a healthy weight and be a healthy person..but you know, that isnt life. But I do eat "what I want, when I want" within reason and have had great success.0
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