Is it okay to eat WHATEVER i want but keep a calorie deficit?

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Actually for the OP, if you're concerned about appearance, you probably don't really need to lose weight, probably need to get introduced to a resistance training program.

justBreathe33 wrote: »

Follow the 80/20 rule: 80% healthy and 20% junk

Agreed. It isn't either/or. You can fit in the "junk"(relative term by the way) as long as your diet is predominately healthy (another relative term).

Seth1825 wrote: »

Hey guys, so just curious, I know and I've seen a thousand times that the only real way to drop weight is by a calorie deficit, but what the macros?? I mean let's say he eats all 90% carbs, 5% fat, 5% protein, I know extreme just using that as an example, he'll lose weight simply due the calorie deficit but his overall body won't look good, right? I don't know maybe I sound stupid, but does the macro breakdown have anything to do with your overall success in how fit you "look" and forget the "health" aspect of this, I'm just curious.

I know vegans who eat high carb/low protein who are healthy and look good, and I know people who eat a much higher amount of protein who are healthy and look good. One place where macros are important is for individual satiety.

queenliz99 wrote: »

ClosetBayesian wrote: »

Seth1825 wrote: »

Hey guys, so just curious, I know and I've seen a thousand times that the only real way to drop weight is by a calorie deficit, but what the macros?? I mean let's say he eats all 90% carbs, 5% fat, 5% protein, I know extreme just using that as an example, he'll lose weight simply due the calorie deficit but his overall body won't look good, right? I don't know maybe I sound stupid, but does the macro breakdown have anything to do with your overall success in how fit you "look" and forget the "health" aspect of this, I'm just curious.

There's a guy on here who eats 80/10/10, lifts weights, and will tell you anything you never wanted to know about how awesome carbs are. On the other end, there's a gentleman who eats very low carb high fat (LCHF), who has lost good weigh and seen his blood work improve eating things that I have no interest in (sorry, Gale).

I love you, I hope you don't think that's weird. LOL

kshama2001 wrote: »

Mentali wrote: »

SingingSingleTracker wrote: »

yassinelmeniawy wrote: »

?

Yes. Eat a well balanced diet including what you want while running a deficit to lose weight, at maintenance to maintain, or a surplus to gain.

azulvioleta6 wrote: »

Sure, if you aren't interested in health or quality of life.

Really?

So you are saying that quality of life and health will suffer if eating at a deficit if the OP is not careful choosing where the calories come from? Did he state they would only be coming from what you would consider "unhealthy" foods?

While he didn't outright say it, the emphasis on "WHATEVER" strongly implies that the question is "even if the food is (food generally seen as bad for you)?" If you aren't interested in health, then you can eat WHATEVER you want. If you are, you have to be at least a bit more picky.

Exactly. No one asks this question because they are looking for validation to eat more broccoli.

They might ask because they've heard more broccoli (or insert special food here) is the only way to lose weight

@yassinelmeniawy You absolutely can eat whatever you want and still lose weight. The first time in my life I ever lost weight I ate whatever I wanted. My diet wasn't great at the time, a lot of Standard American Diet Stuff.
When I began I had "will power". Basically, I could eat 1500 calories of whatever regardless of nutrient value because I could mentally overcome being hungry. After a while (about a month) I couldn't do it anymore. I was just too damned hungry and started looking for more filling food. High protein, high fiber stuff. I learned not to eat Mayonnaise on anything, and cut the full fat dairy. Started eating real whole wheat bread instead of white bread.
I learned that at the time that the single can of soda I allowed myself (it was like 10 years ago and I don't drink soda anymore) wasn't worth what other things I could eat. The real power was in my diary, and understanding what I could and could not live without. That I can live without mayo and soda, I cannot live without Pasta. I can live without white bread, but I cannot live without the occasional yeast roll.

misskarne wrote: »

OP is not logging accurately so is probably eating more than 900 cal, but OP, why are you aiming so low?

Let us all hope so so as to prevent a premature death.

Here's the way I look at it... if you have to cut out everything you love just to reach your goals, what's going to happen when you reach your goals and stop dieting? You're going to slowly (or quickly) reverse your weight loss by going back to eating what you love. You can certainly eat what you want and lose weight if you stay under your calories, however over time it is best to start substituting healthier ingredients in your meals but keep eating things you like. Over time you'll learn to like new things, and will have the ability to eat the things you love on occasion in moderation. Heck, after all but eliminating sugar from my diet over the last year I now dislike really sweet stuff. I still eat BBQ, drink light beer, and love ice cream and chocolate. Here's the difference; I choose healthier versions of those foods, and exercise more on the days that I eat them (I pay for the extra calories in sweat).

I don't want to log my food forever. What I want is to learn how to eat successfully without starving myself and eventually maintaining a diet that I don't have to log every day. I figure somewhere at the 2 year mark I can start thinking about dropping the logging (after I've been at maintenance levels for a year or so) as long as I keep in mind things like what 8oz of chicken looks like, or what a 12oz ribeye looks like, and what I can eat with those foods to stay in a range that my body can tolerate without storing new fat. I will also have the ability to think about what I've eaten throughout the day to adjust my later meals to compensate. All without logging and counting calories. Heck, after just over a year I can almost do it now without even thinking about it.

Making healthier choices without having to starve yourself after eating a ton of empty calories should be just as big a goal as losing the weight. Eat the Big Mac-O-Meal every once in a while, just be aware of what it costs you in calories and macros and adjust the rest of your daily intake accordingly. It's worked for me so far. I'll admit, I eat out less often now. I prefer to cook for myself because I know what goes into it that way. But I do order the occasional pizza, eat the occasional burger or steak meal, and even eat out at the local Chinese restaurant a couple of times a month. I know what to order now, and I know how to adjust for it.

rileysowner wrote: »

darlswife wrote: »

You can. So if you want to have a Big Mac for approximately 540 calories 44 carbs 33 grams of fat, and that fits into your daily calories, go ahead. But, you could have so much more food quantity and quality wise, that it's hardly worth it (my opinion)unless you're having a cheat meal.

I happen to really like Big Macs. I consider the 540 calories well worth eating, and they satisfy me not only from a hunger standpoint (yes, I feel full and stay full for hours after one Big Mac); but one also satisfies me at other levels that keep me mentally happy as well. They are not a cheat meal, they are a meal, and in my opinion they are good.

Do I eat them all the time? No. That is not generally what people mean when they say can I eat whatever I want an lose weight. They mean,
"Can I have a Big Mac, or some chips as a snack, or a chocolate bar? Can I eat those "bad" foods as part of my diet and still lose weight?"

This is largely a response to those who constantly say a person has to eat "clean", that there is no place for "dirty, unhealthy, junk" foods.

So, the answer to the question in the title is a definitive yes as long one stays within their calories a person will lose weight. Will you find over time that you may want to choose foods that a different because of a desire to have more volume for the calories you eat? Maybe. I did, but I still eat a bunch of foods that the "clean eaters" would frown at.

Great post.

I never know why people default to the extremes when individuals post a question. Everyone assumes that if someone asks if they can eat whatever they want, they must want to eat a diet of nothing but doritos and donuts. I don't actually know anyone who would want that - normal weight, overweight, obese...

Another example of eating what you want. I posted a meal plan I generated today that satisfies both macros and micros for me (and is pretty delicious), keeping 300 calories free for whatever I feel like having ( had popcorn and still have a few calories left). I feel the screenshot is also appropriate for this thread.

If I wanted pizza or a burger for dinner, I would replace dinner's meal with that (600 calories is enough for either), and if I wanted even more calories to fit in even more food with that I could take a stroll around the neighborhood.

Yes, it's "okay". No, it's not optimal.