Will cutting junk alone benefit me?

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sammiebeatty
sammiebeatty Posts: 10 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hello,

I'm new to all of this so making simple changes to start the process.

I mainly live off chocolate, sandwiches and fast food. By cutting these out completely, should It, along with regular exercise be enough to lose most of the weight, without going on a strict diet?

Thanks in advance!
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Replies

  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    Nope. Losing weight comes down to calorie deficit. It's more about how much you eat not what you eat.
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,214 Member
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    I have lost weight before for a period of time by just cutting out junk. When I substitute fibrous vegetables and lean meats (adequate protein) for my junk food diet, I automatically eat less and lose weight. At a certain point though I stopped losing. Counting calories makes the whole process a lot clearer. It's not so bad, you should try it.
  • sammiebeatty
    sammiebeatty Posts: 10 Member
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    I eat food as normal, but on top of it I snack a lot with chocolate etc, so surely cutting it out will create a deficit?
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
    edited June 2016
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    sammiebeatty wrote: »
    Hello,

    I'm new to all of this so making simple changes to start the process.

    I mainly live off chocolate, sandwiches and fast food. By cutting these out completely, should It, along with regular exercise be enough to lose most of the weight, without going on a strict diet?

    Thanks in advance!

    I would consider completely cutting out the food you "mainly live off of" to be a strict diet. I consider eating whatever I like as long as it's in my calorie and macro goals to be a very flexible diet.
    sammiebeatty wrote: »
    I eat food as normal, but on top of it I snack a lot with chocolate etc, so surely cutting it out will create a deficit?

    Maybe. Maybe not. First, you might be in a surplus, and you might still be in a surplus or at maintenance after eliminating those snacks. Second, and very likely, by cutting back on snacks you may end up being hungrier and eating more at meals, and not really get what you expect from eliminating the snacking.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    I'd bet it would. It's basically what I did. I started eating real food. I lost weight.
    Try and see.
  • angpowers
    angpowers Posts: 83 Member
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    To be sure, WEIGH & LOG what you eat -- regardless of what you eat -- that'd tell you if you're eating too much or not?

    After a week or two, you will do 1 of 3 things: lose, stay the same weight or gain. Then tweet things.
  • sammiebeatty
    sammiebeatty Posts: 10 Member
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    Thanks everyone :)
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
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    Be ready for craving attacks.
    Make sure you plan your meals.
    High in protein and high in fiber.
    I try to eat every 4 hours.
    Have your "eating day" planned ahead the night before.
  • angpowers
    angpowers Posts: 83 Member
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    And honestly, you don't want to cut the things you enjoy. Life is too short. If it triggers you to binge or something of that nature, then that is different. But if you like sandwiches, start making smarter choices, swapping for something that perhaps is just as tasty, but more nutritious and/or less calories.

    But if you love certain things, by cutting them completely, you are more likely to go right back to eating them after a short while and with a ferocious appetite for them, leading to gaining any you lose and then some.
  • sammiebeatty
    sammiebeatty Posts: 10 Member
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    I'm a very picky eater, so I'm struggling to find alternatives, which is why I thought it would be best to cut out the junk food as best as possible.

    I'm not a fan of vegetables, bar vegetable soup, I basically have a bland diet of potatoes, pasta and meats, making it hard to get variety, and low calorie meals!
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    sammiebeatty wrote: »
    I'm a very picky eater, so I'm struggling to find alternatives, which is why I thought it would be best to cut out the junk food as best as possible.

    I'm not a fan of vegetables, bar vegetable soup, I basically have a bland diet of potatoes, pasta and meats, making it hard to get variety, and low calorie meals!

    This is why it's so unpredictable. There's no telling what you'll find to fill in your calories once you cut the foods you live on. For instance, I have a sandwich every day for lunch. If I cut that out, there's a 50/50 chance I'd end up replacing it with something more calorific.

    I'm not against the plan. I just don't think it's a guarantee of success. You definitely need to track it and have some idea of how to adjust if it doesn't work.
  • sammiebeatty
    sammiebeatty Posts: 10 Member
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    diannethegeek wrote: »
    sammiebeatty wrote: »
    I'm a very picky eater, so I'm struggling to find alternatives, which is why I thought it would be best to cut out the junk food as best as possible.

    I'm not a fan of vegetables, bar vegetable soup, I basically have a bland diet of potatoes, pasta and meats, making it hard to get variety, and low calorie meals!

    This is why it's so unpredictable. There's no telling what you'll find to fill in your calories once you cut the foods you live on. For instance, I have a sandwich every day for lunch. If I cut that out, there's a 50/50 chance I'd end up replacing it with something more calorific.

    I'm not against the plan. I just don't think it's a guarantee of success. You definitely need to track it and have some idea of how to adjust if it doesn't work.

    Yeah I'm going to try track it all as best as possible, it's the weighing of everything that gets complicated, especially while on the go with work
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,214 Member
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    I just want to add that when I have dieted based on appetite alone, I've had a tendency to be over zealous and under eat. Oh sure, I had great results in the beginning but I couldn't stick with it. Far healthier to go for a small deficit and lose weight slowly.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    i would suggest the following:
    enter stats into MFP
    set MFP to one pound per week loss
    eat to the number MFP gives you
    make sure that you are eating nutritious foods
    fill in your calories with thinks you like, like pizza, ice cream, etc.

  • 85Cardinals
    85Cardinals Posts: 733 Member
    edited June 2016
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    Don't give up sandwiches! Giving up fast food might help your health in the long run but it won't necessarily help you lose weight. Weighing food is definitely a pain sometimes. I think of it as a perverse game.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    i would suggest the following:
    enter stats into MFP
    set MFP to one pound per week loss
    eat to the number MFP gives you
    make sure that you are eating nutritious foods
    fill in your calories with thinks you like, like pizza, ice cream, etc.

    Good advice.

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