Can you lose weight eating junk??

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amwoods72
amwoods72 Posts: 35 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I know this seems like and odd question, but the question really is - If a person ate nothing but Hostess cupcakes, pizza, pasta, etc BUT stayed within their calorie count, will they lose weight? Don't get me wrong, I am NOT doing this, but really just wanting to know if it's just calories we should worry about. I stay under my calorie goal, try to burn 500 calories a day on the treadmill almost daily (I might skip a day) :) I am also not asking this so I can do this LOL!! If a person eats salad all day or a person eats cupcakes all day, they will BOTH lose weight if they are in their goal, correct?
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Replies

  • minniemoo1972
    minniemoo1972 Posts: 295 Member
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    Yes....you'll be missing vitamins and minerals and probably a bucket load of fibre but supplements will take care of that. .... (totally not recommended long term but hey iifym)
  • kenyainez
    kenyainez Posts: 222 Member
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    In weight loss, all you need is a deficit so yeah you can. But usually when people want to lose weight, they want to be healthier as well so they tend to apply that deficit to less junk and more fruits, veggies, lean proteins, whole grains and so on. It was a shocker when I realized that losing weight and wanting to be healthier is not one in the same. It's still tough for some people to wrap their minds around that but it's true. *shruggs*
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
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    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    Lose weight? Yes
    Get adequate nutrition? No

    So much this. Man of us work in treats or have a cheat day (mine was Dim Sum and Cheesesteaks) but I wouldn't make it all the time or a large portion of my diet.


    And side note OP, you should replace some of those treadmill days for resistance/weight training, so you are working both your cardiovascular and muscular systems; not just the former.
  • PennWalker
    PennWalker Posts: 554 Member
    edited August 2016
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    Like everybody said, yes you would lose weight. You lose by a calorie deficit.

    However, you would miss vitamins and minerals, probably consume too much fat and cholesterol, and would eat loads of sodium, which raises your blood pressure and retains water.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    This question comes up at least once per week. You could lose weight eating only jellybeans, if you could sustain it.

    There are no healthy or unhealthy foods, as noone ever eats just one food. A varied and balanced diet is important for health, and you most probably crave variety as well as balance in your diet.
  • Lizarking
    Lizarking Posts: 507 Member
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    I went from 290 to 233 having nothing but fast food and diet soda. No exercise.

    I was unhealthy as can be imagined, but hey, I was lighter.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    amwoods72 wrote: »
    I know this seems like and odd question, but the question really is - If a person ate nothing but Hostess cupcakes, pizza, pasta, etc BUT stayed within their calorie count, will they lose weight? Don't get me wrong, I am NOT doing this, but really just wanting to know if it's just calories we should worry about. I stay under my calorie goal, try to burn 500 calories a day on the treadmill almost daily (I might skip a day) :) I am also not asking this so I can do this LOL!! If a person eats salad all day or a person eats cupcakes all day, they will BOTH lose weight if they are in their goal, correct?

    Yes, Google the twinkie diet
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,575 Member
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    amwoods72 wrote: »
    I know this seems like and odd question, but the question really is - If a person ate nothing but Hostess cupcakes, pizza, pasta, etc BUT stayed within their calorie count, will they lose weight? Don't get me wrong, I am NOT doing this, but really just wanting to know if it's just calories we should worry about. I stay under my calorie goal, try to burn 500 calories a day on the treadmill almost daily (I might skip a day) :) I am also not asking this so I can do this LOL!! If a person eats salad all day or a person eats cupcakes all day, they will BOTH lose weight if they are in their goal, correct?

    What are you using to assess those 500 calories? Hope you are using an HRM, and not the built in monitor on the treadmill, as those are notoriously high (often double or higher) in their "calories burned" display.

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
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    fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »
    amwoods72 wrote: »
    I know this seems like and odd question, but the question really is - If a person ate nothing but Hostess cupcakes, pizza, pasta, etc BUT stayed within their calorie count, will they lose weight? Don't get me wrong, I am NOT doing this, but really just wanting to know if it's just calories we should worry about. I stay under my calorie goal, try to burn 500 calories a day on the treadmill almost daily (I might skip a day) :) I am also not asking this so I can do this LOL!! If a person eats salad all day or a person eats cupcakes all day, they will BOTH lose weight if they are in their goal, correct?

    What are you using to assess those 500 calories? Hope you are using an HRM, and not the built in monitor on the treadmill, as those are notoriously high (often double or higher) in their "calories burned" display.

    Even a HRM isnt that accurate. But you are definitely correct they over exaggerate calories burned. IIRC in some cases by as much as 40%.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
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    Pizza is not junk :neutral:
    Yes, to your question though.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
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    SueInAz wrote: »
    Lizarking wrote: »
    I went from 290 to 233 having nothing but fast food and diet soda. No exercise.

    I was unhealthy as can be imagined, but hey, I was lighter.

    Honestly, what's wrong with that? It's all about priorities. There's a point, usually at the beginning of starting a "diet", when lowering one's weight is a lot more important than what is being eaten while making that happen. The term "morbidly obese" has real meaning.

    I get upset when I see people here advising a person who's over 300 pounds that they have to eat "healthy" to lose weight the "right way." A lot of people who are that overweight have little concept of what healthy eating really is beyond a vague notion that it's about cottage cheese and celery and salads (at least that's what it was when I was younger! :grin: Since then I've learned that a lot of restaurant salads aren't that good for you.)

    Losing weight is hard enough without telling someone they need to completely deprive themselves of the foods they like and that they must eat 1200 calories of "rabbit food" to do it. It's better to start off eating fewer calories of whatever you have been eating, see some success, and let the success fuel the desire to eat "better."

    Agreed. The fact is losing weight alone should help improve health indicators. And sometimes its best to do it in steps. Over time you can incorporate more nutrient dense foods and thrn exercise. As i always say, "progress not perfection".
  • amwoods72
    amwoods72 Posts: 35 Member
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    rankinsect wrote: »
    Sure.

    I don't consider pizza or pasta "junk" either.

    Hahahahahahahaha!!! I had pizza last night actually. Two pieces :) They fit into my calories so I had them
  • amwoods72
    amwoods72 Posts: 35 Member
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    psulemon wrote: »
    fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »
    amwoods72 wrote: »
    I know this seems like and odd question, but the question really is - If a person ate nothing but Hostess cupcakes, pizza, pasta, etc BUT stayed within their calorie count, will they lose weight? Don't get me wrong, I am NOT doing this, but really just wanting to know if it's just calories we should worry about. I stay under my calorie goal, try to burn 500 calories a day on the treadmill almost daily (I might skip a day) :) I am also not asking this so I can do this LOL!! If a person eats salad all day or a person eats cupcakes all day, they will BOTH lose weight if they are in their goal, correct?

    What are you using to assess those 500 calories? Hope you are using an HRM, and not the built in monitor on the treadmill, as those are notoriously high (often double or higher) in their "calories burned" display.

    Even a HRM isnt that accurate. But you are definitely correct they over exaggerate calories burned. IIRC in some cases by as much as 40%.

    I base it on the calories that the treadmill gives me. That is why I am hoping it is accurate. I press the Personal Trainer button and hit Calories Goal. I type in 500. I don't do the heart-rate since it doesn't ask for it. I hate holding onto that bar the whole time.
  • amwoods72
    amwoods72 Posts: 35 Member
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    What is the best way to accurately get a calorie count?? I stay under my calories anyway so that helps.

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