Can you lose weight eating junk??
amwoods72
Posts: 35 Member
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?
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? 0
Replies
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Yes.6
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You mean like this guy?http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/
His diet wasn't quite 100% "junk" but it did make up a large percentage of it during this experiment. You can read the article and judge the results for yourself.5 -
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)3
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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*2
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Lose weight? Yes
Get adequate nutrition? No7 -
The calories would add up so fast, you wouldn't be eating much. I think you'd be hungry.5
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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.2 -
Sure.
I don't consider pizza or pasta "junk" either.10 -
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.1 -
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.0 -
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.0 -
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!
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."9 -
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 diet0 -
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.
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fitmom4lifemfp 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%.0 -
Pizza is not junk
Yes, to your question though.2 -
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! 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".0 -
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 4 -
fitmom4lifemfp 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.0 -
What is the best way to accurately get a calorie count?? I stay under my calories anyway so that helps.0
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fitmom4lifemfp 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%.
Depends on the HRM of course, but the better ones (and use a chest strap model - not the wrist-based ones) are FAR more accurate than relying on those machines.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/the-real-facts-about-hrms-and-calories-what-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-an-hrm-or-using-one-214720 -
A person could, but given such a calorie punch for so little food, I think most people would have a hard time sticking to their calorie goals if that is all they ate.
Maybe I should try it and see. I'm eating ~1550cal a day right now. That's 10 twinkies. I have a hard time thinking that would keep me going, especially on lifting days.2 -
BillMcKay1 wrote: »A person could, but given such a calorie punch for so little food, I think most people would have a hard time sticking to their calorie goals if that is all they ate.
Maybe I should try it and see. I'm eating ~1550cal a day right now. That's 10 twinkies. I have a hard time thinking that would keep me going, especially on lifting days.
That's 10 twinkies if you don't burn anything at the gym. I could see earning another 10 pretty easy. 20 twinkies in a day isn't half bad.1 -
You'd lose weight, but that doesn't mean you'd be healthy!1
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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
I always 'like' pizza posts.1 -
extra_medium wrote: »BillMcKay1 wrote: »A person could, but given such a calorie punch for so little food, I think most people would have a hard time sticking to their calorie goals if that is all they ate.
Maybe I should try it and see. I'm eating ~1550cal a day right now. That's 10 twinkies. I have a hard time thinking that would keep me going, especially on lifting days.
That's 10 twinkies if you don't burn anything at the gym. I could see earning another 10 pretty easy. 20 twinkies in a day isn't half bad.
Except I have a hard time thinking of getting under a 225lb squat fueled only by twinkies...also, I work out pretty hard in the weight room but I doubt I burn 1500 calories...1 -
Idk about twinkies but i am fairly certain i could chickfila milkshake 3x a day.2
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I lost weight doing slimfast and lean cuisine in college while counting calories so yeah it's totally possible1
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Carlos_421 wrote: »Lose weight? Yes
Get adequate nutrition? No
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