Weight loss plan / Cutting foods.

2

Replies

  • ramicharowland
    ramicharowland Posts: 43 Member
    TeaBea wrote: »
    I have cut out soda. Not a good idea. Why not switch to diet soda? Are you planning on giving up soda for the rest of your life? There's nothing wrong with soda or diet soda.........in moderation

    What are the cons to diet soda? Is it just like drinking water?
  • ramicharowland
    ramicharowland Posts: 43 Member
    " it simply means a balanced diet of nutritious and sweets/treats is perfectly fine.

    Ahhh I think that is where my issue lies balance... lol Especially with junk food..

    I was once there. Instead of viewing my eating habits as "I need to cut xx out of my diet" it was "I need to add xx to my diet". Then I was able to work at moderating. This too a little work, but now? I am so damn happy I worked hard to be able to moderate foods that I never thought I was able to. I've stuck with my weight loss plan for much longer than previous attempts where I cut out many foods, and this to me is success. I don't dread eating in deficit anymore as it means that I don't get to miss foods and am not obsessing about what I can and cannot eat all the time. I do, however, watch protein, fats, fiber, and iron, but let the rest fall wherever.


    This is awesome.. This is where I want to be eventually..
  • ramicharowland
    ramicharowland Posts: 43 Member
    I also don't think candy and soda are worth the calories I would rather have food :) (mentioned above)
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    edited January 2017
    I am 21 years old

    244 lbs

    I want to lose at least 44 lbs.

    I have cut out soda, candy, fast food, and meat.

    Or anything that screams unhealthy!

    I plan to eat 1400 cals a day

    And workout 30 mins a day 10 minutes cardio ( machine cardio) elypitcal/ treadmill/ bike and use the rest doing sit ups/ leg kicks/ planks/ wall squats/ push ups / arm circles/ flutter kicks.. at home stuff.. Also going to be using tricep machine for arms..


    Is this a good plan? Adjustments? Tips..

    I still drink (diet) soda, eat candy, fast food and meat. I've lost around 50lbs, have improved all my health markers and am now approaching 4 years of successful maintenance. Oh, and I don't do intentional exercise.

    No need to cut out things you enjoy-just learn how to fit them into your calorie goals :)
  • ramicharowland
    ramicharowland Posts: 43 Member
    I am 21 years old

    244 lbs

    I want to lose at least 44 lbs.

    I have cut out soda, candy, fast food, and meat.

    Or anything that screams unhealthy!

    I plan to eat 1400 cals a day

    And workout 30 mins a day 10 minutes cardio ( machine cardio) elypitcal/ treadmill/ bike and use the rest doing sit ups/ leg kicks/ planks/ wall squats/ push ups / arm circles/ flutter kicks.. at home stuff.. Also going to be using tricep machine for arms..


    Is this a good plan? Adjustments? Tips..

    I still drink (diet) soda, eat candy, fast food and meat. I've lost around 50lbs, have improved all my health markers and am now approaching 4 years of successful maintenance. Oh, and I don't do intentional exercise.

    No need to cut out things you enjoy-just learn how to fit them into your calorie goals :)

    That is RAD!!!! Congratulations?? Did you just follow your deficit?? Workout?? Supplements.. Let me know something lol ;)
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited January 2017
    TeaBea wrote: »
    I have cut out soda. Not a good idea. Why not switch to diet soda? Are you planning on giving up soda for the rest of your life? There's nothing wrong with soda or diet soda.........in moderation

    I have cut out candy. Not a good idea. Learning portions for foods we love will help us when we get to goal.

    I have cut out fast food. Not a good idea. Learning portions for foods we love will help us when we get to goal.

    I have cut out meat. Not a good idea unless you want to be a vegetarian. Becoming a vegetarian is not a weight loss plan though. Vegetarians learn about alternate protein sources. Those sources also have calories. So if you want want to be vegetarian....I'm confused as to how this would help.

    Working out - GOOD IDEA

    Elimination diets are short sighted. Eliminating foods you like helps you lose weight, BUT then you are stuck with no idea how to keep that weight off. Make a plan for weight loss as well as a plan for maintenance.



    I think soda candy and fast food should be an only on occasion thing.. I do not plan to have to daily anymore

    As far as meat I agree that it does not make a lot of sense.. I think I will have some chicken today lol :)

    I have candy, fast food, etc occasionally WHILE I'm losing weight. The point is I know the serving size for a dish of ice cream (hint - it's not as big as most people think). The problem with elimination diets is people think they can add these "occasional" things when they get to goal.....but they haven't started practicing portion control. Are you going to start logging all these "forbidden" foods when you get to goal?

    A future smaller you will require fewer calories to maintain. We all need to find lifestyle changes.
  • ramicharowland
    ramicharowland Posts: 43 Member
    TeaBea wrote: »
    TeaBea wrote: »
    I have cut out soda. Not a good idea. Why not switch to diet soda? Are you planning on giving up soda for the rest of your life? There's nothing wrong with soda or diet soda.........in moderation

    I have cut out candy. Not a good idea. Learning portions for foods we love will help us when we get to goal.

    I have cut out fast food. Not a good idea. Learning portions for foods we love will help us when we get to goal.

    I have cut out meat. Not a good idea unless you want to be a vegetarian. Becoming a vegetarian is not a weight loss plan though. Vegetarians learn about alternate protein sources. Those sources also have calories. So if you want want to be vegetarian....I'm confused as to how this would help.

    Working out - GOOD IDEA

    Elimination diets are short sighted. Eliminating foods you like helps you lose weight, BUT then you are stuck with no idea how to keep that weight off. Make a plan for weight loss as well as a plan for maintenance.



    I think soda candy and fast food should be an only on occasion thing.. I do not plan to have to daily anymore

    As far as meat I agree that it does not make a lot of sense.. I think I will have some chicken today lol :)

    I have candy, fast food, etc occasionally WHILE I'm losing weight. The point is I know the serving size for a dish of ice cream (hint - it's not as big as most people think). The problem with elimination diets is people think they can add these "occasional" things.....but they haven't practiced portion control. Are you going to start logging all these "forbidden" foods when you get to goal?

    A future smaller you will require fewer calories to maintain. We all need to find lifestyle changes.

    When I reach my goal I am going to try and maintain the same changes... 1/2 cupo of ice cream has what 260 calories?? It seems like a waste of calories ( unless I am really jonesing for a sccop)
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    I am 21 years old

    244 lbs

    I want to lose at least 44 lbs.

    I have cut out soda, candy, fast food, and meat.

    Or anything that screams unhealthy!

    I plan to eat 1400 cals a day

    And workout 30 mins a day 10 minutes cardio ( machine cardio) elypitcal/ treadmill/ bike and use the rest doing sit ups/ leg kicks/ planks/ wall squats/ push ups / arm circles/ flutter kicks.. at home stuff.. Also going to be using tricep machine for arms..


    Is this a good plan? Adjustments? Tips..

    I still drink (diet) soda, eat candy, fast food and meat. I've lost around 50lbs, have improved all my health markers and am now approaching 4 years of successful maintenance. Oh, and I don't do intentional exercise.

    No need to cut out things you enjoy-just learn how to fit them into your calorie goals :)

    That is RAD!!!! Congratulations?? Did you just follow your deficit?? Workout?? Supplements.. Let me know something lol ;)

    The only thing I've tracked is calorie intake :) No supplements, no workouts-though I'm more active in my daily activities now that I've lost the weight (I no longer dread doing housework lol). Weight loss, weight maintenance and weight gain comes down to calorie intake. I've learned how fit in the foods I like into my calorie targets, have found a few low calorie substitutes that I don't mind (like diet coke instead of regular), and then I eat a varied diet with a wide range of foods. For example-I eat several servings of veggies and whole grains every day, and then I also eat chips, cookies, and fast food every week :D But, while the veggies are a daily thing the cookies/sweet treats is more of a 2-3 times a week thing etc.

    Focus on finding the balance for you-what's going to be a realistic and sustainable plan for the next 20, 30, 40+ years? Figure that out and you'll be one of the very few people who do this whole thing successfully :)
  • Nevada
    Nevada Posts: 140 Member
    Make it adventure. Explore new foods. Check out the recipes forum. Cook. Weigh and log everything. Savor and enjoy the food you eat. Have fun checking your progress on the Charts.

    Good luck to you.
  • tahxirez
    tahxirez Posts: 270 Member
    You are over thinking. Don't try to change your whole life in one day. Make small changes. Input your data, log your intake faithfully and accurately everyday. Get a food scale that weighs in grams. Choose accurate entries. Start accumulating data about what you are REALLY consuming in a day. Start finding ways to cut that intake down if you are not meeting goal or are meeting goal and starving. You might come to realize that soda isn't worth the calories and you'd rather have a side salad with a measured amount of dressing than a pasta side dish with dinner. That doesn't mean pasta is bad and salad is good, it means that today maybe a bowl of salad fits and tomorrow maybe a bowl of pasta.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,185 Member
    Personally I don't think it is that good of a plan. What is your height? 1400 may be ok, but it might be too low if you are tall. I don't think that you have to completely cut anything out. A plan that is very restrictive is unlikely to be sustainable. I think it is best to just input in your stats to mfp and eat at a reasonable calorie goal. Eat foods you like and don't label food as good or bad. You will find out as you go along which foods are worth spending calories on and which ones you would rather pass on.
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
    I did give up full-sugar soda and will have an occasional diet soda. I love soda, but it wasn't going to fit into my calorie goals. I still eat candy and fast food on occasion--and as long as it fits in my calorie goals.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,097 Member
    Since when does meat scream 'unhealthy'?

    When it's being butchered, but you would have to speak cow or pig to know that. Theories differ as to whether these dying screams are self-referential (that is, they find stun guns and sharp blades to the carotid artery very unhealthy to them) or they are part of a protest movement/propaganda campaign, like the Chick-Fillet cows urging us to eat more chikun.

  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    I did give up full-sugar soda and will have an occasional diet soda. I love soda, but it wasn't going to fit into my calorie goals. I still eat candy and fast food on occasion--and as long as it fits in my calorie goals.

    Ditto. Except I really don't like diet pop, so I only have it if I am mixing it with something. Otherwise I use a sodastream and just drink bubbly water.
  • misskarne
    misskarne Posts: 1,765 Member

    I just don't want to eat it for now I don't mind losing a little muscle and having my calories burn quicker.

    You know your heart is a muscle, right?
  • _Justinian_
    _Justinian_ Posts: 232 Member
    edited January 2017
    ... 1/2 cupo of ice cream has what 260 calories?? It seems like a waste of calories ( unless I am really jonesing for a sccop)

    As an ice cream lover, look up something called Halo Top. You're welcome. :smile:
  • ClosetBayesian
    ClosetBayesian Posts: 836 Member
    TeaBea wrote: »
    TeaBea wrote: »
    I have cut out soda. Not a good idea. Why not switch to diet soda? Are you planning on giving up soda for the rest of your life? There's nothing wrong with soda or diet soda.........in moderation

    I have cut out candy. Not a good idea. Learning portions for foods we love will help us when we get to goal.

    I have cut out fast food. Not a good idea. Learning portions for foods we love will help us when we get to goal.

    I have cut out meat. Not a good idea unless you want to be a vegetarian. Becoming a vegetarian is not a weight loss plan though. Vegetarians learn about alternate protein sources. Those sources also have calories. So if you want want to be vegetarian....I'm confused as to how this would help.

    Working out - GOOD IDEA

    Elimination diets are short sighted. Eliminating foods you like helps you lose weight, BUT then you are stuck with no idea how to keep that weight off. Make a plan for weight loss as well as a plan for maintenance.



    I think soda candy and fast food should be an only on occasion thing.. I do not plan to have to daily anymore

    As far as meat I agree that it does not make a lot of sense.. I think I will have some chicken today lol :)

    I have candy, fast food, etc occasionally WHILE I'm losing weight. The point is I know the serving size for a dish of ice cream (hint - it's not as big as most people think). The problem with elimination diets is people think they can add these "occasional" things.....but they haven't practiced portion control. Are you going to start logging all these "forbidden" foods when you get to goal?

    A future smaller you will require fewer calories to maintain. We all need to find lifestyle changes.

    When I reach my goal I am going to try and maintain the same changes... 1/2 cupo of ice cream has what 260 calories?? It seems like a waste of calories ( unless I am really jonesing for a sccop)

    I was in enough of a calorie deficit yesterday that I deliberately ate ice cream to be closer to my calorie goal. Will probably do the same today.
  • SadDolt
    SadDolt Posts: 173 Member
    edited January 2017
    ccsernica wrote: »
    I don't understand why people want to make losing weight harder than it has to be. It's difficult enough to adjust to eating a calorie deficit. Why double down by cutting out all the foods you like? Why adopt such a large deficit over and above what you probably need in order to lose?

    By making it so difficult, you're setting yourself up for failure. This isn't some kind of moral exercise; you're doing it for your health and so you can feel better about yourself and maybe fit into clothes you want to wear. Create a program that's easy to stick to, that's not so restrictive, so that you still enjoy eating and can stick with it for the long term. It's not a sin to enjoy your food. There's nothing that says you have to be miserable while you're losing weight.

    It's true that some foods are calorie-dense while providing little in the way of nutrients, like sodas and candy. But you can still enjoy them! Make them occasional treats rather than regular, habitual parts of your diet. Otherwise, follow @_Justinian_'s suggestion and use MFP's tools to set a reasonable daily calorie goal. I'd be very surprised if it didn't result in allowing you few hundred calories more than you think, even with an aggressive weight loss rate of 2 lb/week.

    guarantee this isn't the first time she planned to eat zero junk food...and failed smh
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,336 Member
    From experience counting calories only doesn't work. It needs to be healthier too. If you eat a bagel for breakfast, a hamburger from McDonalds for lunch, and a bag of chips for dinner, you might lose weight but it will be slow and your body composition won't be as lean. So, like others said, do it in moderation. If you can't stand it and you want a burger, then go get one, BUT, pick the single burger, skip the fry, and have a salad instead with a tad of dressing. If you ate good all day and you really want 5 M & M's then eat them if it won't make you want more :) Have fun. If it's a chore you will tire of it. You gotta say, "I Got This!", have a little fun, and make it exciting.

    Poppycock. One can not only lose just a fast eating those things (assuming calories are constant) but they can get good body composition doing so.
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
    I did give up full-sugar soda and will have an occasional diet soda. I love soda, but it wasn't going to fit into my calorie goals. I still eat candy and fast food on occasion--and as long as it fits in my calorie goals.

    Ditto. Except I really don't like diet pop, so I only have it if I am mixing it with something. Otherwise I use a sodastream and just drink bubbly water.

    I drink buckets of sparkly water.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,336 Member
    IT seems that everyone on here has a different opinion and I guess that because some things work for some and not others. I cant just have one square of chocolate, or just 5 m & ms i would literally eat everything I have in my house! I decided to quit sugar and anything processed for new year, I got pretty bad headache for a few days but that's gone now and I feel a ot better. I get the odd craving for sugar but I try to eat natural sugars, bananas, apples and other sweet fruit instead. I make sure I log my food on mfp and keep within my calorie amount. To be honest im fairly new here, only signed up on 3rd Jan, but since then i have lost 5lb and it doesn't feel like I've missed out on anything. I treated myself to a few maple syrup pancakes the day I found id lost weight, but just made sure I was still within my calorie limit. I defiantly wouldn't cut out meat though, its too good for you!

    That doesn't actually change the fact that if you could show restraint that piece of chocolate or little bit of other fun food if eaten within your calorie goal will not magically render the calorie deficit ineffective. Part of learning to eat better is learning (eventually) how to show moderation with foods like this.

    The differences of opinion usually come from either people, like you who at this point cannot show moderation, or people who don't log carefully enough and so end up eating far more than they think they are eating and blame the potato chips, chocolate, bagels, or whatever. The only confounding factors that I know exist in terms of carbs causing issues is with those with pre-diabetes, diabetes, PCOS or other metabolic illnesses.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    " it simply means a balanced diet of nutritious and sweets/treats is perfectly fine.

    Ahhh I think that is where my issue lies balance... lol Especially with junk food..

    I was once there. Instead of viewing my eating habits as "I need to cut xx out of my diet" it was "I need to add xx to my diet". Then I was able to work at moderating. This took a little work, but now? I am so damn happy I worked hard to be able to moderate foods that I never thought I was able to. I've stuck with my weight loss plan for much longer than previous attempts where I cut out many foods, and this to me is success. I don't dread eating in deficit anymore as it means that I don't get to miss foods and am not obsessing about what I can and cannot eat all the time. I do, however, watch protein, fats, fiber, and iron, but let the rest fall wherever.


    This is awesome.. This is where I want to be eventually..

    You will get there. I am in BED recovery (because recovery is for the rest of ones life). It was in fact a combination of this site as well as keeping in touch with my former Dietitian which got me into moderating all foods.

    I started off by repackaging snack/treat foods into weighed out single servings as well as pre-logging my day with a few hundred extra calories empty for one of those snacks/treats. Now I can weigh out a portion and stick to it. If I have a bad day (emotionally or from lack of sleep), I do go overboard with certain foods, but I do try and stick to my calories.

    The most important thing is to not punish yourself for going over. Tomorrow is a new day.

    I wish you all the best.
  • cebreisch
    cebreisch Posts: 1,340 Member
    Focus on what you're eating first. Eliminating meat (I think) isn't the best idea, unless it's swimming in chicken fried steak covering and gravy. Sirloin steaks are okay - they don't have a lot of fat - unless they're cooked in an unhealthy fashion.

    Soda and candy is fine to try to eliminate. As well as cutting out (or way down on) fast food....grilled chicken ought to be okay though.

    A Bariatric nutritionist told me to focus on lean, quality protein's and the fats/carbs would take care of themselves, and I've found that to be pretty accurate. Keep in mind, the better quality of food you have (staying away from fried foods, choosing more "natural foods" without loading them up with unfriendly stuff (ex. Loaded baked potato), the more of it you can have. I've had weeks where I've even gone over calories, but still made wise choices and still lost weight.
  • emjam99
    emjam99 Posts: 92 Member
    I wouldn't advise cutting out foods completely as it leads to unhealthy habits and sometimes binges, plus it's not crucial to losing weight. I lost 45 pounds by "everything in moderation". Just cut back on the portion sizes and eat healthier more filling foods. As far as working out goes, do what you can and increase that. When I was losing the only excersize I did was brisk walking
  • ramicharowland
    ramicharowland Posts: 43 Member
    ... 1/2 cupo of ice cream has what 260 calories?? It seems like a waste of calories ( unless I am really jonesing for a sccop)

    As an ice cream lover, look up something called Halo Top. You're welcome. :smile:

    OMG!! YOU ROCKKK
  • ramicharowland
    ramicharowland Posts: 43 Member
    emjam99 wrote: »
    I wouldn't advise cutting out foods completely as it leads to unhealthy habits and sometimes binges, plus it's not crucial to losing weight. I lost 45 pounds by "everything in moderation". Just cut back on the portion sizes and eat healthier more filling foods. As far as working out goes, do what you can and increase that. When I was losing the only excersize I did was brisk walking

    I adore you. Thank you for the inspiration....
  • illyasHodrick
    illyasHodrick Posts: 33 Member
    Since when does meat scream 'unhealthy'?
    Since forever.

This discussion has been closed.