What the.....
kq1981
Posts: 1,098 Member
Very new to mfp. Trying to lose weight for both physical and mental health issues. Have browsed comments and forums, read actively and find so much info, but at times so contradictory that I want to throw my phone out my window. Keep calories down and eat "whole" foods, eat cake and chips as long as it's within yr calorie count, cardio doesn't help, make sure u excersise, starvation mode isn't a thing (which I was informed about quite strenuously, so embarrassed) but don't skip meals because yr metabolism slows down unless you're doing IF so then it's ok to not eat.
So, my question is, what works for YOU, that keeps u feeling satiated and under calorie count for the day so I can TRY new things to establish what's right for me. It's a process I no and that's why I'm here. Thanks guys
So, my question is, what works for YOU, that keeps u feeling satiated and under calorie count for the day so I can TRY new things to establish what's right for me. It's a process I no and that's why I'm here. Thanks guys
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Replies
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i do cardio 4 times a week and try to make sure i stay within my calorie goal most days i do spend a long time at gym so get quite a few exercise calories i could eat back but i try to only use about 20-30% of them3
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What people are essentially saying is this: If you eat at a caloric deficit, even if you eat super unhealthy stuff, you will lose weight.
What they are not saying is: Eat all the bad food that doesn't work well with your body, or your illnesses, conditions.
So simply eat food that work well with your body as often as you need. I personally like eating a huge meal and two smaller meals, so 3 times a day. It works with my appetite as I don't get too hungry from the morning.
As for workouts and cardio, they are amazing for you. They are simply great for your overall health. What people are saying is that, they are not the only tools to lose weight.
Hope this clears some things.12 -
Lol it really does sound like that doesn't it!? Bottom line to all of MFP weight loss is deficit in calories. If you eat less than your body burns, you will lose weight. It's ultimately your choice what you put in your mouth. If you want to eat "healthier more nutritious food" or don't. I'm pretty sure you know that exercise is good for the body and it does help with weight loss but it is NOT the primary factor2
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Thanks guys. I'll try the two smaller meals, one larger as I tend to get more hungry at night.4
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the best advice I was given was to get a little kitchen scale, I haven't got much left to lose and I was stuck even though I was eating healthy and going gym four times a week I wasn't losing anymore weight but I wasn't weighting my meals and even though I was eating chicken and rice and stuff like that I was eating way to much of it2
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I think the secret is to find what works for you and for your body. Every single one of us is different and i believe we all have a way that's perfect for us. I've tried most diets over my life and the one that is making a big difference for me is LCHF. Low Carb High Fat. It is certainly a change in perspective! And it works!!! It's like magic. I've lost 14lbs since the 5th of January plus I've got loads of energy and I feel great.
You can read about how it works here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/
and here is my favourite: www.dietdoctor.com
When you shift your body into fat-burning mode it all seems SO much easier
(I agree with lemonychild - exercise is not the primary factor, though I have added in an extra walk most days, pilates twice a week and a 7 minutes HIIT exercise set most mornings)1 -
Yea I've never weighed my meals. Definitely something I'll look into because I know my eyes are much bigger than my stomache:-/1
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haha mine too I would just fill the plate with rice and chicken and think it was healthy but really it was more then I needed1
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What works for me is to not overcomplicate things.
Weight loss, in itself, is a matter of calories. Anything else you have read is just opinions about what different things work for different people to optimize their calorie intake and health. If clean eating makes dieting easier for you, eat clean. If eating cake within calories is easier, eat cake. If eating 15 meals a day makes dieting easier for you, eat 15 meals a day. If eating 1 meal a day is what fits your preference better, do that. Physical activity is great for physical and mental health, it also gives you extra calories to make dieting easier. If you don't want to do it (or can't), don't do it. Nutrient rich foods support your health, but if you have a couple of days here and there where your diet is not nutrient rich, you're not gonna die.
Cut through the noise and experiment to find out what works for you and makes dieting less stressful and more sustainable.
Edit: what works for me, personally, is more low intensity cardio on most days (GASP!) and moderate intensity 2-3 times a week because high intensity cardio makes me much hungrier. Meal-wise I'm not very consistent. I sometimes have 3 square meals, other times I have 2, and others I just graze all day. Depends on my mood or circumstances (I often skip meals if I know I will be having something heavier later in the day). I also have times where I do intermittent fasting alternating low calorie days with maintenance, and times where I bank my calories in advance for several days for some special event. However I do it, I often look at my calories as a multi-day budget, not a single day budget. Food-wise, I eat things I like within calories (including cake and chips sometimes), but most of the things I like are nutrient rich anyway so no problems there.9 -
I think the secret is to find what works for you and for your body. Every single one of us is different and i believe we all have a way that's perfect for us. I've tried most diets over my life and the one that is making a big difference for me is LCHF. Low Carb High Fat. It is certainly a change in perspective! And it works!!! It's like magic. I've lost 14lbs since the 5th of January plus I've got loads of energy and I feel great.
You can read about how it works here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/
and here is my favourite: www.dietdoctor.com
When you shift your body into fat-burning mode it all seems SO much easier
(I agree with lemonychild - exercise is not the primary factor, though I have added in an extra walk most days, pilates twice a week and a 7 minutes HIIT exercise set most mornings)
I've done lchf, for me it was unsustainable as a lifestyle (no diets here). Lots of factors involved with me being able to stick to it. Much research on my part went into it. But if it works for u that's fantastic! Well done.
I'm trying just to monitor my calorie intake for now and not be hungry, because I'm a pig lol3 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »What works for me is to not overcomplicate things.
Weight loss, in itself, is a matter of calories. Anything else you have read is just opinions about what different things work for different people to optimize their calorie intake and health. If clean eating makes dieting easier for you, eat clean. If eating cake within calories is easier, eat cake. if eating 15 meals a day makes dieting easier for you, eat 15 meals a day. If eating 1 meal a day is what fits your preference better, do that. Physical activity is great for physical and mental health, it also gives you extra calories to make dieting easier. If you don't want to do it (or can't), don't do it. Nutrient rich foods support your health, but if you have a couple of days here and there where your diet is not nutrient rich, you're not gonna die.
Cut through the noise and experiment to find out what works for you and makes dieting less stressful and more sustainable.
Thank u!!!
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I dunno if it true for everyone but I have found that stacking the proteins keep me full, I eat a lot of chicken breast and tuna and stuff like that and I keep fridge full of the 10 calorie jellys if I get sweet cravings3
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I have to eat more often, I have 5 meals a day all weighed and prepped on a morning, drink plenty of water with my infuser and a few cups of peppermint tea which help to stop cravings. I also do have little snacks here and there. I exercise 6 days a week so I do need to eat back some of my calories otherwise i'd be passing out but I make sure I eat plenty of carbs, protein and fats. I have gone to more of a high fat low carb for the summer to try and lower my body fat percentage but overall my habits are a lifestyle change and something I can permanently stick to with minor tweaks here and there. For me it's about variety in meals aswell, If I get bored i'll throw the meal away and go and buy something from the shop so I have to make sure everything is very varied and flavoursome
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For weight loss, maintain a sustainable calorie deficit (burn more than you eat, at a pace you can maintain long enough to accomplish your goals). Eat things you enjoy.
For nutrition, hit reasonable macronutrient and micronutrient targets and eat a well-rounded range of foods.
For happiness about your eating, balance nutrition, satiation, tastiness, and the social dimensions of eating.
For fitness, to preserve muscle while in a calorie deficit, to earn a few more calories to eat while losing weight, and for the best chance of an energetic older age, exercise.
For the best shot at general good health, achieve and maintain a healthy weight, get solid nutrition, and strive for fitness.
Those are the basics. In every category, there are details, and people will debate them.
Personally, I find accurate logging (food & activity) very helpful, followed by diary review.
Early on in losing, I'd review my diary, and think. If I had trouble sticking to my goals, or felt less than optimal, what was the cause: Lack of sleep? Stress? Not enough of some macronutrient or category of food? Too much of some trigger food? Not enough exercise? Too much exercise for my fuel level? Too little exercise? Too little fuel to maintain energy, consistency, or activity level? Boredom? Social pressure?
For some problems, I needed to tweak my eating. If a food "cost" too many calories for its tastiness, nutrition or satiation, I'd replace it with something else I liked eating that better accomplished my goals. (Life is too short for food I don't enjoy.)
For other problems, I needed to change my behavior - more sleep, new hobby, new mental "script" for handling difficult situations (potlucks and buffets - yikes! ), stress management techniques, etc.
Assess, adjust, evaluate . . . repeat.
Accuracy in logging made this into a fun science fair project for grown ups: Simple (but not always easy ). Not losing? Add exercise, or reduce eating. Fatigued/weak/losing unhealthily fast? The reverse. Over-ate goal calories? Calculate the impact in days of delay to goal, and go on, without drama.
On the exercise front, finding something you think is fun enough that you want to do it - that's magic. It may take some persistent trial and error. Give any new activity several sessions of trial (unless it's injuring you in some way!) because it's less often fun to do something when you're really new and thus pretty bad at it. Give it a chance to be fun, before giving up.
Personally, I like variety in my activities, and some strength-building and some cardiovascular-health-building activities. But that's secondary to doing things that I find fun.
I could rattle on forever, but that's a start.
tl; dr: Relax. Take some manageable, positive steps. Evaluate. Improve. Keep going.18 -
For weight loss, maintain a sustainable calorie deficit (burn more than you eat, at a pace you can maintain long enough to accomplish your goals). Eat things you enjoy.
For nutrition, hit reasonable macronutrient and micronutrient targets and eat a well-rounded range of foods.
For happiness about your eating, balance nutrition, satiation, tastiness, and the social dimensions of eating.
For fitness, to preserve muscle while in a calorie deficit, to earn a few more calories to eat while losing weight, and for the best chance of an energetic older age, exercise.
For the best shot at general good health, achieve and maintain a healthy weight, get solid nutrition, and strive for fitness.
Those are the basics. In every category, there are details, and people will debate them.
Personally, I find accurate logging (food & activity) very helpful, followed by diary review.
Early on in losing, I'd review my diary, and think. If I had trouble sticking to my goals, or felt less than optimal, what was the cause: Lack of sleep? Stress? Not enough of some macronutrient or category of food? Too much of some trigger food? Not enough exercise? Too much exercise for my fuel level? Too little exercise? Too little fuel to maintain energy, consistency, or activity level? Boredom? Social pressure?
For some problems, I needed to tweak my eating. If a food "cost" too many calories for its tastiness, nutrition or satiation, I'd replace it with something else I liked eating that better accomplished my goals. (Life is too short for food I don't enjoy.)
For other problems, I needed to change my behavior - more sleep, new hobby, new mental "script" for handling difficult situations (potlucks and buffets - yikes! ), stress management techniques, etc.
Assess, adjust, evaluate . . . repeat.
Accuracy in logging made this into a fun science fair project for grown ups: Simple (but not always easy ). Not losing? Add exercise, or reduce eating. Fatigued/weak/losing unhealthily fast? The reverse. Over-ate goal calories? Calculate the impact in days of delay to goal, and go on, without drama.
On the exercise front, finding something you think is fun enough that you want to do it - that's magic. It may take some persistent trial and error. Give any new activity several sessions of trial (unless it's injuring you in some way!) because it's less often fun to do something when you're really new and thus pretty bad at it. Give it a chance to be fun, before giving up.
Personally, I like variety in my activities, and some strength-building and some cardiovascular-health-building activities. But that's secondary to doing things that I find fun.
I could rattle on forever, but that's a start.
tl; dr: Relax. Take some manageable, positive steps. Evaluate. Improve. Keep going.
Great advice!!!! Thanks so much for yr time and effort. I'm sincerely trying my hardest to learn and change my eating habits.
Buffets...... urgh lol My nonnas weekly dinner is my kryptonite. Italian grandmothers get so sad if u say no more lol2 -
Buffets...... urgh lol My nonnas weekly dinner is my kryptonite. Italian grandmothers get so sad if u say no more lol
You'll get the look. Best bet is to grab a small plate and have a small portion (used to do about half a serving spoon) of everything lol. She'll never believe you already ate or aren't that hungry. Italian grandmother's think everyone's starving all the time. Miss mine
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Eat until 80% full at every meal, cheat sometimes within reason, good exercise 4-6 x's a week, sleep plenty, get a good routine, hold yourself accountable, drink water and then more water, eat foods that help you perform, get your yearly checkups, trust yourself in that if you think you're going off track you probably are.1
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The reason there are so many conflicting statements is just that different things work for different people. Let's get a few things sorted out:
The only way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories than you burn.
Does this mean you have to count calories to lose weight? No. Just eat less than you burn. Some people can do that without counting calories, eg by adjusting timings, cutting carbs, whatever. Others prefer to just count it.
Does this mean it doesn't matter what you eat? No. A calorie is a calorie, but some foods are more filling than others. You could lose weight eating only cookies but you would be hungry and miserable. Plus, protein preserves muscles, fibre keeps you moving, and vitamins are a thing. But can you eat treats and still lose weight? Absolutely.
Does this mean meal timing doesn't matter? Yes it means exactly that. But different meal timings might help you manage your hunger. This works differently for different people, some like lots of little meals, some a few big ones and so on. It's just hunger management.
What about exercise? You can lose weight without exercising at all (or disabled slimmers would be up the creek). Exercise is healthy and gives you a few extra calories to eat, but it's not the be-all and end-all. Get your eating sorted out first, and exercise is a bonus.
What about starvation mode? It kind of is a thing, but only if you're actually starving to death. Otherwise, your body can economise a little, mainly by making you lazy and cold so you lie under a blanket rather than moving around generating heat. The savings it makes are not enough to stop you losing weight, though, unless you're also making mistakes logging your food and exercise.
To your question, I eat normal food in a deficit. I try to eat extra fruit, veg, protein and whole grains to help me feel full. I exercise for cake (and because I like it). I eat 3 meals a day plus irregular snacks and I have at least one sweet treat a day. I eat a bit less during the week so I can eat more at the weekend, and every few months I get bored of this nonsense and go on maintenance for a while (usually when away on a trip or around celebrations). I never stop logging, but very infrequently (like maybe every two months) I take a day where I quick-add 4000 calories to my diary and eat whatever I want.
It works for me, and it's my plan - nobody else's. That's the only plan that works in the end.10 -
So props to you for reading and asking questions. I've been here 8 months and I'm still learning!
For weight loss CICO. How you get there is what you will figure out over time. Cut out foods, moderate, meal frequency/timing, macros and exercise was just something I had to play around with to help me adhere. I started with one method (zig zagging) moved to more fixed daily calorie goal and I'm sure I will tweak things as I go. Small baby steps to help me form new habits.
I also have an exit plan for vacations and stressful times, I eat at maintenance or I bank calories.
Most importantly I'm finding a sustainable way of eating so transition to maintenance is easier.2 -
It does get so confusing! Psuedo-science, magic tricks and pure lies abound.
Personally, I'll stand behind CICO all day, every day. It just plain works. As to food, I try to keep a good balance between healthier items (since they're usually, but not always, lower calorie) and foods that I know will keep me satisfied and on-track. For me, that's HUGE - finding a way to be satisfied with my calorie count for the day. If that comes at a piece of bacon rather than a cup of pineapple, then so be it.3 -
I think the secret is to find what works for you and for your body. Every single one of us is different and i believe we all have a way that's perfect for us. I've tried most diets over my life and the one that is making a big difference for me is LCHF. Low Carb High Fat. It is certainly a change in perspective! And it works!!! It's like magic. I've lost 14lbs since the 5th of January plus I've got loads of energy and I feel great.
You can read about how it works here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/
and here is my favourite: www.dietdoctor.com
When you shift your body into fat-burning mode it all seems SO much easier
(I agree with lemonychild - exercise is not the primary factor, though I have added in an extra walk most days, pilates twice a week and a 7 minutes HIIT exercise set most mornings)
I've done lchf, for me it was unsustainable as a lifestyle (no diets here). Lots of factors involved with me being able to stick to it. Much research on my part went into it. But if it works for u that's fantastic! Well done.
I'm trying just to monitor my calorie intake for now and not be hungry, because I'm a pig lol
This^
I tried LCHF too.....miserable failure (for me). No diets here either. All things in moderation.3 -
What worked for me (and my sister) was easing into a calorie deficit. So not going from eating 2500 calories a day to trying to eat 1200. We tracked our food for a week with out making any changes (a sobering process), then picked one or two changes to make (like cut soda and use cooking spray). Once you get used to that, change a couple more things. If you spread these changes out over a few weeks you will learn where your sweet spot is for losing while still feeling satisfied and give your body time to adjust. It's the same process as going into maintenance, just reversed.
I also had to fiddle some with when I ate, the order I was eating things, and with macros. I eat six times a day (it's hard to feel deprived when you eat every 2-3 hours) but I have to front load my calories because I'm hungrier in the mornings. I feel better when I have my protein shake at 6:30am and my oatmeal at 9:30am, if I reverse them I'm starving all morning. For snacks need to couple a fat with my fruit/veggie or my blood sugar spikes and then crashes leaving me hungrier than before my snack. At 1250-1350 calories 80-90 grams of protein is good for me, more 90 grams and my weight loss stalls (low carb diets have never worked for me). I measure everything but I'm not neurotic about it because it's not a sustainable habit for me in the long run. I use containers, measuring cups, and packaging label info most of the time keeping in mind that there is a margin of error with these methods, and I use my scale when those don't work or seem off. Is it perfect? No, but neither is life and it works for me and I can live with it long term so I'm good living with less than perfect.2 -
Love reading these comments thanks everyone. Inspiring me to keep on goal. I've got a fair bit of weight to lose. Since starting 14 days ago I'm 1.7 kilos down and it's a lose and that's all that matters. This week as u said @KT6377 I'll make another small change. Last week it was learning to love coffee without sugar. Haven't heard about banking calories @leanjogreen18 but it's something I'll look into because weekends wen I have a few drinks I'm sure it'll get rough.
Bacon over pineapple any day
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Buffets...... urgh lol My nonnas weekly dinner is my kryptonite. Italian grandmothers get so sad if u say no more lol
You'll get the look. Best bet is to grab a small plate and have a small portion (used to do about half a serving spoon) of everything lol. She'll never believe you already ate or aren't that hungry. Italian grandmother's think everyone's starving all the time. Miss mine
My Nonna kinda goes from sad to angry if I don't eat more lol wrath of grandmothers....1 -
Biggest thing for me was learning I didn't have to eat a bunch of rabbit food. Understanding the calories and that I could eat like I want to within the calorie goal helped me immensely. Yes, it does mean I've cut some things out (pop being #1 that I've cut out) as I decided I'd rather have the calories for other things, while at the same time eating less of my treats, like a 30g bag of chips instead of half a family sized bag.
As you go along, you will pick up things that work for you. There is no real one size fits all, despite what you may read here and elsewhere.2 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »Biggest thing for me was learning I didn't have to eat a bunch of rabbit food. Understanding the calories and that I could eat like I want to within the calorie goal helped me immensely. Yes, it does mean I've cut some things out (pop being #1 that I've cut out) as I decided I'd rather have the calories for other things, while at the same time eating less of my treats, like a 30g bag of chips instead of half a family sized bag.
As you go along, you will pick up things that work for you. There is no real one size fits all, despite what you may read here and elsewhere.
That's why I have failed miserably to lose weight. Diets advocating Rabbit food being the go to for weight lose. Unsustainable in the long term.
I'm not dieting anymore, I'm changing my eating behaviour and learning what's right for me. Thank u:-)2 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »Biggest thing for me was learning I didn't have to eat a bunch of rabbit food. Understanding the calories and that I could eat like I want to within the calorie goal helped me immensely. Yes, it does mean I've cut some things out (pop being #1 that I've cut out) as I decided I'd rather have the calories for other things, while at the same time eating less of my treats, like a 30g bag of chips instead of half a family sized bag.
As you go along, you will pick up things that work for you. There is no real one size fits all, despite what you may read here and elsewhere.
That's why I have failed miserably to lose weight. Diets advocating Rabbit food being the go to for weight lose. Unsustainable in the long term.
I'm not dieting anymore, I'm changing my eating behaviour and learning what's right for me. Thank u:-)
Long term. Hell, I can't go a week on rabbit food. I hate most veggies. Those I like I will eat a couple portions of daily (baby carrots and snap peas), but beyond that and I'm reaching for a Teen Burger. 0 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »Biggest thing for me was learning I didn't have to eat a bunch of rabbit food. Understanding the calories and that I could eat like I want to within the calorie goal helped me immensely. Yes, it does mean I've cut some things out (pop being #1 that I've cut out) as I decided I'd rather have the calories for other things, while at the same time eating less of my treats, like a 30g bag of chips instead of half a family sized bag.
As you go along, you will pick up things that work for you. There is no real one size fits all, despite what you may read here and elsewhere.
That's why I have failed miserably to lose weight. Diets advocating Rabbit food being the go to for weight lose. Unsustainable in the long term.
I'm not dieting anymore, I'm changing my eating behaviour and learning what's right for me. Thank u:-)
Long term. Hell, I can't go a week on rabbit food. I hate most veggies. Those I like I will eat a couple portions of daily (baby carrots and snap peas), but beyond that and I'm reaching for a Teen Burger.
Teen burger...... drools0 -
I will eat aaaallllll the veggies y'all don't want, because veggies make me very, very happy. 3
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Set a reasonable calorie goal like 1 lb a week unless you are 50+ lbs overweight. Do not start at the minimum recommended 1200 calories if you do not have to.
Eat some of your exercise calories. A lot of people eat half to account for overestimated burns.
Eat what you like and log as accurately as you can. You do not need to completely overhaul your diet and your family's diet to lose weight.
Your family, friends, coworkers will eat different than you. It is not sabotage. They are different people with different calorie needs and goals. You do you.
Reduce portion sizes of higher calorie foods. Fill your day with more lower calorie foods like vegetables.
Plan meals. Look at labels. Look up nutritional info for restaurants. Get a food scale.
People find protein, fats and fiber help them to be more satisfied. If you are having cravings even though you have eaten enough calories look to these things and change up the food you eat.
It does not matter what time of day you eat or how many meals you eat. Get your calories in a way that suit your lifestyle.
I eat the same foods I always did just in appropriate portion sizes for my goal. I prelog my food for the whole day every morning. I look at calories first and then protein. I drink mostly water or unsweetened tea as drinking my calories is not satisfying for me.
This is how I typically eat:
Breakfast- Greek yogurt, granola bars, cereal with milk, sandwich, dinner leftovers, fruit, cottage cheese (about 200-300 calories)
Lunch- sandwich, salad, or dinner leftovers (about 300-500 calories)
Dinner- something different every night of the month. (about 500-600 calories) I have soup once a week usually.
Snacks- things like fruit, chips, popcorn, pretzels, chocolate, cookies, granola bar, carrots, celery, broccoli, trail mix, deviled eggs, pickles, cottage cheese (about 100-300 calories)1
This discussion has been closed.
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