So I can eat ANYTHING as long as it's in my calorie deficit?

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  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    Ashleyjt_ wrote: »
    I heard the way to lose weight is to eat no more than my deficit. But can I eat anything I wanted to and lose weight?

    Lets just say I can only eat 1,400 in a day and for breakfast I would eat a sausage and egg breakfast sandwich from McDonalds (430 calories)
    Lunch would be a Junior chicken from Mcdonalds (370 calories)
    Then dinner would be something healthier like ground turkey and veggies (600 calories)

    Would I still be able to lose weight even though all I am eating half the day is junk food? Technically I am still in the deficit.

    Also, I am not active as I am doing a desk job so I won't be burning any calories through out the day.

    This guy lost 56 pounds by eating nothing but McDonalds for six months. His "secret" was a calorie deficit.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    orionaimee wrote: »
    It would be curious to see what it did to cholesterol levels and blood pressure even if there was weight loss.

    Enlightening: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/hormonal-responses-fast-food-meal.html/
  • dfwesq
    dfwesq Posts: 592 Member
    edited March 2017
    Trying to lose weight by eating mostly low-nutrition foods is probably not going to be sustainable. You'll likely be hungry, not be well nourished, and feel bad. That's not a great way to stay motivated and disciplined. And unless you're in a very controlled situation, you may find it very hard to resist the temptation to overeat. And you probably won't have the energy to exercise as much as if you were eating a healthier diet.

    ETA: I'm not saying the examples you gave are necessarily bad to eat - I'm just going off your question about eating more than half your calories from junk food.
  • jamilt
    jamilt Posts: 25 Member
    Very insightful.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    Ashleyjt_ wrote: »
    I heard the way to lose weight is to eat no more than my deficit. But can I eat anything I wanted to and lose weight?

    Lets just say I can only eat 1,400 in a day and for breakfast I would eat a sausage and egg breakfast sandwich from McDonalds (430 calories)
    Lunch would be a Junior chicken from Mcdonalds (370 calories)
    Then dinner would be something healthier like ground turkey and veggies (600 calories)

    Would I still be able to lose weight even though all I am eating half the day is junk food? Technically I am still in the deficit.

    Also, I am not active as I am doing a desk job so I won't be burning any calories through out the day.

    Yes. Calorie deficit is how you lose weight. Eat food you like that satisfies you.
    If you cooked and ate eggs, meat, bread, chicken at home would it also be junk food? They all have nutrients.
  • LessCookiess
    LessCookiess Posts: 538 Member
    I personally wouldn't but yes if you're eating at a deficit you will lose weight.

    I'm a little iffy on the calorie numbers for the food though it could be higher.
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    I eat foods I like and don't eat foods I don't like. I can eat anything as long as it fits into my calorie deficit but I can't eat unlimited quantities and I can't eat it to the exclusion of all else. "Eat anything as long as it fits into my calorie deficit" isn't the same as saying it's OK to eat all Snickers all the time and nothing else.

    I aim for about 80% of my calories from nutrient-dense foods and 20% from treats. If I really want something, I'll work at least some of it into what I'm eating. No food is off limits.
  • goodasgoldilox165
    goodasgoldilox165 Posts: 333 Member
    Didn't a guy try living on nothing but McDonalds for a month? I seem to remember that his blood tests showed (shock) that his health had suffered (blood pressure up etc.) However, he ate more calories than you plan to and he only ate McDonalds meals.

    I agree with posts above:

    If it is just weight loss you are concerned about - just look at calories.
    If you want to feel better, have more energy and be motivated to keep going - look at improving your diet a bit too. (You don't need to give up everything - just don't eat the same stuff every day.)
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    edited March 2017
    goodasgoldilox wrote: »
    Didn't a guy try living on nothing but McDonalds for a month? I seem to remember that his blood tests showed (shock) that his health had suffered (blood pressure up etc.) However, he ate more calories than you plan to and he only ate McDonalds meals.

    Super Size Me. The guy went from a normal diet and calorie level (I believe he was vegetarian) to cramming as many calories worth of McDonald's food into his mouth as he could with the least nutritious choices that he could pick off their menu. I remember seeing him fighting nausea from an over-full stomach but I don't remember if he threw up on camera or not. It was like he was trying to turn his liver into foie gras. I think he even went from a highly active lifestyle to sedentary. Unsurprisingly, he put on weight at an incredible pace which would have, regardless of the source of those calories, caused many of the health issues he acquired.

    It was basically a strawman set to film.

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