Can you eat ANYTHING?

naturallykinky · May 2017

I was wondering has anyone been able to eat anything (junk food included) stay within the suggested calories and still lose weight?

YalithKBK · May 2017

There is no such thing as "junk food", just calories. And yes, many people can eat whatever they want (carrots to ice cream) and lose weight. As long as you stay within your calorie goals, you will lose.

Now, some have found specific diets more effective than others, but these differ from person to person and what works for one person does not work for everyone.

Lizzy622 · May 2017

simple answer : YES I don't deny myself an occasional cookie or brownie or slice of pizza. It helps me stay on track the rest of the time. You need to be flexible.

tinkerbellang83 · May 2017

Yes you can eat anything for weight loss, including junk food. However, nutrition is important for overall health, so a balanced diet is still important. I eat out regularly and have had the odd pizza from the takeaway and have continued to lose approximately 1lb per week for the last 6 months. On days where I have takeaway or eat out I tend to have a lighter lunch or increase my activity.

Other people look at it like a money budget and "bank" a small amount of calories during the week, by eating 100 calories or so under their goal and then use the additional 500 calories over the weekend.

oolou · May 2017

Yes. If I do go over the suggested calories for the day I'll do extra cardio to make the deficit or eat lighter on another day. You can eat anything and lose weight if you make the calorie deficit.

moonstroller · May 2017

When I was 30 I weighed 178 with less than 7% body fat and I could literally eat anything I wanted, but I was also working out an insane amount of time, two to three hours per day with a mix of cardio and lifting. As long as you're burning the calories you're consuming you shouldn't gain weight, the problem is when you start getting a calorie surplus.

oocdc2 · May 2017

1. Yes. In fact, I recommend it, as long as you stay within calorie goals.
2. Exception: Chopsticks--you can eat with chopsticks, but you cannot eat chopsticks.

Tacklewasher · May 2017

Look at my diary. I've lost over 90 lbs eating what many here would consider junk. But I eat a lot less of it than I did and am better at getting fruit and vegetables than I was.

Even going to hit the pub tonight to watch hockey. Will have wings (which isn't "junk" but some would call them that).

I'm learning what it is to eat healthier as I go. I'm learning what healthy foods I like and make sure my diet isn't totally rabbit food. But I'm also looking long term and know that the habits I make now will have to be the same habits when I hit my goal weight.

annacole94 · May 2017

WinoGelato · May 2017

annacole94 wrote: »

I LOVE this!!!!

OP as others have said - what matters for weight loss is that you create a calorie deficit. You can do that eating any foods that you choose. I typically recommend the following approach:

1. Enter accurate stats, activity level, and goal weight in MFP
2. Select an appropriate rate of loss (if less than 50 lbs to lose - no more than 1 lb/week. If less than 25, no more than 0.5 lb/week)
3. MFP will calculate a calorie target for you.
4. Eat a variety of foods up to that calorie target, focusing on those that provide nutrition (macro and micro nutrients), satiety (fills you up), and enjoyment (helps keep you on track to include the foods you love in moderation)
5. Log everything you eat as honestly and accurately as possible, ideally using a food scale
6. If you exercise, log and eat back at least a portion of those calories
7. Be patient. Monitor and adjust after 6-8 weeks.

I lost the weight I set out to lose and never gave up eating things like pizza and ice cream with my family, wine in the evenings, etc. I did focus on eating a balanced diet and incorporating more protein, more vegetables, more exercise, more sleep. By focusing on things I was adding within my calorie target, and not cutting things out, I found I naturally prioritized the things that were good for me and filled me up, while still leaving room for the things that I loved in moderation.

Silentpadna · May 2017

Chocolate chip cookies (3-4) almost every day. And my vice (Coca Cola), when I have the room in my budget. (I used to drink 5-6 cans per day - had no budget at all).

If I have the budget I eat what I want.

So......

Yes.

snickerscharlie · May 2017

Yes, you can literally eat anything and lose weight, provided you remain in a calorie deficit while doing so.

What you will find, however, is that high calorie foods, especially those yummy ones containing both sugar and fat, 'cost' a great deal more, calorie-wise, than their less spendy counterparts, and satiety may become an issue since you can't eat a whole lot of them in a day and remain within 'budget.'

Nutrition and weight loss are two separate issues. But that doesn't mean you should disregard nutrition simply because you absolutely *can* lose weight by eating anything you crave within your caloric budget. What seems to work best overall for most people is a well-balanced diet that covers all of your macro needs, with a little wiggle room left over for some treats.

rrgoswick · May 2017

ON occasion I will have a treat or two when I am really craving it. If I don't then I am more likely to gorge on sweets at a later time. I have learned that I have to be flexible. IF I go over by a small amount one day then I just know I have to try harder from that point on. Usually when I completely restrict myself is usually when I fail.

janjunie · May 2017

Absolutely! Cutting sugar, restricting "fun foods", eating very little fat...etc is a recipe for failure. I lost all my baby weight (3 x's) from eating what I like in moderation.

janejellyroll · May 2017

I regularly ate foods that are considered "junk" (I don't find the term very useful myself) when I was losing weight. As long as I hit my calorie goals consistently, I made progress. The trick is measuring your portions accurately (before I was losing weight, my idea of a "serving" of tortilla chips was nothing like what the bag considers a serving for calorie purposes) and knowing foods that you might find harder to moderate. There's no way I personally want to order a plate of french fries and just eat a handful, so I only ordered fries when I knew that I had the calories to eat them. Other people have no problem moderating fries, so it wouldn't be an issue for them.

All you need is a calorie deficit. Some days, especially early on, I would have a food and realize that it wasn't really worth it for the number of calories. Those foods, I usually didn't have again. Some things, like a scoop of freshly made chocolate non-dairy chocolate ice cream or a gin and tonic on a summer night, almost always felt worth it and I had them more frequently.

thetrishwarp · May 2017

You can eat any food, just not any quantity.

cs2thecox · May 2017

As others have said, as long as you're in calorie deficit, you'll lose.

But then it's about how those foods make you feel, or how long they make you feel full for.
It's quite easy to make 3 decent size meals and two snacks out of, say, 1600 calories if you're using lots of veggies and lean proteins. Sensible carbs and some healthy fats along with the protein will help you feel full for a long time.
But if you want to eat the 1600 calories in pizza, beer and chocolate, it will look much smaller on the plate, and might leave you either high on sugar or in a post-junk energy slump.

If you're exercising too, it's likely that you'll have more energy if you eat more healthy foods as you'll be better fuelled for your workouts.

Calories are like money I guess. You can spend it wisely on durable, useful goods, or you can spend the same amount of money on something you really really want but doesn't last so long. Or maybe the choice between paying your bills and buying groceries, or blowing your paycheck on amazing new shoes that make you happy for five minutes but leave you feeling regretful for the rest of the month

janejellyroll · May 2017

cs2thecox wrote: »

As others have said, as long as you're in calorie deficit, you'll lose.

But then it's about how those foods make you feel, or how long they make you feel full for.
It's quite easy to make 3 decent size meals and two snacks out of, say, 1600 calories if you're using lots of veggies and lean proteins. Sensible carbs and some healthy fats along with the protein will help you feel full for a long time.
But if you want to eat the 1600 calories in pizza, beer and chocolate, it will look much smaller on the plate, and might leave you either high on sugar or in a post-junk energy slump.

If you're exercising too, it's likely that you'll have more energy if you eat more healthy foods as you'll be better fuelled for your workouts.

Calories are like money I guess. You can spend it wisely on durable, useful goods, or you can spend the same amount of money on something you really really want but doesn't last so long. Or maybe the choice between paying your bills and buying groceries, or blowing your paycheck on amazing new shoes that make you happy for five minutes but leave you feeling regretful for the rest of the month

Or you can take the middle road that many people here have had success with -- make sure your bills are paid and then buy the fancy lipstick or new video game you've been wanting.

The choices aren't 1,600 calories of just veggies and lean proteins or 1,600 calories of chocolate and pizza. Most people with a reasonable calorie goal will be able to feel satisfied, meet their nutritional needs, and still sometimes have some chocolate, pizza, and beer.

TeacupsAndDeadlifts · May 2017

naturallykinky wrote: »

I was wondering has anyone been able to eat anything (junk food included) stay within the suggested calories and still lose weight?

I've lost 11% of my bodyweight by eating whatever I want, just staying within my calorie goals.

WinoGelato · May 2017

janejellyroll wrote: »

cs2thecox wrote: »

As others have said, as long as you're in calorie deficit, you'll lose.

But then it's about how those foods make you feel, or how long they make you feel full for.
It's quite easy to make 3 decent size meals and two snacks out of, say, 1600 calories if you're using lots of veggies and lean proteins. Sensible carbs and some healthy fats along with the protein will help you feel full for a long time.
But if you want to eat the 1600 calories in pizza, beer and chocolate, it will look much smaller on the plate, and might leave you either high on sugar or in a post-junk energy slump.

If you're exercising too, it's likely that you'll have more energy if you eat more healthy foods as you'll be better fuelled for your workouts.

Calories are like money I guess. You can spend it wisely on durable, useful goods, or you can spend the same amount of money on something you really really want but doesn't last so long. Or maybe the choice between paying your bills and buying groceries, or blowing your paycheck on amazing new shoes that make you happy for five minutes but leave you feeling regretful for the rest of the month

Or you can take the middle road that many people here have had success with -- make sure your bills are paid and then buy the fancy lipstick or new video game you've been wanting.

The choices aren't 1,600 calories of just veggies and lean proteins or 1,600 calories of chocolate and pizza. Most people with a reasonable calorie goal will be able to feel satisfied, meet their nutritional needs, and still sometimes have some chocolate, pizza, and beer.

All of this. Why do people always use extreme examples and avoid the sensible middle ground in these discussions?

NorthCascades · May 2017

YalithKBK wrote: »

There is no such thing as "junk food"

Sure there is.

Big dumpsters in front of the Theo Chocolate factory in Fremont. They're filled with slightly imperfect chocolate whenever a batch isn't just right. I've heard of people raiding it. Dumpster chocolate is junk food, I know because I have a thesaurus.

Can you eat ANYTHING?

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