So can you eat what you want within reason.
melissastrine11510
Posts: 15 Member
I feel like every time I fail because I go hard with it and never allow myself anything that I really want. This time as long as I stay under my caloric intake if I want something will I be okay and still lose?
3
Replies
-
Yes.9
-
There a gazillion ways to do it, but yes — that’s the bottom line of weight loss.1
-
As long as you stay within the calories that are allotted for you. It's good to watch the macros too.
1 -
Weight loss comes down to calories.
Calories in calories out.
Create a calorie deficit, you'll lose weight2 -
I feel like I eat way too many snacks, but I eat really lean protein and get enough, veggies are low calorie, so I snack quite a bit to meet daily goal. I lost weight reliably all the way down and have made goal and I really feel like I am eating too many snacks now. But I'm not.1
-
Watch your intake.
If you're training regularly, get some protein in.
And you're golden.3 -
Yes. Just make sure you are accurately logging what you eat (this means weighing it) and choosing the right database entries. It is possible to "log your food" but have the inaccuracies totally wipe out your calorie deficit. Also, if by "go hard at it" you mean that you choose an aggressive goal, that could pose problems with adherence. But yes, a simple calorie deficit is what results in weight loss.1
-
technically yes, but some foods are high"empty" calories & you may get hungry. Just listen to your body. I eat things I always liked , like potato chips, just within calories. Personally there are some things I don't eat any more because if I do it gives me an appetite for more even when I'm not hungry8
-
Yep! But remember that losing weight is different to eating 'healthfully' and in a way that will be sustainable for you - if you eat 1200 cals a day of cheeseburgers, you'll feel way different to eating 1200 cals a day of nutrient rich, varied, and fresh foods. Also, sometimes the catch with eating junk food within caloric restraints is that less food is generally more calory dense and so doesn't sustain you for as long.9
-
All in moderation ma' dear2
-
Yes but my body looks a lot different now after I cut out sugar and carbs than when I was this weight years ago and ate all kinds of junk. My butt and legs are waaaaay smaller. I think estrogen probably plays into it also.25
-
as long as you stay in your calorie range you're fine as far as weight goes, but that doesn't speak to specific micro or macronutrient needs or limits. Like if you stay within your calories you can still go way over on something like sodium and that can lead to other problems like high blood pressure. Do what you need to do to stay where you want to stay, but don't restrict yourself to failure. Eat something you want once in a while but, personally, I would suggest against using food as a reward. That's just me.1
-
another tip, too - be reasonable in your calorie limit. Its suggested to only really shoot for 1% of your body weight, meaning that if you don't have a large amount to lose, 2 lb/wk is too aggressive; shoot for a lower limit, be patient, and eat what you want within reason! another suggestion? Consider eating what you want, but in smaller portions or in a different type. For instance: if you want Lays Doritoes, go for the baked instead of the regular, or if you want a honey bun, eat half instead of the whole thing.4
-
Calorie level determines weight loss.
Food choices affect satiation and cravings, which can make it easier or harder to stick to a calorie goal.
Nutrition - the right balance of macro- and micro-nutrients - matters for energy and health.
Simple . . . not necessarily easy.
10 -
I make room in my allowance for chocolate every day. It’s all about portions. And you’ll naturally make smarter choices as you go along as you discover it’s more sustainable to eat more of something that’s lower in calories than a few pitiful mouthfuls of something full of them. Balance, portion size, but not deprivation!3
-
I had four oreos last night. I've lost 47 pounds.4
-
melissastrine11510 wrote: »I feel like every time I fail because I go hard with it and never allow myself anything that I really want. This time as long as I stay under my caloric intake if I want something will I be okay and still lose?
Yes...weight management is about calories. I eat pretty well for the most part and have "treats" regularly...I just make sure the bulk of my diet is very nutritious.2 -
yep just make sure you don't go over your daily calorie goal. I have chocolate as dessert every night pretty much because of this!2
-
firecat1987 wrote: »yep just make sure you don't go over your daily calorie goal. I have chocolate as dessert every night pretty much because of this!
you can go over daily goal a little as long as your calories add up at the end of the week(some track by weekly calories instead) then you should be fine. for some it may be easier to go by calories per day.1 -
I didn't want to just lose weight, I wanted to learn how to eat better. To me, that means not cutting things out but instead learning how to portion things properly.
So, I say, don't cut anything out. Just learn how to moderate it. Learn lifelong good habits, don't get a temporary diet, get a lifestyle change.6 -
I've practiced IIFYM the entire time I have been with MFP and it's worked wonders. If It Fits Your Macros eat it. Set your calorie goal, set your macros the way you want (no need to set them the way MFP sets them) and stay at that calorie goal or under. Lost 120+ lbs in about my first 14-15 months on MFP. Have maintained ever since with the exception of the last eight months or so I've been bulking but that's on purpose. Carbs, Fat, Protein.. none of it is the enemy by itself, it's the calories that are the enemy. Sure, to meet your calorie goals you might need to limit some things or learn to cook them differently but otherwise eat what you want within your calorie goal.4
-
Calorie level determines weight loss.
Food choices affect satiation and cravings, which can make it easier or harder to stick to a calorie goal.
Nutrition - the right balance of macro- and micro-nutrients - matters for energy and health.
Simple . . . not necessarily easy.
I'm going to argue every one of these points.
Not that I disagree with any of them, I just feel like arguing.7 -
I made the mistake of taking the "you can eat whatever you want" part and ignoring the "within reason part" for a while and ended up eating 500+ calories of cookies or other treats leaving me with ~1000 calories for filling foods. That just left me grumpy and hungry. Still lost weight but it was miserable and now I'm much more reasonable about the amount of calories I portion for sweets
6 -
I made the mistake of taking the "you can eat whatever you want" part and ignoring the "within reason part" for a while and ended up eating 500+ calories of cookies or other treats leaving me with ~1000 calories for filling foods. That just left me grumpy and hungry. Still lost weight but it was miserable and now I'm much more reasonable about the amount of calories I portion for sweets
That so sounds like something I would do if I could. HAHA. Thankfully I'm allergic to most sweets and cookies.3 -
I do, but I also want to eat better quality healthy foods. But I definitely indulge and might have pie and mash for dinner but a low cal soup for lunch to compensate. I might also have a low cal yoghurt or jelly as dessert. Then there are days where I make a big vegetable bake in tomato sauce to have with a Quorn escalope....but I’ll have a mini tub of Haagen daas for dessert.
I eat what I want but smaller portions of the higher calorie stuff and don’t go over my 1750 per day. I am doing this for long term change to eating habits and meal sizes. It has helped this stop feeling like a depriving diet which I would previously lose interest in. Much more enjoyable now1
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 424 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions