If You Eat Cookies, Cakes, Ice Cream Daily Do You Consider Yourself Dieting?
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cwolfman13 wrote: »gailjankovski wrote: »Thank you everyone for your help. Yes I went for the maximum weight loss because I have gained 40 lbs since I turned 50 three years ago and wanted to lose it as fast as possible. And I don't bother with "exercise" calories because walking the dogs and kayaking isn't really what I would consider a "work out".
But perhaps I will have to revisit that because I am finding it hard to stick to under 1200 calories even without the occasional treat or glass of wine.
kayaking and walking are great exercise. I burn in the neighborhood of 400 calories in an hour of kayaking. I walk my dog most mornings and that combined with walking around throughout in my day to day gets me around 10-12K steps which is about 5 miles...hardly sitting around doing nothing.
A workout or exercise doesn't have to be some stupid thing where you're practically puking when you're done...it doesn't have to be jumping around your living room to a DVD or droning away on some piece of equipment. Most people I know who exercise regularly and keep up with it are simply active...they cycle, they hike, they rock climb, they run, they kayak or SUP, etc.
I primarily cycle as my primary form of exercise...with cycling and my walking and general activity, I maintain on around 3000 calories per day...activity adds up...it doesn't have to be a sufferfest to be a workout.
Yeah I think I was confused when I set up my goals. I put that I had a sedentary job, and then below I put I think 4 workouts a week for 30 minutes to cover just my normal activities I do, and I thought that it calculated that level of activity into my calorie allotment of 1200 calories per day. But I guess I have to actually log activities into each day in order to get extra calories for the workouts/activity.
Glad I dropped by the forms.
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lantana411 wrote: »I'm surprised at how many people eat cookies, croissants, ice cream, cake, chips, etc. on a daily or near-daily basis BUT LOG THEIR FOOD!
I surprised by the number of people who don't understand what causes weight loss. That would be a calorie deficit -- you cannot eat more calories than you burn and lose weight. I'm also surprised by the number of people who don't understand that you can treat yourself, meet your nutritional needs, and still create a calorie deficit. Getting in shape should not be approached as a form of penance. It's teaching yourself to meet your nutritional and exercise needs in a way that is not impossible to maintain for the rest of your life.
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gailjankovski wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »gailjankovski wrote: »Thank you everyone for your help. Yes I went for the maximum weight loss because I have gained 40 lbs since I turned 50 three years ago and wanted to lose it as fast as possible. And I don't bother with "exercise" calories because walking the dogs and kayaking isn't really what I would consider a "work out".
But perhaps I will have to revisit that because I am finding it hard to stick to under 1200 calories even without the occasional treat or glass of wine.
kayaking and walking are great exercise. I burn in the neighborhood of 400 calories in an hour of kayaking. I walk my dog most mornings and that combined with walking around throughout in my day to day gets me around 10-12K steps which is about 5 miles...hardly sitting around doing nothing.
A workout or exercise doesn't have to be some stupid thing where you're practically puking when you're done...it doesn't have to be jumping around your living room to a DVD or droning away on some piece of equipment. Most people I know who exercise regularly and keep up with it are simply active...they cycle, they hike, they rock climb, they run, they kayak or SUP, etc.
I primarily cycle as my primary form of exercise...with cycling and my walking and general activity, I maintain on around 3000 calories per day...activity adds up...it doesn't have to be a sufferfest to be a workout.
Yeah I think I was confused when I set up my goals. I put that I had a sedentary job, and then below I put I think 4 workouts a week for 30 minutes to cover just my normal activities I do, and I thought that it calculated that level of activity into my calorie allotment of 1200 calories per day. But I guess I have to actually log activities into each day in order to get extra calories for the workouts/activity.
Glad I dropped by the forms.
Well, the kayaking I would log for sure. Paddling can be a pretty good workout. But if walking the dogs is a daily thing, I'd think about bumping up your activity level from "sedentary" to "lightly active" to save from having to log it separately every day. Maybe try tracking it for a few days and see how many calories it gives you.
Yeah, I'm not sure what the exercise goals on the setup page do. They don't get added into anything automatically, I think they just give you some goal numbers on a report somewhere. I just ignore them.5 -
gailjankovski wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »gailjankovski wrote: »Thank you everyone for your help. Yes I went for the maximum weight loss because I have gained 40 lbs since I turned 50 three years ago and wanted to lose it as fast as possible. And I don't bother with "exercise" calories because walking the dogs and kayaking isn't really what I would consider a "work out".
But perhaps I will have to revisit that because I am finding it hard to stick to under 1200 calories even without the occasional treat or glass of wine.
kayaking and walking are great exercise. I burn in the neighborhood of 400 calories in an hour of kayaking. I walk my dog most mornings and that combined with walking around throughout in my day to day gets me around 10-12K steps which is about 5 miles...hardly sitting around doing nothing.
A workout or exercise doesn't have to be some stupid thing where you're practically puking when you're done...it doesn't have to be jumping around your living room to a DVD or droning away on some piece of equipment. Most people I know who exercise regularly and keep up with it are simply active...they cycle, they hike, they rock climb, they run, they kayak or SUP, etc.
I primarily cycle as my primary form of exercise...with cycling and my walking and general activity, I maintain on around 3000 calories per day...activity adds up...it doesn't have to be a sufferfest to be a workout.
Yeah I think I was confused when I set up my goals. I put that I had a sedentary job, and then below I put I think 4 workouts a week for 30 minutes to cover just my normal activities I do, and I thought that it calculated that level of activity into my calorie allotment of 1200 calories per day. But I guess I have to actually log activities into each day in order to get extra calories for the workouts/activity.
Glad I dropped by the forms.
Yeah, I'm not sure what the exercise goals on the setup page do. They don't get added into anything automatically, I think they just give you some goal numbers on a report somewhere. I just ignore them.
I've always thought that part of set-up was very misleading. Of course people would think those numbers are being factored into your goals, otherwise why ask?5 -
witchaywoman81 wrote: »Lots of good points in this thread, but I wanted to add some additional thoughts.
Did any of us become overweight by eating "clean" (whatever that means) and forgoing treats? I know I didn't. So why would sustainable weight loss be any different?
In a way, I kind of understand where OP is coming from. The diet industry has muddied the waters in terms of HOW we lose weight. Full disclosure, but I've only recently, through using MFP and reading the forums, learned that it's ok to give myself a break. I don't have to starve myself. I don't have to say no to the treats I love. Do I have to eat less of them than I did when I was gaining weight? Sure, but I'd rather eat SOME than none.
Weight loss is simple, but not easy. Calories in/calories out. In the past I have also been guilty of not logging "cheats," but how does that help me? My body still knows I ate the calories. All I'm doing by omitting them from my diary is depriving myself of INFORMATION. I've gotten much better over the past 90 days about logging it ALL: the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Get rid of the all or nothing mindset. Sometimes good enough is good enough.
actually I did become overweight "eating clean" I ate way too much fruit because I thought since it was fruit it was better for me. I also moved less too so that contributed. I had cut out treats and I was miserable for a long time because of it. I was supposed to be following a certain diet due to health issues and I was doing that. just I ate too much fruit. 3 lbs of cherries or watermelon in one setting for me is not a big deal. I thought like a lot of people oh its healthy I wont gain weight. I did over the next several years.4 -
lantana411 wrote: »I used the term 'diet' to identify the goal of losing weight. I spend my calories on mostly lean protein and produce but have no issue with eating whatever I want on occasion. I've lost and gained a lot of weight in my life - currently I'm enjoying an 80 pound weight loss (I started 'this time' on 1/2/16). I became curious about how people view MFP and the point of tracking their daily food when I started reading 'meals' of ice cream sundaes - which I did today, it was someone's 600+ calorie lunch - no food just the sundae. I wondered what the point was in tracking the food - was it with the goal of losing weight or just keeping track of food intake.
Everyone picks their food plan and food they enjoy. But some people seem to eat dessert every day. They may not have any produce but they are certain to eat refined sugar/carbs. Some of them seem defensive of their food choices, almost like they want to lose weight but not if they have to back away from sweets. To me, it's a balance. I don't want dessert daily but I would eat it every once in a while IF I believe I can have it once and be done with it. NOT if I think it'll start me in a spiral of binge eating. That's why I was so curious about the mindset of others on MFP. And I'm glad for your answers - truly!
How are the various components of a sundae not food?24 -
Hello, everyone! I've been gone for a while, but now I'm back.
I guess things have changed a lot, because when I was last using MFP, the point was to log EVERYTHING, to ensure that you are eating at a calorie deficit. At the time, we subscribed to the crazy notion that in order to lose weight, you have to eat fewer calories than you burn, and that in order to do that, you needed to know exactly how much you were eating.
Imagine my surprise when I came back, found this thread, and learned that you can eat cookies and ice cream, but you don't have to log them! Amazing! I feel like Christmas came early!
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booksandchocolate12 wrote: »Hello, everyone! I've been gone for a while, but now I'm back.
I guess things have changed a lot, because when I was last using MFP, the point was to log EVERYTHING, to ensure that you are eating at a calorie deficit. At the time, we subscribed to the crazy notion that in order to lose weight, you have to eat fewer calories than you burn, and that in order to do that, you needed to know exactly how much you were eating.
Imagine my surprise when I came back, found this thread, and learned that you can eat cookies and ice cream, but you don't have to log them! Amazing! I feel like Christmas came early!
Hi and waves. Welcome back 5 -
It is and only is the cal deficit, eat within your limit and mix your diet3
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booksandchocolate12 wrote: »Hello, everyone! I've been gone for a while, but now I'm back.
I guess things have changed a lot, because when I was last using MFP, the point was to log EVERYTHING, to ensure that you are eating at a calorie deficit. At the time, we subscribed to the crazy notion that in order to lose weight, you have to eat fewer calories than you burn, and that in order to do that, you needed to know exactly how much you were eating.
Imagine my surprise when I came back, found this thread, and learned that you can eat cookies and ice cream, but you don't have to log them! Amazing! I feel like Christmas came early!
Eeeeek, welcome back! (((hugs)))
Yup, times they are a changin'.3 -
nutmegoreo wrote: »
Eeeeek, welcome back! (((hugs)))
Yup, times they are a changin'.
(((hugs))) back atcha!
xxx
ooo
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gailjankovski wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »gailjankovski wrote: »Thank you everyone for your help. Yes I went for the maximum weight loss because I have gained 40 lbs since I turned 50 three years ago and wanted to lose it as fast as possible. And I don't bother with "exercise" calories because walking the dogs and kayaking isn't really what I would consider a "work out".
But perhaps I will have to revisit that because I am finding it hard to stick to under 1200 calories even without the occasional treat or glass of wine.
kayaking and walking are great exercise. I burn in the neighborhood of 400 calories in an hour of kayaking. I walk my dog most mornings and that combined with walking around throughout in my day to day gets me around 10-12K steps which is about 5 miles...hardly sitting around doing nothing.
A workout or exercise doesn't have to be some stupid thing where you're practically puking when you're done...it doesn't have to be jumping around your living room to a DVD or droning away on some piece of equipment. Most people I know who exercise regularly and keep up with it are simply active...they cycle, they hike, they rock climb, they run, they kayak or SUP, etc.
I primarily cycle as my primary form of exercise...with cycling and my walking and general activity, I maintain on around 3000 calories per day...activity adds up...it doesn't have to be a sufferfest to be a workout.
Yeah I think I was confused when I set up my goals. I put that I had a sedentary job, and then below I put I think 4 workouts a week for 30 minutes to cover just my normal activities I do, and I thought that it calculated that level of activity into my calorie allotment of 1200 calories per day. But I guess I have to actually log activities into each day in order to get extra calories for the workouts/activity.
Glad I dropped by the forms.
Well, the kayaking I would log for sure. Paddling can be a pretty good workout. But if walking the dogs is a daily thing, I'd think about bumping up your activity level from "sedentary" to "lightly active" to save from having to log it separately every day. Maybe try tracking it for a few days and see how many calories it gives you.
Yeah, I'm not sure what the exercise goals on the setup page do. They don't get added into anything automatically, I think they just give you some goal numbers on a report somewhere. I just ignore them.
They're used to populate the daily/weekly exercise calorie and minutes goal numbers in web app's exercise diary, so you can compare your exercise intentions to your actual exercise, and that's about it. They definitely don't affect your calorie intake target.4 -
lantana411 wrote: »I'm surprised at how many people eat cookies, croissants, ice cream, cake, chips, etc. on a daily or near-daily basis BUT LOG THEIR FOOD! I want to know - is it because they consider themselves dieting or getting ready to diet? Is this why people who diet are considered 'eating cleanly'? What do you do and what do you consider it? If you stay within your calories but drink/snack them away instead of eating meals is it dieting?
I know there's a whole long thread but I'm going to answer this before reading it at the risk of repeating what other people have said.
There's a mindset that says that "dieting" means deprivation. I used to have that mindset. That mindset kept me in a pattern of yo-yoing up and down the scale for YEARS.
I realized when I decided that I was going to lose weight this time that it had to be for good because I have a medical condition and I knew I needed to ditch some preconceived notions. So I read a lot on these boards. And one of the things I learned was how insidiously nasty that idea of dieting = deprivation is.
A diet is simply the foods you eat. The foods you eat should supply the necessary nutrition for your health and well-being. Once you do that, any calories left in your "budget" can be spent at your discretion.
I will live the rest of my life "dieting", and by that I mean managing my weight, monitoring my calorie intake so that I balance activity and intake to maintain my 95 pound weight loss. I will not spend the rest of my life forever depriving myself of things that I love, nor will I gorge on them, but I'll have them every now and then. As treats. And log them. As part of an overall balanced diet.
I'll still be managing my weight.
Edit: I skimmed the whole thread now. Eeeek. Log everything, man. And don't food shame.
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rachelr1116 wrote: »I don't consider myself to be "dieting" no matter what I eat. I have a diet that consists of a variety of foods (including cookies, cake, ice cream, etc.) but I log and count calories so that I can eat at a caloric deficit in order to lose weight.
What I think of when I think of "dieting" is following "a diet" like keto or Atkins or gluten-free, etc etc. Maybe it's for health reasons/prescribed (eg Celiac disease) or it's a "fad diet" like Beyonce's app or some fitness trainer in a magazine. Maybe you have to do it to belong to a club, or you bought a book (Whole 30) and it told you there are Bad and Good foods.
I don't do that. I don't follow a diet plan. My food is not a prescription. I eat my food, I take recommendations and suggestions, but ultimately all of it is my choice. I don't give away that power to other people. Maybe I should, maybe it would reduce some stress idk. But I'm super skeptical of diet mentality, where you have this super duper complicated plan, or packaged meals etc.3 -
I see my "diet" as Im going to have to watch what I eat the rest of my life due to health issues that for me are genetic, I will have to also watch my weight and try and maintain a healthier weight. but for me I believe you only live once and if you can incorporate things you love while losing or maintaining then why not? hell george burns smoked and drank and lived to be in his 90s,betty white eats a hot dog a day and is still kicking. I only have one life and Im going to live it how I want as long as Im not hurting anyone whats the harm? I dont want to live it miserably by cutting everything I love out of it. there are NO guarantees in life and you could get hit by a bus tomorrow."healthy" diet or not. Im not saying overdo it of course.4
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gailjankovski wrote: »Note to self: Don't send friend request to OP because if she could see my diary she would be SO confused as to my goals
OP, if you aren't currently like 4'11 and 95 lbs, I hope you are eating treats and not logging them, or not using a food scale and actually eating more than you think. Otherwise you are aren't eating enough, and I don't understand why you would bother logging if you are going to be unhealthy and under-eat like that.
Can you explain this comment to me (I am new). Or is it sarcasm? Because my log is similar to hers as I am only supposed to eat 1200 calories a day (based on the automatic calculation when I joined). I am 5' 10" and 198 lbs and looking to lose 50+ lbs.
Based on what I am seeing in the forums most people are eating way more calories than me and still losing weight?
Most people are eating according to the amount of weight they want to lose and the rate at which they want to lose it. They have different lifestyles and exercise regimes, different stresses, health issues, etc. As long as they're eating at a calorie deficit (eg 1900 calories a day instead of 2500), they will lose weight.2 -
lantana411 wrote: »I used the term 'diet' to identify the goal of losing weight. I spend my calories on mostly lean protein and produce but have no issue with eating whatever I want on occasion. I've lost and gained a lot of weight in my life - currently I'm enjoying an 80 pound weight loss (I started 'this time' on 1/2/16). I became curious about how people view MFP and the point of tracking their daily food when I started reading 'meals' of ice cream sundaes - which I did today, it was someone's 600+ calorie lunch - no food just the sundae. I wondered what the point was in tracking the food - was it with the goal of losing weight or just keeping track of food intake.
Everyone picks their food plan and food they enjoy. But some people seem to eat dessert every day. They may not have any produce but they are certain to eat refined sugar/carbs. Some of them seem defensive of their food choices, almost like they want to lose weight but not if they have to back away from sweets. To me, it's a balance. I don't want dessert daily but I would eat it every once in a while IF I believe I can have it once and be done with it. NOT if I think it'll start me in a spiral of binge eating. That's why I was so curious about the mindset of others on MFP. And I'm glad for your answers - truly!
A lifestyle change is a safer option than a "diet". Therefore the point of tracking food is to sustain the new lifestyle, whether or not you've reached your weight loss or weight gain goal. A 600 calorie ice cream lunch will have the same effect as a 600 calorie meat or vegetable lunch. Poor nutritional choice I agree, but the numbers are the same.
I only eat dessert on Sundays, but it is still possible for me to occasionally have a Sunday with a low total calorie intake, or another non-dessert day to finish quite high. Same goes for alcoholic beverages. Usually one day per week (in moderate quantities), but its included in the food tracking to determine total calories for the day.3 -
lantana411 wrote: »I'm surprised at how many people eat cookies, croissants, ice cream, cake, chips, etc. on a daily or near-daily basis BUT LOG THEIR FOOD! I want to know - is it because they consider themselves dieting or getting ready to diet? Is this why people who diet are considered 'eating cleanly'? What do you do and what do you consider it? If you stay within your calories but drink/snack them away instead of eating meals is it dieting?
Why should someone 'diet' eating food they don't really enjoy, could taste bland, or foods they don't plan on sticking with once they hit their desired goals? Sure it's fine to try to eat a bit more healthier while losing weight especially if their original diet wasn't nutritional to begin with & didn't include at least a few vegetables here & there or some kind of balance, but the point should be to eat food in a sustainable way to make maintenance a lifetime rather than a band-aid.
A lot of people once they hit maintenance revert right back to their old habits without having properly learned how to incorporate their 'forbidden' foods while dieting into their overall daily calories.7 -
I have made a lifestyle change, I didn't go on a diet. Right now, I am not eating cake, pie, ice cream, etc because that is my choice. But if I wanted to eat those things I would and record it.6
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lantana411 wrote: »I'm surprised at how many people eat cookies, croissants, ice cream, cake, chips, etc. on a daily or near-daily basis BUT LOG THEIR FOOD! I want to know - is it because they consider themselves dieting or getting ready to diet? Is this why people who diet are considered 'eating cleanly'? What do you do and what do you consider it? If you stay within your calories but drink/snack them away instead of eating meals is it dieting?
I for one still eat the foods that I enjoy as I am trying to make this as easy as I can on myself. Being overweight is torture and losing weight is rough enough. I follow CICO and it works.
And, it’s not nice to judge. You do you. If you don’t want to eat like that, that’s fine. Don’t worry about what others do.
Eating clean is bogus. It doesn’t guarantee weight loss. A calorie deficit does though. All food has calories, calories are a unit of measure of energy.
Edited, because typing on the dreadmill is hard.18
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