Can I eat the same, but less?
jenninrecovery
Posts: 2 Member
Hi everyone. I am new around here (not to counting calories in general, but to MFP) and had a question.
Is it possible to just eat the foods I like/always ate, but just less of them? Like is there anyone who mostly stuck to the same diet, but stayed within your calories here, and still lost weight?
I calculated a few of my average days before tracking and before dieting, and I was at around 2,700-ish a day on the average day, more on a binge day. And the calories I am given here right now are 1,900, so I can see why I was gaining weight over time eating above probably what my maintenance was on a consistent basis.
But I'm trying to make this as easy as possible, since the times I failed before, I think it was more about trying to do too much, too quickly.
I imagine at a certain point I might want to start adding more healthier options, especially filling up on veggies and fiber, and making sure i get all the important nutrients from my food. But I find it to be a little overwhelming when I change both WHAT I eat AND how much at the same time. If that makes sense.
Thanks!
Is it possible to just eat the foods I like/always ate, but just less of them? Like is there anyone who mostly stuck to the same diet, but stayed within your calories here, and still lost weight?
I calculated a few of my average days before tracking and before dieting, and I was at around 2,700-ish a day on the average day, more on a binge day. And the calories I am given here right now are 1,900, so I can see why I was gaining weight over time eating above probably what my maintenance was on a consistent basis.
But I'm trying to make this as easy as possible, since the times I failed before, I think it was more about trying to do too much, too quickly.
I imagine at a certain point I might want to start adding more healthier options, especially filling up on veggies and fiber, and making sure i get all the important nutrients from my food. But I find it to be a little overwhelming when I change both WHAT I eat AND how much at the same time. If that makes sense.
Thanks!
6
Replies
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I eat what I feel like eating-I just weigh and log everything. I do make healthier choices on the whole, but the key is eating fewer calories than you use.9
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Yes, providing you aren't living on McDonald's, etc. Cut all your portions in half on what you normally eat, and start supplementing it with fresh produce. Have some fruit in the morning, snack on celery, carrots, endive in between - you can make low-fat yogurt dips for dipping. Add in a piece of fruit at night. See if that works for you.
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I love that way of putting it. Concise and to the point. Boom.
If you’re new to MFP, and can wrap your head around this concept, you are definitely ahead of the game.
Often times, we make things way more complicated than it needs to be. So what you said was perfection. That being said, I would add- weigh your food with a food scale for awhile to get a handle on the reality of how many calories you are actually eating. It’s jarring sometimes but a game changer.8 -
jenninrecovery wrote: »Hi everyone. I am new around here (not to counting calories in general, but to MFP) and had a question.
Is it possible to just eat the foods I like/always ate, but just less of them? Like is there anyone who mostly stuck to the same diet, but stayed within your calories here, and still lost weight?
I calculated a few of my average days before tracking and before dieting, and I was at around 2,700-ish a day on the average day, more on a binge day. And the calories I am given here right now are 1,900, so I can see why I was gaining weight over time eating above probably what my maintenance was on a consistent basis.
But I'm trying to make this as easy as possible, since the times I failed before, I think it was more about trying to do too much, too quickly.
I imagine at a certain point I might want to start adding more healthier options, especially filling up on veggies and fiber, and making sure i get all the important nutrients from my food. But I find it to be a little overwhelming when I change both WHAT I eat AND how much at the same time. If that makes sense.
Thanks!
Makes perfectly good sense. Small sustainable changes are a great way to go for many people. I'm a fan a small changes myself. Others find that large changes work better for them. Sounds like you have thought about what might work for you. Give it a go, have some patience, and adjust as needed.10 -
The whole principle of losing weight is to eat the foods you love, so you don't feel deprived, and stay in a calorie deficit.11
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Yes. You can lose weight eating foods you like in smaller portions. I lost 80 pounds and I mostly eat the same foods I always ate, just in portions that fit my calorie goals. You can still eat foods you love. You just may need eat them less often or in smaller portions.8
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gatamadriz wrote: »Yes, providing you aren't living on McDonald's, etc. Cut all your portions in half on what you normally eat, and start supplementing it with fresh produce. Have some fruit in the morning, snack on celery, carrots, endive in between - you can make low-fat yogurt dips for dipping. Add in a piece of fruit at night. See if that works for you.
Why cut everything in half when the OP only needs to reduce calories by about 30%? You're recommending 550 calories worth of celery, carrots, endive, low-fat yogurt and a piece of fruit?16 -
Yes! Seems like it's much easier to stick to it that way. And should make the transition to maintenance easier when you reach your goal.
I keep an eye on macros as well as calories so I do end up making some different food choices to reach my macros goal. But still foods I enjoy. For example, I've started eating avocado more frequently-it's a food I like but it was keeping track of my macros that encouraged me to do that I think.3 -
That's what I've done for the last 5 months. I eat what I've always eaten, but less of it, organized around a strict daily calorie target. I started out literally eating Chick Fil A and burritos. Around month 2 I started eating better balanced meals once I felt I had my game down with the calorie control, but even still my diet in large part remains "whatever I feel like eating as long as it doesn't go over my calories". I'm on the 2 pounds per week MFP plan and have lost 2.02 lbs per week for 5 months. Focusing exclusively on calories works beautifully. Once you're dialed in to the right calorie number, all you have to do is hit and not exceed the number, rinse and repeat every day.
When you're obese, losing weight is so many orders of magnitude more important than anything else for your health that you don't need to worry about macros and other such things right now. Swap out the Big Macs for endive dipped in yogurt some other time. Just jump in with a strict calorie limit and start losing weight, and success at that will create its own momentum. from which you can then fine-tine and go in a healthier direction if you want. It's a heck of a lot easier to stay on a diet when you like the food and find it filling and familiar. You'll probably find, over time, that a calorie limit nudges you in the direction of healthier foods, but it's perfectly A-OK to let that evolve as an organic process at its own natural pace than to try to force it by "rethinking" what you eat.
Given your numbers, all you need to do is eat 2/3 as much of whatever it is you're eating. That isn't very hard. Just do that for a while and lose some weight and enjoy the experience of getting lighter.15 -
Thanks everyone! This makes me feel much better.6
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Put it in the opposite and losing weight by eating foods you don't enjoy makes it unstainable weight loss and is a good way to fail long term.
You are on the right path so good luck with the journey.4 -
gatamadriz wrote: »Yes, providing you aren't living on McDonald's, etc. Cut all your portions in half on what you normally eat, and start supplementing it with fresh produce. Have some fruit in the morning, snack on celery, carrots, endive in between - you can make low-fat yogurt dips for dipping. Add in a piece of fruit at night. See if that works for you.
If the goal is weight loss, then you can eat literally anything you want as long as you're within your calorie goal. You can, in fact, lose weight while "living on McDonald's." Whether or not you would feel satiated or get proper nutrition is another question.
I lost 100 pounds without eating a single piece of celery or endive. There are no special weight loss foods. The only thing required for weight loss is a consistent calorie deficit.16 -
I strongly believe that we can eat anything we want, but portion size is key to success. That does not mean to eat just junk food, soda pop, candy, etc. I have lost 11 pounds so far, and I still drink Pepsi and I still eat Cheetos, but very little now. I added healthy options like veggies and fruit, and baked chicken instead of fried meat. By doing that, I am not as hungry for junk food and I have begun to enjoy fresh veggies and fruit for snacks instead of chips, cookies, etc.4
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It is certainly possible. Only through giving it a shot will you be able to tell if it is feasible. Some people are naturally moderators while others are abstainers. You'll figure out pretty quickly which one you are. Even as a moderator, you will then also have to see if eating the same foods but reducing your intake by 30% is really sustainable. You may find that it leaves you hungry and prone to binges.
I can only speak from my own experience. I sometimes will characterize my diet as "eating whatever I want", but I don't think that is 100% true and it is really more of a hybrid and there is compromise. To be sure, I still eat, from time to time, pretty much every food I ate when I was gaining weight. I don't declare any food as "bad" or off limits. I firmly believe you should still be able to enjoy everything in moderation. Hit for me, in moderation doesn't mean eating the same exact diet just smaller portions. That would leave me grumpy and hungry. It means endulging in the things I used to make a staple of my diet, but less frequently and I have incorporated other foods to fill the gaps.
That doesn't mean I am miserable and eat a whole bunch of foods I don't like. But rather I have been opening to trying new things and experimenting and discovering that I actually enjoy a bunch of things I didn't realized I enjoyed. I've learned I quite enjoy beans and avocado and tomato and mango and pineapple and a whole bunch of other foods I didn't eat much of when I was heavy but I eat a lot more of now when I lose weight.
I've also learned that not every meal has to have that specific type of feeling I get when I stuff myself with some of my favorite fat and calorie bombs like burgers and pizzas and pastas (I'm talking about restaurant style options. All those cal also be done lower calorie at home, which I do, as a compromise but it's not quite the same). That it's actually increased the enjoyment when I do eat those things, now that I eat them less. Otherwise I was desensitized to it.
This is all a long winded way of saying that your individual path will vary and as you attempt it youll know a bit more about what does and doesn't work for you. But I would be open to trying new things and diversifying your diet. To me that doesn't make it harder but makes it easier, and allows for both weight loss and enjoyment.9 -
hobbitses333 wrote: »What you ask is possible.
I eat a lot of things I love, just a little less of it, a little less often.
70 lbs gone so far.
I have found as I go, some things aren't worth the calories so I stopped eating them for a while....and when I did eat them again I actually didn't enjoy how they tasted or how my stomach would feel after. BONUS! Oreos is one of them..no desire whatsoever now.
Exactly this for me too, I cut out takeaway pizza and had one the other week and it was awful, really fatty and too much cheese and too much now in one sitting.
I'm also finding I'm making different choices, if I want chocolate I'll have a biscuit instead of a bar.
Also I lost my first stone only by walking to work twice a week and cutting out the takeaway, the rest I've lost by focusing on logging and more walking.
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Yes, i ate the same that I always ate but less - or if I wanted to eat the same, then I exercised more on those days.1
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as long as you are in calorie deficit, you can lose weight eating Taco Bell every day. but would that be smart and healthy way to go about it? not in my opinion. I feel so much better, less hungry, and have a ton more energy cutting all those "less than healthy" foods I ate, to more healthier choices.0
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Absolutely.
To lose weight, all you need is to eat less calories than your body burns1 -
It is certainly possible. Only through giving it a shot will you be able to tell if it is feasible. Some people are naturally moderators while others are abstainers. You'll figure out pretty quickly which one you are. Even as a moderator, you will then also have to see if eating the same foods but reducing your intake by 30% is really sustainable. You may find that it leaves you hungry and prone to binges.
I can only speak from my own experience. I sometimes will characterize my diet as "eating whatever I want", but I don't think that is 100% true and it is really more of a hybrid and there is compromise. To be sure, I still eat, from time to time, pretty much every food I ate when I was gaining weight. I don't declare any food as "bad" or off limits. I firmly believe you should still be able to enjoy everything in moderation. Hit for me, in moderation doesn't mean eating the same exact diet just smaller portions. That would leave me grumpy and hungry. It means endulging in the things I used to make a staple of my diet, but less frequently and I have incorporated other foods to fill the gaps.
That doesn't mean I am miserable and eat a whole bunch of foods I don't like. But rather I have been opening to trying new things and experimenting and discovering that I actually enjoy a bunch of things I didn't realized I enjoyed. I've learned I quite enjoy beans and avocado and tomato and mango and pineapple and a whole bunch of other foods I didn't eat much of when I was heavy but I eat a lot more of now when I lose weight.
I've also learned that not every meal has to have that specific type of feeling I get when I stuff myself with some of my favorite fat and calorie bombs like burgers and pizzas and pastas (I'm talking about restaurant style options. All those cal also be done lower calorie at home, which I do, as a compromise but it's not quite the same). That it's actually increased the enjoyment when I do eat those things, now that I eat them less. Otherwise I was desensitized to it.
This is all a long winded way of saying that your individual path will vary and as you attempt it youll know a bit more about what does and doesn't work for you. But I would be open to trying new things and diversifying your diet. To me that doesn't make it harder but makes it easier, and allows for both weight loss and enjoyment.
^^This. 100%.
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When I set out to lose weight a few years ago and found my way onto MFP, it was really the first time I had ever had to “diet” in my adult life. Meaning I had never taken a focused approach to my weight. I quickly realized that if I started cutting out foods I loved I wouldn’t stick with it. So instead, I focused on what I could add to my plan. More protein, more veggies, more exercise more sleep. All within the numbers that MFP provided for me. I found that by making sure I fit in those things, I still was able to keep things like pizza, ice cream and wine in my plan, just a little less than before.
It made losing weight and transitioning to maintenance fairly effortless for me. I never felt deprived or struggled with the plan.
I think you’re on the right track OP, the key will be logging accurately and consistently!5 -
What they all said!...... I use a smaller plate & find I make healthier choices now. I still have what I like but less of it! Oh and move more..... That helps too! 😁 I'm 53lbs down!4
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Yep, eat what you like. I often find ways to take the things I like but make 'em a bit healthier too, and prefer them to the original in many cases. Like it's no bother to cook with whole wheat or spelt for me, or to make my own pizza with a tortilla or a chapatti as a base and pop it in the over for 10 min. But I still eat plenty of scones with clotted cream, or I just had nutella on toast for breakfast. Moderation.
I feel like I've learned enough default habits in terms of nutrition and portion size that I don't think my weight will ever drift too far up. Even if I take breaks from logging a few weeks here and there, I tend to eat my maintenance calories, but I still keep an eye on things.0 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »gatamadriz wrote: »Yes, providing you aren't living on McDonald's, etc. Cut all your portions in half on what you normally eat, and start supplementing it with fresh produce. Have some fruit in the morning, snack on celery, carrots, endive in between - you can make low-fat yogurt dips for dipping. Add in a piece of fruit at night. See if that works for you.
Why cut everything in half when the OP only needs to reduce calories by about 30%? You're recommending 550 calories worth of celery, carrots, endive, low-fat yogurt and a piece of fruit?
The idea of cutting everything in half and supplementing it with nutrient dense foods to meet the OP's calorie goal makes perfectly good sense. The fewer calories one eats, the more emphasis needs to be placed on incorporating nutrient dense foods in the diet to ensure proper nutrition for health reasons.1 -
jenninrecovery wrote: »Hi everyone. I am new around here (not to counting calories in general, but to MFP) and had a question.
Is it possible to just eat the foods I like/always ate, but just less of them? Like is there anyone who mostly stuck to the same diet, but stayed within your calories here, and still lost weight?
I calculated a few of my average days before tracking and before dieting, and I was at around 2,700-ish a day on the average day, more on a binge day. And the calories I am given here right now are 1,900, so I can see why I was gaining weight over time eating above probably what my maintenance was on a consistent basis.
But I'm trying to make this as easy as possible, since the times I failed before, I think it was more about trying to do too much, too quickly.
I imagine at a certain point I might want to start adding more healthier options, especially filling up on veggies and fiber, and making sure i get all the important nutrients from my food. But I find it to be a little overwhelming when I change both WHAT I eat AND how much at the same time. If that makes sense.
Thanks!
In order to stay full and not get hangry, I have to eat a little less carbs from foods like bread and baked goods, and a little more protein and veggies, but overall am eating pretty much the same foods, just different macro balances of them.
So, I still eat pizza, but now I have one less slice plus a big salad with cottage cheese for a little extra protein.
I still have pasta, but less, and with more protein and veggies.5 -
Yes and no. Yes because that is how I started and no because over time, what I liked/wanted changed. I have gotten a lot pickier because I don’t waste calories on something subpar. I fit what I want into my calorie allowance. Down 80lbs so far.4
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Theoldguy1 wrote: »lynn_glenmont wrote: »gatamadriz wrote: »Yes, providing you aren't living on McDonald's, etc. Cut all your portions in half on what you normally eat, and start supplementing it with fresh produce. Have some fruit in the morning, snack on celery, carrots, endive in between - you can make low-fat yogurt dips for dipping. Add in a piece of fruit at night. See if that works for you.
Why cut everything in half when the OP only needs to reduce calories by about 30%? You're recommending 550 calories worth of celery, carrots, endive, low-fat yogurt and a piece of fruit?
The idea of cutting everything in half and supplementing it with nutrient dense foods to meet the OP's calorie goal makes perfectly good sense. The fewer calories one eats, the more emphasis needs to be placed on incorporating nutrient dense foods in the diet to ensure proper nutrition for health reasons.
In my book, allotting 28% of your calories to fruit, energy-sparse veggies, and low-fat yogurt goes beyond "supplementing." Those are the kinds of suggestions that lead to all the threads we see from people who complain that they can't eat enough food to even get to 1200 calories.4 -
I've never restricted anything permanently and pretty much eat what I want, just cut the portions down to suit my calorie budget. I would imagine most of the successful long term maintenance folks here do the same. The only thing I do is be really careful around those foods with high calories that aren't satiating - for me this is chips, so I make sure I portion these out and never eat from the bag.
Been at maintenance for 5 years now.2 -
I've never restricted anything permanently and pretty much eat what I want, just cut the portions down to suit my calorie budget. I would imagine most of the successful long term maintenance folks here do the same. The only thing I do is be really careful around those foods with high calories that aren't satiating - for me this is chips, so I make sure I portion these out and never eat from the bag.
Been at maintenance for 5 years now.
I'm doing the same, for the weight loss phase, not maintenance. Nothing is off limits, but empty carbs like chips are a rare treat, carefully measured out. The longer I diet, the more my macro balance has shifted away from carbs, but not intentionally as part of a "plan". It just turns out that you can be more full and sated if you put those scarce calories toward foods that count, like meat and vegetables and such. That said, last night my wife and I split a bag of chocolate drizzled popcorn LOL It was one of the greatest things I've ever put in my mouth and a useful reminder that even serious dieters need a real treat now and then.
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