I'm confused and worried...

laurasorrentino1029
laurasorrentino1029 Posts: 6
edited October 5 in Food and Nutrition
So basically I have always hit my target or have gone under my target calorie goals for the past week, and I feel great! I feel like I even look slimmer. But I still can't help but wonder how I can have pasta, and cheese, and meats and still be loosing weight! For example, tonight I am having french fries for pete's sake! I cant believe I am allowed these guilty pleasures...AS LONG AS THEY STAY IN MY CALORIE LINE.

So, if I understand correctly, as long as I am in my calorie goal I can eat whatever I want?

Why do I feel like this is too good to be true?
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Replies

  • marquesajen
    marquesajen Posts: 641
    Maybe at first, but you need to eat healthy foods as well as eating less. Of course there is room to have some junk once in awhile, but for sustainable weight loss there needs to be more change than just eating less junk. Vegetables, whole grains, fruits, etc.
  • philOHIO
    philOHIO Posts: 520 Member
    no you can't... unless you want to fail right away. 1200 calories of junk is not going to help your body.
  • rthompson81
    rthompson81 Posts: 305 Member
    In the short run, yes, it's true, but in the long run, your body prefers to run on "good" calories and not bad ones. Mine gets mad at me when I have the "bad" ones now, so I end up eating veggies and whole grains most of the time anyway. :)
  • sandy2006
    sandy2006 Posts: 483 Member
    Eat healthy calories to be healthy. Splurge every once in a while not everyday
  • bella8282
    bella8282 Posts: 188 Member
    You might loose weight eating this way ... but you certainly wont be "healthy" on the inside.....
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
    Lol some of the responses here SMH

    Yes, you can have pasta and cheese and what not. You WILL lose weight in a calorie deficit.
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,519 Member
    Why do I feel like this is too good to be true?

    Because people have been led to believe that in order to lose weight, you have to eat foods that have been labeled "healthy."

    Oh well, more Ben & Jerry's for me.
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
    as far as losing weight - yes, you can eat whatever you want as long as it stays in your calories and lose.
    as far as being healthy, youll want to have more healthy foods incorporated. i dont think meat and cheese and pastas are unhealthy though.
    fast food, deep fried foods too often, chips and junk like that would be, but you can still have them in moderation. just dont sit and eat the whole bag/bucket/whatever
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
    She said she is having pasta, meat, and cheese. To all of you who responded, how is these unhealthy and will slow weight loss? I would really like to know.
  • johnlms
    johnlms Posts: 15
    1200 calories of brownies sure does sound tasty, but yeah... you need to still be sensible about what your body needs. I track potassium a good bit along with some other things. I still generally just eat what I prefer along those lines and everything just kinda falls into place and my weight loss keeps moving right along.
  • ronda_gettinghealthy
    ronda_gettinghealthy Posts: 777 Member
    So basically I have always hit my target or have gone under my target calorie goals for the past week, and I feel great! I feel like I even look slimmer. But I still can't help but wonder how I can have pasta, and cheese, and meats and still be loosing weight! For example, tonight I am having french fries for pete's sake! I cant believe I am allowed these guilty pleasures...AS LONG AS THEY STAY IN MY CALORIE LINE.

    So, if I understand correctly, as long as I am in my calorie goal I can eat whatever I want?

    Why do I feel like this is too good to be true?


    this is always such a loaded volatile question...simple answer is YES....complicated answer is NO....it is not healthy to lose by eating junk and not a balanced diet...has to do with muscle mass, and metabolism and such....can you lose wt and maintian wt by eating healthy with occasional splurges...Absolutely...I pick Choice 3......lots of good info in the blogs and on the boards about this topic...dig through and you will be overwhelmed...

    good luck on your journey...
  • amiller210
    amiller210 Posts: 2 Member
    It really doesn't matter what you eat. I know people that eat junk all day long and as long as they're under their calorie limit, they still lose weight. It might not be that healthy or good for you in the long run but as long as your calories in are less than your calories out, it won't make a difference.
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,519 Member
    no you can't... unless you want to fail right away. 1200 calories of junk is not going to help your body.

    Straw man. She didn't say she was filling all 1200 calories with nothing but "junk."
  • ronda_gettinghealthy
    ronda_gettinghealthy Posts: 777 Member
    She said she is having pasta, meat, and cheese. To all of you who responded, how is these unhealthy and will slow weight loss? I would really like to know.

    response was more to "I can eat anything and stay under and lose wt"
  • wk9t
    wk9t Posts: 237 Member
    I've been using MFP for a little over 1 month. I have not cut anything out of my diet. I am eating pizza, peanut butter, cookies, french fries etc. and I have lost 14 lbs. so far. I always stay under my daily calorie goal and I try to exercise 3 - 4 times a week. So far I have not plateaued (I know I will eventually). The main thing is to log everything you eat and all exercise. As long as you stay under your daily calorie goal you should continue to lose ... at least it has worked that way for me.
  • rthompson81
    rthompson81 Posts: 305 Member
    She said she is having pasta, meat, and cheese. To all of you who responded, how is these unhealthy and will slow weight loss? I would really like to know.

    They're not. But only eating those things is quite unhealthy. I think that's what we're getting at... moderation, balance.
  • stef_3
    stef_3 Posts: 173
    French fries really aren't that bad for you unless they're cooked in grease. I eat them all the time but I bake them in the oven. 3oz is 150 cals and nice sized side. I don't consider pasta and meat bad food that would cause you to fail. I think eating potato chips, chocolate, etc all day would will cause failure cuz your not getting the nutrients your body needs. Not too good to be true!!
  • dez_yaoichan
    dez_yaoichan Posts: 454
    you CAN eat anything you want and still lose. doesnt mean those foods are going to get you skinny- by themselves. you still have to work out to tone.

    tons of people will tell you to eat clean to be fit. but (if you're like me) its tuff enough having to cut back enough cals to start losing without giving up favorite foods to do it. right now, im focusing more on getting to a healthy bmi, then i'll try replacing my favorite foods with healthier options.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    More or less, if you meet your calorie goals you will lose weight, period.

    The problem is if you meet your daily calorie goal eating only chocolate all day, you are going to run into other issues. You'll be tired and weak because you won't be getting the proper nutrition that you need. You'll eventually run into more serious health problems as well.

    So the point is to maintain a calorie deficit so that you can lose weight while still getting the nutrition your body needs. There's nothing wrong with pasta, cheese or meat, these are all good things to eat. I eat these things all the time. I choose whole grain/whole wheat pasta because the complex carbs keep me fuller longer, reducing the chance that I overeat later. Leaner meats are good because you get less fat, and fat is rich is calories. So you can eat MORE lean meat for the same calories as a smaller amount of fatty meat. And cheese is typically high in fat (which translates to heavy in calories), as well as high sodium as well so you really have to watch your portions (or eat 2% cheese instead).

    Crap, I eat pizza at least once a week and I have a burger here and there as well. Nothing wrong with any of it, watch your portions of calorie-dense foods and account for all the calories you eat.
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
    She said she is having pasta, meat, and cheese. To all of you who responded, how is these unhealthy and will slow weight loss? I would really like to know.

    response was more to "I can eat anything and stay under and lose wt"

    You actually posted after i said this. I did like your response though :]

    Altho just because she said she is having fries doesn't mean she is loading up on junk for every single meal guys. Eating meat and cheese im assuming she isn't low on protein and having a huge risk of losing large amounts of muscle mass
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
    She said she is having pasta, meat, and cheese. To all of you who responded, how is these unhealthy and will slow weight loss? I would really like to know.

    They're not. But only eating those things is quite unhealthy. I think that's what we're getting at... moderation, balance.

    Eating what? The only "unhealthy" thing she mentioned was french fries.
  • killagb
    killagb Posts: 3,280 Member
    If you are in a calorie deficit, you will lose...as a few have said above. It doesn't matter what you're eating with regards to that. Now the problem with eating junky food for your calories is that you will end up being very hungry and wishing you could eat more, as many so called junk foods cause you to crave more. That's not to say you can't enjoy a certain amount of junk food and still eat the good stuff to keep from being hungry. It's all in figuring out what works best for you.
  • Samerah12
    Samerah12 Posts: 610 Member
    Sure, you will lose weight with a deficit regardless of what you're eating. BUT you have to remember that since you're eating less than normal you have that many fewer opportunities to get your body everything it needs. It becomes even more important to eat healthier because you have less cals to play around with. If you still want to have fries and other high cal/low value foods just make sure you're not eating them everyday if you want to lose weight and be as healthy as you can be. You should be trying to get the biggest bang for your buck nutritionally.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    So basically I have always hit my target or have gone under my target calorie goals for the past week, and I feel great! I feel like I even look slimmer. But I still can't help but wonder how I can have pasta, and cheese, and meats and still be loosing weight! For example, tonight I am having french fries for pete's sake! I cant believe I am allowed these guilty pleasures...AS LONG AS THEY STAY IN MY CALORIE LINE.

    So, if I understand correctly, as long as I am in my calorie goal I can eat whatever I want?

    Why do I feel like this is too good to be true?

    Because you rea confusing weight loss with healthy eating. A calorie deficit is all that's needed for weight loss. And while losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight is very importnat for your health, it is just one piece of the puzzle. I've known many thin people in my life who have developed diseases that may have been prevented had they eaten a healthier diet.
  • rthompson81
    rthompson81 Posts: 305 Member
    She said she is having pasta, meat, and cheese. To all of you who responded, how is these unhealthy and will slow weight loss? I would really like to know.

    They're not. But only eating those things is quite unhealthy. I think that's what we're getting at... moderation, balance.

    Eating what? The only "unhealthy" thing she mentioned was french fries.

    I think you're arguing just to argue. We're all saying the same thing.
  • jessicajane11
    jessicajane11 Posts: 10
    modoration = key!

    I wouldn't go crazy & only eat ****ty foods! because then you're really not getting all of the nutrients that you need! but induldge every now & again. but remember all of those "guilty pleasures" you're enjoying are a bad fat not a good fat!! they go to different places & have different health effects!! be careful here!

    & they're empty calories.....
  • tameko2
    tameko2 Posts: 31,634 Member
    no you can't... unless you want to fail right away. 1200 calories of junk is not going to help your body.

    Define fail. I lost quite a bit of weight eating 1200 (less) calories of junk food. I didn't look very good (I probably look equally good now, 30 pounds heavier than I was then) but I lost weight.


    OP - Yes, within REASON you can eat anything you want. But you should try to incorporate some healthy choices too - switch out mashed potatoes for vegetables for example.

    I don't eat super healthy every day - I have certainly had plenty of potato chips, pizza, and fries while on this journey, but I also see people who's diaries are just nothing but junk and I'm sure you already know that's not a healthy way to live long term.
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
    She said she is having pasta, meat, and cheese. To all of you who responded, how is these unhealthy and will slow weight loss? I would really like to know.

    They're not. But only eating those things is quite unhealthy. I think that's what we're getting at... moderation, balance.

    Eating what? The only "unhealthy" thing she mentioned was french fries.

    I think you're arguing just to argue. We're all saying the same thing.

    No im not. I am sticking up for her. Im sure she is going to be hesitant to enjoy some of these treats because of some responses. People jumping on here like she is eating nothing but fries all day.
  • patilee
    patilee Posts: 125
    She said she is having pasta, meat, and cheese. To all of you who responded, how is these unhealthy and will slow weight loss? I would really like to know.

    There's nothing wrong with pasta, meat or cheese.
    Yes, eat less calories than you burn and you will lose weight. Check out the twinkie diet post from today.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/391619-twinkie-diet-professor?hl=twinkie+diet#posts-5366845
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
    She said she is having pasta, meat, and cheese. To all of you who responded, how is these unhealthy and will slow weight loss? I would really like to know.

    There's nothing wrong with pasta, meat or cheese.
    Yes, eat less calories than you burn and you will lose weight. Check out the twinkie diet post from today.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/391619-twinkie-diet-professor?hl=twinkie+diet#posts-5366845

    Exactly :] great choices if you ask me. It is sad that many people think these foods are complete diet busters!
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