Can I eat whatever I want as long as I stay under my calorie

Can I eat whatever I want and still lose weight as long as I stay under my calorie goal? (I want to eat about 1,200 - 1,300 calories daily.)

Calories are calories but I have noticed that if I eat too much sugar etc. I get hungrier more often which makes it harder to stay under my calorie target. If I eat things that are nutritional and lots of protein I find that I am less hungry.

"Calories are calories" is a big fat myth. Not all calories are created equal. You mentioned sugar, so take beer or liquor for example (alcohol is a sugar). High in calories per serving. One 12 oz beer can range from 100-200 calories. One 1 oz shot of liquor can range from 100-150 calories, maybe higher. Sure you can easily drink 500 calories in one mixed drink, but is it nutritive or in any way healthy for your body? Not really... Eating sugar in lieu of complex carbohydrates spikes your insulin, which results in a huge drop after the spike. During this drop, you start craving sugar again. Eating complex carbohydrates causes your body to gradually release insulin to regulate your blood glucose levels so that you don't experience a spike in insulin levels and the subsequent drop.

I asked because it is VERY HARD to get in proper food in this crappy place I live in.
I live with my family right now. It's crappy because they only have bad foods here.
Like TV dinners, they bring fast food home for most meals, they don't even have canned foods.
Oh..and they have A LOT of ramen noodles. There ARE some things like protein shakes, but I don't know if they will be good.
I will drink the protein shakes anyway, though. 'cus I will get used to them.

That being the case, it sounds like it is time to volunteer to go shopping with them. Make suggestions to have some reasonable modifications to the menus. Then volunteer to do some of the cooking. Don't expect them to buy into a wholesale change. But you may steer things in a better direction.

This is a very good suggestion. From the sound of it, your parents aren't in the habit of buying healthy foods or foods that you can cook easily but are also healthy. If money is an issue, there's no shame in dressing up Top Ramen. Cooking up some chicken, then dicing and tossing it into the noodles with some frozen (make sure you cook them first, works better that way) veggies can turn a 59 cent bag of Top Ramen into a fairly nutritious and filling meal. You can try adding browned and drained ground beef and veggies to a beef flavored Top Ramen, too. I live on a very tight budget, but with a cook book and some basic cooking skills and ingenuity, my husband and I hardly ever eat out or eat food that is unnecessarily bad for us.

Yes with a but. You'll lose weight, but you wont be any healthier if you eat garbage. Plus, you'll get more actual food out of low cal, healthy foods like veggies and lean meats than you will out of fast food and other not so good for you stuff.

yes; but you need to get in the mentality that "ok, this snickers bar is 400 calories; but..what else could i ahve instead" you could eat an entire meal that would stuff you full for hours for 400 calories, or you can have a snack that leaves you hungry, sugar crashing, etc until you eat the full meal you shoudlve had in the first place. not to mention that "whatever" foods can raise your blood pressure, give you diabetes, cause heart attacks, and such. im definetly not perfect in my eating but i just stick to under my calories; try to eat as healthy as i can; and only sometimes, as a treat in a moment of weakness, exchange some calories for "bad" items. but the 1200 calories of pizza at dinner doesnt fill me for the entire day, so why would i want to do that?

You can eat whatever you want and still loose weight, but it's a better idea to try and eat healthier. It makes the weight loss so much easier, and I've also found that you stay full much longer when you eat healthier things than you do eating anything else. In the long run it will be easier for you to maintain your weight having learned healthier eating habits. Plus you will not just be thin, you will also be healthy.

Yes, to some extent. However, the greatest gains made are from eating natural foods and eliminating processed foods completely. It took me awhile to figure this out!

Agreed! I've cut out as much processed food as I know of in my daily eating, and it's already made a huge different in the month since. I wouldn't go wasting my calories, but your best option would probably be to find healthier alternatives that are close to what you are really wanting. That way you can eat more, but healthier at the same time.

Yes. You can eat whatever you want, but not all at once. You have to practice moderation and attempt to balance unhealthy foods in your diet with healthier ones to keep your macros in check. It might require some planning on your part, and it will definitely require some self-control, but it absolutely can be done.

Nope! That's like asking if the only thing that really matters is calories.

I'd say there's a lot more at stake than just calories.
It's best to consider what kinds of calories they are, and the other contents of the food, such as cholesterol, fiber, vitamins and minerals, etc.

you are confusing weight loss and health.

I think we can all agree that, yes, you CAN lose weight by eating whatever you want as long as you maintain a deficit. BUT, that's just not the best advice. Typically speaking, when people eat "whatever", they make unhealthy food choices. Eating foods high in sugars and fats--keep in mind, I'm talking junk food here i.e. food mostly lacking in good nutrition but high in calories--is a great way to become prediabetic even if you are working out moderately. Although, working out even moderately (walking 30 minutes once a day) can go a long way to preventing prediabetes.

You can have ANYTHING you want, but moderation is the key. You can't have cake and cookies every day. You shouldn't eat McDonalds every day. It's just not healthy for you. Once in a while is okay, in my opinion. Plus, eating healthier foods results in a lot more than just preventing prediabetes and other conditions associated with poor nutrition. It also makes you LOOK and FEEL better.

You can have ANYTHING you want, but moderation is the key. You can't have cake and cookies every day. You shouldn't eat McDonalds every day. It's just not healthy for you. Once in a while is okay, in my opinion. Plus, eating healthier foods results in a lot more than just preventing prediabetes and other conditions associated with poor nutrition. It also makes you LOOK and FEEL better.

Why couldn't someone have a cookie or two every single day if let's say it equated to 5% of total kcal intake for the day? Context is key here

That's what I do. I use Skinny Cow ice cream or candy and Snackwells cookies. They are preportioned (so no fudging on the measurements!) and range from 100-150 calories. I have one at lunch and one at supper. That's my "dessert" and satisfies my sweet tooth (which has been the biggest issue for me!). When I've dieted before and completely deprived myself, I'd get frustrated and give up eventually. Now that I'm using MFP and allowing myself those small, low-cal treats, I'm having a LOT more success. It's about balance.

Yes. You can eat whatever you want, but not all at once. You have to practice moderation and attempt to balance unhealthy foods in your diet with healthier ones to keep your macros in check. It might require some planning on your part, and it will definitely require some self-control, but it absolutely can be done.

^ This! This I found was the easiest way ever to lose weight! It's really a lifestyle change you want to make stick, rather than a 'diet' of lettuce and fruit you're going to get bored with and quit.

I started out eating whatever I felt like, keeping the calories in range and the macros ( fat, carbs, protein, etc) where they needed to be. It doesn't take long before you'll start choosing healthier options so that you can get more "bang for your buck" with your food. I found the veggies I like the best and stir fry with chicken breast- i' d rather trade a giant plate of this than have a small double cheeseburger any day. But if I do feel like a cheeseburger, I log it and eat lighter the rest of the day to stay within my ranges. If I'm not deprived constantly, I find I can stay with this!

Baked Lays, 100 calories Hostess treats, Skinny Cow and Weight Watchers ice cream- these are all good alternatives to the 'normal' junk food. They help with keeping things in moderation and they will help keep you from feeling deprived. Subway is a great fast food alternative, but on those days when it was fast food with the gals at lunch? I used my fast food app I downloaded to see what my best choices at the restaurant we were at. This can be done!

It may not be 100% healthy, but there's no doubt it's a healthier change from what got me to 204 lbs! And isn't reaching my goal weight and losing 60-70 pounds healthier in the long run too?

Good luck!