Can You Lose By Simply Eating Less of The Stuff You Eat Now?

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  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
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    I know it sounds simple and I'm sure the answer is yes...but, will the results be good. I'm staying with the rents to study for the upcoming bar exam in late July.

    I plan to workout and try to lose some weight during this period. Problem is that I am broke and do not plan to work during this time. This means that I won't be as able to buy healthy foods. If I just workout/cardio and portion control can I still lose a pound per week? I really want to get down to 217-220 before my birthday in mid July,

    I mean right now I drink so much soda and eat junk food. I would imagine simply cutting those out would do wonders?

    I still eat pretty much whatever I want and what I'd eaten before. Just less of it. 41 pounds down since december, so I'd say it works.

    Also, switch to diet. As was mentioned, diet dr pepper is pretty good. Tastes the same as regular. That's one big tip ... don't drink your calories.
  • Gioooo
    Gioooo Posts: 301 Member
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    losing weight all comes down to a calorie deficit. so yes just cutting down portions will help you lose weight
  • Ashatack
    Ashatack Posts: 41
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    I didnt read all the comments so i dont know what people told you.... Soda is the worst! a new study on self.com says that simply one can a day corrisponds to 14 lbs a year!! (if your diet and exersize are limited to "junky" foods and what not) You gatta try kickin some of that for sure. replace a few of your junky food with better ones. Not expinsive ones. Im broke as hell lol but i cut out sugary cereal and replaced it with oatmeal and yogurt. Not the fancy kind eather cheap safeway brand lol. theres alot you can do, find out your caloric need and try to stay slightly under. Look up tips on like menshealth.com and places like that. my personal favorite is self.com... but thats geard farely tward wemon....
  • Ashatack
    Ashatack Posts: 41
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    Also you have treat yourself sometimes :)... Try taking a multi vitamin......
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
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    Less is always better but also what you eat is more important. Some tips from my trainer: Cardio in the morning before you eat. Eat a healthy and large breakfast. It should be the largest meal of the day. Eat a snack only if you are hungry. Eat a moderately sized lunch. Eat a light dinner. Do strength training in the evening. Don't eat after 9 pm. Get 7 - 8 hours rest. Repeat.

    Well, honestly, doesn't matter when you work out. Doesn't matter how late you eat
    Doesn't matter how big your meals are. Doesn't matter how often you eat.
  • jfields42
    jfields42 Posts: 27
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    Thanks for all the great advice.

    I think I really need to cut out soda and sugary drinks. This will be tough but I'm gonna try to do it gradually.

    I also will likely be more active this summer outside of studying because I'm no longer in an urban area. This means more outside bball and soccer. I love these sports and usually get together and play around 3 times a week!!

    I agree with a lot of people that the goal is to have a sustainable diet. I know I could never eat 100% clean for the rest of my life. However, I do hope that I can get back to being a lot more active.

    edit: The garden idea seems credited too!

    " Plus, it's a nice gesture for them allowing you to crash with them for a while."

    -True. I do this a couple of days a week now. May have to try the input part next!
  • jnbud2002
    jnbud2002 Posts: 216
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    based on my personal history. i would suggest switching to diet from regular. if you dont like the taste of diet, go with diet dr. pepper, diet mountain dew and coke zero. all served fully fridge cold, especially the coke zero. it's almost like regular, but it needs to be cold. can't quite explain it. I lost weight in college by making the switch to diet.

    Sprite Zero tastes just like regular to me! If you can do the switch that would help A LOT. I personally despise drinking my calories, so if I feel the need for a soda, it's diet. You'd be amazed by how much calories you consume by drinking! You can definitely do it, you just need to WANT to do it!
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
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    Well, honestly, doesn't matter when you work out. Doesn't matter how late you eat
    Doesn't matter how big your meals are. Doesn't matter how often you eat.

    Correct

    Unless, of course, you're eating so infrequently that you get exhausted between meals or can't support an effective workout, because then you aren't burning as many calories as you might otherwise be burning.
  • Bethee101
    Bethee101 Posts: 99 Member
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    You can eat the same foods you are eating but cutting the portions and counting calories. This can be difficult since calorie filled foods are not always filling, so it may feel like you are eating next to nothing. For example a value meal at a fast food place can be a full days worth of calories, but it will not keep you satisfied the whole day.
  • 130annie
    130annie Posts: 339 Member
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    Hi J Fields....Sorry you are having a rough go of it right now....I hope things change soon..
    Have you tried things like beans and legumes...Chillies, stews etc....Look them up on the net...Get ideas for very nutritious recipes..
  • Meaganandcheese
    Meaganandcheese Posts: 525 Member
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    I think when you're first starting you, you pick your battles. A calorie deficit is critical, and exercise is good for you (also allows you to eat more). You can't really flub on that part and expect to lose.

    Now, in terms of what you're eating - I think that's an evolution. If soda is a priority for you to keep in your diet, you might have to trade some other things to balance it out (or workout more to earn it). In my personal experience, I started out by still eating a lot of junky things (in moderation), but I've slowly moved towards my diet consisting mainly of cleaner, more nutritionally dense things. I've realized the quality of the calories are just as important as the quantity. I still eat those foods, just not as frequently. I would say the 80/20 rule is my happy place - I lose consistently and still live my life without feeling restricted. It's something I know I can sustain, because I arrived at that place almost unconsciously over time.

    Sometimes it's about baby steps, and that is ok. This is your journey. If cutting out soda is unrealistic right now, you can start by cutting back this week. Next week, add another goal (maybe cutting back on what you're calling junk). And you build it up from there.
  • rininger85
    rininger85 Posts: 131
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    Less is always better but also what you eat is more important. Some tips from my trainer: Cardio in the morning before you eat. Eat a healthy and large breakfast. It should be the largest meal of the day. Eat a snack only if you are hungry. Eat a moderately sized lunch. Eat a light dinner. Do strength training in the evening. Don't eat after 9 pm. Get 7 - 8 hours rest. Repeat.

    Well, honestly, doesn't matter when you work out. Doesn't matter how late you eat
    Doesn't matter how big your meals are. Doesn't matter how often you eat.

    what the trainer is getting at is if you do cardio in the morning before you eat it helps "jump start" your metabolism from being inactive (sleeping). So you will burn more calories while eating breakfast if you jump start your metabolism first rather than just sitting down and eating breakfast. And the strength training at night is because strength training takes a big toll on your muscles which need to be able to repair themselves, so by strength training at night it allows your body to repair muscles while you are sleeping. Strength training also burns calories for a longer period of time than cardio (regardless of when you do it) because it takes calories to repair the muscles, but doing the strength training at night allows you to continue burning more calories in your sleep. The same concept goes for not eating late at night, you aren't as active at night/when you are sleeping so your metabolism slows down, thats why they say don't eat late at night... you don't have to follow those guidelines, but you will see better results if you do follow them.

    As far as what you eat - I agree with the above posts, you can still continue to eat whatever you want as long as you control your portion size. You will have better results if you choose to eat healthier and are less likely to regain the weight if you change your diet to healthier foods, but I lost 30 pounds in 3 months mostly by decreasing my portion size... I still ate chinese buffet and/or boneless hot wings on average once a week or more, but I ate smaller portions (I also increased my exercise as well)... then I quit working out and slowly put all of the weight back on and then more because I quit tracking my food when I quit working out so I slowly allowed myself to eat bigger and bigger portion sizes until I was right back where I was (plus 10 additional pounds)... if you choose to eat healthier you are probably less likely to regain the weight than just changing portion sizes... but I'm back at it again and shooting to lose 50+lbs this time around and maintain it this time (while still eating the same foods just smaller sizes, so now that I found MFP and have it on my cell phone I'll hopefully continue tracking my food even after I hit my goal whereas before I had a hand written paper that I kept track of my foods on which wasn't convenient so I quit tracking....)
  • jrupe47371
    jrupe47371 Posts: 3 Member
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    I had great luck switching from soda to unsweetened iced tea. It literally costs pennies to brew a pitcher of tea at home and I still get my caffeine. Plus, there are the added benefits of antioxidants. If I'm in a pinch most convenience stores have fresh brewed tea available for 69-79 cents a glass or a large tea at McDonald's is only $1.
  • jfields42
    jfields42 Posts: 27
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    Hi J Fields....Sorry you are having a rough go of it right now....I hope things change soon..
    Have you tried things like beans and legumes...Chillies, stews etc....Look them up on the net...Get ideas for very nutritious recipes..

    Thanks. Hopefully, I pass the bar exam and get a job soon!!!

    I love chili, but never had legumes(may have to try them). Might have to try a turkey chili(is that healthier?)

    "Sprite Zero tastes just like regular to me!"

    really? gonna def have to try that.
  • channa007
    channa007 Posts: 419 Member
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    Yes you need a deficit in calories. It doesn't matter what you eat. Do this and you'll lose weight even without exercise.
  • luvjsmile
    luvjsmile Posts: 1 Member
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    I totally agree! instead of a eating the whole pizza only eat a cpl slices. But I have a cheat day where I eat what I want. Or if I have a strong craving I just go ahead and take care of it, cause if I dont, I will it eat:smile: up everything plus what I originally wanted. Eating healthy doesnt have to be expensive. I am unemployed and I still manage.I buy whatever fruit on sale for the week, I pretty much eat chicken legs everyday, wether its baked many different ways, or boiled and shredded into some steamed frozen veggies. I think ppl find ways to lose weight regardless of how Broke we are if you really wanna change!!
  • thechubner
    thechubner Posts: 94 Member
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    Yes it's all about calories in vs calories out, but keeping your body properly nourished during the process is important too. The good news is that most veggies are cheap and you can munch on them whenever you want w/o much consequence to your food diary. So go ahead and eat mom's lasagna, but if you have 2 cups of raw spinach w/ it it's only going to add 15 calories, but lots of vitimins. Good Luck
  • jemachharo
    jemachharo Posts: 144 Member
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    Many people are able to lose simply by eating less of what they normally eat. If you are one of those people, you are blessed. For others, like me, WHAT I eat is actually more important than the number of calories I consume. I have an intolerance to gluten which screws up my body and actually makes me gain weight. I have similar issues with other starches. I have found I can eat over 2000 calories of lean proteins, fruit and veggies every day and easily lose weight. I can eat 1200 calories including starches and processed food and gain weight. All food is NOT created equal for me. Definitely start by cutting out sodas and junk food and see how your body reacts. If you find you still have issues, try cutting out processed foods and see what it does for you.

    Eating healthy does not have to be expensive. Our grocery bill is actually lower now since I cut out buying processed foods and buy everything fresh.
  • Sarahbara76
    Sarahbara76 Posts: 601 Member
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    I lost 30 pounds 9 years ago by simply cutting my portions down to half the size I would normally eat. I still eat the same amount my stomach shrunk. These last 5-6 pounds are vanity pounds that help my running time if I shed them. Good luck!
  • Drawberry
    Drawberry Posts: 104 Member
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    I know it sounds simple and I'm sure the answer is yes...but, will the results be good. I'm staying with the rents to study for the upcoming bar exam in late July.

    I plan to workout and try to lose some weight during this period. Problem is that I am broke and do not plan to work during this time. This means that I won't be as able to buy healthy foods. If I just workout/cardio and portion control can I still lose a pound per week? I really want to get down to 217-220 before my birthday in mid July,

    I mean right now I drink so much soda and eat junk food. I would imagine simply cutting those out would do wonders?

    If you cut out calories you'll lose weight even without exercise.

    Example.
    Say it takes you 2000 calories to maintain your current weight and for the sake of argument say you live a mostly sedentary lifestyle. Take away 500 calories to get 1500 calories for what you should be maintaining to lose weight even if you stay mostly sedentary.


    At the very simplest of things to lose weight you need to burn more then you consume.

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