Does anyone eat whatever they want just within calories?

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  • kittyfrost
    kittyfrost Posts: 54
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    Yeah, pretty much. Luckily I LOVE fruit, vegetables, greek yogurt etc so I eat a lot of 'healthy food', but I also eat ice cream, diet coke, lollipops and frappuccino's regularly.
  • jesspi68
    jesspi68 Posts: 292
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    I do this. It's much easier, I'm making a change in my life and this is what I'm going to do for the rest of my life, if I want something, I'll have it but in moderation. I'm not going to not eat it because it isn't healthy, because I'll just end up craving it more and binging on it. I do however try to eat healthy, because i find I can eat more of it and I actually like it!

    This is what I do and I find it hard to explain to people who watch me eating a cookie, or some kind of fat-filled item and gawk. If I want something I will eat it!
  • fit4lyfeLisa
    fit4lyfeLisa Posts: 529 Member
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    Yep I eat the foods I want in moderation & within calorie range!!
  • ralexander82
    ralexander82 Posts: 22 Member
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    I do this and I've been losing. I've heard it can lead to plateaus and you generally eat less food when that food is high in calories,but it you're happy and you don't hit a plateau, it can work.
  • TheLongRunner
    TheLongRunner Posts: 688 Member
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    So I wonder for those who continue to eat unhealthy choices; as long as it is under their calorie goal will have continued success not only here but in keeping that weight off for life? I'm sorry but if you don't make some sort of change in the type of food you eat; you are setting yourself up for failure later.

    ^Well said!
  • JBennis1013
    JBennis1013 Posts: 377 Member
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    I do within reason. I look at the labels more than I would have. I usually weigh my options. Is this really worth all the calories and do I really want it that bad? If I do eat something that is fattening and puts me over on calories and fat I'll work out more...
  • casbar911
    casbar911 Posts: 61 Member
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    I dont know but in my opinion "opinion only" . Fast food etc..yah it may fit in my calories however... it wont make my skin, hair, nails stronger and healthier. It wont lower my cholesterol. It wont help me sleep better and it wont give my body the nutrients it needs to survive and stay strong... nor the fuel I need to work out.... but that just my opinion.
    I only eat lean meats, tons of veggies, nuts and fruit. no added sugar, no processed crap and no dairy..and I FEEL BETTER than I have in years. I even tried a bite of ice cream and couldn't stand how sweet it was...
    again this is what works for me....
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    Yes. You can eat what you want as long as it fits into your calories.

    You can eat WHATEVER you want as long as it fits into your calories? Hmmm, and I'm assuming you can just burn off that Big Mac during cardio???

    Ummm....yes. Are there properties to Big Macs or other "junk" foods that make them especially resistant being burned off like every other calorie that we eat? If a Big Mac is 500 or so calories, and jumping rope for 24 mins burns (for me) 550 calories, are there some properties of math that I'm missing?

    Apologies if your post was meant as sarcasm and it flew over my head.
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
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    I find eating healthy helps me stay within my calorie ranges more than if I was to eat whatever I wanted. Whole wheat products fill me up for longer than chips and candy, and fruits and veggies cure my munchies without the added calories.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    So I wonder for those who continue to eat unhealthy choices; as long as it is under their calorie goal will have continued success not only here but in keeping that weight off for life? I'm sorry but if you don't make some sort of change in the type of food you eat; you are setting yourself up for failure later.

    This may be true, but for many people, myself included, going from eating what we used to eat to doing a full 180 to whatever the definition of "healthy eating" is is unsustainable in the short term. It's hard to totally change your shopping and restaurant habits. Many of us will do good for a while, then binge, then go back to our old habits. Add to that our feeling of disappointment will leave us demotivated to try again.

    I'm going to add another layer to this. "Eating healthy" is kind of like believing [insert deity of your choice]. We might all believe, but each of us has a different version. My doctor tells me to eat chicken and rice, but that makes the Atkins people balk. What the Atkins people eat makes Paleo folks complain. The Vegetarians are looking down on all three of us, meanwhile the Vegans are outraged by what the Vegetarians are willing to swallow. And all the groups swear up an down that the other groups are on the path to UNHEALTHY CANCER TUMOR FATBUTT HELL.

    I think we can all agree that lowering our weight/bodyfat % is a good thing. That's the reason 98% of us found this site. So as long a person is heading in that direction, they should be applauded, not scolded, IMO. Not that you were scolding, but some of the other posts in this massive thread we're typed by people looking down their nose at the keyboard.
  • math1182
    math1182 Posts: 15
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    I eat what I like, but in smaller quantities.

    A rule I set myself is that my dinner plate must be half full of salad or veggies (luckily I like both!) That for me is a balance I can happily live with for the rest of my life. If you start banning/denying yourself things that you enjoy, I don't think I would stick with it in the long term.

    I like chocolate in the evening, while I am reading. Another 'little rule' I set myself, to keep things in check, is that I can eat one chocolate as I start each new chapter. I know that I am only going to read a maximum of 4 chapters before I go to sleep, so I'm keeping my snacking under 200 cals, but I'm enjoying the chocolate and don't feel deprived.

    Good Luck
  • Hollyjd1019
    Hollyjd1019 Posts: 148
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    if you cut things out completely you are more likely to binge and gain it back. If you learn to eat foods in moderation and never feel cheated I don't think you will have a problem doing it for life.....

    ^^^^I agree with this.

    I think that I had to learn control over food and not the other way around. If I want something sweet then I will have it but not mindlessly having a HUGE portion like I used to and not even enjoying it. For me, I've had to learn to control what portions I eat not necessarily what I eat. And whether I'm really hungry and/or is the calories in whatever really worth eating?
  • MalloryCurrent
    MalloryCurrent Posts: 62 Member
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    Since starting MFP I have been eating a lot better. Mainly because I want to stay under those calories, so in turn I am still eating what I want, just wanting something different now. We don't eat Fast Food as much and even when I do eat out, its nothing like I used to eat. I love that with MFP I am making better choices! =) I'm no longer dieting, just living a healthier lifestyle! And adding exercise is a big key, for me, to losing the weight. But I try to look at it as training for my goal of running in the color run which is a 5k than exercising to lose weight.
  • amtru2015
    amtru2015 Posts: 179 Member
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    ok dollydye...here's my thing, i do watch what i eat because i always remind myself that food is for nutrition, so even if you are staying within your calories, your body wont necessarily be healthy. So yes i eat lots of veggies and fruit and lean meats. That being said, i eat probably one bad thing a day. I dont feel guilty, and im still losing weight....try it out =)
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    I wonder...if there's a longitudinal study looking at HOW folks lose weight and how successful they are in keeping it off after 10 years. We know most people gain it all back "and then some". Why is that?

    My guess would be that they drastically altered the way they eat/live. It got weight off, but it wasn't something they could be happy with and do long-term. Old habits return, so does the weight. That's why slight alterations and moderation are so important. They are sustainable.

    Agree with your conclusion, but not with your prescription...at least not for everyone. Certain types of people succeed with slight adjustments, but there is a different type of person who does better with drastic, 100%, all or nothing, cold turkey approaches. Most of these people know it if that's the type they are, but just in case, if you've tried gradual changes your entire life and they just haven't "stuck" with you, then you might want to consider trying a 100% approach (at least once). It can't hurt and it might just be the difference you need for long-term success.
  • drcrimson
    drcrimson Posts: 20 Member
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    I wrote a blog entry about this recently. I think you can eat whatever you want within the calorie limit on a single day. There are nutritional downsides to this on a long term basis and especially for those with conditions like type 2 diabetes.

    Yolodiet.com
  • HMVOL7409
    HMVOL7409 Posts: 1,588 Member
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    So I wonder for those who continue to eat unhealthy choices; as long as it is under their calorie goal will have continued success not only here but in keeping that weight off for life? I'm sorry but if you don't make some sort of change in the type of food you eat; you are setting yourself up for failure later.

    I think exactly opposite. if you cut things out completely you are more likely to binge and gain it back. If you learn to eat foods in moderation and never feel cheated I don't think you will have a problem doing it for life.....

    Ok, but where did I state to cut things out completely? This was more towards those that say they eat fast food everyday and various high fat/calorie foods but hey if they are under their goal it's ok. Ok but in the long run for maintenance that approach doesn't neccessarily work.
  • nangel4u
    nangel4u Posts: 119
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    Yes....I just try and add in more vegs and fruits and drink more water :-)
  • Hmwarren84
    Hmwarren84 Posts: 45 Member
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    I eat whatever I want and try to stay in my calorie limit. But I do make better choices now than I used to. Oh, I also stopped drinking calories and only drink water.
  • MisterTEZ
    MisterTEZ Posts: 272 Member
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    So I wonder for those who continue to eat unhealthy choices; as long as it is under their calorie goal will have continued success not only here but in keeping that weight off for life? I'm sorry but if you don't make some sort of change in the type of food you eat; you are setting yourself up for failure later.

    ^Well said!

    ^^I agree

    This report shows why it's important to make better food choices

    http://kool1017.com/america-is-the-fattest-nation-in-the-world-and-getting-fatter/

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