As long as u stay under your cals does it matter what food u eat?
I see all these analysis and breakdowns of what peep are eating- do we have to measure our sodium. protein, carbs, fat and all or just count cals and stay under our burn meter????
I try to go with around 1500 everyday- does it matter then if i choose to eat fish, veg, and potato compared to a slice of pizza and a salad??
Its hard enough trying to accurately count cals let alone count the other components in the foods!
many people will say no it doesn't matter, but I say why make it harder for yourself and you wont be counting calories forever so if you dont change your eating habits you'll just get fat again, I now dislike the commercial junk food pizza and now prefer the gourmet ones I get from a local cafe and its a real meal I feel really good knowing that its good food and not rubbish,
For weight loss - no; for health purposes - yes.
I refuse to believe that a person eating 1200 of donuts will look the same as someone eating 1200 of lean meats, wholegrains, fruit and vegetables.
now dont get me wrong- i splurge once in a while but the main food i eat are the leaner meats veg and pot or some grain- i just find it so confusing to try to read into all those other things- how much sodium should we eat? y does it have to be so pricy to eat right???
I read on here that they add that info to help you make healthier choices. I think the most important goal is to stay under what your calorie meter says you should take in.
The biggest thing I have gotten off the site is portion control. So far working pretty good. Your young so I wouldn't worry to much about the other components of the food. Eat a variety, try to add more vegetables and be aware of the salt content.
btw. congrats on the new baby.
thanks so much- really its the portioning that im learning too- and just which foods are fulfilling w/o those extra cals- i think i been steadily gaining for a while- cause i was eatin alot!
i will look more at the sodium though- 
I just got started with this and I'm not ready to put more pressure on myself to learn the value of what I'm eating too! I am finding that most lower calorie foods are the better ones for me, and I can eat more of those, which is very important to me! I'm used to eating a lot, it shows, and I'm not ready to give up quanity for quality yet! I figure I'll get better as I go along.
I try to make better choices, and get the lower calorie/fat versions of things, but I still eat a couple cookies, or some chocolate, or chips...you just have to fit it into your limit, and also decide if they are worth to have, or if you'd rather spend the extra calories on more filling food :)
yes, it matters. For long-term health, it matters. For exercise and fitness purposes, it matters. For chemical and medical reasons, it matters. It would be great if it didn't, but you're in denial if you think nutrition doesn't matter. Or being naive if you can't see how the "diet food" industry seeks to suck you in. We are hunter-gathers in human history for a reason. It's only been a little over 100 years since we had to go out and grow, walk to purchase, or hunt for the food we eat. It's only been 50 years since "convenience" foods were invented. Our bodies are not equipped to deal with improper nutrition, even only 1200 or 1500 calories of it. I would also think that 1200 or 1500 calories of chips, cake and soda would have a high enough sodium content it would be hard to lose weight, plus psychologically it would be a nightmare to have that little variety each day.
You can still loose weight, but you will still be eating unhealthily. Your sodium and sugar content will be to high, and you could easily end up becoming malnourished. It's better for the long run to eat a lot of healthy foods!!
Well, I managed to lose 6 stone with not being too strict on my diet ie having a slice of pizza or some ice cream whenever i wanted but just fit it in within my calorie range I lost the weight.
I'm no health freak so it doesn't bother me if the food I eat is no good or not.
You only live once.
What is a stone? I have seen that referenced a few times.
Sorry if I sound stupid?!?!?
A stone is a unit of measure in Great Britian. It is refering to the same concept as pounds, except they use the metric system
It's not stupid, it's a different system of measurement that isn't frequenly used in the US.
A stone 14 pounds, so congrats to Speedy2056 on a whopping 84 us pounds lost!
I find sodium makes a difference too, we're supposed to have less than 2500mg of sodium a day which can be really tough if you're eating a lot of processed foods. But I do notice a difference on days that I can stay within the range and I feel a lot less bloated. For convenience occassionally I still eat frozen food/soups but I've been looking at the labels to try to make better choices.
What I like about counting calories as opposed to other diet programs is that you really do learn more about what you are putting into your body. I try to make choices that are not just lower in fat, but ones that have more fiber and protein and other nutrients. I've only been counting again for just over a week. While I do make a more conscious effort to get healthier types of foods into my body and foods that will "give me more band for my buck," this does not mean that I will never again have a cookie, piece of cake, or dish of ice cream. I just know that on a day when I decide to do that, I will have to make it fit into my calorie allowance I also know that this should not be an everyday thing.
Original Post by ladevo7:
I just got started with this and I'm not ready to put more pressure on myself to learn the value of what I'm eating too! I am finding that most lower calorie foods are the better ones for me, and I can eat more of those, which is very important to me! I'm used to eating a lot, it shows, and I'm not ready to give up quanity for quality yet! I figure I'll get better as I go along.
thats what im doin- i like eatin alot of food therefor im findin the low cal foods too, broccoli and zucchini are really good for the little amount of cals they have! I also found this ceasar vinagrette salad dressing that makes me really love salads!
it doesnt matter what you eat. but, it may be harder to stick to your diet when you become very hungry(due to junk). its best to eat a generally balanced diet. :)
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