Do you believe you can eat anything with portion control and still lose weight?
Do you think you can effectively lose weight with the mindset that you can eat "whatever you want" with proper portion control?
I know some people have a strict list of what they should and shouldn't eat on a diet, but others think that a slice or two of pizza is totally ok if they watch what they're eating the rest of the day so they don't go over a day's worth of calories(or whatever they're counting). Everyone feels a bit different. What's your stance on this?
Personally I like to practice portion control while "dieting"(even if I prefer not to use that word) because it helps me pick just a piece of pizza in the future rather than saying "oh well" and eating five. On the other hand I only do this occasionally because I'd prefer a bigger more filling and nutritious meal over a slice of pizza just so I'm not hungry right after. I just hate feeling deprived.
Yes and no. Sort of. Basically, if you are in a negative calorie balance, you will lose weight. Period. Unless there is some other medical condition that is interfering with your metabolism (which isn't common).
Now. Just because you are losing weight does not mean that it is good for you. It isn't. I would rather be a little chubby and have a healthier diet than be skinny mini and only drink coffee and smoke cigarettes.
I am a big believer that different things work for different people. I am finding that I can eat sweet treats in moderation. Some people have avoid certain foods all together, either because they feel it is necessary or because it causes a biochemical imbalance when they do. Everyone is different and every body is different. There are basic things that work for most individuals, but there are always very personalized decisions that vary person to person.
I am super carb sensitive. Even if I were to stay within my calorie allotment, but eating carb heavy; I would gain weight. So to answer to your question, no I don't believe eating what ever, won't work for me.
For the most part, I find it much easier to avoid many foods than it does to eat them in controlled portions (Sometimes I still try, but with limited success).
The effort it takes to successfully portion control, just isn't usually worth it, because it ends up requiring "white knuckle willpower."
When I limit "trigger foods" (mostly carb/salt/fat combos) or even avoid them entirely I don't really miss them all that much, but when I try to incorporate controlled portions regularly into my food plan, my appetite, hunger and cravings go into overdrive and it takes some seriously extreme levels of "white knuckle willpower" to stay on plan.
At or close to goal I will reevaluate and go with a deficit calorie focused WOE as i will also move to strength training. Until then i am happy w/ LCHF and counting carbs while still doing portion control.
Last edited by TheSatinPumpkin; 07-06-2014 at 10:41 PM.
It's working for me... I haven't had pizza in the last month, but I've had a small dessert every single night. I cook all my meals, and I make the foods I love... I might have to switch it up a bit if the calories are to high but... it's working!
I count my calories... I try to stick between 1600-1800.
I even squeezed in some liquor, and nachos a few weekends ago. I still lost weight! Although... I probably won't be doing that again because I was starving! Not my wisest choice I must say! lol. Although I measured out every single shot... 69 calories! lol.
I'm learning that the healthier choices satisfy me for a lot longer.
I realize this is a lifestyle change for me. I can honestly say I won't stick to it if I say I can't have this or I can't have that.
I believe restriction had caused more issues for me than anything. I do believe I can 'eat anything' and lose weight. The reason being is I often don't choose to eat things that are higher calorie/calorically dense because I don't want to, not because I can't. I think people often bounce around or gain weight by dieting because they tell themselves they can't. Often they can't and then sometimes they do which results in them with a 'screw it, I ate one, might as well just keep eating then I'll go back on a diet'. Rather than allowing yourself to eat anything so if you eat a cookie or what not, it isn't a big deal. It isn't cheating. It is just part of life.
I can't stay on track by eating in moderation. For me, abstaining from foods that I can't manage helps me a lot. Ultimately, I can lose weight as long as I eat at a caloric deficit, but I find that incredibly difficult if I allow sugar and flour in my diet. It's easier to just avoid those foods.
Yes, but. But I find it harder to practice portion control with some things, so I tend to avoid those (like if I have a pint of ice cream in the house, I will generally eat the entire thing in one day, on the theory that I'm going to eat it all eventually so I might as well eat it all today. plus, it is yummy. so I usually only buy ice cream once every 6 months.)
I'm with nelie. Restricting a certain food causes me to binge on it eventually. I did that a few thousand times before I realized I had to stop restricting. I started IE and began eating "whatever I wanted whenever I wanted it" which goes against everything I ever believed. I was prepared to gain weight and lose all control but that didnt happen fortunately.
What has ultimately happened is an unforced natural ability to portion control. I don't "allow" myself a treat of pizza. I crave pizza, I eat pizza but I just happen to be full and satisfied with one or two pieces. I don't treat myself to a side of fries, I just eat as many as I want. It just so happens that I may only eat a couple of fries.
I don't know if that makes any sense what I wrote but portion control is a misleading form of control. When I would tell myself I was only allowed to have one piece of pizza it was a psychological restriction that my rebellious self would fight and conquer by gorging on the whole pizza. Control is a dangerous word in my life, the more controlling I am with my diet the more I binge.
yeah I'm with you too. I can't limit foods, everything has to be on the menu or I will crave it intensely. however I have stopped bringing certain junk food into the house. so that way I think to myself it's still "allowed" just not readily available as before.
The more I think about these types of questions, the more I think what has helped me maintain my weight the past few years has been IE. I remember reading the book Overcoming Overeating several years ago and being too scared to try such a thing.
But now, if I had to answer the OP question, it sounds a lot like it. I can eat anything I "want", whenever I "want". I just choose not to because I don't like how I feel when I do. I feel better on a plant based, whole foods diet but I'm not a true vegan - I will eat anything if I want it. I just don't eat processed foods or meat/cheese very often. But when I do, I stay in tune with myself to see how much of it I really want.
To me, "dieting" is being more mindful of intentional eating based on what I truly want and not lazy eating of junk because it's easier and I don't deserve self care - which I don't truly want because I usually feel gross afterwards. Are there times when I have it anyway? Sure.
I guess I define "want" in a few different ways - one is the indulgent, immediate gratification meaning of "I want it." And the other is the mindful, long term choice. Sometimes I make the mindful decision to eat ice cream or pizza or whatever but usually when I think about those foods I prefer to eat healthy foods because of the long term consequences and because I genuinely like healthy foods.
I have noticed that restriction = craving. But mindfully choosing not to have something or stopping when I don't want anymore does not.
When you say it like that - yes, I eat anything I want AND am most successful in weight loss (ironically) when I do.
On that same topic, sort of, I took my kids to frozen yogurt the other day and while there I saw this very fit, buff couple with kids, but the adults just sat there and watched the kids eat yogurt.
then another couple with kids were all eating yogurt, these parents were healthy weight but not buff, hard bodies.
I thought if you have to watch your kids eat yogurt to look totally buff and lean then I want no part of it, I would rather be like the healthy weight who can still eat yogurt with their kids.
On that same topic, sort of, I took my kids to frozen yogurt the other day and while there I saw this very fit, buff couple with kids, but the adults just sat there and watched the kids eat yogurt.
then another couple with kids were all eating yogurt, these parents were healthy weight but not buff, hard bodies.
I thought if you have to watch your kids eat yogurt to look totally buff and lean then I want no part of it, I would rather be like the healthy weight who can still eat yogurt with their kids.
That is interesting. Do you feel like the parents were depriving themselves or sad that they weren't eating yogurt? You don't have to join your children in eating frozen yogurt in order to have fun or be together. They might just not like yogurt, or they might have decided that calories they don't need don't = fun times.
Do you believe you can eat anything with portion control and still lose weight?
