If I pig out on healthy stuff, can I still lose weight?

  • Well, not really pig out, but I've not worked out in about 3 days. I've been eating well (drinking water, eating whole grains, low-cal food, veggies, limited sodium/sugar/fat, etc) and under my calorie limit..so should I still get results?
  • You can lose weight without exercise. It's just the simple math of calories in versus calories out.

    If you're eating the same amount you were eating when you were exercising, then you might notice that your weight loss will slow down though..
  • Quote: You can lose weight without exercise. It's just the simple math of calories in versus calories out.

    If you're eating the same amount you were eating when you were exercising, then you might notice that your weight loss will slow down though..
    I've been eating less than I was before. Thank you for your input!
  • Quote: I've been eating less than I was before. Thank you for your input!
    Have you ever calcuated your BMR?
  • It depends on what your definition of "healthy" is. You can probably pig out on certain veggies and get full before you'd ever eat a lot of calories.

    I totally ate a bunch of asparagus the other day like potato chips. The whole bunch I ate was less than 100 calories and I was full after eating them.
  • Yeah, it depends on your definition, for sure .

    It's pretty hard to eat enough spinach to do any damage. Leafy greens are always my go-to when I'm feeling like I could eat a horse and just want to munch.

    On the other hand... "whole grain" is pretty easy to overeat on. You have to pay attention to the calories there, even if it's considered healthy.

    But, yes, that's the concept . Eat healthful things in the right proportions and you will lose weight. You're doing great!
  • Just the other day you said you were at 1100-1200 calories a day. Of course, if you stay at that level, you will lose weight. Exercise isn't actually particularly useful for weight loss, in a causal manner. It is, however, correlated through increased calorie burning as lean mass slowly increases and body systems have increased energy demands from the exertion.

    But if you're eating entirely healthy food and 4000 calories of it a day? Yes, you'll likely gain weight. Eating above your daily calorie needs will cause a gain, no matter the composition of the calories. But overeating on vegetables, meat, and fruit to that degree is a lot harder to do than overeating on grains and frankenfoods. It's not quite as simple as calories in/calories out, but it is a darn good place to begin getting a baseline for how your body responds. Keep a calorie deficit and nourish yourself well, you'll lose.
  • Yes, I believe you can still lose weight even if you're not working out, but it's important to stick to your exercising routine, because it not only helps you burn calories, but it tones and sculpts your body. You wouldn't want to lose the extra pounds and not be happy with the way you look. Be careful though, it's really easy to overeat when we're eating healthy stuff. Try and keep track of your calories and write down everything you eat.