Does it matter what the calories are?

[PumpkinP]

I don't want to be lectured about healthy eating as I've got a huge amount of weigh t to lose and I'm just trying what I can go get it down. I have a set calories amount of 1500 (though I try to stay abi t under so 1300-1400) does it matter what the calories are? So for example I've had a whole pizza for dinner (just a supermarket cheese one) but it's 600 calories and fits within my allowance,so my question is does it matter what the calories are? As long as it's under your allowance will I still lose weight?

[PumpkinP]

www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/261384030

This was the pizza

[hamstersarse]

Bluntness100

As others said, yes you’ll loose weight if you’re in a calorie deficit. Anyone saying other wise is confused.

However where the difference comes in is what reaction your body has to that food.

Fat and protein for example satiates, I’m astounded you were not hungry three or four hours after your pizza. Usually with carbs that’s what happens and leads to over eating. It can also lead to a significant slump in energy.

You seem quite confused there...you are describing exactly what happens when you eat certain calories - they are not all equal

You get the slump because your body is screaming out for more glycogen as you are purely fuelled by carbohydrate ( you are not fat adapted)

You don’t lose weight uniformally with calorie deficit. Everyone knows this from their own experience. You can eat 800 calories a day and have no weight loss then up it and lose 2lbs.

Ever thought why?

[justletitbe]

when i read this thread, i get an idea and think right this is what i need to do, then i come back and someones posted something completely different which also makes sense, hamsetersarse- thats true makes sense !! oh no kill me now

[AnuvvaMuvva]

@hamstersarse

You can eat 800 calories a day and have no weight loss then up it and lose 2lbs. Ever thought why?

I've often experienced this and wondered why! Why is it? In layman's terms? I'd be really grateful to you if you could help me understand this better.

Thanks!

[AnotherMurkyDay]

30g of protein and nearly 20g of fat. This was NOT just a carb fest. And when I eat a pizza I'm full until the next day too. I don't think this is weird.

[AnotherMurkyDay]

608 calories is pretty good for a filling main meal when losing weight. That's what people are advised to do when eating out on a lot of diets.

[hamstersarse]

harvardmagazine.com/2016/05/are-all-calories-equal

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.businessinsider.com/losing-weight-eating-healthy-myths-2016-2%3famp

www.zoeharcombe.com/2014/06/the-calorie-theory-prove-it-or-lose-it/

www.zoeharcombe.com/2012/02/how-calorie-counting-makes-you-fat/

[FamilyOfAliens]

If you are scared to give up or reduce your comfort foods and you base all your diet on those, long lasting weight loss and maintenance will just not happen. It’s only my opinion based on what happened to me and the fact that so many diets fail.

I’m glad you said it’s only your opinion. As I posted up thread, I’ve maintained my 3.5 stone weight loss for a year and I haven’t changed what I eat - just how much. I still drink alcohol and eat crisps and chocolate.

[NiteFlights]

It’s entirely possible to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight still enjoying your favourite foods.

The pizza OP had was pretty good. A future aim could be to eat half, with a salad and maybe some yogurt or a square of dark chocolate for pudding, then the other half for lunch the next day. (If you like cold pizza 🍕) But I think it wasn’t a bad choice by OP at all.

Yes, it’s good to change your palate if you’re only used to processed, overly sweet, salty or fatty food but this can be done gradually. You can sub better quality chocolate, a few salted nuts instead of crisps, plain yogurt, good-quality bread, smaller (125ml) glasses of wine, individual tubs of ice cream, etc. You can even go to McDonalds and have eg a Filet o Fish or a burger, with water and without fries, every now and again. It’s fine. OP’s done well with a good quality bought pizza instead of Domino’s meat bonanza or something.

[sleepwhenidie]

You say you will be more motivated when you have lost the weight...that is a key mistake. Eat now as if you have already achieved the weight loss. If you take a stance of being proud of and caring for your body and conscious of not treating it badly then you will feed it accordingly and find a sustainable way of eating which means listening to your hunger, choosing whole foods rather than processed junk at least 80% of the time. Weight loss will happen that way, albeit more slowly, but you will be healthier and should stabilise at a weight you can maintain without effort (though that might not be at a weight as low as you think you want to be).

[Double3xposure]

As I posted up thread, I’ve maintained my 3.5 stone weight loss for a year and I haven’t changed what I eat - just how much. I still drink alcohol and eat crisps and chocolate

It’s entirely possible to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight still enjoying your favourite foods

This is back to the black and white thinking I’m talking about .

NO ONE is saying that to eat healthily you can never eat chocolate , crisps or alcohol.

NO ONE is saying that you can never eat your favourite foods.

This seems to be a favourite straw man of the chronically overweight and obese.

“ Well you lot of miserable fascist killjoys just want me to survive on one lettuce leaf a day and have a totally unhappy life and never have a biscuit again until the day I die or even one tiny glass of wine at my own wedding . I don’t want that so I might as well stuff my face on junk all day , be 24 stone, have a whole raft of health problems and become housebound by the time I’m 50”.

These are not the only two options.

OF COURSE if you have a basically healthy diet but just eat a little too much then you can lose weight, even lots of it, by adjusting the balance and watching your portion size.

OF COURSE once you are a healthy weight you can maintain that and still eat your favourite foods. But that depends on what your favourite foods are and how much of them you eat.

But that’s not the OP. She doesn’t have a healthy diet now, by any stretch of the imagination, she even refers to this in her OP. That’s why so many posters have suggested ways that she could improve it eg by eating less pizza and a large salad.

Encouraging her in this “ all or nothing “ thinking is very unhelpful and ultimately a bit unkind. She’s young with 4 kids and needs to work on her health or she will have major issues in middle age if not sooner.

[BIWI]

Great post @Double3xposure!

[PumpkinP]

Thanks for all the advice but I think the main thing is I’m losing weight regardless of how it’s done. That’s my main goal right now.

[BIWI]

While that's great to hear, what was the point of your question then?

[PumpkinP]

ERR if you can still lose weight eating what you want as long as it’s within your allowance. Which has been answered. Wasn’t looking for advice on healthy eating which I did state in my op.

[BIWI]

But you've answered your own question by saying you're losing weight! Therefore the only other advice people can give you (which they have) is about a healthier way to do it.

[Newnamewhodis1]

Why did you bother asking then op?

[PumpkinP]

Why do you care?

[Newnamewhodis1]

Ooooooo OP-has-gone-sassy- 'cause she-doesn't-like-some-answers Klaxon

[Newnamewhodis1]

OP- 'Does it matter what the calories are?'

PPs- 'of course it's better to choose healthier foods'

OP- 'nah.'

I love Mumsnet

[Bluntness100]

[BIWI]

Why do you care?

Possibly because people were trying to help you?

[Skyejuly]

I dont think k it works like that long term..... why not just change eating habits

[PumpkinP]

Newnamewhodis1 not really answering the question though is it. Most people gave said i will still lose weight. I clearly stated I didn’t want to be lectured on healthy eating. People are getting arsey because I ate a 600 cal pizza, I never once said I eat it every day . I don’t. I was wondering if it’s Ok to eat stuff like this when you fancy it now and again, and whether it would impact on weightlossneven when sticking to your calorie allowance. Some posters have taken that to be that I am eating pizza everyday and nothing else. I eat a variety of things, I haven’t eaten a pizza in 5 weeks but I felt like one the other day so had one when I posted, hence why I asked if it would effect the diet because I’m yet to know that as it was only the other day. Im not going to deprive myself of things I like as that won’t work long term either. plenty of people have “cheat days” On diets. It’s not even a cheat day IF IM STICKING TO MY CALORIE ALLOWANCE. Someone I want to come home and stick a pizza in the oven and not have to cook everything from scratch weighting each individual ingredients.

[woodn]

Calories out have to be more than calories in so yes, eat your pizza.

Don't listen to the rubbish on how some calories affect your body differently. DP eats calories through 1 meal a day of processed chicken and chips. Religiously. No fruit or veg. Never sick, has abs, thin, lean.

You might struggle with toning up but at present just focus on the weight loss and well done!