Isn’t eating right the same as eating less? Less on anything we excessively eat?
This is all true, but I don’t think that is OP‘s point. If we’re being really honest and not trying to take apart their argument for flaws, we will realize what they are trying to say is: you don’t have to worry about micromanaging every little calorie if it’s mostly made up of whole, clean, wholesome and healthy food. Is there someone out there who got fat binging on salad dressed with a little salt and pepper, lemon and olive oil? Probably. I could destroy a rotisserie chicken while watching TV and leave nothing but the bones, and that would technically be “overeating“. But it’s just not going to show up on my body like that full-size bag of Doritos is. Those of us who are picking apart of the argument and making these tiny little comparisons are playing games, and we all know it. This is why people stay overweight – these kind of self-defeating little mental exercises that do nothing but keep them in their comfort zone where they don’t have to face uncomfortable truth.
CICO if you are only worried about weight.
Eating RIGHT if your goal is to be healthy.
Imo the main goal if you are overweight should first and foremost be eating less, then learning how to eat right
If you want to lose weight, you definitely have to eat less calories. Eating healthy and dieting to lose weight or in other words eating unhealthy and gaining weight are often used synonymously, but they’re two distinctively different things that just happen to look similar when put into practice
I’ve been substituting fruits and vegetables for junk food over the past couple of weeks. One bag of potato chips can put your body behind a day or two. If you’re always eating junk food, then you’ll have problems. I just realize where I’m getting my nutrients from. Yesterday, I had a bowl of kiwi, papaya, plums, and a peach. Four weeks ago, I was eating bbq potato chips, Oreos, twinkies, pop tarts almost every night. My sleeping has improved and my wife is finally able to relax on my stomach for an extended amount of time. It’s the junk food habit.
I guess the issue is calorie wise I can’t down broccoli the same way I can cake. Or even something sweet like apples the way I can ice cream. So in eating “right” I’m naturally eating less calories but I’m eating a decent amount of food. If I was to have a decent amount of calories in french fries or cake I would be eating a lot less per meal. I’ve learned the hard way that I can’t out exercise my french fry and chocolate habits. I wish I could.
If consuming fewer calories is the only thing that matters, why does no credible expert advise eating 1200 calories a day of pizza and candy bars?
Not all nutrition is created equal. Your body needs more than calories, it needs vitamins, minerals, and fiber, to name a few. Your body is going to respond completely differently to a 300 calorie breakfast of fruits, veggies, lean proteins, and whole grains than it will a 300 calorie breakfast of a donut.
IMO it depends on what your goal is.
If your goal is to lose weight, then eating less MAY BE all that you need. But it’s not as simple as “oh I’m going to skip lunch so I will lose some weight”. Losing weight requires a calorie deficit, which means your calorie intake should be less than your needs. It must be planned properly by involving the calculation of daily calorie needs based on age, sex, weight, and height, which is also influenced by other factors such as physical activity. After that, an easy way to plan a calorie deficit is to develop a meal plan that allows us to track our calorie intake from food, I suggest you get the help of nutritionists/dietitians.
If your goal is to keep healthy then energy balance is needed to maintain your daily bodily function. Balance is the key, you have to adjust your intake with your needs. Does it means you have to eat less? Maybe. If your current average calorie intake is higher than what you need, then yes. Do we need to eat right? Yes, because I define eating right as eating based on how much you need every day and your goal, supported by choosing healthy ingredients over processed/ultra-processed food.
However, a calorie is a calorie. 100 kcal from vegetables is the same as 100 kcal from chips. However, they contain different amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and other nutrients. and the nutrients are used and stored in the body differently. Fat, for example, is stored in cells called adipocytes. An excessive amount of adipocytes can cause obesity, and obesity may lead to metabolic syndrome (increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes) development. So, choosing the right ingredients is also a part of eating right.
Saying “eat right” is like telling someone to use “common sense”.
Poor advice at its finest.
There is no universal “right” way to eat. And the closest thing to eating right, has more to do with your cultural context, social life, and personal routines than it does where you shop.
I understand the intent here, and there’s some truth to the sentiment that overall health is not about simply quantity or calories. But oversimplifying it to “eat right” is not very helpful on its own, IMO.
There are many who need to eat less. I just loss 30 pounds by consuming less. I still eat right most of the week but I have my cheat meals. Nobody needs to be having mountains of food in one sitting and over eating. Controlling your food intake works.
>Isn’t eating right the same as eating less? Less on anything we excessively eat?
What excatly is “right” is the thing.
In theroy the “right” meal would be something with a salad, veggies, fruits and lean protein like chicken or fish. Supplemented bit of something like egg, cartilage, something with a bit of fat but not too much.
Or put it this way, JUST salads. Salads are eating right becuase nutrition and a great deal of fiber. It would be the filler for the meal to make sure you aren’t over eating calorie rich proteins or calorie rich sugars.
And you are correct from a pure health point of a view, but ideally you have to also be relatively active.
>Isn’t eating right the same as eating less? Less on anything we excessively eat?
I wouldn’t say they’re the exact same thing, since I don’t think people would class going from eating two big macs every day to one big mac as “eating right”. But eating right will help you eat less calories, as the calories you do eat will be much more filling, nutritious and satisfying so you’ll likely not be as tempted to overeat.
I was the exec chef at a world reknowned diet and fitness center… the amount of extremely obese vegetarians and vegans (supposedly so anyway) was mindblowing. They would be vegetarians but cover everything they ate with enormous amounts of condiments and dressings. They would stay with us for a few months and lose a ton of weight and go back home and gain it all back…. then come back to the center and start over again. I witnessed 1 man lose over 150#’s on 3 different occasions only to gain it all back in half the time it took to lose it. This one asian guy, he gained about 50 pounds in a matter of weeks!!! All these folks were super rich and in my opnion spoiled to the point of no return. Some had personal chefs on staff 24/7 and just could not follow a healthy diet when all they had to do was tell the chef “only feed me off this plan”!Sad and very much reality.
Different body types gain different ways and on different diets… I have seen it in my own family. But take away the foods that cause inflammation from any on of these and it melts off.Or add it when it was not in and it piles on, unless the person is intermittent fasting, whether on purpose or just via busyness or a stress reaction of not knowing how to manage allergies and taking less food, consequentially loosing weight, required or not at all.
Your statement is very broad. You should always eat”right”, but if your goal is weight loss you’ll ALSO need to eat less. Even “eating right”, you’ll gain weight if you’re not eating at a caloric deficit.
There is no “right” way to eat. Every individual is different, has different goals, and will have different experiences, even with ways of eating.
This is why the “What I eat in a Day” trend on YouTube, TikTok, etc. is potentially harmful. So many of them seem to imply that if the viewer eats the same food as them they’ll look the same, and that’s absolutely not the case.
Thing is eating ‘right’ doesnt have a lot of bingeworthy options and most of those options are stupid dense in calories (though some are). Your brain can regulate how much you eat much better without sugar. Eating ‘right’ is a means to CICO. And because it takes more effort to eat many vegetables than it does candy you’ll feel like you’re eating more.
I actually feel the opposite. I’ve lost 60 pounds and my approach was eating anything that made me feel satiated, but to eat much less of it than I was used to. So for me, that was protein and fats, which are very satisfying and make you feel full for a long time.
Calories in, calories out.
Prior to my weight loss, I was vegetarian for five years and ate what most people would describe as a very “clean” diet. Oats, veggies, fruits, rice, tofu, etc. And I was WAY overweight. Eating healthy “clean” foods…but just eating way too much of them. I didn’t slim down until I started eating a lot more protein- and that includes many foods that most would consider unhealthy like pepperoni and other processed meats.
Your milage may vary, but it really does come down to energy in and energy out. Burn more calories than you eat, from purely a weight loss perspective that is all that matters. Overall health is an entirely different story though.
Its generally believed that some of the longest living societies practice mindful eating and stop at about 80% full
There’s also science pointing that it’s healthy to let your body go without food for short periods of time so that it can use its own mechanisms to create energy (burning fat to produce sugar, for example). The body can become more efficient in this way. Look up the idea of “cellular exercise”
I’ve gorged myself a couple nights this week. On bacon, nuts, fruit smoothies, chicken thighs, black beans. Gone to bed feeling full from two hours prior. And yet I’m still slowly losing weight. Peanut butter is my salvation
I eat more volume of food now than I have ant any point in my life, yet my caloric intake has gone down and down and down. I’ve found just the right amount of fat to stay healthy, just the right amount of indulgence to stay happy, and the rest is mostly fruit, veggies, and protein. Less food doesn’t mean a better diet. At the same time, I’ve gone through periods of eating a TON of healthy foods and still gaining weight because I wasn’t measuring or weighing anything, and healthy fats are still 9 cal/g, and add up VERY fast. So no, ‘less’ and ‘right’ aren’t the same.
You can eat too much if you eat too many calories (weight gain) but you can eat more Whole Foods (high volume but lower calorie) and lose weight because you feel fuller for fewer calories. Hence you could eat the same ‘amount,’ perhaps even more than you once did, because the change in volume and caloric density is the difference.
I have a pastor on my Facebook’s friend list who constantly boasts about having lost half of his bodyweight by walking 10.000 - 15.000 steps everyday and counting calories. He’s now 163 lbs at 6 ft.The interesting part is he claims to have done all this eating desserts everyday.
This is true in that eating “right” often goes hand in hand with eating satiating, lower calorie foods. So you will often end up eating fewer calories this way. However, the simple fact is that if you have a calorie deficit every day you will lose weight over time.
You need the nutrients so just cut out the crap out of your diet. Stick to small amount of olive oil for good fats. Ditch the fried and processed foods. Fill your plate with vegetables and some protein. Have some fruit. Ditch the soda and replace with water, tea and coffee Sleep and stress are also important to get under control.
I can’t do macro counting. But I’ve been working out for 2 years now.. lifting for 14-16 weeks. Still not jacked. Literally still have a gut. Is there anyway I can eat without counting macros and calories and still get results?
You don’t have to eat less to lose weight ! Just eat right and in moderation. EVERYONE knows how to eat right ! It’s just doing it. Everyone knows bread bloats you and sugar is a no no but some keep making bad choices ! Exercise is key too.
I was at one time eating what I wanted. Getting plenty of cardio and exercise just maintaining. It’s all about making the right nutritional choices. I’m 59. I don’t calorie count. I’ve cut out most all bread and sugar. I don’t overeat. It works for me.
Not necessarily. You can eat little, but the foods you eat are highly-processed, nutrient-void empty calories. Eating healthy is diffferent than just eating less. You need a variety of foods to maintain optimal health. The best diet is one where you exclude all damaging, unhealthy, inflammatory foods and at the same time include high-quality, properly-sourced, nutritious foods. Our body needs a specific quantity and ratio of nutrients to function properly and perform its metabolic functions (which are what keep us alive).
Ok I’ve been s long haul trucker most of my life I’m now mid fiftyish and honestly how to feed myself now that I’m not driving I’m at home noone to cook for if I was still loing hauling I could do it but I’m bored lonely and hate cooking for myself
You could eat nothing but broccoli and still be morbidly obese, sure you would literally have to stuff yourself and eat an obscene amount but portions still matter.
Having a sedentary lifestyle and eating 3000 calories a day of vegetables and lean meats will still make you gain weight and not be particularly healthy
I have a question for anyone who can help me out. I started working out about 6 months ago. Weight lifting Mon-Fri, Sat swimming, Sun rest day. I’ve made great progress I use to weigh 288lb 45% body fat now I weigh 240lb 33% body fat I’m even 6ft tall. I still got a ways to go which isn’t a problem. My big question is for a heavy Obese guy like me should I eat 240g of protein daily? I would just like to know if I’m doing things right. Dieting is absolutely the hardest and most complex part. I’ve notice because I wanted to lose weight I don’t eat enough, some days I eat nothing expect my protein shake. The days I do eat it sums up about 1200 cals with 118g of protein. When I started it was simple. Expend more calories than I eat, now however the more research I do the more it says I need to eat a boat ton but just have high protein. I’m just worried I’m not maintaining the little muscle I’ve gotten while losing weight. All sources say I should eat something like .5 - 1g of protein per lb. I just would like to know if I should do that or just keep going down the road I’m on. I want to be shredded and I also want to optimize what do I do?
Also if I do need to eat more please could you be kind enough to link and full day meal prep so I can just follow it. Thanks you all
Depends on the goal. If you want to loose weight, you need a caloric deficit. If your body uses 3000 calories a day, and you take in 2500, then your body has to make up for that deficit by burning fat stores.
If the goal is to maintain weight, or put on more muscle mass then yes eating right is a majority if the battle.
And you are correct eating healthy fats, and protein satiates the body better than simple carbohydrates. Carbs can taste great, but do not provide long term energy unless they are complex such as sweet potatoes etc.
They are not the same, but they can oftentimes produce similar results / benefits. Caloric restriction prolongs life span, yet the mechanisms by which it does so remain poorly understood. mTOR downregulation, AMPK upregulation and autophagy seem to play a role. Fasting (abstinence from food) reduces inflammation and resets the gut microbiome and immune system. These two organ systems are interconnected. Eating healthily, meaning an anti-inflammatory, nutrient-rich diet can also promote longevity, improve overall vitality, energy levels, mood, inflammation markers, redox status, etc.
If you eat the same calories you’ll gain weight. 5000 calories of veggies or 5000 calories of donuts still causes roughly the same weight gain. One however is significantly healthier. But usually healthy food doesn’t have processed shit, sugar, and fat so it’s usually lower in calories.