Feeling a touch guilty having treats (within calorie limits)

elaineamj

I know I shouldn't - but man, I feel a little guilty after several days in a row of treats. I'm well within my calorie limits - in fact, I ended about 200 cals under my weekly net last week. I'm on 1200 calories plus all my MFP exercise calories (so average about 1400-1500 cals a day).

We had a long weekend so I slept in on Fri, Sat, and Mon - sleeping through breakfast. On top of that, I happened to choose to make low cal healthy meals all weekend. Vietnamese summer rolls, filled with primarily fresh veggies, egg drop soup, a delish sushi-like shrimp stack, and so on. All very nutrient-dense foods so I feel good about my nutrition intake too. I also worked out each day, earning about 300 cals/day.

This left me with a 400-600 calories EXTRA per day to eat snacks. I wasn't hungry in the evenings (after delish dinners), but decided to take advantage and hauled out the ice cream, brownies and caramel popcorn (all carefully weighed and portioned out). It felt ridiculously decadent - especially since I did this THREE nights in a row!

At the back of my head I keep wondering if I did my math wrong lol! And if somehow the diet police will catch up to me to pile on an extra pound or two. I'm kind of thinking I need to not let this be a regular thing though....a little worried I may sacrifice calories needed for nutrition for empty junk.

BoxerBrawler

Hahaha! I sometimes do the same thing. I try not to feel guilty and try to remind myself that as long as I have room in my day it's ok to have a treat or two but I sure know what you mean! When you eat things you normally don't it feels so..... bad! heehee

usmcmp

I understand the math worries, but if you are being careful with weighing everything you'll have to learn to trust it.

As far as guilt goes many of us feel that in the beginning. I think it's because we think of dieting as punishment. Why should it be okay to have a brownie or ice cream when you are punishing yourself? Dieting isn't punishment though. It can be rough some days, but there's nothing wrong with still enjoying foods and having treats.

toe1226

Yum, I want to come over to your place! Sounds like you are being dilligent, and the only thing worse than a little guilt when you have a treat, is the negative mental cycle you get from NOT having the treat. If you ever decide to recomp (increase muscle mass while losing fat,) you may want to lighten your treat load, but in the meantime, just enjoy it! The scale will prove to you that if you are under your cals, your treats won't hold you back.

laur371

My favorite part of calorie counting, as opposed to any other diet, is the lack of guilt. I can objectively see that I have enough calories for a treat, and that I will still lose ~2lbs a week if I have that treat, so I enjoy it guilt free. I am also on a 1200 cal diet.

Unlike other "avoid all sugar diets" where every single hershey kiss would make someone feel like they went off plans.

Weigh, measure, track, and ENJOY!

usmcmp

toe1226 wrote: »

Yum, I want to come over to your place! Sounds like you are being dilligent, and the only thing worse than a little guilt when you have a treat, is the negative mental cycle you get from NOT having the treat. If you ever decide to recomp (increase muscle mass while losing fat,) you may want to lighten your treat load, but in the meantime, just enjoy it! The scale will prove to you that if you are under your cals, your treats won't hold you back.

When someone decides to recomp they have more calories to play with, just a higher focus on protein. Nothing wrong with still enjoying plenty of treats in recomp.

lml852014

I had ice cream 3 nights in a row bc it fit in my calorie goal for the day and I felt guilty about it to but man didi it taste good!

AmazonMayan

I haven't felt guilt for eating something I thought I would have to give up to lose weight. Instead it was incredibly freeing knowing I could eat anything as long as I kept track and stayed in my calories and I'd be ok.

peaceout_aly

elaineamj wrote: »

I know I shouldn't - but man, I feel a little guilty after several days in a row of treats. I'm well within my calorie limits - in fact, I ended about 200 cals under my weekly net last week. I'm on 1200 calories plus all my MFP exercise calories (so average about 1400-1500 cals a day).

We had a long weekend so I slept in on Fri, Sat, and Mon - sleeping through breakfast. On top of that, I happened to choose to make low cal healthy meals all weekend. Vietnamese summer rolls, filled with primarily fresh veggies, egg drop soup, a delish sushi-like shrimp stack, and so on. All very nutrient-dense foods so I feel good about my nutrition intake too. I also worked out each day, earning about 300 cals/day.

This left me with a 400-600 calories EXTRA per day to eat snacks. I wasn't hungry in the evenings (after delish dinners), but decided to take advantage and hauled out the ice cream, brownies and caramel popcorn (all carefully weighed and portioned out). It felt ridiculously decadent - especially since I did this THREE nights in a row!

At the back of my head I keep wondering if I did my math wrong lol! And if somehow the diet police will catch up to me to pile on an extra pound or two. I'm kind of thinking I need to not let this be a regular thing though....a little worried I may sacrifice calories needed for nutrition for empty junk.

I do the same exact thing!!! I get extremely guilty if I eat a treat, even if it's just a chocolate chip or a single gummy bear. I work out also, but I'm constantly worried that food is not being calculated properly or the exercise cals burned are not accurate. My trainer helped me get in the mind set that more food = more gains so I'm slightly less stressed about it but it is hard to not get strict and OCD about logging.

Duchy82

That's just a case of changing your mindset, everyone gets taught that weightloss involves a strict eating regime and that you are not allowed to have tasty food and enjoy the 'naughtier' foods available. But at the end of the day if you are happy with your eating choices throughout the day then what's so naughty about a bowl of ice cream that fits in your calorie allowance? You'll get used to the idea that nothing is off limits eventually and that guilt will dissipate with it.

cerise_noir

Eh, no biggie. Think of it this way: it fits in the calories, you won't gain.

I'm having oatmeal with chocolate chips and banana right now.

trjjoy

I had SIX of those Beacon marshmallow mice today! And 14 sweets! And I have calories to spare. Losing weight CAN be a walk in the park

Francl27

That's how I managed to stick to it so long... those little treats make it so much easier.

lemurcat12

I remember it being weird when I first realized I had some calories to play with, too. You will get more comfortable with it.

elaineamj

Thanks everyone - it certainly IS a mind shift. I've moved into the zone where healthy treats are OK and social eating can easily be planned for. But, still having some trouble imagining a world where empty junk treats are okay. But I sure like the look of it!

It's also removing some of the frustration I was dealing with not all that long ago - which I translate to meaning - this can easily be how the rest of my life looks like

trjjoy

I went a bit OTT with my snacking today only because I went to my mom's AND because the bf and I still need to do grocery shopping for this week. But tomorrow is another day.

Jruzer

When I realized how weight loss actually worked - when it clicked that it was all about energy balance and that I could keep track of it and eat what I wanted within my budget- that was when I was finally successful after decades of failures.

tomteboda

I spent awhile looking carefully at the best known guidelines on macro and micronutrient intake. What I figured out was that once we meet our non-energy nutritional needs, we still have a fair number of calories (regardless of weight) that are mostly "free". So if you choose to pick a certain amount of nutritional heavy-hitters, you basically have more freedom to pick things based on taste and personal preferences. There's no real need for guilt about this.

I think we've got a highly puritanical, dare I say ascetic approach in most western cultures that's really bled into thinking about matters of health. Nutrition is not all-or-nothing. Nor is the level of adherence to "eat only highly nutritious foods" a moral issue. Enjoy your favorite foods. You're taking care of yourself, and that includes allowing yourself to enjoy food.

elaineamj

tomteboda wrote: »

I spent awhile looking carefully at the best known guidelines on macro and micronutrient intake. What I figured out was that once we meet our non-energy nutritional needs, we still have a fair number of calories (regardless of weight) that are mostly "free". So if you choose to pick a certain amount of nutritional heavy-hitters, you basically have more freedom to pick things based on taste and personal preferences. There's no real need for guilt about this.

I think we've got a highly puritanical, dare I say ascetic approach in most western cultures that's really bled into thinking about matters of health. Nutrition is not all-or-nothing. Nor is the level of adherence to "eat only highly nutritious foods" a moral issue. Enjoy your favorite foods. You're taking care of yourself, and that includes allowing yourself to enjoy food.

Thank you for this

elaineamj

Again, I ended with nearly 400 calories after all my meals. This is so odd - I am not purposefully going the extra mile to have lower cal meals (Lunch was a hefty 457 cals and dinner was a "normal" 327 cals). But I still only hit 950 calories and felt satiated. I ate a bunch of fruits after dinner then I had a couple of small snacks - including a snack pack pudding (which I normally would not eat). I STILL have a 100 calories left and decided to stop. It is midnight and I have had plenty.

I think I need to increase the calories of my meals. My big worry is that I will start getting mentally used to all this snacking and all my hard work to train myself not to reach for unnecessary snacks and pay attention to my hunger signals (aiming for satiated instead of full) will be wasted. My nemesis in the past was that once I start eating, I need to keep eating, even well after I am full. Once my mouth got set in motion, it was hard to stop.

KateTii

The only reason to feel guilty (in my opinion at least) is if you are skipping meals (and going hungry) to fit in the treats.

Mapalicious

I eat bacon, chocolate, burgers, sandwiches and frozen yogurt regularly.

I've lost 125 lbs.

I also eat a crap ton of veggies, but just saying. You want to build new habits that LAST...not a relationship of guilt & deprivation around certain foods (that you deem 'healthy) and a relationship of treat/reward with foods you call 'treats'. Keep it chill. Keep it even. Eat what you want, just count it and watch those macros.