treats clash with diets

emilydawson89

so this is kinda a dumb question but i figured i'd get some opinions: going to a birthday party tomorrow, ditch the cake and ice cream completely or eat a little in moderation?

JeromeBarry1

Moderation. Enjoy.

MegaMooseEsq

It's totally up to you. I for one am a fan of treats in moderation. If you want some cake and ice cream, have some cake and ice cream.

TeaBea

I'm for moderation. Losing weight is just the first step. Moderation is a good lesson for maintenance.

lorrpb

Moderation if you are able to do so. If it's difficult, choose your favorite, cake OR ice cream.

usmcmp

I figure unless you are giving up on them completely now is the perfect time to learn sustainable habits. Take a look at calorie counts before you go and in the moment decide what you really want to use the calories on (sometimes I don't like the frosting and I don't waste calories on it or I don't feel like having ice cream, so I don't get any).

Juniper210

I'm going out tonight, I know I want to have tacos and beer. So this morning, I prelogged the tacos and beer I want to have and then worked backwards to see how many calories I had for breakfast and lunch. Prelogging a higher calorie type meal on a day I know I don't want to go over my calories but I still want to enjoy myself works out well for me. Having prelogged, I remove all the stress about eating something calorie heavy and outside of my norm because I KNOW that I can eat and enjoy and I'm still completely within my calories for the day.

It's the beauty of CICO.

amtyrell

I would preplan my food for the day so that I ate a bit lighter at other meals allowing me to fit in a small serving of whichever looked better cake or ice cream.

try2again

I would look at it as to how much I want those things as opposed to other options I could have that day. If I really want that cake, fine, but otherwise I might choose to use the calories on something else.

MaddMaestro

Eat it all. Start again tomorrow.

usmcmp

MaddMaestro wrote: »

Eat it all. Start again tomorrow.

But why would someone do this when they can just have one cupcake and fit it into their calories? Or if that person is short and doesn't weigh much they could just decide to increase calories to maintenance for a day and fit it in. Throwing in the towel for a single day leads to throwing in the towel every time a birthday, holiday, office party, or event comes up. That's not a sustainable method.

WinoGelato

First mistake is looking at what you're doing as a diet. Diets are temporary and imply that someone has to be strict in adhering to them. Eating a flexible diet within the context of a calorie deficit is something is sustainable for the long term. As others have said, eat the cake and ice cream if you want, make sure to log it as usual. Make adjustments in the form of some additional exercise or cut back/out something else if you think it will put you over your calories in a way that you're not happy with.

MaddMaestro

usmcmp wrote: »

MaddMaestro wrote: »

Eat it all. Start again tomorrow.

But why would someone do this when they can just have one cupcake and fit it into their calories? Or if that person is short and doesn't weigh much they could just decide to increase calories to maintenance for a day and fit it in. Throwing in the towel for a single day leads to throwing in the towel every time a birthday, holiday, office party, or event comes up. That's not a sustainable method.

I dunno. I'm someone who can't just stop at one XD I'm an all of nothing person when it comes to treats -_-; It sucks but if you resist 'treats' all the time, what's one day going to hurt? At most, you get sick, then don't do it again for a while >_> or learn to moderate.

If you can already moderate, then good job, and enjoy without guilt!

Unknown

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bruby28

Depends what I'm feeling ..if I want to eat a whole piece I will and not feel guilty because I know I'll be good the next day and workout . Otherwise I'll have a bite if a whole slice does not fit into my cal goal

usmcmp

MaddMaestro wrote: »

usmcmp wrote: »

MaddMaestro wrote: »

Eat it all. Start again tomorrow.

But why would someone do this when they can just have one cupcake and fit it into their calories? Or if that person is short and doesn't weigh much they could just decide to increase calories to maintenance for a day and fit it in. Throwing in the towel for a single day leads to throwing in the towel every time a birthday, holiday, office party, or event comes up. That's not a sustainable method.

I dunno. I'm someone who can't just stop at one XD I'm an all of nothing person when it comes to treats -_-; It sucks but if you resist 'treats' all the time, what's one day going to hurt? At most, you get sick, then don't do it again for a while >_> or learn to moderate.

If you can already moderate, then good job, and enjoy without guilt!

It took a long time for me to learn to moderate. It took a lot of practice. I didn't go to a birthday party thinking "Eat it all and start again tomorrow." I went to these things with a game plan. At first I didn't stick to that plan, but over time I got better at it. Throw in the towel when these things come up and you'll never learn moderation.

estherdragonbat

Every Sabbath, after services, my synagogue has buffet tables of refreshments. The 'basic' if nobody sponsors are 1" squares of cakes, cookies, and pastries (think mini-danishes, shortbreads, chocolate cake, marble and sponge cakes), veggies and dip, cut fruit (cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon, and pineapple), potato kugel, and slow cooker stew. This isn't my first go-round with weightloss. In the past, I always promised myself I'd be 'good' and stick to fruits and veggies. And either I went off the rails with pastries and kugel, or I was fine... at the buffet. Then I'd get home and 'reward' myself with cheese, bread, multiple portions of my low-calorie homemade dessert, etc.

This time, I sort of sat down with myself and said/thought: "Face facts. You're not going to skip the buffet and you do want some of the good stuff. So. What do you want to have? How much of a treat is it going to take?" And I thought about it. And thought that if I took one frosted shortbread and two pieces of kugel, that would probably be enough. Then I checked the database and realized that those items? Would set me back 380 calories. Which was... actually kinda doable.

And then I logged it in advance. Now it wasn't going to be a cheat or something I'd be embarrassed to write down and admit I'd had. It was something I was going to have. And enjoy. Guilt-free, no worries about derailing anything.

Weird thing? Once I gave myself 'permission' to have those items, they were all I had. No guilt. No negative self-talk. No uncontrollable urge for seconds.