How often do you treat yourself?
ShaeSweetness
Posts: 61 Member
Heyy yall!
So what is everyone opinion on treats and cheats? Usually i have one day a week where i dont track. Most of the time its a saturday night dinner. Today my bf wants to go to the movies and i want to go but its SO HARD to resist the pretzel bites. So far with my calories today they fit in just fine but then I always have a fear of what if MFP isn’t giving me the correct calories? I saw pretzel bites at 150 cal and I saw pretzel bites at 800 cal so really I’m not sure which ones would be the correct option. I tried finding the calories online-no luck. Anyway, do you all completely avoid treats until cheat day? Or do you incorporate them. I always get so much anxiety when people want to go out and do things especially when it’s around food that I usually just end up not going because I’m sick of seeing slow progress or none at all. I want to just keep dropping and dropping and just feel good about myself already so i hate making mistakes! (So impatient). Usually on a day like today when I know I’m going to the movies I would work out to burn the calories that I might eat and pretzel bites later but I’m currently suffering from a back injury so working out is not an option
(currently sitting with heating pad and electrodes on my back).
Whats everyones opinions here?!
So what is everyone opinion on treats and cheats? Usually i have one day a week where i dont track. Most of the time its a saturday night dinner. Today my bf wants to go to the movies and i want to go but its SO HARD to resist the pretzel bites. So far with my calories today they fit in just fine but then I always have a fear of what if MFP isn’t giving me the correct calories? I saw pretzel bites at 150 cal and I saw pretzel bites at 800 cal so really I’m not sure which ones would be the correct option. I tried finding the calories online-no luck. Anyway, do you all completely avoid treats until cheat day? Or do you incorporate them. I always get so much anxiety when people want to go out and do things especially when it’s around food that I usually just end up not going because I’m sick of seeing slow progress or none at all. I want to just keep dropping and dropping and just feel good about myself already so i hate making mistakes! (So impatient). Usually on a day like today when I know I’m going to the movies I would work out to burn the calories that I might eat and pretzel bites later but I’m currently suffering from a back injury so working out is not an option
(currently sitting with heating pad and electrodes on my back).Whats everyones opinions here?!
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Replies
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So, when I go to the movies I accept that it's an estimate. Pick a reasonable sounding calorie amount and log it and forget about it.
I do not do cheat days or limit treats. I abide by the "if it fits I can eat it" and even sometimes if it puts me a little over for the day that's fine. I watch my calories by the week so that can happen. Tuesday was my anniversary and not a day that I would typically go out to eat. After dinner, and drinks and ice cream I was 1000 calories over. Did not care that day, don't care now. I considered adjusting my calories for the rest of the week and cutting out my 200 calories snack W-Sat but decided not to and just went back to my normal on Wednesday.10 -
I found that, personally, I had to deal with the cheat and impatience mindset, and aim for a more relaxed attitude towards food, and life in general (but it's challenging, lol) in order to succeed (3 1/2 years into maintenance, after struggling with weight (bordering obesity) for decades).5
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I don't do cheat days or meals. I work treats in every day. As long as it fits in my calorie goal then it is fine. Occasionally I go over my goal on special occasions. If you can't find the info for the pretzel bites you are going to have, then I would find several entries and take the average. It probably isn't the 150 or the 800, but somewhere in between. Never going to the movies because you can't 100% accurately track is not going to be sustainable for most people. You still have to live your life. There is no reason you can't do it having the occasional treat.10
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I think it is going to be a bit different for everyone and what works.
For me, I do one of three things. I either incorporate a small treat in everyday, or I make lower calorie substitutions to satisfy the craving or I indulge (usually on the weekend or special occasion).
For example, if I am craving a hamburger and fries, I can make a more calorie friendly version of it myself at home.. either have a small full fat one with a few fries, or a large one with leaner meat, maybe half a bun and baked potato. OR.. I can wait to go to my favourite burger place (not just any regular burger joint) and indulge in the 1500-2000 calories it will entail and plan accordingly.
You have to do what works for you.2 -
I don't believe in cheating. It is a negative concept that, in the past, would make me feel guilty. For the most part everything I want to eat fits within my system. If I go outside that system for a meal I chalk it up to life and move on. I have no intention of being perfect each and every day which helps me be more perfect than I have ever been in the past by removing the stress.
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If it is something that will derail my eating for days or weeks, I generally try to avoid it - maybe around a major holiday.
If it is just a higher calorie day, I do that frequently. If hungry, I'll eat more. If I'm not hungry, I try not to eat more - it's not as enjoyable then.0 -
Every Friday I treat myself. That maybe going record shopping, or going out for sushi or last week I got a massage this week I'm thinking pedicure / facial and a trip to the bar. I'm awesome I deserve rewards so do you! Treating is not Cheating we all are working hard on our goals we deserve rewards for that. One trip to the Italian restaurant isn't going to kill your diet.1
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Anything that I view as "cheating" always leads to weeks and month off from caring and discipline... so I've gotten to the point where I don't allow myself cheat anythings.
I do work on my daily food selections to get the most possible enjoyment as possible out of my calories and macros. For me, that has proven to be a good happy medium.0 -
I try not to look at it as a cheat. I've learned what lower calorie sweets I really enjoy (like Halo Top) and work a nice meal out every so often into my weekly deficit.1
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Everyday! I’m just happy to be here. You know how cool life is? There’s like planets and stuff and babies! Like a human can make another human...that’s insane, oh with another human! There’s things like wing night. Everyday is a treat. But Friday’s I have a fresca...❤️8
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While losing, I logged everything. Sometimes I ate over my goal calories, occasionally way over my goal calories, but not very often. (I'm now in year 3 of weight maintenance.)
If you (generic you) log everything, you can decide whether going over goal is worth it or not. As an example, if you're losing a pound a week on average in practice, you're at a 500 calorie daily deficit. Eat 500 calories over goal one day, it delays reaching ultimate goal weight by one day. Eat 1000 calories over goal, it delays reaching UGW by two days. Worth it sometimes, not others.
If you (still generic you) don't log over-goal days, you may join those who come back to post "Not losing!!! Why???". Uncontrolled cheat or treat meals/days can wipe out your whole weekly deficit. If you don't log them, you don't have the data to figure out whether that's what the plateau problem likely is.
It's an individual choice, though.1 -
Movie theater popcorn is the one snack I find hard to avoid. I want it and will stop at nothing to get it lol. So what I usually do is ask for a small, light on the butter, and try not to finish it all (which happens nearly every time since a small is HUGE). If you want the pretzels, I say go for it. Just log it. If you wanna make up for the excess calories, just cut 50 calories off your remaining days of the week and you'll make up for it. Don't beat yourself up over the treat. It's ok to indulge here and there. I usually go out with friends on Saturday night and try not to obsess over the calorie counting as much. And you know what? I don't feel deprived and life carries on.1
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I have a treat every night. Usually ice cream. I always save up calories and make sure I at least hit my fat/protein goals.
Cheats though? Not at all. I'm not cheating on anything. If I want something, I work it in.3 -
I plan things in, but also have some days where I don't worry about what I'm eating because I know I'm burning a crazy amount of calories that are basically impossible to track (track days and races for me). There's just no way to really get an idea of my calorie burn, but as long as I don't completely eat like total crap all three meals a day, I will not put on weight from those days.
That being said, I plan one day a week for pizza. I do a thin crust to trim back on calories (not a crust fan anyways) and enjoy away. Occasionally it's replaced with a meal out with friends.
It's planned into my week. There's no way in one meal I could undo everything when I'm already planning in a 1100 calorie meal
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Usually once a week or month depending on the cost. On Friday I am getting a facial. I don't myself with food, I treat with presents to me: facial, pedicure, a new eyeliner, sometimes it's something very small, sometimes something big.1
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I find having a treat even every day can work as long as you’re still under your calorie goal. You can do this by just having a small portion of something delicious.
There was a time when treated myself to a cookie every day and still lost weight probably because I wasn’t having a lot of cookies. It can be very tempting to overeat treats because they’re so yummy! But if you’re eating a nutritious diet it’s much easier because you’re basically satisfied. You just feel like a treat. That works for me.
As for going to the movies. If you really want the pretzel, maybe try splitting it with somebody. It would cut down on the calories dramatically and you wouldn’t have to deprive yourself.0 -
I try to 'treat' myself every day with every meal.
I 'cheat' myself when I don't log, don't care, and don't know why.
The easiest thing about my losing weight was giving up the movie theatre food. When you think about it, that is a lousy place to dine or snack.9 -
JeromeBarry1 wrote: »I try to 'treat' myself every day with every meal.
I 'cheat' myself when I don't log, don't care, and don't know why.
The easiest thing about my losing weight was giving up the movie theatre food. When you think about it, that is a lousy place to dine or snack.
I agree with all of this. I make sure everything I eat is stuff I love. I won't waste calories on any food I don't absolutely love.
I rarely go to the movies (just can't sit still that long) but if I do I don't eat there. I'm sitting still not doing anything for 2+ hours. I certainly don't need any extra "fuel" for that.1 -
JeromeBarry1 wrote: »I try to 'treat' myself every day with every meal.
I 'cheat' myself when I don't log, don't care, and don't know why.
The easiest thing about my losing weight was giving up the movie theatre food. When you think about it, that is a lousy place to dine or snack.
I agree with all of this. I make sure everything I eat is stuff I love. I won't waste calories on any food I don't absolutely love.
I rarely go to the movies (just can't sit still that long) but if I do I don't eat there. I'm sitting still not doing anything for 2+ hours. I certainly don't need any extra "fuel" for that.
Can I ask about this statement? You're not the first I've seen say something similar, and it always elicits a bit of a side-eye response from me.
That sounds really idealistic to me. Maybe it's just that my tastes/preferences are a bit skewed, but do you really love chicken and broccoli as much as you love pizza and bacon cheese burgers? Or whatever "healthy" food you want vs whatever "junk" food...
If I ate only foods that I loved, could I hit my calorie and macro goals? Probably. But the amount of food I'd be eating would be so small that I'd eventually cave and give in to my need for greater quantity/volume of food. I would imagine that overall nutrition would suffer as well. So I balance foods I love with foods that I don't mind.
Maybe I'm splitting hairs or something, but are people really able to eat an entire diet of foods they "love"?
I'm not trying to be snarky... and if it comes off that way I apologize. But I think enjoying what you eat while managing intake is really important to long term success, so I do think this point is worth flushing out.4 -
JeromeBarry1 wrote: »I try to 'treat' myself every day with every meal.
I 'cheat' myself when I don't log, don't care, and don't know why.
The easiest thing about my losing weight was giving up the movie theatre food. When you think about it, that is a lousy place to dine or snack.
I agree with all of this. I make sure everything I eat is stuff I love. I won't waste calories on any food I don't absolutely love.
I rarely go to the movies (just can't sit still that long) but if I do I don't eat there. I'm sitting still not doing anything for 2+ hours. I certainly don't need any extra "fuel" for that.
Can I ask about this statement? You're not the first I've seen say something similar, and it always elicits a bit of a side-eye response from me.
That sounds really idealistic to me. Maybe it's just that my tastes/preferences are a bit skewed, but do you really love chicken and broccoli as much as you love pizza and bacon cheese burgers? Or whatever "healthy" food you want vs whatever "junk" food...
If I ate only foods that I loved, could I hit my calorie and macro goals? Probably. But the amount of food I'd be eating would be so small that I'd eventually cave and give in to my need for greater quantity/volume of food. I would imagine that overall nutrition would suffer as well. So I balance foods I love with foods that I don't mind.
Maybe I'm splitting hairs or something, but are people really able to eat an entire diet of foods they "love"?
I'm not trying to be snarky... and if it comes off that way I apologize. But I think enjoying what you eat while managing intake is really important to long term success, so I do think this point is worth flushing out.
I would say I love things like broccoli, romaine lettuce, garbanzo beans, and apples, so it's true for me that I could easily stay within my calorie goal eating only things that I love (and trying new things that I think I could love).
Don't get me wrong, I also love craft beer and guacamole and chocolate frosting, so my process of choosing meals is more complex than "If I love it, eat it!" I'm balancing what I know about the calorie content of a food, my needs, and how I know it will impact satiety.
A diet based solely on the principle of eating what I love would be a disaster. But when I factor that into planning balanced meals that meet my calorie goals, it works well for me.4 -
JeromeBarry1 wrote: »I try to 'treat' myself every day with every meal.
I 'cheat' myself when I don't log, don't care, and don't know why.
The easiest thing about my losing weight was giving up the movie theatre food. When you think about it, that is a lousy place to dine or snack.
I agree with all of this. I make sure everything I eat is stuff I love. I won't waste calories on any food I don't absolutely love.
I rarely go to the movies (just can't sit still that long) but if I do I don't eat there. I'm sitting still not doing anything for 2+ hours. I certainly don't need any extra "fuel" for that.
Can I ask about this statement? You're not the first I've seen say something similar, and it always elicits a bit of a side-eye response from me.
That sounds really idealistic to me. Maybe it's just that my tastes/preferences are a bit skewed, but do you really love chicken and broccoli as much as you love pizza and bacon cheese burgers? Or whatever "healthy" food you want vs whatever "junk" food...
If I ate only foods that I loved, could I hit my calorie and macro goals? Probably. But the amount of food I'd be eating would be so small that I'd eventually cave and give in to my need for greater quantity/volume of food. I would imagine that overall nutrition would suffer as well. So I balance foods I love with foods that I don't mind.
Maybe I'm splitting hairs or something, but are people really able to eat an entire diet of foods they "love"?
I'm not trying to be snarky... and if it comes off that way I apologize. But I think enjoying what you eat while managing intake is really important to long term success, so I do think this point is worth flushing out.
Not snarky at all. Yes, I love chicken and broccoli because I use various seasonings on my chicken and prepare it many different ways. I roast my broccoli (and most vegetables) and season it to my taste also. I limit carbs so I rarely eat pizza. If I do I scrape off the toppings but it's generally too salty for me anyway. Not a fan of cheeseburgers.
I LOVE grapes, cherries, cantaloupe, watermelon, etc. Same with a wide variety of vegetables, so long story short, I guess my tastes may be different from others because I don't crave or want things like french fries or fried food in general. I also don't care for sweets or chocolate. I get told I'm weird but I'm okay with that.
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JeromeBarry1 wrote: »I try to 'treat' myself every day with every meal.
I 'cheat' myself when I don't log, don't care, and don't know why.
The easiest thing about my losing weight was giving up the movie theatre food. When you think about it, that is a lousy place to dine or snack.
I agree with all of this. I make sure everything I eat is stuff I love. I won't waste calories on any food I don't absolutely love.
I rarely go to the movies (just can't sit still that long) but if I do I don't eat there. I'm sitting still not doing anything for 2+ hours. I certainly don't need any extra "fuel" for that.
Can I ask about this statement? You're not the first I've seen say something similar, and it always elicits a bit of a side-eye response from me.
That sounds really idealistic to me. Maybe it's just that my tastes/preferences are a bit skewed, but do you really love chicken and broccoli as much as you love pizza and bacon cheese burgers? Or whatever "healthy" food you want vs whatever "junk" food...
If I ate only foods that I loved, could I hit my calorie and macro goals? Probably. But the amount of food I'd be eating would be so small that I'd eventually cave and give in to my need for greater quantity/volume of food. I would imagine that overall nutrition would suffer as well. So I balance foods I love with foods that I don't mind.
Maybe I'm splitting hairs or something, but are people really able to eat an entire diet of foods they "love"?
I'm not trying to be snarky... and if it comes off that way I apologize. But I think enjoying what you eat while managing intake is really important to long term success, so I do think this point is worth flushing out.
I figure I can answer, too. I'll use as references my dinner last night, a crudely simple stir-fry, and my breakfast today, a 'green' smoothie. I've been eating vast quantities of food for most of my life and I can assure you that I have more self-control in the presence of these foods than some others, you might see Raisinetes today or have seen me mention my banishment of Nutella. I like my smoothie and want to use the ingredients I put in it because I choose to get my protein and nutrients that way. Likewise, I chose the vegetables last night for flavor, nutrients, and calories. "Love" isn't a word I need to use to describe my relationship with food.0 -
JeromeBarry1 wrote: »I try to 'treat' myself every day with every meal.
I 'cheat' myself when I don't log, don't care, and don't know why.
The easiest thing about my losing weight was giving up the movie theatre food. When you think about it, that is a lousy place to dine or snack.
I agree with all of this. I make sure everything I eat is stuff I love. I won't waste calories on any food I don't absolutely love.
I rarely go to the movies (just can't sit still that long) but if I do I don't eat there. I'm sitting still not doing anything for 2+ hours. I certainly don't need any extra "fuel" for that.
Can I ask about this statement? You're not the first I've seen say something similar, and it always elicits a bit of a side-eye response from me.
That sounds really idealistic to me. Maybe it's just that my tastes/preferences are a bit skewed, but do you really love chicken and broccoli as much as you love pizza and bacon cheese burgers? Or whatever "healthy" food you want vs whatever "junk" food...
If I ate only foods that I loved, could I hit my calorie and macro goals? Probably. But the amount of food I'd be eating would be so small that I'd eventually cave and give in to my need for greater quantity/volume of food. I would imagine that overall nutrition would suffer as well. So I balance foods I love with foods that I don't mind.
Maybe I'm splitting hairs or something, but are people really able to eat an entire diet of foods they "love"?
I'm not trying to be snarky... and if it comes off that way I apologize. But I think enjoying what you eat while managing intake is really important to long term success, so I do think this point is worth flushing out.
I look at this more in terms of my sometimes foods and indulgences. Like if someone brings in some commercially baked cookies, I'm probably not going to bother because they're not that great...my wife's homemade chocolate chip cookies I would gladly splurge on. If I want to splurge on some pizza, it's going to be good pizza from Village Pizza, not Pizza Hut. If I want to go nuts with a burger and fries and whatnot, I'm not going to do it at McDonalds or other fast food joint...but I'd totally hit up Laguna Burger or O'neils here in town.
Basically, if I'm going to indulge I'm going to do it with what I consider to be better quality food/restaurants, etc. I don't want to waste my splurge on stuff that's just meh.6 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »JeromeBarry1 wrote: »I try to 'treat' myself every day with every meal.
I 'cheat' myself when I don't log, don't care, and don't know why.
The easiest thing about my losing weight was giving up the movie theatre food. When you think about it, that is a lousy place to dine or snack.
I agree with all of this. I make sure everything I eat is stuff I love. I won't waste calories on any food I don't absolutely love.
I rarely go to the movies (just can't sit still that long) but if I do I don't eat there. I'm sitting still not doing anything for 2+ hours. I certainly don't need any extra "fuel" for that.
Can I ask about this statement? You're not the first I've seen say something similar, and it always elicits a bit of a side-eye response from me.
That sounds really idealistic to me. Maybe it's just that my tastes/preferences are a bit skewed, but do you really love chicken and broccoli as much as you love pizza and bacon cheese burgers? Or whatever "healthy" food you want vs whatever "junk" food...
If I ate only foods that I loved, could I hit my calorie and macro goals? Probably. But the amount of food I'd be eating would be so small that I'd eventually cave and give in to my need for greater quantity/volume of food. I would imagine that overall nutrition would suffer as well. So I balance foods I love with foods that I don't mind.
Maybe I'm splitting hairs or something, but are people really able to eat an entire diet of foods they "love"?
I'm not trying to be snarky... and if it comes off that way I apologize. But I think enjoying what you eat while managing intake is really important to long term success, so I do think this point is worth flushing out.
I look at this more in terms of my sometimes foods and indulgences. Like if someone brings in some commercially baked cookies, I'm probably not going to bother because they're not that great...my wife's homemade chocolate chip cookies I would gladly splurge on. If I want to splurge on some pizza, it's going to be good pizza from Village Pizza, not Pizza Hut. If I want to go nuts with a burger and fries and whatnot, I'm not going to do it at McDonalds or other fast food joint...but I'd totally hit up Laguna Burger or O'neils here in town.
Basically, if I'm going to indulge I'm going to do it with what I consider to be better quality food/restaurants, etc. I don't want to waste my splurge on stuff that's just meh.
Thanks - I think you're saying/illustrating the point I was trying to make.0 -
JeromeBarry1 wrote: »I try to 'treat' myself every day with every meal.
I 'cheat' myself when I don't log, don't care, and don't know why.
The easiest thing about my losing weight was giving up the movie theatre food. When you think about it, that is a lousy place to dine or snack.
I agree with all of this. I make sure everything I eat is stuff I love. I won't waste calories on any food I don't absolutely love.
I rarely go to the movies (just can't sit still that long) but if I do I don't eat there. I'm sitting still not doing anything for 2+ hours. I certainly don't need any extra "fuel" for that.
Can I ask about this statement? You're not the first I've seen say something similar, and it always elicits a bit of a side-eye response from me.
That sounds really idealistic to me. Maybe it's just that my tastes/preferences are a bit skewed, but do you really love chicken and broccoli as much as you love pizza and bacon cheese burgers? Or whatever "healthy" food you want vs whatever "junk" food...
If I ate only foods that I loved, could I hit my calorie and macro goals? Probably. But the amount of food I'd be eating would be so small that I'd eventually cave and give in to my need for greater quantity/volume of food. I would imagine that overall nutrition would suffer as well. So I balance foods I love with foods that I don't mind.
Maybe I'm splitting hairs or something, but are people really able to eat an entire diet of foods they "love"?
I'm not trying to be snarky... and if it comes off that way I apologize. But I think enjoying what you eat while managing intake is really important to long term success, so I do think this point is worth flushing out.
Not snarky at all. Yes, I love chicken and broccoli because I use various seasonings on my chicken and prepare it many different ways. I roast my broccoli (and most vegetables) and season it to my taste also. I limit carbs so I rarely eat pizza. If I do I scrape off the toppings but it's generally too salty for me anyway. Not a fan of cheeseburgers.
I LOVE grapes, cherries, cantaloupe, watermelon, etc. Same with a wide variety of vegetables, so long story short, I guess my tastes may be different from others because I don't crave or want things like french fries or fried food in general. I also don't care for sweets or chocolate. I get told I'm weird but I'm okay with that.
Thanks for clarifying. This context makes your other post make more sense (to me).1 -
JeromeBarry1 wrote: »I try to 'treat' myself every day with every meal.
I 'cheat' myself when I don't log, don't care, and don't know why.
The easiest thing about my losing weight was giving up the movie theatre food. When you think about it, that is a lousy place to dine or snack.
I agree with all of this. I make sure everything I eat is stuff I love. I won't waste calories on any food I don't absolutely love.
I rarely go to the movies (just can't sit still that long) but if I do I don't eat there. I'm sitting still not doing anything for 2+ hours. I certainly don't need any extra "fuel" for that.
Can I ask about this statement? You're not the first I've seen say something similar, and it always elicits a bit of a side-eye response from me.
That sounds really idealistic to me. Maybe it's just that my tastes/preferences are a bit skewed, but do you really love chicken and broccoli as much as you love pizza and bacon cheese burgers? Or whatever "healthy" food you want vs whatever "junk" food...
If I ate only foods that I loved, could I hit my calorie and macro goals? Probably. But the amount of food I'd be eating would be so small that I'd eventually cave and give in to my need for greater quantity/volume of food. I would imagine that overall nutrition would suffer as well. So I balance foods I love with foods that I don't mind.
Maybe I'm splitting hairs or something, but are people really able to eat an entire diet of foods they "love"?
I'm not trying to be snarky... and if it comes off that way I apologize. But I think enjoying what you eat while managing intake is really important to long term success, so I do think this point is worth flushing out.
I won't claim to eat only foods I "love", but definitely think life is too short for foods that don't taste good. I don't spend calories on food I don't actively enjoy, generally.
I can't think of anything I eat just for health or because it has low calories or high nutrition or whatever. I don't understand it when I read about people eating "healthy" food they think tastes icky. Why?
Maybe I'm misreading what you're saying, but it seems like the implication in the bolded is that one can "love" pizza and bacon cheese burgers but not chicken or broccoli, which seems weird to me. Heck, I love chocolate and craft beer, so sometimes I spend calories on them. I dislike a lot of so-called "hyperpalatable" foods (Oreos, Poptarts, most fast food, etc.) and a bunch of "healthy" ones (seaweed, lima beans, etc.), so why would I eat them?
But the world is full of thousands of tasty foods that are also nutritious, and many of those are low in calories. I'd have absolutely no trouble overeating exclusively on "non-junk" foods (however you define that), and it wouldn't be Deep Sadness to do so. Sure, I'd rather eat in a well-rounded way that includes not only broccoli but also chocolate and pizza, in reasonable amounts for each given my overall eating priorities. I'd say I love broccoli just as much as pizza, but I wouldn't want a whole diet of either one exclusively.
Not gonna eat the chicken or burger though - been vegetarian for almost 44 years, never did much like meat. But I don't really think pizza or bacon cheeseburgers are junk food, or that others who like them shouldn't eat them, either.
It's people giving up foods they love - absent medical necessity - that doesn't make sense to me.4 -
I don't do cheat days, I feel that if I limit myself too harshly I will fail. I log it all, the good, the bad and the ugly. Today for example I had McDonald's for lunch and am already out of calories and it's not even close to supper time. I will pay attention at supper and only have a salad and probably go for a walk after supper to earn some calories back so I can have an evening snack which I can't seem to give up. I don't want to stop enjoying my life and doing things I love so I just adjust it and make it work.1
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JeromeBarry1 wrote: »I try to 'treat' myself every day with every meal.
I 'cheat' myself when I don't log, don't care, and don't know why.
The easiest thing about my losing weight was giving up the movie theatre food. When you think about it, that is a lousy place to dine or snack.
I agree with all of this. I make sure everything I eat is stuff I love. I won't waste calories on any food I don't absolutely love.
I rarely go to the movies (just can't sit still that long) but if I do I don't eat there. I'm sitting still not doing anything for 2+ hours. I certainly don't need any extra "fuel" for that.
Can I ask about this statement? You're not the first I've seen say something similar, and it always elicits a bit of a side-eye response from me.
That sounds really idealistic to me. Maybe it's just that my tastes/preferences are a bit skewed, but do you really love chicken and broccoli as much as you love pizza and bacon cheese burgers? Or whatever "healthy" food you want vs whatever "junk" food...
If I ate only foods that I loved, could I hit my calorie and macro goals? Probably. But the amount of food I'd be eating would be so small that I'd eventually cave and give in to my need for greater quantity/volume of food. I would imagine that overall nutrition would suffer as well. So I balance foods I love with foods that I don't mind.
Maybe I'm splitting hairs or something, but are people really able to eat an entire diet of foods they "love"?
I'm not trying to be snarky... and if it comes off that way I apologize. But I think enjoying what you eat while managing intake is really important to long term success, so I do think this point is worth flushing out.
I won't claim to eat only foods I "love", but definitely think life is too short for foods that don't taste good. I don't spend calories on food I don't actively enjoy, generally.
I can't think of anything I eat just for health or because it has low calories or high nutrition or whatever. I don't understand it when I read about people eating "healthy" food they think tastes icky. Why?
Maybe I'm misreading what you're saying, but it seems like the implication in the bolded is that one can "love" pizza and bacon cheese burgers but not chicken or broccoli, which seems weird to me. Heck, I love chocolate and craft beer, so sometimes I spend calories on them. I dislike a lot of so-called "hyperpalatable" foods (Oreos, Poptarts, most fast food, etc.) and a bunch of "healthy" ones (seaweed, lima beans, etc.), so why would I eat them?
But the world is full of thousands of tasty foods that are also nutritious, and many of those are low in calories. I'd have absolutely no trouble overeating exclusively on "non-junk" foods (however you define that), and it wouldn't be Deep Sadness to do so. Sure, I'd rather eat in a well-rounded way that includes not only broccoli but also chocolate and pizza, in reasonable amounts for each given my overall eating priorities. I'd say I love broccoli just as much as pizza, but I wouldn't want a whole diet of either one exclusively.
Not gonna eat the chicken or burger though - been vegetarian for almost 44 years, never did much like meat. But I don't really think pizza or bacon cheeseburgers are junk food, or that others who like them shouldn't eat them, either.
It's people giving up foods they love - absent medical necessity - that doesn't make sense to me.
I'm a pretty picky eater, so that is probably skewing the conversation a bit for me, but...
There are foods that I love.
There are foods that I like.
There are foods that are ok.
There are foods I dislike.
Success, for me, comes from eating mostly foods I like. I eat some foods I love on occasion, but generally have to balance them with foods that are just ok (not always, but usually).
We all agree that most people won't be successful (or happy) eating foods they don't like. I questioned if it was accurate and realistic to say that one eats only food they love, with love being the key word.
That's the context for my post/question.2 -
The high calorie non filling stuff is hard for me to fit in. 200-300 calorie treats I can fit in most days.. or I skip those and splurge later on what I really want.0
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We had a potluck lunch for some departing coworkers today, but the bosses provided the protein in the form of sandwiches. I have celiac disease and couldn't eat that so I ate potato chips with spinach dip, fruit with a couple of tablespoons of vanilla yogurt, and a large piece of a GF cake I made. I had intended to also eat tuna, but wasn't hungry (thanks fruit and extra water I drank) and didn't. At about 2:15, a friend split a reese cup pack with me because she has diabetes and couldn't eat the whole thing. I ate chicken, peppers and onions and new potatoes for dinner. I then drank a protein shake made with milk because I still wasn't over 1200 calories. I am going to walk my dog now and might eat a GF cookie when I come back. Oh, and I have had 6 cups of coffee with half and half too.
I don't have cheat days. I eat less of the things I like, except for the large piece of cake, which was a treat because I don't make it often.1
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