Some Intake of Sweets but Calorie Deficit = Weight Loss?

garystrickland357

I have sweets when I really want them. I just eat smaller portions than I used to eat - and I log the calories. If you stay in a deficit you will lose weight. Now - as someone posted above - some foods may be "trigger" foods that you have to be careful about. For me it's doughnuts. When I have one I often want a second. I just have to enjoy the one and walk away. I also don't eat them often - it's a treat when I do. Think of your weight loss phase as a dress rehearsal for the rest of your life. Don't make changed now you are unwilling to continue long into the future. For most of us, maintenance is just a few calories (150-350) per day above weight loss so don't forget to live a little...

estherdragonbat

Dilvish wrote: »

any type of "bad" food in moderation is okay as long as it's not happening on a regular basis. Many people incorporate a "cheat day" into their regimen because it gives them an opportunity to say hey it's okay once in a while...weight loss, that is sustained weight loss, is a journey not a destination. it is a slow process and "falling off the wagon" once in a while is okay as long as you jump right back on the wagon!

There IS no "bad" food. I have ice cream almost every day. And other indulgences. Within my calories. A treat isn't a cheat. It's a choice. It's not falling off the wagon, because the wagon has plenty of room for measured quantities of treats. I will concede that over time, I find I'm selecting more treats that help me hit a certain goal (protein/iron/fiber). I've cut back on Pop chips and other foods that are basically low calorie but nutrient-poor. But that doesn't mean I don't have them when the mood hits. It just means that I'm more likely to pamper my salt tooth with roasted chickpeas or Simply Protein chips.

no1elseislikeme

I have ice cream almost every day. And I had ice cream while I was losing the weight. It’s totally possible as long as one measures out one’s portion and one logs it. It’s all about making room in one’s diet for it.

Johnd2000

I have some chocolate every day. Not much, but there’s always room for some. As a minimum, a few squares of nice 70% Lindt really hits the spot.

SeattleBebop1

Do you like dark, rich chocolate? I have to have some sweet every day, or I feel "cheated" and resentful of my diet. But I find that high-quality chocolate is satiating, more so than the cheaper stuff (sorry Hersey's), and if you get 70% cacao, you start to get health benefits too. Here in Seattle, I often buy Theo's Chocolate, which comes with those little bar sections you can break off - useful for calorie counting. For example, their standard size bar is 420 calories and is divided into 8 square sections total. Therefore I know that one section is 52.5 calories. That's actually a really reasonable dessert that won't break your calorie bank to have one or two sections.

Now on the weekends, I will sometimes visit one of the local bakeries. That requires a bit more online sleuthing because these are small shops and aren't required to post calorie counts like a chain like Starbucks, but I need to get a reasonable estimate for the food diary. The average pastry is going to run about 350 calories - 600 calories, so I make sure to put in some extra workout to balance out the treat. Yes, you really do want to calorie count as much as possible (my workplace has *lots* of tasty treats and I have to be mindful of my overall intake).

I have lost about 16 pounds since mid-December.

lcdube01

You can most definitely eat sweets. I've been trying to lose weight for a year unsuccessfully because i used to restrict all sugar and "bad" food so that I would binge after a month of restricting. However the last month i have changed my outlook completely and i have eaten cake and chocolate and whatever my heart desires but I have finally grasped what in moderation means. For example today im going on an afternoon tea with loads of cake so I've just made sure and m6 breakfast and dinner are high in protein and low carbs instead of either banning myself or just giving up and eating whatever all day.