Is this a bad idea? Advice, please!

rosabella

Hey everyone! I've been on MFP for just about 2 weeks now and I am LOVING the sense of control that comes with knowing I am taking care of myself.

As you all know, this is July 4th, the day when people typically go out and eat lots of stuff that they shouldn't. I live in the Houston area, and so every other place to eat is a wonderful Mexican restaurant. I haven't had Mexican since I started MFP, but I'm craving it today. A burrito at my favorite place is roughly 700 calories. (Thank goodness they post nutrition facts!)

So my question is, would it be a bad idea to bank the calories from the rest of the day and go splurge on a burrito? This would leave 500 calories for lunch/snacks. I somehow feel like this would be a bad idea ("Mexican food = being fat" is deeply ingrained in me lol), but as long as I'm within my calories, is there a problem?

rosabella

Hey everyone! I've been on MFP for just about 2 weeks now and I am LOVING the sense of control that comes with knowing I am taking care of myself.

As you all know, this is July 4th, the day when people typically go out and eat lots of stuff that they shouldn't. I live in the Houston area, and so every other place to eat is a wonderful Mexican restaurant. I haven't had Mexican since I started MFP, but I'm craving it today. A burrito at my favorite place is roughly 700 calories. (Thank goodness they post nutrition facts!)

So my question is, would it be a bad idea to bank the calories from the rest of the day and go splurge on a burrito? This would leave 500 calories for lunch/snacks. I somehow feel like this would be a bad idea ("Mexican food = being fat" is deeply ingrained in me lol), but as long as I'm within my calories, is there a problem?

GTOgirl1969

I would think it would be OK, as long as you keep an eye on your fat/protein intake as well. Too much of anything is not a good thing.
Enjoy your burrito, and if you are worried about it, do a little extra in your workout today to make up for it!

walnut

Go for it!! Many people allow themselves a "cheat day" and say that it doesn't hinder their weight loss efforts. You could even just eat half of the burrito and then you'd have more calories left over for your other meals. Be careful though not to get too hungry during the day or later in the evening when you're out of calories so that you aren't driven to overindulge. Have fun!

shorerider

It's probably full of sodium, so if you're bound to splurge, then make sure to drink plenty of water to flush the sodium out.

I wouldn't skip meals either--if you want a treat like that, then put in some extra exercise and work for it That gives you the incentive to work out, too. I save my favorite treat--banana smoothie--for days when I go on long rides-that way, I have the incentive to keep pedaling when I know I am going to have a smoothie when I get home!

charliesgold

Are there any healthier choices you can make and still eat out and have Mexican food? I learned through my Weight Watchers (36lb lost) to still get my fav foods and go to my fav places to eat but just to eat less and pick healthier foods for example I had Mexican at lunch today but I chose fresh taquitos but only ate two of the serving of three, I didn't eat a ton of chips and didn't touch the sour cream. Perhaps you could get your burrito without certain ingredients? I know a lot of people do cheat days and it works great for them, I don't do them because they don't work for me, they encourage me into thinking it's okay to cheat once in a while and I ALWAYS take it too far :laugh: Also don't skip meals it'll kill your metabolism, if you're going to cheat a bit work out harder and skimp on the side items like sour cream or the unnecessary ingredients to your meal

I hope I helped a bit and didn't just come across as a meaner telling you what to do lol I just wanted to share my experiences with you

2day4ever

I LOVE Mexican, too. I think it is great that you are aware of how many calories come in that burrito. That really helps.

I agree with the suggestion to see if there are other foods on the menu. (For me, Chipotle is a weekly treat b/c my kids really love the food there. I used to have the burrito bol but now I order the salad and save 1/2 the calories. I am trying to stay committed to the idea that this is "lifestyle" and not "diet" so I am trying to break the temptation of all the "old faves" and replace it with healthier options).

Another option is to eat HALF your burrito and package the other HALF for tomorrow. That way you keep your calories at 400 or below per meal and can better distribute your daily calories through the day (which helps with metabolism).

I agree, too, with NOT skipping meals. Crank up the exercise to broaden the scope of what you can eat at other times of the day.

Happy Fourth!!!

rosabella

Thank you all SO much!! I'm trying not to skip meals, I woke up at 10 (yay for no work today!), so it became "brunch" around 11:30 instead of a breakfast and lunch separately. I had a snack this afternoon and just got back from a 30 minute walk/run. My idea is to jump in the shower and then go have my Mexican treat (MAYBE a salad, we shall see how tempted I am once I'm there lol), save a little for either later or tomorrow, and have my final snack around 7.

We shall see if this is a good idea or not - it will either satisfy my craving and keep me from having a binge day or make me want one more... let's find out! :happy:

Happy Independence Day and thank you all!!