Unhealthy food but within calories?

raincloud

Ok, so I do not want to "cheat" in that I don't want to ever go over my calorie limit (i'm sure they'll be times, but I just don't want to). But I've been thinking.

What if I want pizza? Like if I went to pizza hut and only ate the salad and 2 slices of pizza (520 calories) and had water, and placed that into my food diary on MFP and stayed within range, is this ok? I realize not *all the time*, but, is it cheating? Will I still continue to lose weight if I did this with pizza/burgers/whatever 2 times a week? (it's not my plan, my plan is to only do it when I really *need* it) but I guess I'm just not understanding.

Did it only make me fat before because instead of 2 pieces of pizza I ate 3 or 4? Or is it just bad all the time? Is it really moderation?

Just let me know whatever you guys think

thanks!

raincloud

Ok, so I do not want to "cheat" in that I don't want to ever go over my calorie limit (i'm sure they'll be times, but I just don't want to). But I've been thinking.

What if I want pizza? Like if I went to pizza hut and only ate the salad and 2 slices of pizza (520 calories) and had water, and placed that into my food diary on MFP and stayed within range, is this ok? I realize not *all the time*, but, is it cheating? Will I still continue to lose weight if I did this with pizza/burgers/whatever 2 times a week? (it's not my plan, my plan is to only do it when I really *need* it) but I guess I'm just not understanding.

Did it only make me fat before because instead of 2 pieces of pizza I ate 3 or 4? Or is it just bad all the time? Is it really moderation?

Just let me know whatever you guys think

thanks!

lisarae

Why not?! Occasionally, this is ok. To keep myself sane, I have pizza once a month. BUT, you can make it healthier. I order it with half the cheese (I don't miss it!) thinner crust and all veggies. I eat a big healthy salad before hand and don't feel like I need to stuff my face. Moderation is key. If you make healthy choices or good subsitutions most of the time, you can go off the path. If you are feeling guilty about it, go for a brisk walk or add a few minutes of time to your normal work out....:happy:

briblue72

I eat all of the same stuff I did "before" but much smaller portions. Or at restaurants I'll order healthier options. If you deny yourself what you want, you'll eventually cave and binge, or at least I would.

BrenNew

I've been eating pretty much whatever I want, and considering I couldn't lose ANYTHING before coming to this site, and now I've lost 22 in less than 3 months, I'd say that you CAN do the same thing. The trick is to NOT do stuff like Pizza or double cheeseburgers TOO often, and to also "work for them" with lots of exercise.
I find that I eat stuff like oatmeal and salad during the day, and exersise alot, so that I can pretty much always have a good supper. I even have left over numbers so that I can have Edy's slow churned icecream later as a snack! You just need to learn how to work with your numbers and get that exercise in, and you should be able to have "good stuff" every now and then!
That's the best part about this site! It's NOT a diet, which you automatically think you'll be deprived of all the "good stuff", it's a lifestyle change. So, you CAN have "good stuff" now and then!!!

shorerider

I don't think you should have it regularly. The trick to successful and healthy weight loss is learning to leave behind all those unhealthy eating habits while adopting new healthy habits.

Part of this effort is training yourself to not feel like you "need" unhealthy foods anymore. It's not easy but is vital to weight loss.

And, it's not just the calories to consider here but other factors like fat and sodium. Pizza will put you way over on both I'm sure.

So don't think just in terms of "calories" but in overall terms taking all nutritional info into consideration.

Yes, you could lose weight while allowing yourself such meals and cutting back on other things--thereby staying within your calories but it's not healthy

Look at Jared from "Subway" who lost his weight by eating nothing but 2 Subway subs every day for months on end. Did he lose weight? Yes. Would I want to lose weight that way?

Absolutely not! I prefer to have a balanced and healthy food choice.

The beauty of MFP is it allows you to develop a well-rounded healthy eating pattern that will last you for the rest of your life-which if you develop good healthy eating habits can be a very long and healthy life.

shorerider

I meant to add, too, that as you change your lifestyle and eating habits, you will probably find yourself not wanting stuff like that much anymore. Many of us now find it either too salty tasting, too greasy tasting, or it makes us sick--it seems that your body begins to want the "good" stuff and no longer wants the "bad" stuff anymore.

Carol123

i think its ok we all need to eat what we want at times, as long as you just do it in moderation

PedalHound

I totally second shorerider. Although staying within cals is important, try also keeping track of the "full report" at the bottom of the food page. That will give you a great idea of the quality of your diet. And from the perspective of getting a healthier body composition (lean muscle up, fat down), the higher quality the food you put in, the more ready your body will be to shed the fat.

But, it IS a lifestyle change and not a "diet". Almost everyone I know will OCCASIONALLY have a piece of pizza or two or have cake at a birthday and so on. We are social creatures and all over the world, food is part of our social structure. The key is your use of the word "need". I think that when your body is craving those things it shows that it's still in a place where addiction (to sodium and fat - all too common in N. America!) and emotional eating help make food choices. I think until that place comes to balance you should be careful about "rewarding" it.

I think if you make sure you've had a good exercise day (BEFORE the meal, not after - this will put your metabolism in a better place to deal with the meal!), have water and clean veggies before hand, having 1 or 2 slices of pizza with less cheese and no meat won't kill you.

The bottom line is that calories are just representative of the units of energy you need. Food quality is really what your body is interested in

blondeheat

Plus - pizza can be healthy. Make homemade with whole wheat crust, small amounts of reduced fat cheese (fat free really doesn't work well) and yummy veggies. Also South Beach and WW make frozen pizzas that are much healthier. I keep a SB in the freezer for emergencies!

Unfortunately, Pizza Hut doesn't have much in the way of healthy options but the veggie lovers pizza with thin and crispy crust is one of the best choices there.

Lisabeth

I TOTALLY AGREE 100% MY HUSBAND DID IT. HE CHEATS OCCASIONALLY. For instance:
1 large scoop of sugar free vanilla icecream, 1 tlb spoon of sugar free syrup, 1/2 piece of a slice of chocolate cake and a little squirt of fat free whip cream. Wha lah! But he only does this once a week.

Why not?! Occasionally, this is ok. To keep myself sane, I have pizza once a month. BUT, you can make it healthier. I order it with half the cheese (I don't miss it!) thinner crust and all veggies. I eat a big healthy salad before hand and don't feel like I need to stuff my face. Moderation is key. If you make healthy choices or good subsitutions most of the time, you can go off the path. If you are feeling guilty about it, go for a brisk walk or add a few minutes of time to your normal work out....:happy:

insearchofskinny

correct... quantity is the key.. if you're within your range then you're fine. sure, maybe it's not particularly healthy... well gee... sometimes pizza is food for the soul.... and it's certainly less unhealhy then it was with twice the number of slices.

Lowrider

What the heck is the problem with pizza! Order vegetarian with or without chicken but stay away from the processed meats, sausage and pepperoni. Most pizza parlours use part skim cheese, the sauce is almost fat free and it is baked not deep fryed. I never eat the thick crust on the outside and it saves me over 100 calories a slice. Enjoy going out, you can be guilt free and satisfy that craving. Cheers.

stschulz

I too second what shorerider said.
Every once in a while may be ok. But at the end you want to get rid of these "bad" habits. And it is NOT just the calories.
Not that I am a good example, when I have too many calories left I eat a Pizza too.
But I am trying to find things that are healthier.

You don't want to reach your goal and still have some of the habits that made you gain weight either don't you?

kerrilucko

Pizza can be a really good choice if you make your own at home. Even at most restaurants there are healthy options. I'd be more concerned with the high fat foods that invade life like cream in the coffee or the Mcdonalds by the office that sort of sneak up on you than I would be with an occaisional slice. Pizza can be a really balanced meal if you know what you're doing. Go with whole wheat thin crusts when it's offered and stick to veggie pizzas- the meats pile on like double the calories and tons of fat. I don't miss pepperoni a bit either. :flowerforyou: yum, I had pizza last night. mmm

2day4ever

Just a couple of additional thoughts:

1. Even when making choices about calorie/fat/sodium loaded food, I think it helps to try to keep each meal around 400 calories. So, smaller portions of calorie-dense food or more volume of calorie-lite food seems to help that balance and that whole metabolism-piece.

2. If your goal is losing weight, then occasionally "cheating" seems fine. If, however, you are intent on changing your lifestyle (as I am), then (for me, anyway) starting something I love opens the door to eating MORE of what I love. So, I'm trying to live that quote that says "eat to live; don't live to eat" . . . I'm just really trying hard to disengage from the idea that food is my reward or my entertainment or my salvation. The only way I think I can truly do that is to let go of my old vices.

But, that is just my perspective. Obviously, everyone marches to a variety of tunes on this one!

ohthatbambi

Thin crust pizza also has alot less calories than the thick crust. I love pizza...it is my favorite and I just can't say no to it. I think occasionally it is okay to indulge a little bit.