You can reach your goals with the foods you love!

SanteMulberry

IIFYM

I also like to include a (micros) addendum :P
MFP hates me when I eat a can of pumpkin and vitamin A is over 9000!

Just for the record, a can of pumpkin has no Vitamin A. It has beta carotene in abundance (which is called pro-vitamin A). The body can convert beta carotene into Vitamin A (in the presence of the active form which IS vitamin A) but it will only convert it as needed. Beta carotene in any amount is quite harmless (NOT so with active Vitamin A) and is also quite beneficial as an antioxidant. The biggest problem you might get into with OD'ing on beta carotene is a harmless yellow coloring to the skin.

Mom_To_5

bump, to read it later, i have to go out right now

Wwonderful

Great Post! I have also started tracking my calories on a weekly basis, it is so much easier for me, and it helps me to stay under my weekly caloric intake. If I eat too much one day, I will make up for it before the week is out, with a fast or two. With you on not giving up your favorite foods, I love cookies, pizza, double, triple cheeseburgers, etc. If I go overboard on them one day, I make up for it the next day. The important thing, is not to go over my weekly caloric intake.

_Frankie_

Hear hear! In my experience, if you try to give up the foods you love - you'll only end up going crazy and overindulging on them later! It's best to have a healthy balance I find. Besides, people have got to be realistic. We live in a world surrounded by food temptations, night and day, 24/7. If you get into the game expecting willpower alone to steer you clear of all the treats in the world, you're in for a disappointing time! Everything in moderation.

Three-thousand calories in cookies, in the middle of the night, is practicing moderation?

Hah, well not exactly in those quantities - but personally, I find that if I genuinely eat the foods I like (whether the health-nuts out there deem it healthy or not!) in healthful moderation, I don't binge. However, a blow-out (like the cookies) is bound to happen every now and again. We're human. Thing is, if it's infrequent, one overindulgence in cookies won't blow long-term weight loss/and or health goals. It's when blow-outs happen every week or so when you've got to start re-thinking things!

MinimalistShoeAddict

Great Post! I have also started tracking my calories on a weekly basis, it is so much easier for me, and it helps me to stay under my weekly caloric intake. If I eat too much one day, I will make up for it before the week is out, with a fast or two. With you on not giving up your favorite foods, I love cookies, pizza, double, triple cheeseburgers, etc. If I go overboard on them one day, I make up for it the next day. The important thing, is not to go over my weekly caloric intake.

Thanks for your support! The weekly tracking is really key for me for the reasons you stated. I never feel guilty about over or under eating any day of the week because I know I will make up for it. Whether I consume 5000 calories or 0 calories on any specific day does not impact my weekly progress at all!

MinimalistShoeAddict

Hear hear! In my experience, if you try to give up the foods you love - you'll only end up going crazy and overindulging on them later! It's best to have a healthy balance I find. Besides, people have got to be realistic. We live in a world surrounded by food temptations, night and day, 24/7. If you get into the game expecting willpower alone to steer you clear of all the treats in the world, you're in for a disappointing time! Everything in moderation.

Three-thousand calories in cookies, in the middle of the night, is practicing moderation?

I will make up for it and hit all my macros for the week! I went from being out of shape and near the top end of the healthy weight range when I joined MFP last summer (24.9 BMI at my highest weight) to 10% body fat and fit today while having many days like this. Its not that hard to fit such a cookie feast into a WEEKLY CALORIE AND MACRO TARGET. Not being hung up on each individual day is the key.

MinimalistShoeAddict

You said it!

If I had to give up things that I loved to lose weight, I doubt I'd do it.

I usually eat really healthy/lower cals during the week, so on the weekend I can have wine or beer. Or pizza. Or all three.

It's all about balance

Great strategy! I try to eat reasonably healthy most days also so that I can fit days like today into my weekly calorie/macro targets without any difficulty.

traceytwink

I eat anything I fancy always have but now I just listen to my body and when I feel full I stop now that's the difference????

pattynoonan9

I think haveing the occasional meal/ day/ week of blowing it will not be a big deal if you are at your goal...a few days or so of watching it and restricting some calories/ diet/ what ever you call it. But when you are actively trying to shed weight, and you splurge on a friday night, it takes a few days or so to get back to where you were, losing the extra fluid weight from salt as well as the amount of foods that you've restricted.
I think the differences are there for all,---I as a menopausal mother of 4 adult children, do not lose weight the same as a younger male.