Struggling w/ calories

If you have the calories for it, eat all the things!

Eat whatever falls into your calorie allowance, just so you are hitting your macros pretty close. Getting proper nutrition is important too.

Why would you increase your calories if you can't eat those calories?

I have a completely different take on this...

If you want to have dirt pie, then you should have a small portion of it. But if the reason you are eating it is solely because it is there and you have the calories for it then you are setting yourself up for failure. Unhealthy eating habits is what got most of us on this site in the first place. The point of doing this, i would think, is to change those unhealthy eating habits.

Whatever the reason you have for increasing your caloric intake, just take the baby steps. I have enough trouble eating 1200 a day, much less thinking about 1700. I plan my day out every morning to meet or exceed that 1200 calorie goal and try my best to stick to it. I think you should do the same. Some people plan for the week, but I just can't look ahead that far, not with a teenager in the house (he often eats my planned lunch or dinner without my knowledge! LOL) I eat a lot and i'm so full by the end of the day that I couldn't even think of having junk even if I have calories left over.

Baby steps.. thats the way to effect real change right?

Eating those things is NOT going to hinder your weight loss process unless they are outside your calroies or macros (even outside your macros is OK as long as your meeting your most important goals- which you determine.)

For health reasons, you may not want to do this every day. It depends on what your primary goal is right now.

If you want to eat healthier things WHILE losing weight (your choice- not here to judge ), try to eat more calorie dense food. Peanut Butter, Avocados, Olive Oil, full fat dairy products, etc, are all your friends right now. That way you can eat the same amount but take in more calories. Proein smoothies are another great way to add more calories and meet your marcros without feeling like you are eating as much. It's easy for me to add an extra protein +fruit smoothie somehwere into my day if I need to.

Hope that helps!

I have found for me that if I'm going to have this "lifestyle change" I'm still going to have to eat the foods I really enjoy, just less of them. Yes, still eat the healthy stuff too, but there is no way I'm going to be able to not allow myself to have any type of junk food ever, I try to cut it some, but if I want that and have the calories to eat it, then I do so. So if you still have the extra calories don't worry about it, just stay within your calorie limit and you will be fine

I'm often in the same position - lots of calories left available at the end of the day (I try to eat my exercise calories). My plan is 1700 calories per day, but after exercise I'm often left with 1500+. I have a decent breakfast and lunch (400-500 calories combined). I keep telling myself to eat more at those meals, but I'm not that hungry. Plus I sayto myself that I could save the calories for dinner and have a treat, which I seldom end up doing. I've resigned myself to watching how I feel daily and looking at the average daily calories at the end of the week. for the past 4 weeks since I've been counting, I average 1500 calories per day.