Unhealthy food but within calories?

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:

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!!!

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.

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

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:

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.

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

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.