is it ok to eat junk sometimes?

anastasiasmirror
anastasiasmirror Posts: 16
in Health and Weight Loss
Is is ok to eat regular food sometimes while losing weight? or should i try to always stick to healthy alternatives, like low fat turkey over .. lets say bacon for example? because this morning i sneaked a johnsonsville bacon cheese beef burger into my morning calorie limit. LOL and it was YUM . and very satisfying too! i didn't eat bread with it though and i had it on top of a healthy salad. what are your opinions?
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Replies

  • misschoppo
    misschoppo Posts: 463 Member
    If it fits into your calorie goal you can eat what you like. Obviously if you fancy something processed that is high in cals might just mean you eat a lighter meal some other time of the day to even it out but if you are just concerned with counting calories then there is nothing you can't eat, so long as you log it & count it :smile:
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    If it fits in your calorie goal, eat it. There's no reason (except medical and such) to cut out foods. Eat the way you plan to for life. It's way yummier and you won't feel the need to binge (or as much), in my opinion.

    <<---- This girl has ice cream everyday. As you can see from my ticker, it works.
  • thesupremeforce
    thesupremeforce Posts: 1,206 Member
    You're fine. I had a peanut butter and bacon sandwich this morning.
  • jennyxoheff
    jennyxoheff Posts: 25 Member
    You're fine. I had a peanut butter and bacon sandwich this morning.

    LOL. Amazing! Hope it was as delicious as it sounds.
  • Phaedra2014
    Phaedra2014 Posts: 1,254 Member
    Is is ok to eat regular food sometimes while losing weight? or should i try to always stick to healthy alternatives, like low fat turkey over .. lets say bacon for example? because this morning i sneaked a johnsonsville bacon cheese beef burger into my morning calorie limit. LOL and it was YUM . and very satisfying too! i didn't eat bread with it though and i had it on top of a healthy salad. what are your opinions?

    Some will tell you that if it fits your macros then sure why not.

    Others will tell you that you need to only eat "clean foods."

    Yet others will tell you that there is a food/mood connection so a calorie isn't just a calorie in terms of how what you eat affects you on multiple levels.

    It depends on what you want to hear really. You'll get all kinds of replies to your question. They may all be right or not so right. What matters is what fits for your individual case.
  • Lives2Travel
    Lives2Travel Posts: 682 Member
    Whatever you do should be sustainable. And forgoing everything yummy is not, IMO, sustainable. I eat junk sometimes, but since I also account for it in my daily calories, it hasn't made a bit of difference in my weight loss.
  • broox80
    broox80 Posts: 1,195 Member
    I eat what I want within my calorie budget. I also listen to my body. If I am only eating crap I feel sluggish and tired. When I eat good food and throw in some treats, I feel good and still not deprived!! We ate hot dogs today. I ate turkey dogs to cut out cals because I like the taste just as well as regular hot dogs. I will sustitue healthier when I can, but if I want something and dont want to substitute, I work it in!!!
  • Murphy0126
    Murphy0126 Posts: 84 Member
    I enjoy cookies, candies, 18% heavy cream in my coffee, bacon, ice cream, etc...

    All in moderation.

    If I know I'm going to be eating at a family members house some day and they'll have dessert I'll make sure to eat lighter in the day to allow for that higher calorie meal. The same with little treats at home. 2 or 3 cookies aren't that bad.... very few calories. It's when you eat 2 trays worth that it starts creeping up on you.

    As per my ticker, it seems to be working.

    Rob
  • emmarosegibson
    emmarosegibson Posts: 36 Member
    I generally eat a really low fat diet so sometimes my body really craves stuff and u get headache or dizzy. I was like this Thursday so I had a Chinese take away and been fine since! Sometimes it's just what our body needs
  • katielshelby
    katielshelby Posts: 137 Member
    If it fits in your calorie goal, eat it. There's no reason (except medical and such) to cut out foods. Eat the way you plan to for life. It's way yummier and you won't feel the need to binge (or as much), in my opinion.

    <<---- This girl has ice cream everyday. As you can see from my ticker, it works.

    This!
  • chatogal
    chatogal Posts: 436 Member
    Eat what you want... but why does turkey have to be catergorized as "boring healthy food".. why cant it just be enjoyed for being yummy in it's own right?
  • mcpakemeg
    mcpakemeg Posts: 5 Member
    I eat what I want within my calorie budget. I also listen to my body. If I am only eating crap I feel sluggish and tired. When I eat good food and throw in some treats, I feel good and still not deprived!! We ate hot dogs today. I ate turkey dogs to cut out cals because I like the taste just as well as regular hot dogs. I will sustitue healthier when I can, but if I want something and dont want to substitute, I work it in!!!

    Couldn't have said it better!
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    Food is neither good nor bad. Eat what you want and hit your macros.
  • kamalelwa
    kamalelwa Posts: 44 Member
    You are human- so I think sometimes you have to vary a little. If you restrict yourself to much you will go nuts!!!!! !During the weekend my husband and I do not worry about calories or fat. We relax--I think it is perfectly ok!!!! BTW--neither one of us has blown up as a result of our relaxing!!!!hahahahah:laugh:
  • Amiwil
    Amiwil Posts: 57 Member
    If you crave it, eat it! Your meal over lettuce sounded wonderful! Count it, log it, weigh it, measure it. Don't underestimate what you've eaten so that you know what remains, after your done, in your calorie limit.

    I've found some ways to help me with salty cravings and sweet cravings. For salty, I've found black pepper skinny pop! Only 39 cals a cup! You can have 4 cups and still only be eating 155cals. For sweet, I like Jessica's gluten free cherry berry granola. She also has chocolate, vanilla, and almond cherry flavors. Or try pure protein shakes in chocolate or vanilla if you want something milky like an ice cream. Fiber one has great 100 cal brownies for baked good lovers!

    Hope this helps!
  • TEZofAllTrades
    TEZofAllTrades Posts: 51 Member
    most 'junk' has ingredients that will slow your metabolism even if you're hitting your goals.

    If you get a craving try finding substitutes for the worst things so you don't have to go cold turkey.

    Instead of crisps try popcorn, popchips or snakajacks etc, turkey instead of chicken and other meats, wholemeal instead of white bread, the list goes on. I find choosing the right alternatives part of the challenge :)
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Is is ok to eat regular food sometimes while losing weight? or should i try to always stick to healthy alternatives, like low fat turkey over .. lets say bacon for example? because this morning i sneaked a johnsonsville bacon cheese beef burger into my morning calorie limit. LOL and it was YUM . and very satisfying too! i didn't eat bread with it though and i had it on top of a healthy salad. what are your opinions?

    You should eat regular food ALL of the time....
  • Eleonora91
    Eleonora91 Posts: 688 Member
    I usually try not to eat junk food often mostly because of how it affects my motivation and self perception. Also, I think that eating healthy is most of the time more important than eating at a deficit. If some foods are not nutritionally complete, and you keep eating them for a long time, you'll see a difference even if not concerning your weight. So I personally go for it once in a while, and I know that if I want to mantain my weight in the future I'll have to reduce my consumption of junk foods since that's one of the factors that made me fat in the first place.
  • anastasiasmirror
    anastasiasmirror Posts: 16
    Thx everyone! all so encouraging and supportive! I have lost weight in many different ways in the past. but i kept it off the longest when I was in my early 20s. i lost 70lbs and kept it off for about 3 years. I ate what i wanted but in moderation. I even had a shirt that said "i <3 carbs" and i looked great in it. But i'm scared. I always end up back off the wagon at some point and have a very hard time getting back on it... going for months or even years on end just over eating. Also, I am not just a food addict. I am an addict to other things like cigs and alcohol. the longest i ever went off of alcohol was about three months and i ate really really healthy for that three months. so it seems when i diet and exercise while trying to get sober i do way better. So this time i am going to do a cross of different things. I'm going to do my calorie diet but not cut as many different foods out this time in hopes that i will be more successful in the long run. I am also planning on losing it a lot more slowly this time so i do not get overwhelmed mid-way through .. wish me luck everyone! and good luck to all of you too! <3<3
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    I do IIFYM-- basically I hit my protein and fat goals, I try to get a few servings of veggies, and I use the rest of my calories for whatever I like (usually ice cream). My diary is open.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    most 'junk' has ingredients that will slow your metabolism even if you're hitting your goals.

    If you get a craving try finding substitutes for the worst things so you don't have to go cold turkey.

    Instead of crisps try popcorn, popchips or snakajacks etc, turkey instead of chicken and other meats, wholemeal instead of white bread, the list goes on. I find choosing the right alternatives part of the challenge :)

    There is nothing in ANY food that slows your metabolism (what an odd idea!).

    There is no need to cut out any foods you enjoy in order to lose weight. Just make sure they fit your macros.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    most 'junk' has ingredients that will slow your metabolism even if you're hitting your goals.

    If you get a craving try finding substitutes for the worst things so you don't have to go cold turkey.

    Instead of crisps try popcorn, popchips or snakajacks etc, turkey instead of chicken and other meats, wholemeal instead of white bread, the list goes on. I find choosing the right alternatives part of the challenge :)

    What ingredients would those be?
  • PDarrall
    PDarrall Posts: 114 Member
    It's fine.
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
    Eat what you enjoy; pay attention to your protein, fat, carb macros; pay attention to your micronutrients; but EAT WHAT YOU ENJOY.

    Don't give up the foods you love, just eat less of them. Scaring yourself with all the nonsense about slowing your metabolism, becoming toxic, etc. etc. is counterproductive. Stay happy and stay on track.
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
    Is is ok to eat regular food sometimes while losing weight? or should i try to always stick to healthy alternatives, like low fat turkey over .. lets say bacon for example? because this morning i sneaked a johnsonsville bacon cheese beef burger into my morning calorie limit. LOL and it was YUM . and very satisfying too! i didn't eat bread with it though and i had it on top of a healthy salad. what are your opinions?

    Some will tell you that if it fits your macros then sure why not.

    Others will tell you that you need to only eat "clean foods."

    Yet others will tell you that there is a food/mood connection so a calorie isn't just a calorie in terms of how what you eat affects you on multiple levels.

    It depends on what you want to hear really. You'll get all kinds of replies to your question. They may all be right or not so right. What matters is what fits for your individual case.

    Yes. Some will try to fill your head with utter nonsense, and others will tell you the truth. Calories and macros matter. Micronutrients matter to general health. The rest doesn't seem to have much, if any, demonstrable effect.
  • kimosabe1
    kimosabe1 Posts: 2,467 Member
    on workout days only-
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    Is is ok to eat regular food sometimes while losing weight? or should i try to always stick to healthy alternatives, like low fat turkey over .. lets say bacon for example? because this morning i sneaked a johnsonsville bacon cheese beef burger into my morning calorie limit. LOL and it was YUM . and very satisfying too! i didn't eat bread with it though and i had it on top of a healthy salad. what are your opinions?

    Could you please clarify what is your definition of regular food, healthy alternatives, and junk food ? I am curious because one person's junk maybe another person's treasure (or something like that).
  • mndavid
    mndavid Posts: 20
    Whatever you do should be sustainable. And forgoing everything yummy is not, IMO, sustainable.

    This is the stance I have personally taken. I've found a lot of ways to be smarter about it, that's all. Last night I had a 4oz piece of steak. No marinade, no sauce. I cooked it over a tiny drizzle of olive oil that had ground pepper and fresh garlic on it.

    I'm being a little more strict with myself as I develop habits, but I WILL have pizza again dammit! :)
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    No. Never. So just send all of your junk to me, kplzthx.
  • rockmama72
    rockmama72 Posts: 815 Member
    See, I think low-fat versions of most things taste like junk. Like low fat cheese... I'd rather eat lovely full-fat cheese and take the hit on my calorie total. I guess I don't think of "real" versions of food to be junk.

    Junk to me is fast food and sweets. Then I get really picky--it had better be delicious if I'm spending calories on it. I won't eat McDonalds, but I wouldn't turn down a Chicago-style hot dog if someone handed me one right now. I won't eat Oreos or Chips Ahoy, but if you bake me a homemade cookie, it's going down the hatch.

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