how do I eat "less healthy" foods in moderation?

For me, it comes down to self control and planning.

I don't believe in "good" and "bad" foods, so I eat what I like. But my nutrition is important to me, so I try to choose foods that will give me a balanced diet. However, I eat some kind of dessert every day. Sometimes it's a big dessert and sometimes it's a small dessert (depending on how many calories I have left at the end of the day), but I always try to leave room for something.

As for snacking, I've found that it helps me a lot to portion out a proper serving size in the kitchen, put the rest away, and take my food with me into another room. When I separate myself from an open bag or container, I'm less likely to over-indulge.

If certain foods lead to overeating then avoid them.

No one knows you as well as yourself.

However, as to how to incorporate more foods into your diet without going overboard, I buy my chocolate in 25 gram bars. It might be more expensive this way then just buying a 500 gram bar, but this way I can only eat the 25 gram bar and once it is gone it is gone.

If you can't buy things in these small packages, make them up yourself.

EDIT: IN the same way, sometimes when I want a glass of wine with my dinner I buy those tiny bottles instead of a whole bottle. I can't drink more if I don't have it in the house.

I'm just getting started but I agree with everything bajoyba said. I admit my diet is not the healthiest but I figure you have to start somewhere. Today I had a healthy breakfast with two scrambled eggs one whole and one white, a small banana, and a slice of wheat bread. For lunch I had a big salad and a Lean Cuisine snack pizza. I had an apple and a low calorie ice cream sandwich for a snack after lunch, and a seven layer burrito from Taco Bell for dinner, and another good sized salad for dinner when I got home. Then for dessert, a Nabisco Chips Ahoy 100 calorie pack. Total calories for the day was 1,400 and I did at least an hour of brisk walking, for net calories of about 1,200, and I got to eat all kinds of junk food. Lol. Granted I still need to clean up my diet but I'm hoping this will at least help me lose some weight. And I'm eating organic salad and fruit every day

Thank you!

I had been cutting out the "bad" foods (for my thinking of course) since before I joined MFP in January simple because I wanted a total fresh start

Then i went to a wedding recently and I thought, "well okay maybe I can do this" and I didn't eat too bad that night but I did have some fried things and some sweet things. But after that it's like it sort of triggered my brain a little, and I don't want thing as much as I did before but I am feeling the deprivation more now.

Plus that glaring RED "you have gone over your calories" thing MFP does is depressing. Maybe it's just me.

It's not just you C:

Not silly, I have the same problem. If its chocolate and in my house i eat it first. A bag of candy lasts about 24 hours (half in late afternoon/evening, the rest the next day.) Oddly enough if someone else buys it - like when I was married and my husband bought chocolate - I wouldn't touch it because in my mind it is "his." So I have self control for other people's stuff, just not for my own (insert psychological analysis here.)

I do a couple things. One, I just don't bring it in the house because then I don't eat it. Two, if I have to have it, I try to buy single serving because the reality is that if I buy the economy family size I will eat the economy family size. Three, buy things I can binge on and still come out ok - for example 35 calorie fudge bars. Eating a box of 10 is like having a candy bar from a calorie perspective, and I never eat a whole box. Four, buy things I can't binge on or it will hurt (example, fudge bars with 5 grams of fiber - eat a few of those and it will hurt, a lot.) Five, go for quality. Example 3 oz of Fetzer Gwertztraminer (that is spelled wrong) or other sweet wine with two squares of Dove milk chocolate. Take tiny nibbles of the chocolate as it melts, take a small sip of wine and really enjoy the flavor. If I tell myself all day that is the reward and that it is coming sometimes that works. Six, take a walk or require yourself to do another activity before you have anything - like walking to the store to get it. That gives you time to get over the craving.

If I do binge I notice how lousy it makes me feel - the mood swings, the bloating and constipation. Remembering that helps me to control myself the next time.

I hope that helps.

Hope this helps.

I have to avoid buying in certain foods in larger quantities, simply because I will continue eating them once I start. This includes nuts, dried fruit, chocolate(unless it is 80%+), cake, cookies, ice cream, cerial, any kind of granola bar. It is the combination of sugar and fat in many of those things that keeps me wanting more, and I am naturally prone to comfort eating anyway, being a highly anxious person who is prone to depression. I used to keep on challenging myself, by buying in larger packs, thinking 'Maybe this time, I will just be able to have just a single serving'. It never worked, and I would end up feeling greedy and disgusted with myself for not having the self control others have around food.

If I want something, I buy a single bar or a single portion or just have it while out in town and don't bring it home. Generally, these days, I am happy enough with my small dried fruit bar or a snack size bag of fruit and nuts anyway, and can manage without the cake etc.

Thank you!

I had been cutting out the "bad" foods (for my thinking of course) since before I joined MFP in January simple because I wanted a total fresh start

Then i went to a wedding recently and I thought, "well okay maybe I can do this" and I didn't eat too bad that night but I did have some fried things and some sweet things. But after that it's like it sort of triggered my brain a little, and I don't want thing as much as I did before but I am feeling the deprivation more now.

Plus that glaring RED "you have gone over your calories" thing MFP does is depressing. Maybe it's just me.

The red gets to me as well!
But I'm really working on separating my food choices from negative emotions. It's one thing to enjoy food, look forward to a meal, or use food as a way to connect with other people. Good food is one of the things that makes life beautiful! But it's not such a great thing when food causes negative emotions like guilt and regret, or when we use food as a coping mechanism.

Sometimes I have to make an active effort not to feel bad about certain food choices, especially when I willingly go over my calorie goal. But if you're patient with yourself and keep working on it, it does get easier. I had a total light bulb moment when I realized I could lose weight without eliminating anything from my diet. It's probably the only reason I've stuck to it for 13 months now! If I know I can have a beer or a cookie whenever I want it, I have no reason to quit. Even when I go way over my goal, I've learned that one high calorie day won't affect my long-term progress at all. It's a process, but you just have to take it one day at a time.

I'm another pre-logger. I wake up and the first thing I do is fill in my dessert (usually 3-4 cookies and ice cream) then I fill in around that. The treat is there, it's mine for when it's time, and I know I made it fit my day. There are time when I think "I'd really like another cookie." But I just look at the log, acknowledge it would put me over, and then let it go.

I'm always so proud of people who know that we have to have a treat now and then or we can't succeed. I agree with most that portioning and planning are key. Cutting back on sodium and sugar does reset your pallet.. it! Also. I find that challenging the " munches" with the question of wether or not I'm really hungry or wether or not the treat is worth the calories and eat only things that you really enjoy!

This is one of my favorite posts on this site. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/925464-fitting-it-in-giggity It will show you how to fill in your diary and still make room for treats. I'm also a pre-logger, although weekends are iffy, but I do best when I pre-log. I weigh my ice cream, and sometimes I just have one big spoonful, close up the container and put it away. I put the container on the scale, zero it out, scoop out a spoonful and log that number. I stopped eating Pop Tarts for the longest time, and then I decided I was going to eat them again after seeing my friends talk about them here. I keep a zip close baggie in the box, so I have no excuse for "having" to eat that second one so it's not lonely.

Edited for punctuation.

I agree with the planning. When I buy something that is going to be in our house and I will be just sitting there to eat, as soon as I get home from the store I take out my food scale and portion out the whole package and put it into individual bags and I label the calories. I find that when I am aware of my portion size and how many calories I'm eating with each one, I'll stop at one portion and think twice about having any more.

It takes time. For a while I had to just not buy Nutella, as it was one of those foods that I would just sit down with a spoon and poof! the whole jar was gone.

I ADORE chocolate, however, so I fit it into my life. I go for things like lindt truffles or more recently I bought the little squares of dark chocolate from Costco. Or there are the godiva truffles. The lindt are 80 cals each, the costco dark choc. squares are 34 cals each, godiva ones are usually around 40 or 50 cals each. This makes it quite easy to fit one or two into every day.

And like Achrya, I often log my chocolate or ice cream (or frozen yogurt) right away, so I know I will have room for it in my day. I tend to save my "treat" foods for the end of the day, as I like to know I have that to look forward to.

I also tell myself that I can always have more another day. I grew up in one of those homes where certain foods didn't happen often, and when they did everybody ate as much as they could as quickly as they could, before it was all gone. So if the cookie jar is almost empty, I tell myself "It's OKAY. You can always make/buy more."

I've slowly gained more control, although I have my moments. I can even buy Nutella from time to time.

I agree with the weighing it on a food scale. It helps to see the correct portion a few times.