Once and for all, is junk food/dessert indulgence ok or not

You're hindering weight loss when you eat too much. I'm not a fan of high-sodium/high added sugar diets as they often result in a myriad of preventable yet costly and destructive health problems. Still, it's your life. As long as an indulgence does not mean at every single meal, then you're probably fine. But, in the end, it's up to you. It's your life. It's your health.

I've lost 76 pounds eating whatever I want and controlling portions... says the woman who just ate a Reese's Pumpkin for lunch. If it fits your goals for the day, no worries. Don't deprive!

I love junk and fatty foods and I refuse to give up on them in entirety.But I think one should try to minimize them because:-

1. They are calorie dense,so you would not feel as full as you would have if you ate other foods and consumed the same number of calories.
2. Empty calories.Too much of them is likely to keep you away from fulfilling your nutritional requirements if you eat limited calories

But you already know it,and eat it in moderation,so that's fine.

I'm also on the band wagon of it's okay until it doesn't work for you.

For instance, I'm personally trying to stay away from easy mac & cheese (in the little bitty tub, not the box. I would totally eat the whole box.), because it doesn't help my body. It doesn't keep me full, and it's full of fake stuff. I'm not much of a clean eater, but I do realize it's not real food. Having said that, I still eat chocolate teddy grahams and/or a piece of chocolate almost every day (occasionally twice a day). That's not something I'm willing to give up. It also helps me, because I take care of my sweet tooth, and then that's it. That way I don't feel deprived and gorge on carbs later. If eating an indulgence in moderation helps you, then do it. If not, cut it out.

Sugars tend to put the weight back on me pretty damn quick so this is something I avoid or try to avoid. sodium will retain water and will keep the scale going up depending on your sodium intake. This is something I try to keep down to a minimum for that reason. Just by dropping the sugars in your diet you will start seeing some changes around the waistline and on the scale. Also carb cycling works for some and so does the low carb high protein and high (good) Fats plan. We have different body types and metabolisms as well so you might have to do some research on these body types..... Ectomorph/Endomorph/Mesomorph and go from there.

I was overweight for a long time. I tried many times to lose weight, but one thing all those times had in common was, whatever way I tried, be it Weight Watchers, Atkins, Slim Fast or anything else (and I'm not knocking those programs), I went SUPER STRICT. Told myself I wasn't going to have anything sweet or junk foody til I lost all my weight. Which happened to be over 100 lbs.

You can guess how that worked out.

When I started using MFP to lose weight, I just tried to eat as healthy as I could, log everything, and the big thing - I allowed myself treats. A free day once a week, plus everyday I leave 200 calories for dessert. My dessert is not "healthy" (although it's not particularly unhealthy either - it has a lot of sugar, but as long as you're not eating that way 24-7, it's not a problem). My dessert is a store brand ice cream sandwich (150 cals) topped with half a tablespoon of cookie butter 50 cals). It's yummy, feels decadent, leaves me satisfied, and fits into my 1200 cals a day.

This is your LIFE. You have to allow for a treat here and there - how often is up to you. Personally I need something sweet everyday - that's just me

You're hindering weight loss when you eat too much. I'm not a fan of high-sodium/high added sugar diets as they often result in a myriad of preventable yet costly and destructive health problems. Still, it's your life. As long as an indulgence does not mean at every single meal, then you're probably fine. But, in the end, it's up to you. It's your life. It's your health.

It only hinders weight loss if it adds too many calories to your day. Most costly health problems are avoided simply by losing weight. If you manage your calories and don't get overly dramatic about everything, it will be just fine.

Lol @ how this thread would "once and for all" end the debate. Haw! If it were only that simple.

But to answer your question, yes, it is perfectly fine. Just stay within your macro goals.