Pizza... is it really THAT Bad?

I love pizza and never will give it up! There's ways to make it without flour crust like a "crust" made from shredded zucchini.

I end up having pizza every Thursday. Is it the best? No. Is it the worst? Certainly not. I get veggies on it, watch what I eat that day, and enjoy!

I've totally been craving pizza for the last couple weeks. Might get myself a thin crust for dinner! With veggies. And bacon.

I can't cut anything clear out of my diet, otherwise I would go nuts! I agree, eat the foods you enjoy, just do so in moderation! All of my tiny friends eat pizza like it's going out of style, lol, so I would like to enjoy a slice with them every so often!

P.S. There is an ad for Papa John's at the top of the screen as I'm typing this, lol.

Pizza once a week here. I work it into my calorie goal, and usually eat if before my final work out of the night!

I never thought pizza was that big of a deal as long as you had it in moderation.. I'm talking 1, or 2 slices. But to classify it as a 'cheat meal' seems a bit overboard to me. I know I know, there are better things to eat, and I'm sure it's loaded with carbs, but come one. It's EVERYWHERE! I can't just AVOID it.. There's no way I'm going to ditch the one slice of pizza at the party and go for the salad every time. I mean, if all of my friends are having 5+ pieces, isn't one better than that?
People here seem to frown upon poor, poor pizza more than I feel like it should be frowned upon. Lol.

Any opinions on this?
I appreciate your replies

Thanks,
Mae

It sounds like you already have your mind made up lol. So even if I told you pizza was the fruit of the devil and don't touch it...I doubt you'd listen =p.

Honestly though...just be sensible. Don't eat a whole pizza for dinner every night...and you'll be fine. A slice here or there isn't going to kill anyone's diet plan...unless it's a trigger food for you.

I think as long as you dont go over your calories you'll be fine. I cant give up pizza either.

This is a lifestyle, not a diet, so no, you can't cut out pizza completely. Some pizza is worse than others, depending on toppings. I actually like bacon and onion pizza from dominos, and have it a couple of times a month. A medium is only 220 calories a slice. I figure this is why I kill myself at the gym...so I can have pizza sometimes.

I adore pizza, and my philosophy is 'everything in moderation', but I do have a good metabolism and I know that this approach doesn't work for everybody.

One of the things I've been exploring more recently is more 'gourmet' rustic Italian style pizza - for example made without cheese/ a tiny bit of ricotta rather that slathered in mozzarella, and different sauces on the base - eg homemade pesto/ bechamel sauce made with skim milk. Sometimes those richer toppings make all the difference, because you need to eat less of them to have a satisfying meal. Some of the options out there have such a decadent restaurant feel too, which is always nice!

One of my favourites at the moment is a thin homemade base topped with ricotta, apricot, and prosciutto, then sprinkled with fresh rocket when it comes out of the oven. Yummy, and perfect for spring

I honestly will probably never cut pizza out-- even if I find "better" ways to make it healthier or simply limit myself to 2 slices-- it's something I enjoy. I believe all things in moderation, and so far since the 4 mos I've been here, it's worked fine for me.

Yeah, I might be able to fit it into my meal plan- but here's the problem- the shut off mechanism in my brain MALFUNCTIONS when I put a piece of pizza in my mouth ( same thing happens with Chocolate Chip Cookies too)
Maybe I'm not the only one- and why so many avoid it like the plaque??????? Just a suggestion.
I know- EVERYTHING in moderation........but until I master it, I just avoid it.
Like the old saying goes, "I don't need lead to temptation, I KNOW exactly where it's at...."

HA HA!! I'm loving the Papa Johns ad! But yeah I love pizza. I will do two slices every once in a while. I also found the fixings at Trader Joes so that I can make my own wheat crust pizza and its YUMMMMMMMY!!

Enjoy those two slices every once in awhile. Moderation doesn't mean every night...or even every other night. Just keep it under control.

I don't deny myself much as long as I keep within my daily calorie goal. Pizza...YUMM!

I have pizza every once in a while. 1 or 2 slices. It usually kills me on the sodium but I usually try to fit it into my calorie goal if I'm going to have it. Meh, it is what it is.

I agree the sodium it's a killer, I keep my sodium at 1500 day (it's just a game I play to see if I can , typically I stay under 1000 without trying) so I hate to waste it on something I can change up to a healthier way for myself.

Matter of fact I'm making Pita pizzas for dinner tonight, they are so yummy!! I can control what I put on them and one is plenty to satisfy me. I've also done Flat Out pizzas, mini Pita bread pizzas, the sky is the limit on crusts.

When I did try out some order out pizza again some months back it was soooo salty I couldn't eat more than a bite. bleh! But I don't eat much food out anymore for that reason, it all tastes way too salty and greasy to me now.

Everyone has their ways of either fitting it in or creating a healthier version. Whichever way you go as someone else shared, long as it's not a trigger food you should be fine with a slice or two. Preplanning your days menus in advance helps a person fit it in by working out if you're eating out to ensure you don't go over.

I actually don't think pizza is all that bad if you stick to one or two slices and plan for it. I actually don't like Pizza all that much....my thing is Nachos (homemade so I can control some things on it). We eat mexican on Sunday nights around here and I simply am not going to give up my nachos. Are they good for me? Nope. Are they really that terrible for me? Nope (I make them at home so I can control the amount of cheese and I add a ton of veggies). I always go over my calories on Sunday's because of them BUT I plan for it, eat well all day and don't go over what would be maintenance calories. Maybe I lose weight a little slower this way but it is more likely to be a long term way of life for me than if I banned them from my diet. So, I say, if you really like Pizza...find a way to make it work for you...

I believe in the phrase "All things in moderation." There's no need to skip on the pizza, but in moderation. Thin crust is better than deep dish or hand tossed. Also, don't load it with greasy, fatty meats. Opting for light cheese when possible is another way to cut out some unnecessary crap. Just keep it in moderation and you'll be fine.