How often do you eat treats?

hgycta · August 2016

Most nights I try and save 450 calories for a treat if I can! Usually 400 is for something I've been craving and then 50 is for half a serving of quest protein powder blended so I'm a little more satiated after eating whatever it is and don't go back for more

EDIT: I maintain on 1,600, so a day looks like this:
Breakfast - 400
Light lunch/snack - 160
Light snack - 90
Dinner - 500
Dessert + Shake - 450

Timothyh27 · August 2016

Too often!

leahkathleen13 · August 2016

Several per week. If I deny them too much then eventually I'll go nuts and eat too many!

Abm4n · August 2016

Every day. Most meals in fact.

lauraemily84 · August 2016

lizzieloo934 wrote: »

I'm not yet at maintaining, but I'm down 108lbs, with the help of WLS.

I eat healthy most of the time and I exercise 5-6 days a week (running, step class and aquafit).

How often do you treat yourself? Sweets, treats, pastries, fast food etc. Once a month? Week? Day?

Just curious what is "normal" for most people who are at their goal weight. Sometimes I have a small treat each day but then I feel like it's too much and I should aim for once a week... I want to keep the weight off but I don't want to restrict to the point that I start needing to eat more junk than necessary.

Errrrrrmmmm ..... Everyday!!! I allow cals so I can have some chocolate everyday usually in the evening after dinner! I did whilst I dieted and now on maintaince

sfa90 · August 2016

Once a week

debrahbeger · August 2016

Reading all of this is awesome!!!! I am constantly wondering how normal people eat.... I went from always gaining weight.... then I finally buckled down and lost weight, but I never really maintained!!! Now that I am, I don't know how people do it! And I am so relieved to hear that people treat themselves almost daily. I always feel so bad of i just eat like one oreo of half a serving of Chips (even if it does fit in my daily calories) Thanks guys!!!!

Rachel0778 · August 2016

I do daily. Prior me would not have any treats during the week, slowly getting more and more envious of other people's snack food, until something snapped and I would binge eat all the treats! Now I make sure I set enough calories aside so that I can indulge every day. It also helps with portion control because I can remind myself that I can always have more tomorrow.

pondee629 · August 2016

A Dark Chocolate Klondike Bar is 250 calories. I try, and usually succeed, in fitting one in a day. Either that or something else that fits.

victoria_1024 · August 2016

Every day for me as well! I ate treats everyday during my 90 pound weight loss too.

TangledThread · August 2016

140 cal of dark chocolate two or three times a week and 400-800 cal dessert once a week, so every other day. I have fruit everyday, which I like even better than the chocolates and I should think about that, but nobody is taking away my weekly extra large serving of dessert.

Chips, fries, and other high calorie salty snacks I limit to special occasions out with friends. I don't like them as much and yet I will still eat a whole bag in a sitting so I don't bother buying them for myself.

FitPhillygirl · August 2016

Daily.....

angelwowings23 · August 2016

I am doing ADF so I get to treat myself 2-3x per week. Love it.

myfitnesspale3 · August 2016

unlimited pork rinds and pickles. Every day.

cwolfman13 · August 2016

I've been maintaining for over three years with no logging...I don't have any rules for how often I have treats...I do eat a very nutritious diet for the most part and I cook from scratch at home most of the time and basically have a "treat" when I feel like having a "treat". Maintenance is pretty easy when you're good livin' most of the time...eating well and exercising on the regular.

The only thing I really watch with some vigilance is eating out. We have pizza night once per month and that's it...I'd love to do them more often, but I don't tend to do well with just having a slice or two and eating out in general I don't do well with eating only part of my meal...so I just regulate how often I do these things and cook at home mostly and brown bag breakfast and lunch.

bfanny · August 2016

Daily! A few cookies here, a waffle there, pb, jelly, etc now bigger ones only Saturday and Sunday a dounut, pizza, or burger and fries maybe cheesecake, but nothing crazy and I always TRACK

I did it while losing and now to maintain, it keeps me sane...

davidmartinez66 · August 2016

Every day. Usually Jell-O, no sugar added pudding with some fruit and TruWhip topping, sometimes I make banana ice cream in the ninja, and tomorrow I am eating cake, yes real cake. My birthday was Wednesday, will be celebrating my birthday with my family with cake and dinner out, I haven't had real cake in some time. I would suggest that people allow themselves to have treats, cannot avoid them forever and like dark chocolate, has some value nutritionally. Just account for it in your logging, it's okay!

Another treat choice is Halo Top ice cream if you can find it, I have found it at Whole Foods, half a pint is 120 calories, suggestion, put it in a bowl and let it melt some, it becomes more creamy.

shesthetype · August 2016

Once a week I have a grilled chicken burger and spud fries from Burger Fuel (It's like a much healthier fresher version of your average takeaway burger place). I have 2 squares of stevia dark chocolate every day as part of my meal plan too so that kind of feels like a treat. I don't actually eat any real junky type foods because I used to have a big problem with binge eating and even a small amount of processed sugar or McDonalds etc will trigger the urge to eat way too much. Like an alcoholic, I just have to avoid it because it's too addictive for me. I don't feel like I'm missing out though because I really enjoy my healthier versions of stuff and junk food only ever makes me feel unwell, physically and mentally.

Budjola · August 2016

if it fits into your daily macros you can have treats every day

AnnPT77 · August 2016

I definitely eat less nutrition-dense but tasty things regularly, probably close to every day in maintenance, usually by picking something that fits in my calories and perhaps fills in some macros (ice cream is a nice way to top off slightly-short protein if I have a couple hundred calories, for example).

But a key thing to me is that, as a matter of routine, I don't eat foods I don't enjoy. Throughout weight loss, I've been trying to optimize my eating so that it's a good balance of nutrition, satiation, and tastiness. I kept reviewing my diary regularly, and foods that weren't pulling their weight got eliminated (or reduced) in favor of other things I enjoy that better met those objectives. This involved trying and incorporating some new foods, too.

Then, by the time I got to a small, coasting-into-maintenance deficit, my nutrition was pretty much on point, and I was eating things to get there that I really liked, and found filling. In maintenance, most days, I have those calories between the final deficit & my maintenance to spend on some less nutrition-dense items, if I choose.

Besides that, on a routine day, I'm eating just a tad below my maintenance estimate, so once a week or so I can splurge a little on some higher-calorie item(s) and come out even.

It's working so far!

nxd10 · August 2016

I never dropped things like ice cream - I just eat it 1/4 cup at a time. Same with any other food. I eat what I want but a piece or two of candy, half a piece of cake, one or two cookies . . . . All the taste and I realized I don't even want more than that. It's been 4 years.

swim777 · August 2016

cwolfman13 wrote: »

I've been maintaining for over three years with no logging...I don't have any rules for how often I have treats...I do eat a very nutritious diet for the most part and I cook from scratch at home most of the time and basically have a "treat" when I feel like having a "treat". Maintenance is pretty easy when you're good livin' most of the time...eating well and exercising on the regular.

The only thing I really watch with some vigilance is eating out. We have pizza night once per month and that's it...I'd love to do them more often, but I don't tend to do well with just having a slice or two and eating out in general I don't do well with eating only part of my meal...so I just regulate how often I do these things and cook at home mostly and brown bag breakfast and lunch.

Pizza night is never a night that I can control calories. It is the main food that I save for special times, too.

mrmeza123 · August 2016

As long as the calories allow it, and I can't refuse it. I'll grab a bite and walk and do something around the house, until the craving goes away. No need to make dessert a meal if you don't need to. I picked at a cheesecake and a coffee last night, then through a football in between. It taste & feels good to do stuff in between eating a sweet. It's like your in a different world.