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Vikingfit88
Vikingfit88 Posts: 4 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hi! My name is Victoria! I am currently taking my personal training classes with NASM and I need to get right physically because I will be my own walking billboard. I am great when it comes to fitness and lifting, but I am weak in my diet. I have a weakness for sweets. I hope seeing what I am actually eating daily in nutrients will help me stay away from those gummy snacks and ice cream! Haha

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  • grimtimmer
    grimtimmer Posts: 37 Member
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    I know what you mean on the nutrition side! I workout like a beast, but once I started using MFP’s diary feature it really helped me out! Holds me accountable and paired with my fitness wearable I can see the balance of intake calories and workout burn so much more effectively!
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
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    Welcome. If you find those foods to be "trigger foods" (i.e. if you have one bite, you can't stop till the package is gone), then yes, avoid them. But once you meet you nutrition needs for the day, assuming that you can control your portions, there's nothing wrong with allowing yourself a small treat.

    I find that ice cream in the carton is too much of a temptation. But once in a while, I'll allocate 250-300 calories, go to Baskin Robbins and get a scoop of one of the premium flavors. Maybe it's once a month. Maybe not even. Also, individually packaged ice cream treats (like ice cream sandwiches or Rollo pops) are easier for me to restrict. But those? Are about the only substance that combines chocolate with caramel that I trust myself around. I won't buy more than a single portion of a Caramilk, Twix or Skor bar, because if I have 6, I will eat 6. Ditto any bakery treat with cinnamon or custard.

    Once you start logging and become aware of the calories in what you're eating, you'll probably find it easier to restrict. I know I've looked up treats I meant to have in the database and then shook my head and said, "It's just not worth it." And that's something else: mindset. If you go out there thinking "I can't have X and I can't have Y," that's when the cravings can get stronger. It's natural to want what we can't have, after all. But if you start thinking, "If I want X, that means I either need to have a lighter lunch or burn an extra 300 calories at the gym, OR know that I'm going over my calories for the day. Am I okay with one of those options?" And sometimes, the answer comes back, "Yes." But often? It's going to be, "I COULD... but I'd rather not. I'll have it some other time."

    There are things I used to eat when I was getting started that I don't anymore. (I was over 100lbs overweight when I started and I had more calories to play with.) There are things I thought I couldn't trust myself around when I started that I find I can moderate now. It's a process.

    Just take things slow; don't make sweeping changes at once. You've got this.

  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
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    I, personally, allow 200-300 calories every night for dessert, usually ice cream or chocolate. I found that if I try to remove these items from my diet, I freak out after about a week and binge on them. If I allow myself a little every night, I stay on track.

    @estherdragonbat and I come at it from different directions, because we've found what works for us, personally. Everyone is different and has to find what works for them.

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