Is it ok to eat chocolate daily if under on calories?

XXXMinnieXXX
XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
edited October 2 in Food and Nutrition
I've still been having some chocolate for my treat at the end of the day. I'm always under cals, fat, saturated fat, protein and carbs. ( Except yesterday when I had my first takeaway in 3 months lol) I do end up over on sugars, but find most of this comes from my fruit and vegetables and fat free yogurts. I cook everything from scratch and find it hard to stay under sugar levels. I feel I need some chocolate at the end of the day to keep me going long term. I am loosing between 2 to 4lb a week, but read about some people sayiing they up their exercise calories with junk food and its wrong. I do 500 cals to 1000 cals on exercise per day, but admittedly eat the chocolate at night. Is being over my sugar and eating chocolate at night going to have a negative effect on me? Zara
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Replies

  • helenmelon29
    helenmelon29 Posts: 787 Member
    Hi

    I eat everything as long as its within my daily limit (more or less anyway). I would still eat it - if you enjoy it and still losing weight I wouldnt worry.x
  • kristinaohno
    kristinaohno Posts: 113 Member
    I just read in a fitness magazine I bought that people who eat candy lose more weight. But keep it to 100 calories at the most.
  • corieueber
    corieueber Posts: 72 Member
    if it's working for you why not

    we are making lifelong changes not on short term 'diets' so has to be something you can maintain and if you love chocolate and can work it into your calories for the day and still be losing weight l'd say - enjoy
  • JenHollandsworth
    JenHollandsworth Posts: 25 Member
    Definitely!! You deserve a little reward for all of your hard work. I really like Hersey's Special Dark (low cal). :)
  • smlamb33
    smlamb33 Posts: 342 Member
    I just read in a fitness magazine I bought that people who eat candy lose more weight. But keep it to 100 calories at the most.

    Which fitness magazine? I need to get that issue! :)
  • JulieSD
    JulieSD Posts: 567
    I eat Cadbury Dark Chocolate Fruit and Nut bar, 2 to 4 squares a night. I don't do it to bump up my cals, I make the space and enjoy my treat.
  • Kirsty_UK
    Kirsty_UK Posts: 964 Member
    I think the comment that people have made about it being "wrong" is that your body needs good nutrition, and more protein and other nutrients if you are exercising, so if you burn 500-1000 cals, eat your daily allowance of food, andthen those 500-1000 exercise cals each day in cake, chocolate or alcohol, then you're not getting extra nutrients from those calories, instead they are "empty calories". I don't see any harm in a small treat every day, especially since you're eating food cooked from scratch for your meals and not going with pre-processed, as long as you aren't eating 500 cals worth every day!
  • BeeElMarvin
    BeeElMarvin Posts: 2,086 Member
    If you are losing weight, go for it.
  • bargmannr
    bargmannr Posts: 15
    Oh I'm so with you! I have to have some kind of small treat (usually a 100 calorie ice cream bar) at the end of every day. I stay under in my intake goals too.

    I think it is wise of you (and me!) to know what you need to do in order to be successful LONG TERM. Because that is what counts in the end right? I say keep on doing what you are doing. You are doing a great job! Congrats on your weight loss so far.
  • Kirsty_UK
    Kirsty_UK Posts: 964 Member
    I just read in a fitness magazine I bought that people who eat candy lose more weight. But keep it to 100 calories at the most.

    Which fitness magazine? I need to get that issue! :)

    I presume they weren't comparing identical calorie diets, but instead saying that people that eat some treats daily or frequently are less likely to break their "diet" and binge
  • pamsdish
    pamsdish Posts: 30 Member
    Thats the problem with diets it expects you to cut out all the "treats" ,if you can keep within your daily allowance have it. Otherwise you end up craving and then binge , the idea is sensible eating

    Kirsty and I crossed posts
  • cathcakey
    cathcakey Posts: 288 Member
    I'm in almost the exact same position as you - I cook as much of my own stuff from fresh produce as I can, I eat a lot of fruit and veg (I actually don't track my sugar because the fruit always pushes me over - I just try and make sure it is natural sugar from natural sources) and I also would really struggle to get through the day without a little chocolate!!

    I burn around 800cal/day mon-fri as I cycle to and from work, and I have a small amount of chocolate most days, unless I can't fit it into my calories. I have 99cal snack size chocolates which stops me from just eating and eating and eating!!

    I find that it works for me - having a little each day stops me from doing well for a few days and then pigging out because I feel like I haven't had any in aaaaaages.

    Dark chocolate is better for you than the others (white is the worst and milk sort of in the middle) so pick wisely, stick to just a small amount and I really don't see the problem!
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    You're loss rate so far is very impressive! 2lb a week is the most that MFP will advise. So whatever you're doing, it's working.

    This is a long term lifestyle change: it would be very difficult to maintain that if you didn't let yourself have occassional treats that were important to you. Keep the quantities small, and keep under your other macros, and I don't think you'll be completely derailing your progress.
  • seal57
    seal57 Posts: 1,259 Member
    I always allow for some chocolate bar during the week........If I didn't I would go crazy......

    If it is within your daily calorie ration, then go for it.......
  • emilyrthompson
    emilyrthompson Posts: 45
    I believe if you are burning more than you are consuming, no matter what it is, you can lose weight. I am a chocolate junkie too! I have it every single day, many days, I eat it more than once.
  • Mirabilis
    Mirabilis Posts: 312 Member
    If you're under your daily calories, of course you can. Just try to keep your diet balanced.

    I agree though... make sure you weigh it and that wherever your stash is is out of sight so you don't keep nibbling.
  • pandabear_
    pandabear_ Posts: 487 Member
    If you're still losing weight, you're under calories and you're eating a balanced diet anyway - I don't see the problem of eating a bit of chocolate at the end of the day! :ohwell:
  • babyblake11
    babyblake11 Posts: 1,107 Member
    i have one piece of 85% dark chocolate daily.. has health benefits and tastes yummy
  • frankie2637
    frankie2637 Posts: 66 Member
    I dont know if its ok or not but if I'm under my calories then I will treat myself. Kit Kat or Malteasers as they lower in calories than most. If I didnt have any chocolate at all I would only crave it more then probably eat loads.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Of course it's ok! As long as you're getting your nutrients first, go for it.

    Personally, though, I find that I'd rather have an English muffin with Nutella, or a Fiber Plus bar, to get my chocolate fix than most candy bars. Most of the time. :wink:

    Most of the candy bars I like are about 200 calories. The Fiber Plus bar is about 130, and I get more from it than I would from a candy bar. For a little over 200 calories, I can have an English muffin with Nutella and call it breakfast. The candy bar would be delicious. But the fiber bar or muffin would be filling AND delicious.
  • purplepollypops
    purplepollypops Posts: 323 Member
    Totally totally fine! I always make sure i have enough calories each day for a Curly Wurly! It's the only thing that keeps me going :wink:
  • kyle4jem
    kyle4jem Posts: 1,400 Member
    The secret to getting rid of the weight and keeping it off is very simple - enjoy life!

    You'll never lose weight and keep it off is you are miserable and the key I have found is to find foods that you like, acknowledge their caolific value and then eat sensible, balanced amounts. This means you don't get into the nasty cycle of BAD foods and GOOD foods which usually ends up with folk binging on all the foods at the volumes that led them to being overweight in the first place.

    Admittedly, I haven't had any chocolate or sweets for 5 weeks because I'm on a pledge, but know that long term I will include them in my life because I'm not going to let them beat me.

    You've lost an impressive 13lbs in a few weeks and that's brilliant, so you know what you are doing is right.

    ANd even eating chocolate a bedtime isn't wrong becasue your body actually burns lots of calories while you are sleeping :happy:
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    Don't have that in the uk. Unfortunately I'm not a lover of dark chocolate! Which sucks after reading all this lol x
  • PBJunkie
    PBJunkie Posts: 652
    You sponsor the chocolate and I'll sponsor the wine...

    On a serious note yes absolutely
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Of course it is. You can actually eat whatever you want and still lose weight, as long as you maintain caloric deficit. Although you should focus on whole foods, treats aren't going to set you back. I personally i'm partial to ice cream.
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    I think the comment that people have made about it being "wrong" is that your body needs good nutrition, and more protein and other nutrients if you are exercising, so if you burn 500-1000 cals, eat your daily allowance of food, andthen those 500-1000 exercise cals each day in cake, chocolate or alcohol, then you're not getting extra nutrients from those calories, instead they are "empty calories". I don't see any harm in a small treat every day, especially since you're eating food cooked from scratch for your meals and not going with pre-processed, as long as you aren't eating 500 cals worth every day!
    This makes a lot of sense. I eat normally 115-125 cals of it a day rest is good nutrition! X
  • PBJunkie
    PBJunkie Posts: 652
    Always start dinner with a bang!
    ice002large.jpg

    Only if it fits your calories......
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    Oh I'm so with you! I have to have some kind of small treat (usually a 100 calorie ice cream bar) at the end of every day. I stay under in my intake goals too.

    I think it is wise of you (and me!) to know what you need to do in order to be successful LONG TERM. Because that is what counts in the end right? I say keep on doing what you are doing. You are doing a great job! Congrats on your weight loss so far.
    Except yesterday my one day off in 3 months I haven't binged once! I think having the chocolate is key, I was a big binger before. I was just worried initially that this was wrong too x
  • newzgirl
    newzgirl Posts: 14
    I make homemade trail mix, which includes dark chocolate chips and dark chocolate covered soy nuts. My portions are very small (about 150 calories each) but I have this every day around 2 p.m. My mix includes a number of other yummy ingredients and it is my one treat of the day. I could not live without it!
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    I believe if you are burning more than you are consuming, no matter what it is, you can lose weight. I am a chocolate junkie too! I have it every single day, many days, I eat it more than once.
    Well it obviously works coz u look amazing in that dress honey! X
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