How to recover after eating a guilty pleasure food?

willis84
willis84 Posts: 86 Member
edited December 18 in Food and Nutrition
I feel so guilty and ashamed right now because I ate two slices of pizza for lunch (420cal total).
How do you cope after you eat something you know you shouldn't have eaten in the first place?
I feel my punishment should be to burn those calories off on the elliptical or something

Replies

  • nmj1988
    nmj1988 Posts: 65 Member
    If thats the way you feel, then you should go on the elliptical or soemthing. I still enjoy of guilty foods, but then i know there are consequences, and i kick my own butt later on. How ever 420 for 2 slices isnt bad, and im sure you enjoyed it, i know i would have.. Dont beat yourself up mentally, just know this is soemthing you cant do all the time.... Goodluck!!:flowerforyou:
  • Queenbec2
    Queenbec2 Posts: 42 Member
    pizza happens. bad choices happen. Don't punish yourself. This isn't a diet it's a life change and if you punish yourself for every time you give in, you're setting yourself up to fail. If it makes you feel better to work out more, go right ahead, but for me, I'd just chug some extra water and move on.

    On that note, I had pizza last night and overate. I was miserable afterwards and learned a very important lesson. I can have it, but i have to eat more slowly so that I WILL stop when I need to.
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
    Why feel bad/ Just count that as part of your food intake. Move on.
  • Kebby83
    Kebby83 Posts: 232 Member
    Just eat less for dinner. I eat pizza. Normally it's homemade and I have 2 slices (150 cals a slice) - I have a 5 year old and although she is extremely active and LOVES healthy food (more than me!) I still give her kid stuff and show her it's a normal thing to eat every now and then and it won't kill her, and kids love pizza. (My mum was anorexic so I feel the need to show her it's OK to eat junk without running to the bathroom in tears).
  • 987Runner
    987Runner Posts: 209
    I started a private blog/diary when I started on this road of healthy living (not on MFP though). Writing about eating foods like pizza or drinking or whatever and telling myself that it's okay, the past is the past, has been so helpful. Telling myself that I can and will do better helps. It's easy to give up when you have a bad day or two but I haven't this time and I truly do credit it to the blog/diary!
  • wackyfunster
    wackyfunster Posts: 944 Member
    If you overeat one day, just adjust your calories for the rest of the week so you average out to whatever your target is. I.e. if my target is 2000 calories per day, and I eat 3200 calories one day, then eating 1800 calories the remaining 6 days will put me back at my weekly goal without being overly arduous.
  • PHLLLY
    PHLLLY Posts: 160 Member
    You'll have to be on that elliptical for a while to burn off that pizza. Try HIIT or cardio with weights. You can finish that in about 15-45 minutes and burn even more depending on what you choose. Making that pizza more satisfying.
  • Anthonydaman
    Anthonydaman Posts: 854 Member
    Treadmill heals all food sins
  • _Timmeh_
    _Timmeh_ Posts: 2,096 Member
    420 calories? That's not high at all. Nothing to worry about.
    If you ate the whole pizza then I could see feeling guilty.
  • CoryIda
    CoryIda Posts: 7,870 Member
    Two slices of pizza is not a big deal. Move on and make more nutritious choices for the rest of the day.

    Even had you eaten two ENTIRE pizzas, it's not the end of the world - will it set you back a little bit? Maybe. Will it erase all of your hard work? No.
  • misspersimmon
    misspersimmon Posts: 29
    This may be an unpopular opinion, but I think associating guilt with food is very unhealthy!
    I know that we all do it at times, but I think having feelings of guilt about food and then trying to work it all off right away is what can lead to disordered feelings/restrictions and thoughts about food. And surely this is not the case for everyone, but for some.
    I think it is important, when you eat food, to try and enjoy and appreciate it. Instead of shaming yourself over it, why don't you ask yourself questions like "what did I enjoy about that," "what didn't make me feel good about that," etc.
    If you deny yourself something you will only develop stronger feelings of desire/conflict with that thing. Allow yourself to feel peace about it - all foods in moderation - and move on!
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    420 calories sounds like a normal to small lunch. Why is it any worse if it's pizza than if it's, say a turkey wrap?

    True story: Once I had two options for lunch: two slices of leftover pizza or making a turkey sandwich. I logged them both on MFP. The pizza was better in calories, protein, carbs and sodium. The only thing that was higher was fat, and it's not like dietary fat makes one fat.
  • frugalmomsrock
    frugalmomsrock Posts: 1,123
    I feel so guilty and ashamed right now because I ate two slices of pizza for lunch (420cal total).
    How do you cope after you eat something you know you shouldn't have eaten in the first place?
    I feel my punishment should be to burn those calories off on the elliptical or something

    It was LUNCH! There's still plenty of time to correct it (if you actually need to). I regularly eat 500 calorie lunches... just make room for it with a lighter supper or exercise.

    This is not a road to deprivation, but rather a lifetime stroll down the path of moderation. Two pieces of pizza aren't going to kill you. :-D
  • graelwyn
    graelwyn Posts: 1,340 Member
    Maybe you should be more worried about the health of your mind if you are concerned over 2 slices of pizza and 400 odd calories which is nothing other than the average amount of a diet meal. I mean, seriously. Even on a 1200 calorie diet, how is a 400 calorie lunch bad? If that is a bad day for you, I dread to think what a good day is, quite honestly.
  • Dtho5159
    Dtho5159 Posts: 1,054 Member
    Two slices of pizza is not a big deal. Move on and make more nutritious choices for the rest of the day.

    Even had you eaten two ENTIRE pizzas, it's not the end of the world - will it set you back a little bit? Maybe. Will it erase all of your hard work? No.

    This.
  • Dtho5159
    Dtho5159 Posts: 1,054 Member
    Maybe you should be more worried about the health of your mind if you are concerned over 2 slices of pizza and 400 odd calories which is nothing other than the average amount of a diet meal. I mean, seriously. Even on a 1200 calorie diet, how is a 400 calorie lunch bad? If that is a bad day for you, I dread to think what a good day is, quite honestly.

    And this lol
  • capriciousmoon
    capriciousmoon Posts: 1,263 Member
    The best thing to do would be not to worry about it. Go about the rest of your day, making the best choices you can. If you stress yourself out or dwell on punishment type thoughts it could trigger a binge and make things worse.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    Why feel bad/ Just count that as part of your food intake. Move on.

    seriously. it's food. It's not like you ate an entire quart of ice cream. you ate a low calorie lunch.big deal.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    Maybe you should be more worried about the health of your mind if you are concerned over 2 slices of pizza and 400 odd calories which is nothing other than the average amount of a diet meal. I mean, seriously. Even on a 1200 calorie diet, how is a 400 calorie lunch bad? If that is a bad day for you, I dread to think what a good day is, quite honestly.

    agreed. 100000%
  • geminigrl622
    geminigrl622 Posts: 144
    I wouldn't be to concerned. I bet you enjoyed the pizza though? Or at least I would have. LOL
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    You'll have to be on that elliptical for a while to burn off that pizza. Try HIIT or cardio with weights. You can finish that in about 15-45 minutes and burn even more depending on what you choose. Making that pizza more satisfying.

    Yeah--purge those calories. uuh NO!
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    420 for lunch? That sounds perfectly normal, I usually have more. Honestly, even if that wasn't your whole lunch, guilt, shame and needing to be punished are not things that you should be feeling around food. You had lunch, that's all. :flowerforyou:
  • eponai
    eponai Posts: 38 Member
    This may be an unpopular opinion, but I think associating guilt with food is very unhealthy!
    I know that we all do it at times, but I think having feelings of guilt about food and then trying to work it all off right away is what can lead to disordered feelings/restrictions and thoughts about food. And surely this is not the case for everyone, but for some.
    I think it is important, when you eat food, to try and enjoy and appreciate it. Instead of shaming yourself over it, why don't you ask yourself questions like "what did I enjoy about that," "what didn't make me feel good about that," etc.
    If you deny yourself something you will only develop stronger feelings of desire/conflict with that thing. Allow yourself to feel peace about it - all foods in moderation - and move on!

    YES, THIS!!!! forget about it and move on. one meal at a time. do not punish yourself with cardio. read what my coach says about guilt cardio here:

    http://leanbodiesconsulting.com/frequently-asked-questions/I+binged,+deviated,+or+had+an+unplanned+cheat--should+I+do+more+cardio+to+make+up+for+it?+Skip+my+next+meal?
  • lovelylovebug
    lovelylovebug Posts: 27 Member
    Just try to remember that a healthy diet doesn't have to be 100% perfect. It's okay to eat some things that aren't considered so great. Personally I don't consider pizza a junk food. Just remember one meal or one cheat snack a day isn't going to make or break your day, so alter your next meal a little bit. It's all about balance.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    I'm also confused, because yesterday you posted that you were struggling by several hundred calories to make your calorie goal, so I'm not sure what the problem is...
  • Fit_Canuck
    Fit_Canuck Posts: 788 Member
    I'm actually bothered that some people are validating this and telling you that it's a good idea to run out and burn this food away. It's food! And it's a treat you had one day, it's not going to adversely affect you in any way shape or form. You don't need to feel guilty about it nor should you be immediately thinking about paying for it by busting your behind on a treadmill, doing HIIT or anything else.

    Do your workouts as you normally do, indulge on occasion and you'll be fine. It's a marathon not a sprint, you're in this for the long haul not the short term.
  • eponai
    eponai Posts: 38 Member
    I'm actually bothered that some people are validating this and telling you that it's a good idea to run out and burn this food away. It's food! And it's a treat you had one day, it's not going to adversely affect you in any way shape or form. You don't need to feel guilty about it nor should you be immediately thinking about paying for it by busting your behind on a treadmill, doing HIIT or anything else.

    Do your workouts as you normally do, indulge on occasion and you'll be fine. It's a marathon not a sprint, you're in this for the long haul not the short term.

    i wish MFP had a "like" button!
  • PHLLLY
    PHLLLY Posts: 160 Member
    I'm actually bothered that some people are validating this and telling you that it's a good idea to run out and burn this food away. It's food! And it's a treat you had one day, it's not going to adversely affect you in any way shape or form. You don't need to feel guilty about it nor should you be immediately thinking about paying for it by busting your behind on a treadmill, doing HIIT or anything else.

    Do your workouts as you normally do, indulge on occasion and you'll be fine. It's a marathon not a sprint, you're in this for the long haul not the short term.

    My bad, I thought about it and I should have elaborated on more examples. It doesn't work for everybody, but it's just one example. I apologize. We all have to find what motivates us to workout and me eating guilty foods helps with that. When I'm running on that treadmill all I see is a doritos locos in the distance because I know I earned it from my hard work!
  • bhnmt
    bhnmt Posts: 5
    I'm actually bothered that some people are validating this and telling you that it's a good idea to run out and burn this food away. It's food! And it's a treat you had one day, it's not going to adversely affect you in any way shape or form. You don't need to feel guilty about it nor should you be immediately thinking about paying for it by busting your behind on a treadmill, doing HIIT or anything else.

    Do your workouts as you normally do, indulge on occasion and you'll be fine. It's a marathon not a sprint, you're in this for the long haul not the short term.

    (sorry about the edits but this is my first time posting so I had to figure out how to do it)

    thank you for saying this, because it's exactly what I was going to say and now I don't have to figure out how to word it.
  • maruxf
    maruxf Posts: 39
    This may sound silly but I schedule a cheat meal once a week. Same day, same meal (Saturday Brunch). That way when I'm really craving that order of french fries during the week I can say: "No 'cause then I can't have my awesome Brunch on Saturday."

    It is the only allowance I give myself. Otherwise (adjusting calories or my amount of exercise), is like a credit card. They are easy to max out....
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