So my first day wasnt that productive.....

loodakid
loodakid Posts: 6
in Health and Weight Loss
So i started out my diet on my first day ready to eat healthy and all that, but then i went out with friends .... i concentrated alot of willpower against my overwhelming hunger and ate chinese beef and greeen pepper and sweet and spicy chicked for lunch, and a scoop of baskin robbins 'premium churned reduced fat'. sounds alright? then i had a big lemon granita and a KFC roller... all of these are surprisingly under my caloric limit for the day, but my question is.... Can i eat 'bad food' at low quantities? Because as i ate my 'healthy' chinese food and my friends sitting across me were eating McDonalds, it was a pain... a big pain. So can one have something like a cheeseburger once even thoough it's not healthy, but it's small so i can just reduce everything else around my day abit to account for it (and excercise ofcourse)

Long Story Short: Can eating unhealthy yet good tasting food at low quantities every now and then and accounting for it by reducing the eating around the rest of the day be as efficient as a diet which ends up with the same caloric intake? Because it's much easier eating foods you like and drinking alot of water to fill up than just eating salads and salads and salads....

Replies

  • wantstolooseweight
    wantstolooseweight Posts: 166 Member
    Personally I eat what I want but I adjust the calories around it, If im having a glass of wine then I dont feel guilty about it I just do an extra 20 minutes in the gym and log it... Same with a bacon sarnie or packet of crisps .... Just don't do it too often. Remember we all need a cheat day/meal once in a while too :-) Keep your chin up and don't put yourself in a position that you resent loosing weight. Enjoy learning a few new recipes and try new foods that are friendly and occasionally enjoy the old ones too :-)

    Good luck
  • piratesaregrand
    piratesaregrand Posts: 356 Member
    If I know I'm going to have a meal out I just make sure my calories balance, and try and eat the best I can either side of my " bad" meal
  • Kaydana123
    Kaydana123 Posts: 71 Member
    The occasional cheeseburger fitted into your calorie goal isn't going to do you any harm. If you let yourself eat the foods you enjoy and work those into your diet you're far more likely to stick with it than if you deprive yourself of everything you enjoy.

    In the situation you describe it looks to be a social thing as much as anything else, you were eating something different to your friends. If this kind of thing happens often perhaps you could suggest something healthier that all of you could do, so you aren't left out.
  • romoli
    romoli Posts: 43 Member
    First day... it'll get easier and you'll actually find things you like more than junk food that are tastier and better for you..... salad salad salad is not the answer.... you need nutrients. That's what your body craves.... find those nutrients!
  • melscrum
    melscrum Posts: 27
    I work at a McDonald's, and since I eat 4-5 free meals there each week, I know how hard it can be to make healthy choices. But McDonald's now has a lot of healthier options.

    For breakfast they have Egg McMuffins, which are only 300 calories.

    If you like fruit, try the Fruit and Walnut Salad or the Fruit and Yogurt Parfait - both are under 300 calories.

    The Fruit and Maple Oatmeal or the Blueberry Banana Cream Oatmeal - both are under 300 calories and these are served all day.

    There is the Bacon Ranch Salad, Southwest Salad, and Caesar Salad. You can get these with or without chicken. If you choose these, go for the grilled option. Light dressings are available too.

    Grilled Chicken Snack Wraps are a pretty healthy option as well. You can skip the dressing to save calories :)

    I'm a fan of the Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich. Less than 400 calories :)

    If you feel like you must have a hamburger and fries, opt for a Hamburger Happy Meal :) Less than 400 calories and you get a hamburger, kid fries and apple slices :)
  • KristieWade
    KristieWade Posts: 23
    My Fitness pal is set up on a calorie based diet so the answer is yes. Ideally you can eat what ever you want just be aware of what you are eating and make sure you stay at you calorie limits. But, keep this in mind...If you body does not get the nutrition it needs it well eventually quit losing. It will start hoarding everything it gets and instead of losing the weight you will either remain the same or you will start gaining it back. Also, once you reach your goal weight you must be able to maintain that weight, if you have not learned how to eat nutritious foods (even while your friends eat McDonalds) then how will you be able to maintain your weight. I know at first it seems like a pain to eat healthy when everyone else is chowing down on JUNK, but keep this in mind. Whould you want your friends to have healthier lives as well. You can serve to be an example to them by sticking to your guns and eating healthy. Eventually, you may all be eating healthy instead of one person eating healthy and the others all eating food that has no nutritional value.

    Do me a favor, go to You Tube watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udnYdSy0tMQ This is what you are eating when you eat a McDonalds burger and fries. McDonalds is vary rarely eaten when it comes to my household anymore and is only a last resort...

    I know it seems like a pain to eat healthy, but you can do this and the more you eat healthy the better you will feel.
  • Prahasaurus
    Prahasaurus Posts: 1,381 Member
    It's not just about a "diet," it should be a lifestyle change.

    Fast food is terrible for you. Terrible. Caloric count is only one dimension. These foods use the cheapest, crappiest ingredients, oftentimes frozen for months, loaded with salt, oftentimes loaded with enzymes that put the taste back into the food, etc., etc. I just can't see how anyone can start a new life and continue to eat the absolute crap found in most fast food restaurants, no matter what the calorie count.

    You need to seriously consider eating out much, much less, if this evening is any indication. An occasional night out with friends is one thing. You need to have fun, after all.

    But if you want to truly take control of what you eat, you should be much more involved in preparing your meals.

    --Prahasaurus
  • Prahasaurus
    Prahasaurus Posts: 1,381 Member
    Oh, and nobody said you had to only eat "salads and salads and salads". There are plenty of wonderful foods that are healthy and taste great, east to make, quick, and affordable. You obviously need to find foods that you can eat a lifetime, or the weight will soon be back. Again, it's not about starting a "diet". It's a total lifestyle change.

    --P
  • jamm2000
    jamm2000 Posts: 79
    It all comes down to portion control. I eat all the yummy foods I love but rather than eating half a pizza, I'll eat one or 2 slices. Plus I may take a quick 15 minute walk just to gain a few calories back. In order to keep the weight off long term its more about learning how to eat, not what to eat. Good luck!
  • lkcuts
    lkcuts Posts: 224
    I love chinese food!! However eaten out, its full of extra oils and msg. I make my own at home (Ilove lo mein) with shertaki noodles, measure all oils and soys and used fresh veggies. when I go out,I eat steamed choices on the chinese menus and useally eat three times off my one order lol. Plum sauce is great and I dip my steamed veggies and meat in it.
    I guess the idea is to get more food to fill up on with less calories. "IE" One Mcdonald hamburger about 300 cals comparsion to sheritaki noodles,stir fried with sesame seed oil, low sodium soy bok choy,green peppers,onion,brocoli and 2 ounces of meat (Beef, chicken, shrimp ect.) at around or less calories and alot more filling! It will get better as time goes on and you learn there are other foods than salad that you can fit in your calorie goal . Good luck in your journey!!
  • RF3377
    RF3377 Posts: 97
    As most people have already said to you, it's ok to every now and again have these kind of foods, but if I eat crisps or maybe a home baked cake you can bet i'm going spend extra time walking to burn it off and I'll count that as one of my 3 snacks a day aswell.

    I haven't really had any unhealthy chipper food since I started and I was preety much addicted to KFC went there once a week for dinner before, I ususally ate from fast food places 2 to 3 times a week. Once you haven't had it in a long time believe me it'll never taste as good as you thought it was before!

    If today wasn't so successful, try again tomorrow, just don't give up or beat yourself up over it! :)
  • Natty0506
    Natty0506 Posts: 103 Member
    Calorie wise, you can eat whatever you want as long as it stays within your caloric range. However, there's more to it than just calories. There's health to worry about as well. Your food should be nutrient dense, not full of empty calories like most fast food is.
  • loodakid
    loodakid Posts: 6
    Wow, the speed of support here is amazing! And thank you all for the important advice, i wont overdo the unhealthy food, but i'll keep just enough to make me stick with the generally healthy lifestyle, sounds good? This actually reminds me of the study about having cake in the morning causing people to stick to their diets way more than the group who had a normal low fat breakfast, any comments on that study? always wanted to try it
  • loodakid
    loodakid Posts: 6
    hope i didnt jinx the reply speed :P
  • Serenstar75
    Serenstar75 Posts: 258 Member
    I find oatmeal is a wee bit more filling than cake. :) But I had a bite of cake today example. I allow myself little amounts of things normally so I don't feel deprived. I stick better with this if I don't resent it. I'll eat the occasional burger or Del Taco chicken taco. I take the time to look at nutritional menus when I go somewhere or start to log it here first to see what's in it (fat, protein, all that and types of fat) before I eat it.
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
    You're making a lifestyle change here. That means that you shouldn't expect to give up all the bad foods you love, you just have to love it a little less often and in a little more moderation, and learn to love healthier things more often.

    It's all about spending your calories wisely. Work on getting your fats/carbs/proteins in balance, and then you'll probably be less hungry. You might even find that some of the foods that appeal to you today stop looking so darned delicious.

    I used to be able to do some serious damage to a fried seafood platter - and by that I mean my second one after the first vanished with a loud snarfing noise. There was an "all you can eat" fish fry that probably went out of business mostly due to my patronage. Now a dozen french fries or a few fried scallops can easily satisfy my occasional craving for deep-fried goodness - it's not that I don't like the taste or that I don't find it appealing - I'm just satisfied with a small amount and once I stop enjoying it I stop eating it. And that is the key - eat what you enjoy, but eat just enough to enjoy it - no more.

    Start (or increase) your exercise regimen to earn more calories. The increased caloric budget helps a lot in fitting in little treats, and you'll be healthier for it.

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