Can I have one "bad food" everyday and still lose weight?

Lets say I'm eating healthy, with everything being in the daily limitt (including calories, fats, carbs etc), can I still have a bad food? For example, I like to have two cups of black coffee a day. With those I enjoy these 80 calorie chocolate chip cookies - I have 2 a day. If it still fits in with the daily intake, would it be really bad if I were to have them?
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Replies

  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    I do.
  • d0gma
    d0gma Posts: 3,966 Member
    I do.
    Ditto.
  • cara4art
    cara4art Posts: 48 Member
    Sure! Just make sure its calories don't crowd out your good ones. In other words, pick your treat carefully and just eat some. Like a square or two of really good dark chocolate vs. a whole bar of much more sugary milk chocolate. Or a single-serving size bag of one's favorite chips instead of the big bag. In general though keep the other 80-90% of your food clean.
  • xyril
    xyril Posts: 80 Member
    If you try to ban your "bad foods" you'll only want them more. So to answer your question, yes but in moderation.
  • 75Juniper
    75Juniper Posts: 376
    I do.
    Ditto.


    When you allow yourself some treats, you don't feel deprived and it's easier to keep chugging along. No need to have a "bad foods" list. If you are sticking to your calorie and macro goals, eat what you like.
  • pg3ibew
    pg3ibew Posts: 1,026 Member
    Eat as much good or BAD food as you want. Just stay under your calorie goal for the day.

    At some point you will realize that you could eat alot more GOOD food for the same calories as the bad food.
  • 2fat4knees
    2fat4knees Posts: 25 Member
    the "bad" food would be 2 giant chocolate chunk bakery-style cookies with hundreds of calories in each...you're doing fine tho you'd likely be better off using those 160 calories on a high-fiber protein bar to start your day off right...just a thought:):)
  • litatura
    litatura Posts: 569 Member
    Yep, I've lost over 70 lbs. and I allow myself a small treat everyday (100 calories or less). It's what has kept me from craving the big baddies.
  • lu136mickey
    lu136mickey Posts: 202
    I do on most every day
  • KristenBru
    KristenBru Posts: 25
    I pretty much eat the same as the rest of my family, just within my calories and I watch my portions. Obviously you are going to get results faster by eating "healthy" all the time, but for me this ensures "success" for the long term.
  • nathanas85
    nathanas85 Posts: 19
    Yep, just make sure 90% of your meals are eating healthier, namely your main meals.
  • NoxDineen
    NoxDineen Posts: 497 Member
    Sure. You could eat nothing but cookies and lose weight if you ate at a deficit. Just make sure you get all the protein and healthy carbs you need and then don't worry I'd you spend some calories on a reasonable treat.
  • cordianet
    cordianet Posts: 534 Member
    I follow the 80/20 rule. Eat good stuff 80% of the time and indulge a bit the other 20. As long as I'm still under my calorie goal, I'm golden.
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
    Sure, weight loss is only about deficit.
    Eat whatever you want. Bacon dipped in mayo:drinker:
    Now, if we're talking optimal health, that's a whole separate discussion.
    And the answer is NO!
  • RobynMWilson
    RobynMWilson Posts: 1,540 Member
    Yes...as long as they're not two ginormous bakery style cookies like someone else said. When I first lost my weight I was 15 yrs old and it was 1987 and I knew nothing about eating healthy and we didn't have all the info available to us that we have now. So I ate what my folks ate but portion controlled...
  • surfrgrl1
    surfrgrl1 Posts: 1,464 Member
    All things in moderation, I say.
  • irisheyez718
    irisheyez718 Posts: 677 Member
    I have a cup of ice cream just about every single night. Some people might consider that bad. I consider it ohhhh soooo good :)
  • zenchild
    zenchild Posts: 680 Member
    I started making my own chocolate chip cookies with whole wheat flour, way less sugar, half butter, half coconut oil, and dark chocolate, all organic. I'm not going to give up my treats so I just make healthier ones. Besides, my husband was buying Famous Amos cookies from a vending machine every morning. I was horrified. I make way better cookies for way cheaper.
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
    Um, yes -- yes, you can. In the long run, that's sustainable. Denying yourself on a daily basis? Not so much.
  • Laces_0ut
    Laces_0ut Posts: 3,750 Member
    If you try to ban your "bad foods" you'll only want them more. So to answer your question, yes but in moderation.

    thats not true in my case. almost all of the bad foods i enjoyed i no longer crave. i no longer crave sweet stuff like cakes and cookies. nor do i crave fast food.(McDonalds, BK etc...)

    what i still crave is alcohol(though i hardly drink it) and cheesesteaks(which i havent had in 9 months)
  • verptwerp
    verptwerp Posts: 3,659 Member
    Eat them ......

    and then if you're unhappy with your weight loss, you can always eat less of them :drinker:
  • davidsgirl145
    davidsgirl145 Posts: 162 Member
    heck yes :)
  • WKenL
    WKenL Posts: 64 Member
    All things in moderation, I say.

    ^^ That is what you need to remember.

    A little coffee? Some cookies? Sure. Just watch your total calories and make sure that you're getting your nutrients.

    Think of it this way: If eating a cookie or two each day keeps you from having a craving that leaves you tempted to eat a dozen of them one day, you're ahead of the game. If you really feel bad about it, do five extra minutes of jumping jacks or something to alleviate the guilt.
  • Blueleaf
    Blueleaf Posts: 4 Member
    http://edition.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html

    This guy lost 27 lbs eating nothing but pure junk food.

    Not a great idea, even if his numbers went down, but nutrition is secondary to weight loss. And 80 calories in cookies doesn't seem harmful to me anyway.
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  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
    Lets say I'm eating healthy, with everything being in the daily limitt (including calories, fats, carbs etc), can I still have a bad food? For example, I like to have two cups of black coffee a day. With those I enjoy these 80 calorie chocolate chip cookies - I have 2 a day. If it still fits in with the daily intake, would it be really bad if I were to have them?

    there is no bad food.
  • no such thing as a "bad" food,

    a calorie is a calorie, protein in a cheeseburger is the same as protein from ground turkey, etc
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
    Eat as much good or BAD food as you want. Just stay under your calorie goal for the day.

    At some point you will realize that you could eat alot more GOOD food for the same calories as the bad food.

    quoted because its perfect. perfect.
  • Laddiegirl
    Laddiegirl Posts: 382 Member
    As long as you work it into your plan I don't see why not. I think its better to give yourself some treats (or tastes of them) so that you don't feel deprived and go off track.
  • brandiuntz
    brandiuntz Posts: 2,717 Member
    I eat chocolate and drink coffee (with creamer) every day. It's all about portions and staying within calorie limits. Get your healthy foods in and enjoy the rest.