I've been doing good with my calories and my weight loss. So far I've been losing about 1.5-2 lbs a week.
I've changed my eating and eat whole foods now on most days. I don't eat junk foods like chips, cookies etc. except on rare occasions. However, I do have one junk food that I have been sneaking into my diet more and that is candy bars. Snickers, Kit Kat, Hershey's-I love them all! I think I've had a candy bar three days this week. I still stay in my calories but I do feel bad about eating candy so often. I'm not sure what to do about it.
If you are staying within your calories, I'm not sure having a candy bar a few times per week is really that much of a problem. You probably don't want to have one every day, since those are just empty calories, but a few times per week probably isn't the end of the world.
But, if I were in your shoes, and I did really want to cut back on the candy bars I eat, I wouldn't try to give them up altogether. Instead, I would allow myself one candy bar per week. And I could only have that one candy bar if I stayed on plan the rest of the week. I would also make that one candy bar special--not just something I wolf down as fast as I can. I'd save it for a time when I could set everything else aside and focus on enjoying my candy bar. I'd probably make a cup of tea or coffee to go with and enjoy it while reading a book or my favorite magazine. So it would become my special ritual, something that I would look forward to all week, and I'd only get to do it if I didn't eat off plan the entire rest of the week (which would mean no candy bars the rest of the week).
Hey! Just to name one, a Snickers bar isn't the worst thing you can eat. 280 calories--but 14 g fat, 35 g carbs, and only 4 g protein.
What about substituting a different kind of snack bar? For example, a South Beach Living High Protein bar, chocolate flavor, has 140 calories, 5 g fat, 15 g carbs, and 10 g protein.
They make 100 calorie candy bars now, in the 100 calorie section of all supermarkets. Probably with the cracker/cookie aisle. Never had them, but they look good. I believe they come in 3 musketeer, milky way, and a couple others.
Thanks for the suggestions! I'll try reserving the candy bars for once a week and substituting fruit or protein bars for them instead. I usually eat the candy bars in the evenings when I tally up my calories for the day. I just think "oh, well I have calories to spare." I'll try to eat an apple when I have those calories to spare. I really like the idea of the one bar for each 5 lbs lost.
MMMM candy bars.. I would also suggest get the 100 calorie packs of the candy bars they make twix ,m&m, milky way, and some others I think! and definitely reserve it for maybe a once a week treat! some thign I have found that is great is Special K bars the vanilla ones are sooo good, and the chocolate drizzle ones they taste kinda liek candy bars to me and also the 90 calorie granola bars..
Also I know a lot of calorie counters who eat chocolate every day! and dark chocolate is considered to have good antioxidants for you!! maybe get a bag of those mini candys or kisses in dark chocolate and let your self have 2-4 of those a day it might make the cravings to eat a whole bar less!
Last edited by mariamherrera; 02-15-2009 at 12:47 PM.
Also I know a lot of calorie counters who eat chocolate every day! and dark chocolate is considered to have good antioxidants for you!! maybe get a bag of those mini candys or kisses in dark chocolate and let your self have 2-4 of those a day it might make the cravings to eat a whole bar less!
My mom was also suggesting that to me although she was suggesting because it was that TOM. She always suggests chocolate when it's TOM. I was looking at the Sonoma diet board here and saw that dark chocolate is part of their diet too. Must be something to dark chocolate! Next time I go shopping, I'll get a little box and reserve them for the weekend.
I use the 100 calorie Balance Bars when I get those cravings. They are great, protein packed and satisfy me really well.
The Chocolate Caramel Crisp are my favorite
I also buy dark chocolate and break it into small squares. The 70% bars are the best!
Last edited by CountingDown; 02-15-2009 at 02:26 PM.
I eat fun-size candy bars all the time. Most of them are about 80-100 calories, and are still enough to get my candy fix. One piece of advice from a candy lover, though, is to limit yourself to buying the ten packs rather than a big bag. I can tell you from experience that that can end badly. And, I normally just pack one to take with me for lunch so that I'm not tempted to eat another immediately after the first. I wouldn't worry about it too much though. Like another poster said, some candy bars aren't the worst things for your health. I would recommend hershey's dark chocolate bars, which are 180 calories, as dark chocolate is pretty good in moderation.
Aren't Three Musketeer's bars fat free? Heck yeah!
My sister eats a tablespoon of mini dark chocolate chips every now and again when she needs a fix. Keeps 'em in the freezer for that purpose.
Severely cutting back candy consumption has saved me some money, too. When my sister and I were roommates, we used to go through a bag or two of chocolates every week, and it was even an item on the grocery list, along with a case of beer and big bags of chips and tubs of sourcream dip...
I'm making myself sick right now. I think I figured out where the last twenty pounds sneaked in from.
I love the dark chocolate DOVE bars, they are only 190 calories per bar and I usually have one 3 times a week. Since dark chocolate is good for you, i dont feel guilty about it especially since I chose a healthy alternative
I don't have much advise for you since well, I probably have had 3 hershey bars this week myself. I can't give up plain milk chocolate, I can't! It's a must be able to have some if I crave it thing. There is no substitute either it doesn't work for me. I usually have at least one chocolate bar a week sometimes I don't have any and then weeks like this last one I have had 3. It doesn't bother me and hasn't hindered my progress yet and I always make sure I have the calories to spare for it.
Candy Bars
I would also suggest get the 100 calorie packs of the candy bars they make twix ,m&m, milky way, and some others I think! and definitely reserve it for maybe a once a week treat! some thign I have found that is great is Special K bars the vanilla ones are sooo good, and the chocolate drizzle ones they taste kinda liek candy bars to me and also the 90 calorie granola bars..
