Calorie Counters - is it ok to eat junk as long as you stayb in you calorie range?

so today i eat

1 cup mac and chese ( 360 calories)

1 cup beef burgandy ( 350 calories)

1 1/2 cups salid ( 10 calories)

2 tbs fat free ranch ( 30 calories)

ok heres when it gets bad

1/2 cup icecream (210 calories)

1/2 cookie (80 calories)

comming to a total of 1040.

What is your goal? Do you want to lose weight or do you want to get healthier? You can lose weight eating like that, but to get healthier, you need to eat healthier.

*In my opinion* if you want to keep OFF the weight, then doing it like this will not help really. I think it would give more of an option to gain it all back. But that's just my two cents.

Also, if you keep eating crap then in the long term health wise you're still going to be unhealthy, just weighing less.

There's not really a wrong way to do it.

You can lose weight while eating junk.

Occasionally we all eat some sort of food that isn't the epitome of healthy.

That being said, I wouldn't recommend doing it that way every single day, because our bodies need vitamins and nutrients that we get from healthier food choices.

Also, if you take all your calories in calorie dense (and low volume) foods like ice cream and mac & cheese, you are going to wind up hungry which will decrease your motivation, incline you to off-plan eating and so on. You can eat crap sometimes, but it is best to get plenty of lean protein and veggies as well.

We all eat that way some times but it isn't realy that healthy, plus carbs can make you hold on to some unneed and unwanted water weight ;).

It's "ok" as long as YOU are ok with not getting nearly enough vitamins/nutrients, OD'ing on sodium and fat, and having low energy and likely poor digestive health.

are you going to do this all the time :)

Once in a while is not going to hurt you...but if this is a habit then this is not healthy.

Best to get all your calories from dense foods.

Ice-cream is ok....as I can rationalize some Calcium from that, lmao.

The cookie is a sugar stack of empty cals.

To me that's a double splurge!

walk away from the pantry!

You can certainly do that. I find, however, that I get more bang for my buck when I have healthier food. I mean, I could have a McDonald's cheeseburger and a small fry for dinner today, but it wouldn't be as satisfying as, say, some salmon and a ton of veggies.

I've been known myself to pick up 100 calorie Klondike bars, especially when it was a million degrees outside. It's nice to sometimes have a treat. And if this is how you need to transition into calorie counting, then, yanno what? It's better than nothing.

Just make sure you're taking a multivitamin. :)

I agree with most other posters, it's not the great for your body, but you will still lose weight.
It may be really challenging to change your eating habits, so change them a little at a time. Make small adjustments that you're okay with doing and stick to them.
For example, have a piece of fruit with your ice cream. Or choose between the cookie and the ice cream. Have one, one day and the other the next day. With your meals try to incorporate more fruits and veggies in there as well. Do it over time though since changing your lifestyle is very challenging, plus your body may need time to adjust.
You could make it a goal to try a new veggie each month or each week for variety. Or, find a couple recipes to make the foods you like. Maybe find a healthy homemade mac n cheese recipe instead of the box stuff. This will save you calories and sodium, but still give you the taste you desire.

You will figure it out with time and patience! :hug:

I eat whatever I want as long as I count my calories. I enjoy 90 calorie brownies, chips with my sandwich. I read the servings and measure them out.

so today i eat

1 cup mac and chese ( 360 calories)

1 cup beef burgandy ( 350 calories)

1 1/2 cups salid ( 10 calories)

2 tbs fat free ranch ( 30 calories)

ok heres when it gets bad

1/2 cup icecream (210 calories)

1/2 cookie (80 calories)

comming to a total of 1040.

Are you satisfied? Are you happy?
If you need a one treat a day, and you keep below your calories, does it really matter? I'd agree w/those that encourage eating more veggie servings.
I eat at least one treat everyday, but I also: 1. eat lots of veggies since that's my favorite food group and 2. I walk at least 1 1/2 hours a day and have an incredibly active lifestyle (physical job, etc.). The treat is no problem for me.

I don't really adhere to the notion of "bad" food and "good" food; there is only "food I can have regularly" and "food that only occasionally fits my plan." From that standpoint, I don't think you did anything "bad."

On the other hand, you could add a lot of healthful foods to that day without pushing your calories up significantly. Eat some roasted Brussels sprouts and steamed broccoli with that mac and cheese and beef burgundy. Skip fat-free ranch dressing and eat real dressing with real (healthy) fat instead; you'll feel more satisfied with your meal and will get fewer overall carbs (most fat-free dressings are loaded with sugar to give the stuff some kind of flavor). Sure, the ice cream and the cookie packed a lot of calories in a small serving, but if they're an occasional treat, there's no need for them to be banned from your life--IF IF IF you can manage to eat them as an occasional treat and not raid the cookie jar or freezer an hour later. ;)

The point of calorie counting is that it gives you the freedom to choose. However, if you make too many choices of calorie-dense foods that don't fill you up, you might be setting yourself up for excessive hunger that could drive you off your plan.

It's helped me to think of what I need to add to my diet rather than what I'm removing from my menu. That way I choose more substantial fare over treats more often, and when I do enjoy a treat, it's still something with nutritive value-- black bean brownies, for instance, or ice cream topped with peeled blood-orange sections that have soaked overnight in Grand Marnier, for instance. Mmm. :)

Agree with all of the above...BUT...

When I started weight loss my doctor was clear with me - if you want creamy pasta, don't get a salad instead. Eat 300 calories of creamy pasta because you will satisfy the craving and you won't eat 1000 calories of it later. I am NOT a salad fan - it's crap without all the delicious toppings, which make it higher cals than a lot of "bad" food. (Ok not all salads...there are some I like.)

For me, knowing that I can have a bowl of mac & cheese here and there or knowing I can have 1/2c of REAL ice cream keeps me on track. I can't commit to salmon and brown rice and froyo for the rest of my life, I'm sorry!

I'm an advocate of eat whatever you want, ENJOY food and enjoy your life, but, as one of my favorite weight/cooking blogs says, a treat is sweetest when you only have one. :)

Eating like that every day could hurt you in the long run with nutritional deficits (as was already mentioned:)). A day with a lot of treats here or there won't kill you.

This is purely anecdotal, and I don't want to offend, but I'm going to say it anyway.... people that eat healthier food often look healthier and better. Their hair is shiny, skin is clear, nice coloring, bright eyes, etc. I know plenty of skinny people with poor eating habits that just look a little "off". Plus, eating 1000 calories of halthy foods FEELS better than eating 1000 calories of french fries. My digestive system always feels awful after eating junky foods, regardless of the calorie content.

Honestly, I have failed at dieting keeping sweets and soda in my diet. Yes, granted weight loss is due to portion control and it's all about calories. But I find even if I eat the 100 calorie packs, low fat ice cream, etc. that it makes me crave sweets even more. This time around I am cutting out sweets and soda all together, I have more energy and don't have cravings. I have been eating fruit if I have the feeling for something sweet.

When I started dieting I looked through the isles of the grocery store and realized there are substitutes for everything!
220 calories for a 1/2 cup ice cream?
how about 90 calories for the same portions size (yogurt blend) is soo yummy :)
90 calorie fiber one brownies as previously sugguested making you feel like your cheating but it's low cal!
whipped cream is also only about 25 cal per 2 tsp
try adding it to fruit

in the vitamin section in my walmart they have k bars, atkins cookies and other yummy substitutes

sweets aren't really an essential thing in ones diet so all in moderation.
Eating fruits and vegetables make you feel good, gives you energy and lets you know you are feeding your body what it neeeeedddss,
baby steps though, :)

I think healthy food choices is extremely important. I'm a past Weight Watchers member, and there was a period of time where I was staying within my points but not losing any weight. It was because almost half my points were crap - mini ice cream sandwiches, lots of 100 calorie snack packs, things like that. Those things are okay in moderation, but I think if you want long term weight loss, or you want to be generally healthier overall, healthy food choices is key.