Ok, so once every two weeks, my family usually orders pizza (2 parents, 3 kids). This usually happens when we both get home late and neither one wants to cook and the kids are begging for their pizza. So..........this is my question to you..........In my head, I think of pizza as the "BAD" food that I shouldn't eat. Last night was Pizza night and when I look at my cal, fat and carb intake (on sparkpeople) I realize that I have enough left for 2 pieces of cheese pizza and if I get bacon on it, that pushes my protein up to the level I am supposed to be having and I am still within my range on my numbers. So, is it ok to eat the pizza?

I did eat the pizza, but I am new at this calorie counting and I ate good at bfst, lunch and my snacks, all healthy stuff. I just don't know why I keep beating myself up about the pizza-----I have it labeled a certain way in my head I guess....as a "no no"....lol. I must say though, I ate it slowly and drank my water with it and I felt ok eating it at the time because I knew I wasn't going over on my counts, but today I am beating myself up about it and I feel kinda silly even posting this, but I guess I just had to talk to you guys because you KNOW what I am going through.....

Thanks in advance!

I think it's fine. If you don't let yourself have things like pizza once in awhile, you'll go crazy and never stick to your plan. (At least in most cases.)

My husband lost 115 pounds, and he did it giving himself one day a week to eat whatever he wanted. (Well, not WHATEVER, but he bumped his calories up to 3000 every Saturday and stayed within that. He would have pizza or burgers or tacos and beer every Saturday for that whole year he was loosing weight. And he's maintained for 5 years, and still does that.)

I think if it fits into your calories for the day and its not something you do all the time then you should be fine!

Last night I was starving. I had been busy all day and hadn't eaten much and so at 6:30 I still had almost 800 calories left! Soooo I went to McD and got a fish sandwich, fry and Dr. pepper.. according to the nutrition facts on McD's site, it all fit in my budget. And this morning I was down a little on the scale.

For me I think my body needs something like this ever now and then. When I have my little splurge meal (but not go crazy of course) right after I get back OP things go down. May not be this way for everyone, but it is for me

IMO, you shouldn't feel guilty for treating yourself to bad foods you enjoy as long as you stay within your overall plan. My thinking is that I have to learn to enjoy these things without overdoing it, so managing to eat pizza while sticking to your calorie limit and eating healthy otherwise is awesome.

It annoys me when people (read family) hassle me for eating food that looks bad when it's either healthier than they assume or I've already budgeted for it, so I wouldn't want to guilt myself for it too.

Don't beat yourself up! I couldn't live without pizza. I just know it, so I allow it as part of my life. I just plan for it. I also changed up my order a bit. I do a thin crust now instead of a deep dish. I load it with tomato, onion, olives and mushrooms. Most of the time, I also eat a salad first to help.

Pizza can be the devil, but it's not always

I think we all have an image of what "GOOD" and "BAD" foods are. It's realizing they are all FUEL that seems to be the hardest part. You can buy the highest grade fuel for your car, or the cheaper grade...

I've always continued to eat pizza. But only one piece. And I usually have a salad first. Same with burgers, going out to eat, etc. I will not deprive myself of a wonderful holiday dinner with my family, or a pizza night with my kids, or a night out with my sweetie. I will just eat within my daily caloric limits, and make reasonably good choices.

I am glad to see that I am still on the right track. I started calorie counting because I think this is something I can continue to do forever- watch my calorie intake. I still want to enjoy some of the food I love, just in moderation and not every day! Before, I would say to myself "you can't have any of that ever" and I think I was setting myself up for failure. Maybe I won't feel so bad once I realize that I can still have some of that stuff (with limitations) and still lose the weight. Thank you all for your support and input!!

The hard part for me with pizza is that I can eat about 5 slices once I have one. So I eat a salad to start and then have one or two slices of pizza. If you make it at home, using whole wheat crust and lots of veggies with light cheese, you can make yourself a very healthy meal.

Pizza is a favorite, and if you have the calorie space, then you should eat it. My life requires the occasional pizza and beer.

Most people think of pizza as a "BAD" food, because not many of us can eat just one (or two!) slices! It really does turn into a bad food when you eat half the pizza, but one or two slices every now and then is NOT going to hurt you, and shouldn't make you feel bad. Pizza isn't the most healthful choice out there, but it's certainly not worthly of beating yourself up about it.

In fact, you should be PROUD of yourself for eating the pizza and limiting your slices to your food plan.

We like labels, because they're convenient, but they're not always meaningful or truthful.

I remember when "muffins" were healthy, but "cupcakes" were bad (even though many of the muffins had more fat and calories than the cupcakes).

Everyone "knew" that white meat chicken was "good" and dark meat was "bad" (to the point that a mayo-heavy chicken salad made with breast meat would be seen as "healthier" than baked skinless thighs).

It's really about the big picture, which is why I like my exchange plan. It's not perfect, because it's still "shortcut" nutrition. Sweet corn, sweet potato, quinoa and white bread are all "starch exchanges," but I don't consider them equally nutritious. But I don't have to make the "best" choices all of the time, I just need to make good choices most of the time.

Pizza is one of those foods that can be made very healthy or not so much. I think it's more likey to look at how it fits in your daily "budget" than whether it's "good" or "bad." You don't want to spend the rent money on perfume, shoes and handbags, either. Doesn't mean that you're doing something wrong if you buy yourself a nice pair of shoes once in a while.

I think food "budgeting" makes better sense than the good/bad dichotomy. "Can I afford this, and is there something better I'd like to spend my money/calories on?"

I chose pizza last night. I'm not normally a huge fan of pizza, but since I've been avoiding wheat (think I'm allergic), I've been having pizza-deprivation cravings.

So last night I made pizzas with corn tortillas. I spread the tortillas with pizza sauce and topped with diced onion, and italian cheese blend and put them under the broiler.

They were good, but I thought they'd get crisp. Hubby says I should have toasted the tortillas first, or made them in a skillet like quesadillas (with cooking spray).

Kaplods is right on in my book -- that is how I view things too.

The only issue with things like pizza is that they are binge triggers for some people so in that case I would say it would be wise to avoid it (if you think you won't be able to maintain control).

Also, you will find that you get more 'bang for your buck' if you consume whole, raw foods -- but things like pizza once in a while, if eaten in moderation, are totally fine in my opinion.

All good advice here... One thing I do when my family is eating pizza out.. is to make my own pizzas.... I use whole grain tortillas... a couple of tablespoons of tomato sauce and spices and lots and lots of veggies, a little turkey pepperoni and broil it in the toaster over. If I have calorie room for cheese, I have it. But, I do like the pizzas without cheese, too. There are lots of flavors, too. Canadian bacon with slivers of chunk pineapple is good, too.

And.... for the same cost of two slices of cheese pizza, I can have two of my pizzas and a salad, too!

Sure, have your pizza!

I don't like restaurant pizza enough to let it bother me... so if I'm craving it (usually TOM) I make my own version with a thin crust and less cheese. It cuts the calories nearly in half and is good enough for me . Sometimes I do little English muffin ones also and they hit the spot!

yes, definitely try toasting first. I make pita pizza all the time (and for me, that totally satisfies my craving so I don't eat take out pizza at all anymore, and I'm saving lots of fat and calories that I get to spend on other food that way).

I don't want the bread to be crispy but toasting it first gives it a little bit of texture once I finish baking it with sauce and cheese and whatever else you want to add. I am not a veggie on pizza person so mostly I just have plain cheese but a few days ago, I had some cooked chicken I needed to eat and I diced that up and added it to the pizza, that was very tasty!