I just wanted to know something about calorie counting. I know being on a diet means eating healthier, better foods...but...can I eat not so good foods if I count it in with my calories? I had a dove icecream bar which was 250 calories...can I eat that and just add to my calorie intake? Is calorie counting a way to have the foods you love and not over do it? Does anyone else throw in their "not so healthy" foods into their calorie count?

Yep. Sometimes I really want some chocolate. So I eat it and add it to my calorie total for the day. No problems. One of my favourite parts of calorie counting.

I count everything I eat, except for things like spices, chewing gum, and zero-calorie tea. Good, bad, ugly, I have to count it.

Personally, I also try to keep one eye on my nutrient balance and make sure I'm not consuming too many carbs (I figure if I'm getting 1/3 each of protein, fat, and carbs, I'm probably doing all right - others use different ratios, like for Atkins/low-carb or low-fat diets), and also my sodium intake. This is where your "bad" foods will really show up.

Part of the point of counting your not-so-good foods is that they are often high in calories but low in nutritional and fullness value, so when you only have so many calories per day, you learn to allocate them to things that will get you more bang for your buck, so to speak. 250 calories of Dove bar would probably keep you full for an hour, whereas 250 calories made up of a nice blend of protein and good fats (e.g. grilled chicken breast, avocado, nuts, whole grains…) could keep you full for much longer.

Of course. You can lose weight on ANY type of food as long as you maintain a caloric deficit. The point of eating healthy foods is, well, health. People also tend to feel fuller on larger portions of healthy food than on smaller portions of calorie-dense junk food.

For my part, I follow the 80/20 rule: about 80% healthy foods and 20% sugary/fatty foods (I won't say junk because I don't eat junk food; my indulgences lean toward Belgian chocolate, gourmet ice cream and cheesecake).

Freelance

Ok, well I am glad I know now I can have those "treats" and just count the calories. When I first started I only ate healthy and was to strict I think. I can't go my whole life without icecream or a good cheeseburger lol

Of course - the whole point of losing weight is to keep it off, and maintenance is for life! If there were no room for cheeseburgers or ice cream, how would any of us make it to old age? :P

Another thing to keep in mind is that calorie counting, at its core, is all about creating an energy deficit - to lose weight, burn more calories than you consume. (Consistently, for a long time. ) If you have a cheeseburger one day and end up blowing an extra 1000 calories that day, make up for it over the next few by eating 250 calories under budget for 4 days, and you're back within your budget. You CAN indulge, just not all the time.

Yup. Just count it in your day and go on. What I do is try to eat mostly healthy stuff by eating leaner meats, try not to eat tons of fat, healthy carbs, and lots of fruits and veggies. But once in a while you just want a Snickers or a bowl of ice cream or SOMETHING. So, add it up, have it, and go on. Life is about balance and moderation and you can't go the rest of your life only eating grilled chicken and lettuce. LOL

Yes! If I'm craving something and I have enough calories to cover it, I'm all in! I've learned its sometimes better to give into the high calorie stuff and get it out of the way than to try to avoid it and then end up bindging because I was craving it and held off on eating it.

The other day I went to Wendy's and still wound up under my calorie intake. I had chicken nuggets and fries. Yes, horrible for me, but I still counted them and stayed within my calories.

You can eat unhealthy things and still lose weight (a professor lost weight eating only twinkies) as long as you count them. You won't be healthy or feel that great, so it's not the best strategy Once in a while, yeah it's fine to have something that isn't that great for you