So I'm trying calorie counting for the first time, and I'm feeling pretty good about it. I'm trying to stay around 1500 calories a day, and I feel like it's been easy and I'm full. Here's my question... is it ok to 'save calories' for junk food'? For example, yesterday was a big football game that I watched with my boyfriend and his brothers. They ordered pizza and got beer, as was to be expected. So I ate smaller meals during the day to 'save' enough to have 2 beers and 2 slices of veggie pizza. Is that ok? Am I defeating my diet to have a couple of beers? Thanks ladies.
And I have to say, I'm very inspired by this website.

It's absolutely "okay". It's called planning You planned to have 2 beers & some pizza, so your previous meals were scaled down.

As long as you're not eating these things every single day then it's perfectly fine. It's the right way to handle eating the things that you want while still staying within your calories, and not going off plan.

Keep at it! Keep planning for any future special events like this

Definitely! For me, food is one of my favorite things in the world, especially burritos. While I don't eat them everyday, I do about once a month. To make up for it, I do a little more cardio or eat smaller portions throughout the day. That's the great thing about calorie counting... healthy foods get the most out of your calories, but if you want to splurge there's always room or adjustments you can make!

I can only speak from my personal experience here, but I eat 150 calories of junky Skinny Cow Ice Cream or other lower-cal ice cream treat every night. Some nights, I switch that up for two child's scoops of Baskin Robbins (usually one of their sugar free flavors, but not always). As long as I get my good nutrition during the day, I really feel I need that treat at night to keep me satisfied.

Perfectly okay, yes. I do the same thing. If I don't plan for occasional junk I then go overboard and binge down the road.

The great thing about the calorie counting is that you aren't restricted from anything as long as you make room for it in your plan. I will say that I plan for junk food a lot less than I did at the beginning. It just isn't as satisfying to me now. I had three slices of pizza Sunday night and have just today lost that puffy feeling. Not saying I never do it, or that I will stop doing it anytime soon, I'm just more careful what I consume. Right now I'm an a sugar cycle I'm trying to get out of - I stay within my calories for the day, but some days are made up of 20% junky sugar calories. That is a little over the top and I feel it!

A couple of beers won't defeat your diet, but they might make you feel bloated for a few days. So, if you notice you weigh a little more the day right after the beer it is likely just water. Don't panic.

Shannon said pretty much what I was going to say. While budgeting for pizza and beer calories, for a special occasion, is fine, do not be surprised it the beer causes you to retain water for a couple of days. Alcohol dehydrates you, and the body tends to overcompensate for it after consumption. Whenever I drink a couple of glasses of wine, I always see flucuations upwards on the scale by a couple of pounds that last +-48 hours.

One other thing to keep in mind - budgeting for occasional treats is good, but reserving a good portion of your calories on a daily basis for junk is not good, for many reasons (nutritional value, usually doesn't keep you full, etc).

Says the girl, who on many "diet" attempts, ate nothing but carrots all day and then went to Taco Bell.

My calorie intake is similar to yours. The only thing I must really watch are that some foods are triggers for me and make me go off plan. I do eat pizza every Friday night though--usually two slices of a medium pizza with a diet coke. That is the only time of the week I drink soda.

I agree with what the others said.

One other thing about drinking. One usually loosens up after doing so and it's possible that this would make you more apt to overindulge with your food, more so then you planned.

Either Friday or Saturday of every week I make an Earth's Pride Organics frozen pizza. It's only 350 calories for half the pizza. I'll make a cucumber salad to go along with it.

And as others have said - I love calorie counting for this reason. You have so much flexibility.