I know there are a million ways to approach weight loss/maintenance, and certainly one way will not work for everyone. Some people find success in completely eliminating their trouble foods from their diet, going cold turkey. Others enjoy small indulgences on a regular basis. Maybe a fun size candy bar every few days. Frankly, neither of these work for me. I love food, and I know this sounds extreme, but life just frankly wouldn't be fun if I knew I'd absolutely never indulge in my favorite foods ever again. On the other hand, itty bitty treats just make me want more. Trying to have just one fun size candy bar is setting myself up for either major guilt over losing control and eating 50 fun size candy bars or going insane because I really want to eat 50 fun size candy bars.

My approach is planned and infrequent BIG splurges. These are rare treats, but the knowledge that I will have days in my future when I can go crazy and eat exactly what I want keeps me from giving into minor cravings. But, my splurges aren't unplanned chaos. I calculate my splurge. I consider how much pleasure will it bring. My splurge days are rare, and it has to be really worth it. The most glorious sinful yummy-ness, the most thrilling dining experience, and lastly considered, just how bad it is for me. I aim to get the biggest bang for my caloric buck, you could say.

I think this will be my next victim. A cinnabon. Possibly the most nutritionally offensive food in existance. It's just a big hot gooey cinnamony sin. And surprisingly, only comes in at 730 calories.



Yes, yes, in true calorie counter fashion, this will be planned and accounted for. And it'll be soooooo worth it

Do you guys have any naughty foods that are sometimes just worth the calorie splurge?

My Moms banana split cake.....or chocolate. I don't like dark chocolate, it's gotta be the good hersheys stuff! LOL

My only problem with big infrequent splurges is that I usually feel like crap afterwards. Stomach ache, head ache, tiredness, etc. Small treats don't work either I end up binging. So I try to make my splurges of good quality-dark chocolate, high quality pizza, burger, whatever. But I still sometimes feel icky after, but like you I'm a foodie and must include them in some shape or form in my plan. My next victim is ice cream cake at my sons 2nd bday this Sunday.

Definitely Godiva... ahhhhh!

God, even the smell of the cinnabons makes me ill now. They're just so...sugary smelling. I think I'd go into a diabetic coma if I ate a whole one!

Everyone here pretty much knows mine. Cupcakes. I have a life list of cupcakeries to try before I die. I am just short of obsessed with good cupcakes. In fact, we're going on vacation for our anniverary at the end of November, and I've already found a cupcakery near our port that's on my list! And mapped directions! But it's funny, because my tastes have definitely changed. My favorite cupcakes now are the ones that aren't super-sweet. One of my favorites is a chocolate Guinness cupcake from a local bakery...it's just sweet enough to be called cake.

The only other one I can think of is our "date night" picnic...turkey, baguette, really good cheese, jam, and wine. We bulk it out with veggies/hummus and fruit now, to keep the calories lower, but I will not sacrifice cheese and wine!

Ha! Cupcakes are my culinary dream date, too. My birthday is next week, and I am going out and finding myself one perfect cupcake to celebrate. We'll also be having dinner out, and I'm not exactly planning to go totally wild on that, but as my birthday is one of my small handful of planned indulgence days, I will be eating what I like for dinner.

And I do find these planned indulgence days keep me on track. It's been remarkably easy for the last couple of weeks to walk past temptation by reminding myself my birthday is coming, and I will have my cupcake on that day.

Omg!!! So I drove to a new local cupcakery yesterday w/my oldest dd to eat that instead of popcorn as we were heading to the movies....and the place is closed on Mondays! I had no time to go today and can't stop thinking about it...reading this thread did NOT help! Guess I know where I am going to get a pedicure tomorrow (next to the cupcakery)! LOL thx ladies

mandalinn- - mine are cup cakes tooo!!!! ohh theres nothing better then yummy moist cupcakes with super yummy frosting.. ohhh *drools*! Me and my hubby are taking a cruise in November for our anniversary!y! And I absolutely WILL be having a cup cake or slice of cake on our anniversary no doubt about it!

my other big indulgences that I plan are doing is the fair.. it only comes once a year and I love me some funnel cake, elephant ears, and fresh hot scones with butter and raspberry jam! granted I have plans on splitting each of these things instead of eating them all myself but I WILL have a little of each of them!

Hahaha, ONE cupcake barely even counts as a planned indulgence today for me. When I indulge, I indulge!

And ncuneo, I also usually feel bloated, icky, and irritable the day after my planned indulge days also. But I embrace that feeling as part of the experience. I destroyed a Chinese buffet a couple months ago. Totally threw any calorie awareness out the window. Went through the line two or three times, got whatever I wanted (fried Chinese donuts...mmm). I was in heaven! Of course, the next day, I would have welcomed a quick death, hehe. The good that came from that day: I had a glorious pig out fest, I didn't gain a single pound from it (I actually dropped a couple that week), and I no longer have raging cravings for Chinese food, hahaha. Definitely worth a tummyache for a few hours.

I've got a better one--I don't think about calorie splurges necessarily, but about money splurges. Oh My Goodness: I got this melon at the Whole Foods Market (where I don't shop often because it's pretty expensive), but it is the best thing I have ever eaten. It was $4.99 for the melon, which is about the size of a cantaloupe--it's a Galia melon. Have y'all had this?? It's sort of a funky cross between a cantaloupe and a honeydew, but it tasted like cantaloupe crossed with banana. It is in-freaking-credible. PLUS there's 100% vitamin A and 80% vitamin C in 1/4 of the melon--at only 100 cals. Since I'm not buying expensive processed foods any more, I felt like that splurge might be worth it, and WOW. Going back for another on the weekend.

I need to find those!!! Definitely worth the $ if it's a food as it sounds!

My most recent splurge was a Dairy Queen Cherry Cheesequake Blizzard over the weekend...510 calories. I'd been wanting one for WEEKS and finally had the foresight to plan ahead on a Saturday. It was to DIE for. My next one: a cherry fried pie.

Did I feel bad after the Blizzard? Physically, yes. Some. But mentally - not even the littlest bit.

Hahaha, you understand me! I had a Wendy's cookie dough twisted frosty with chocolate ice cream a few weeks ago. I think it's only around 450...I knew the specific amount. Quite frankly, that isn't even much of a splurge to me. Totally worth it, hehe.

Have y'all seen the show DC Cupcakes? It's on TLC. Well, I had a red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting from them (the bakery is actually called Georgetown Cupcakes) and it was darn near a religious experience. We drove by on Saturday night and the line was out the door and down the block -- so it seems I am not their only "convert."

I have an indulgence planned for September 12th. After a brisk 13.1-mile-run in the morning, I will pick up one of the aforementioned red velvet cupcakes. I will wait to eat it, though, until after I have finished my fried chicken dinner. Not KFC, mind you, or supermarket fried chicken. But juicy, delicately-fried chicken from the Forest Glen General Store. Truly a revelation.

Maria, we are going to the county fair tomorrow. Can you believe I've never had a funnel cake? So very out of character for me. Alas, I don't think this is the year for it. I am going on vacation next week and that will be enough of a challenge. So for the fair tomorrow I will probably pack a healthy lunch and treat myself with a soft-serve cone. With sprinkles of course.

I try to be careful with indulgences (not calorie so much as sugar and carbs), but one of my absolute favorites comes from a bakery not far from my home. It's a really flaky cranberry pinwheel, drizzled with white chocolate. I can eat three or four of them. The other one is seafood - esp. lobster, crab, mussels - dripping with butter, which is low carb but, the calories!