Quote:
Originally Posted by Nola Celeste
Even if you had gone over your budget, there's never a reason to just "give up" on the rest of the day. Every meal presents a new set of chances to make healthier choices. Sometimes it's okay to choose the bagel and cream cheese. Sometimes it's even okay to opt for the Snickers bar--if it's one bar and not every day. That's the key, really: being able to fit it all in to your regular life.
This. Let go of the idea that having
one day which is not perfectly on plan in every day is a reason to "give up" or just go overboard.
This is the kind of thinking that has caused so many people (including myself, in the past) to abandon weight loss attempts, consider themselves failures, think they can never accomplish it. And, frankly, it's stupid. There is an analogy that has been making the rounds on the board lately - if you came out of your house one morning and found you had a flat tire, would you say "well, screw it, that's ruined" and slash the other three? Or would you do what you needed to do to fix the tire and get on with your day?
Your daily and even meal-to-meal eating is the same way.
Weight loss is not a day-to-day process, and you don't blow the whole thing by eating one food you'd prefer to avoid, or going over your calories for a day or two. Take the longer term view - get right back on your plan and head on to the next meal, the next day.
As to the way you've phrased your question - calorie counting "works" with unhealthy food, but most of us find it's more sustainable in the long term if we eat lots of healthy foods, because they keep us less hungry, keep the cravings at bay, and make our bodies feel better. However: as Nola Celeste says, you can work in planned treats now and again if
you find that they don't set off cravings - if
you can get right back into your groove of healthy eating after you enjoy them.