This is awesome advice!

While I agree that many people (myself included) attach too much emotional significance to food, I can't see food as just fuel. If that were the case, we could all just eat MREs like soldiers or astronauts. Eating something with fat or sugar (the stuff that makes food taste good) doesn't make me a bad person who is doomed to be fat all my life. I don't think having a treat is wasting calories, because I think eating tasty food has its own value. I know sugar in particular can be a slippery slope but I don't think it deserves to be demonized.

I don't think great tasting food needs to be demonized. I think keeping food in perspective and listening to your body's need for fuel, first and foremost, is a good plan. That way treats remain just that, treats with no guilt. I've cut bread and pasta out of my diet these past few weeks and already I've noticed my urge to have them dropping increasingly, and if I do slip in a pasta dish I don't feel so well after. Which makes me less likely to want them again. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy eating the pasta very much. It's the side effects after that kill me. :) But I definately hate being told I can't eat something. Then I almost want to eat it out of defiance. If having a treat helps keep people from feeling deprived that's great.

I had a massive sugar attack this morning before work, so I stopped at a 7-11 and got a 400-cal. apple fritter and a 250-cal. caramel Milky Way candy bar. Boy, were they good! And that entire apple fritter stuck with me a while. On account of my diet change, I skipped my mid-morning snack and reduced my lunch by half, and presto! I'm back on track for the day, calorie-wise.

By all means, eat something yummy. Just either burn it off or adjust your intake to account for it. In the case of something 300 calories, why not reduce your calorie intake today by, say, 150 and tomorrow by 150 so it'll "hurt" less?

Sure, go for it. Just, you know, eat real food too. "Everything in moderation" is a good rule for those of us who would rather kill ourselves than never eat dessert again.

Same here. Food is not JUST about nutritional value, but about enjoyment. I don't think that taking away the enjoyment factor is useful for most of us -- we just need to learn to control it.

For my part, I don't give myself automatic treats every day, but I do when I'm in the mood, which might be a couple of times a week. I actually don't think of them as treats, because one of my policies is to eat only foods I like a lot. Fortunately I've always preferred healthy/gourmet foods over junk food, so it's all good.

Freelance

Well, I think our BIOLOGY also makes food more than fuel. We're designed to enjoy food. We could also say that sex is strictly for reproduction from an evolutionary perspective, but most people are designed to find it enjoyable (so they'll be motivated to reproduce).

F.

Honestly, I feel like I enjoy my food way more now than I ever did when I was stuck for all those years in the food addiction cycle. I eat things that are delicious *and* good for my body. I also love knowing that they're helping me to get stronger and lift more. I savor the taste of my food in a way now that I never did before.

I've lost weight before, but I never realized that I was dealing with more than just being overweight. It wasn't until I began to explore the root of my food issues that I was able to be freed from most of the mental crap that goes along with it. I've never truly looked at food as fuel before, it's always been comfort, reward, friend, etc.

By saying that I view food more as fuel now, I certainly didn't mean to imply that there shouldn't be enjoyment. I'm much less likely now to eat something that I don't enjoy.

i do it occasionally. i mean, it's not good nutritionally, but it's not going to make you fat.

^^this!!^^
I like treats. A lot. :D :carrot: :carrot: :carrot: :D

I eat super-healthy foods because I like them. A lot. :cb: :hun: :broc: :hungry: :carrot:

Today's breakfast was a banana, piece of toast, & 1.5 oz of cashews.

Lunch was carrots, zucchini, green beans, tomato & cucumber salad. No dressing.

Snack was a treat (4 blocks of chocolate... :cloud9: )

And dinner tonight will be a 2 egg omelet with bell peppers & 2% cheese. SUPER YUMMELS!!!

So the "4 blocks of chocolate" worked in easily into my caloric allotment. This is what enables me to know that I can truly EAT THIS WAY FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. Because I'm SATISFIED :woohoo: :goodscale :yay:

I had a cookies and cream milkshake today that had as much calories as one big meal or two small meals, and you know what? I don't care because I RARELY have stuff like that, and I know I will be good on OMG sweet stuff for awhile. It was delicious, too. OM NOM NOM.

That's how I have to think of stuff like that; otherwise I'll beat myself up and feel depressed and blahblahblah and I'd much rather be happy with myself than an emotional wreck! :)

As a maintainer (before I got pregnant) I allowed myself ice cream as a dessert every single night. It's just something I love. Sometimes, especially on weekends if I've been busy and haven't eaten as much during the day, I'll have a bigger, full-fat and sugar bar instead of a light one. I say if you've got the calories for it, go for it.

But just a note...around here there are Snicker ice cream bars that are only 180 calories too!! :)

Yes this is really what I meant. I think I came off wrong earlier. :?: It would be great to gain as much satisfaction from eating healthy foods as "treat" foods.

Eating occasional junk food is a perfectly valid choice, just be sure you're not undermining your goals by indulging too much. When I am in a maintenance period I eat a little cheese and dark chocolate daily, even though I am generally paleo-ish in my diet and avoid almost all sugar and dairy, in addition to grains and beans (except the rare fermented or non-inflammatory starch). I couldn't and wouldn't want to never eat delicious food so I build it in, but it is far from foundational in calories or nutrition. A little sugar isn't the end of the world, but watch the balance!

One a day seems like overkill but once or twice a week seems totally reasonable. It was mentioned food shouldn't be a reward. This isn't a reward. It's merely using your allotment for something you want. If it doesn't lead to a binge fest then why not?