To still eat chocolate on a diet.

[boredtotears11]

I’m managing to roughly stick to 12.000 calories a day. My dd says if I’m serious about losing weight I shouldn’t really be eating chocolate. I’m sick of saying I’m incorporating it into my daily intake. For instance a small kit Kat is 104 calories. As long as I count it in it’s ok right?

12,000 calories? Do you mean 2000?

Of course it’s ok! Too much restricting is bad imo because it just makes you feel deprived and leads to bingeing and overeating.

If it's incorporated then why not. Life is too short to not eat chocolate

A handful of dried fruit and nuts could be more calories than a small chocolate bar...if you're calorie counting, then it doesn't matter if it's chocolate or fruit, as long as its counted.

Of course its ok, i lost 2 stone doing similar, just low calorie diet of about 1000 calories including the odd chocolate of sweet thing that was around 100 calories

Spillthetea
Think OP means 1200 calories

I lost 50lbs (it took about a year and a half) eating a mostly 1,200 - 1,400 kcal diet - and I used to do exactly that. For example, if I wanted burritos and a beer for dinner, I would count it up in advance, and make my other meals fit around what would be left.

So definitely do it! Having little treats help avoid binging.

I am currently calorie counting everything using My Fitness Pal. The way I look at it is this. I'm not on a diet, I'm changing my eating habits. But I have no intention of spending the rest of my life without chocolate. What I'm doing right now is learning about how I need to eat in future in order to maintain a healthy weight over the long term. If it eat 100 calories worth of chocolate then something else doesn't get eaten. As long as the rest of my calories are coming from something more nutritious then it's all good.

Diets don't tend to work. So you need a eating approach which will work long term. That involves treats. How old is your dd?

I don't know. I find I can only stick to a diet if I eat sugar free for most of the day, as the sugar messes up my blood sugar levels and makes me want to eat more. I do allow myself a 31cal Elizabeth Shaw mint after my evening meal though.

The other thing is that 1200 calories is pretty low, so if you overdid it on the chocolate you could end up missing out on important nutrients. A KitKat a day is probably OK because that's about 8% of your calories and you still have 1100 left to spend on more nutritious food, but I'd be wary of having much more than that myself.

I've also just started using MyFitnessPal wasn't a great time to start last week as I counted it as being on hols with the kids. I've also found I pop in what my meals are for the day and then see if I have anything left over for treats. It also makes me exercise more frequently as I can see that small trot around the block is added to my calories for the day! Probably not the way you're supposed to see it but never mind.
I don't have any scales at home but my waist band feels a little looser this week.
Enjoy that chocolate.

I would stick to plain dark chocolate if I were you. A kitkat will provoke an insulin response in your body, and weight loss success usually means getting your blood sugars under control. Have a look at a book called 'The Obesity Code' by Dr Jason Fung, as he explains this better that I ever could :)

I intermittent fast. In non fast windows and days, I allow some treats as this is forever for me now. I will always intermittent fast now as I can still have treats but on the whole just aim for much more healthy food.

I'm one of those who has a rubbish off switch and willpower but only once I start eating. When I'm fasting, I have so much more control.

I eat chocolate, sweets, and I will definitely get my fav Mcdonalds when open but all on non fast days or in my eating window.

I assume you mean 1200 calories instead of 12,000

And absolutely have some chocolate - diets where you completely stop eating treats is always going to be a disaster. I'm currently doing 16:8 but with a calorie limit too (1300 daily according to MFP) and if I want chocolate or crisps, I have it, I just make it fit in with my daily count.

We're having Chinese takeaway later this week - I'll just eat less through the day/the following day to balance it out. It's fine. Treats are fine.

Op, good quality plain chocolate has a fewer calories than milk. Is that another option?

With kindness, you’re an adult who can make choices about what you do or don’t eat - you don’t need anyone else’s permission or approval to do so. You don’t have to justify yourself to anyone. She’s your daughter, you can tell her to pipe down if she won’t leave it alone.

Sorry, I meant 1200 calories. The thing is, I know I’m losing weight, my clothes are getting looser, but I seem to have come to a bit of a standstill, hence the thread that it’s not because of the chocolate. I’ve even stopped putting sugar in my tea, which I miss.

How long have you been at a standstill for?

Best typo ever 12000 calories a day would be ace

Daily chocolate eg a Kit Kat or a freddo has been key for me. Keeps me ticking along not bingeing. Lost 5 stone in 8 months now maintaining. Most of my diet is healthy. So far today I’ve had skyr & berries for breakfast, Salmon Caesar salad for lunch with homemade watercress dressing and just had a Kit Kat with my coffee. Dinner will be jerk chicken and veg. Yes I could have had some fruit but I fancied a Kit Kat.

I believe that "moderation in all things" is the best philosophy for dieting. There shouldn't be anything you're not allowed to eat on a diet (unless it's something like Keto that requires strict adherence).

It's fine to treat yourself to things you enjoy.

Now, some people have "trigger foods" that make it harder for them to stick to their plans. For instance, if you're the type of person who can't stop at just one or two biscuits, it's probably best to avoid them altogether (except when you've decided it's okay to overindulge for a day). But if you're managing to eat sweets moderately, that's fine.

You might find you'd lose weight faster by avoiding certain foods, even if you're counting calories-- but life is meant to be enjoyed. If you're limiting your calories, you're doing pretty well!

Sometimes it can be hard to drop below a certain plateau, no matter how fiercely you stick to a diet. Much depends on age and genetics.

Its ok of course. the thing is though if you "waste" half of the 1200 calories on unhealthy stuff, you wont feel full in the long term and are more likely to give up. Its also unhealthy for your body because you would have to cut down the healthy foods in order to make up for the junk.
If its a couple times a week, then its perfectly fine, but i wouldnt recommend eating chocolate every day.

How long have you been at a standstill for?

About a week now. I must admit I’ll have more than one kit Kat sometimes but I do allow for it. Sometimes I skip lunch completely.

I've been having a Diet Coke and caramel Freddo a day and have done exactly the same. I see it as an investment into the future as if I wasn't to eat them I'd be miserable and pack it in within 24 hours

It is fine. A balanced diet includes sugars and fats.

I wouldn't worry too much about a week of standstill, to be honest, could be water weight, hormones or anything.

Give it another couple of weeks and see if scales move down.