Should I have a chocolate treat tonight?

[cleoowen]

I ve had no chocolate all week and have been following the MyFitnessPal app I am aiming for 1,420 calories a day which I am finding very hard to stick to. I am meant to be loosing 4 pounds a month so one a week. This month I have only lost 2 so I haven't hit my target. I am struggling but have lost 8 lbs since sept.

This week I have had one day where I have gone 150 calories over the 1,420 target. The rest of the week I have met the number of calories. I have been to the gym twice this week and burned off around 500 each time. I really trying to cut my treats down as I think that's why I am not loosing more weight.

This week so far I have had;
A portion of apple and blackberry crumble
10 sugar free biscuits
1 hot cross bun
1 slice of lemon driissle cake
3 slices of banana cake.

So no chocolate but quite a lot of treats. Is this too many from mon - fri?

How many should I be aiming for? Should I go and get chocolate tonight and go over calories again?

I think that's too many treats in all honesty.

It doesn’t matter how many “treats” you eat. It matters whether you are eating more calories than you burn off.

We can’t give you “permission”.

Stick to your diet or don’t it’s up to you.

Will the chocolate feel as good as 4lbs off at the end of the month?

Without wanting to be rude, the obvious answer is no. You haven’t met your goals and have had a lot of treats this week so having chocolate isn’t going to help! Unless you mean you want to write off this week and start again next? In which case, still no! You’ll have wasted even more days then.

Thanks all. I won't have a chocolate treat then. I guess that is quite a lot. Treats like this are my biggest downfall. In my position how many treats should I be aiming at a week?

I will be going to the gym tomorrow so burning off 500 calories three times a week plus sticking to 1,420 calories a day on the gym days when burning more calories.

On average I end up going way over the 1,420 calories twice a week, usually at weekends, but if I work out the calories I am 'allowed' in the week, adding on those I burn off at the gym I have always had less. So weekly average shows I have had 1,420 on average a day including those burnt off at gym. I am not burning off more calories than I eat though as that's 1,500 calories a week (if only including gym time) which would be impossible.

I saw this on Instagram and it summed it up perfectly.
"Don't reward yourself with food - you're not a dog"
I'm doing MFP at the moment too and have loads to lose. I've saved the money I spent one "treats" every single night before I started calorie counting and I'm going to get myself some new jeans or something when mine are too big from losing weight. You don't NEED the chocolate.

Also- if you are trying to lose weight, don't eat back the exercise calories.

It’s not about the number of treats. it’s about your diet as a whole and balance.

Yes- I think the reason I have only lost 2lb this month is because I am eating back the calories burnt at the gym. Justifying to myself that it's fine.

I am really going to try not to do that now. I was thinking today though about when I do loose my target weight, i ll have to calorie count forever and always watch what I eat and go to the gym three times a week forever to maintain. I do often feel life's too short for that.

No- I don't think the chocolate would taste as good as loosing the weight feels. A very good way of thinking about it. Think I will try and say that to myself every time I want a treat. I actually crave the chocolate but feel sick afterwards and don't actually enjoy it like I used too.

Have you heard of the no-S diet? There’s a thread on ‘weight loss chat’ on here. Basically you have no sweet things, no snacks, no seconds except Saturdays, Sundays and special occasions. There’s no calorie counting and you know you can have a traf at the weekend. You’ll hopefully find you want it less at the weekend too.

I’ve gone from a size 10 to a 6 doing this diet ( not sure of actual weight loss numbers as don’t know my starting weight!).

Also, are you sure you’re burning as much as you think at the gym? Do you have a weight loss tracker?

I also recommend not eating back the calories you exercise as it's hard to gauge how much exactly you are burning. MFP often massively overestimates how much you burn.

It depends on your weight, effort etc.
I'd cut down on the sugar, that's a huge amount of sugar to be eating in a week, on a diet. I'm not saying you won't lose but the closer you get to your target weight, they harder it is to shift the last pounds.
Best of luck xxx

Clara- yes I lost half a stone easily and then last 2 lb have been difficult.

Yes- definitely might not be burning as many as I think. I am just using the calorie counter on the piece of equipment I am on. So it doesn't know my weight etc.

Any apps you'd recommend for more accurately recording calories burnt during exercise. 500 calories is running/walking 5k and doing 600 steps. You don't burn many calories with a lot of hard work!

The S diet sounds good. I will try. I switch between being really motivated to tone and loose weight to thinking life's too short to not enjoy the foods I love. Living like that indefinitely I would find hard though. I don't think I care enough about loosing the weight. People often tell me I don't need to loose weight and say I am slim my figures ok but I do dislike my wobbly bits but maybe just not enough to constantly be watching what I eat.

I used to think others were 'lucky' to have the figures they have but having been on holiday and spending more time with slim people I realise they are constantly watching what they eat. They don't drink, they don't have that slice of cake that I have, they don't have as many snacks as I do, they only have 1/2 slices of pizza to my 4/5, they run everyday. I looks like hard work being like that 24/7.

I have a Apple Watch and I don’t burn 500 calories running 5k, it’s 300 if I’m lucky!

The good thing about noS is it quickly become a way of life rather than a diet.

Nooooooo don't eat it 🙉
Keep up the good work 😀

That's a lot of treats in one week. Why don't you not have treats in the week and then have something sweet on Sat evening?

I stayed just under my calorie limit every day last week, then yesterday i ate carefully so i could have a McDonalds, i went 150 over and now feel so guilty! I've never felt guilty about eating before but i had an 18 hour day yesterday and there was no way i was going home at 10pm to stand in the kitchen putting something together.

I'd never stay under my limit if i had almost daily treats though!

Red-you are so right. I am having too many treats.

I had a bit of a blip. A rubbish week last week and unfortunately eating lots more chocolate Sunday and Monday.

However. I am now back to it. I ve just watched joe wicks tv program and I am motivated again. I will try to cut down seriously on my treats. The problem with me is having a chocolate bar on Sunday, brought home by dh, led to more and more sweet treats. Once I taste it it's like I then need more and more. I am better off not having it.

I want to try and make this healthy living and eating part of my lifestyle.

I do struggle though with the fact that in reality to be slim means constantly watching what I eat. Constantly not having that treat. I find I don't care that much about being slimmer to do this.

its not so much a case of watching what you eat. its eat less move more . Also change your snacks or treatsfrom unhealthy to fruit and veg pre chopped. also drink more water.

I feel for you OP, treats are my downfall too!

I try to only have something like chocolate or cake if I have enough of a calorie deficit to endure I don't go over my daily goal. So if I know I want a 300 calorie chocolate bar, I have to not eat the 300 calories earlier in the day. Usually I do that by having a big salad for lunch - feels me up but hardly any calories! Good luck, you're doing really well and you can keep it up!

Omg fills me up not feels me up!

Thanks for replies. Yes, I am trying to have less in the day to compensate. Terrible week last week,back to old habits.

Back to being good this week. Have had no sweet treats so far this week.

What salad do you have that fills you up?i need to eat more salads but can't motivate myself to like them

Try thinking of treats that are not food!

Reward yourself with a half hour doing your nails, have a nice bath, MN for a bit, or have a nice cup of tea/fresh coffee, a face mask, buy a new book on Amazon, or just create an imaginary shopping basket, call a friend, spray on some favourite perfume for no reason, plan a really nice yet healthy dinner (roast veg or baked Aubergine), look at old photos, have a nice big juicy orange, etc etc

That's what my treats are anyway , Ido get the need to reward oneself!

Fave salads:

tuna nicoise (tinned tuna or tuna steak, spinach, green beans, tomatoes, new potato, boiled egg, balsamic dressing)

Taco: lettuce, chopped tomato, beans with taco seasoning, avocado or guacamole, peppers and a small sprinkle of cheese

Broccoli: coat broccoli in a little olive oil, loads of garlic, salt and lemon zest then bake in oven til crispy and squeeze lemon juice over while hot. Have with spinach and avocado.

Supermarket light version of Caesar salad

Balsamic glazed pear and goats cheese