“I generally keep my diet pretty healthy, but if there’s pizza, I’ll eat it.”
–Jaimie Alexander
I do love pizza. Really, who doesn’t? Good as it is, though, it is not the best for a lean physique to eat it too often. Sure, there are cauliflower or whole grain crusts, but no amount of self-talk can convince us that this really tastes good. So, we can yield to temptation and struggle with the subsequent guilt, or we can allow ourselves the occasional planned indulgence. The latter allows us the enjoyment without the remorse.
When we like food, we should enjoy it—in moderation, of course. If we are exercising intensely, we can certainly tolerate a few pleasure calories. We still need to be eucaloric to maintain weight, but with careful planning we can have our pizza. Certainly, when we are hypocaloric (i.e., trying to lose body fat), pizza should probably be off the table.
Enjoy pizza (and we are considering all indulgent foods, here) only on exercise days (preferable intense exercise days) when your body can benefit from the carbs. Sorry, but non-training days should be limited to vegetables.
When you enjoy pizza, maintain control. Buy by the slice or share with friends. (The latter is always better.) A large slice of pizza (18-inch pie) can be close to 200 kcal, depending on toppings and style. So, if you are going to eat pizza, go for quality—pizzeria, not boxed or cheap delivery. No regrets.
Healthy eating is about consistency, but it isn’t about self-torture. It is about good choices and balanced sustainable eating. An occasional slice (unless you are trying to get lean for competition) will not adversely affect body composition when included in an overall balanced eucaloric diet that is match to a physically active lifestyle.
Enjoy!
Carpe momento!