What You Should Know First
When I am cutting, I keep to one simple, basic rule: be in a caloric deficit, or, burn more calories than I consume. I guess there would be tiers of rules that follow that basic one, but that will have to be for a different post. In the next tier, my personal goal is to eat enough protein, which is about 200* grams in my case. There are a few other goals or landmarks that I try to follow while cutting, but those are the two big ones.
So the question is: If I am someone who is trying to lose weight thoughtfully, how can pizza be a part of my diet to accomplish that goal? It truly all goes back to the idea of being in a caloric deficit. Technically speaking you could probably eat pizza every day and still lose weight (though I don’t think you’d feel too hot). The best way to eat the foods you enjoy that may not be the most “healthy” or macro-friendly is to plan ahead for those foods. I will gladly take the extra few minutes in my day to plan a few meals out just so I can fit something like pizza into my diet from time to time.
How I Manipulated My Diet
Regular day of cutting (in quarantine): I try to get about 10,000 steps in on a hike in the morning, then fast until about noon or so. I will then eat a meal with 50g of protein, and get my workout in shortly after. I will then eat another “meal” (snack really) that has another 50g of protein and get some work done.. or watch a movie. I will then go for another short walk before dinner and then have another 50g of protein with dinner. I usually relax in the evenings, may go for another walk, but get in another meal an hour or so before bed with another 50g of protein.
I wanted to set up a normal day just to refer back to, but also to be open about when and what I’m eating. Going into yesterday I knew I was going to have pizza, so I planned out what I wanted to eat earlier in the day to be able to fit pizza happily into my diet for the day. It really is easy to do if you’re willing to put in a few minutes of effort to plan! I essentially just fasted a few hours longer (thank you, coffee), ate smaller, high-protein meals in the afternoon, and then had that one big meal with my pizza in the evening.
Some people think of this planning as being boring, and people accuse me of not enjoying myself or “living life,” but I care enough about trying to reach my goals, and if I can still do that while eating the foods I love, the quick planning is a no-brainer to get there.
One thing you may have to accept when trying to squeeze other foods into your diet is the fact that your macronutrient distribution at the end of the day may not be as perfect as your aiming for, but as long as you are still eating at a caloric deficit, the makeup of the calories doesn’t matter AS much. This isn’t to be confused with the IIFYM movement (eating anything if it fits your macros); planning a healthy diet and occasionally fitting in some “treats” is a very rational and successful way of dieting.
Macro Breakdown for Regular and Pizza Days
Normal Day of Cutting:
Protein: 210 grams*
Carbs: 280 grams
Fats: 70 grams
Total Calories: 2,600**
On pizza day, this was my breakdown:
Protein: 205 grams*
Carbs: 209 grams
Fats: 119 grams
Calories: 2,681**
My calorie goal is currently a max of 2,700 calories, but I aim for about 2,600** for my day. Clearly there are some big differences there, but overall, my caloric goal was met, and I met my protein numbers. Having this flexibility in a diet is awesome; there is something powerful about knowing that you are in control of your diet and that you can still lose weight while eating pizza occasionally. What a world!