too many cookies

I've eaten my normals meals but for the past 3 days have been a cookie lover. The serving size is 4 pecan cookies for 200 calories but I feel like I'm doing something bad when I eat them. I have about 450 calories to use for dinner tonight even with my cookie consumption. Is that bad that so many calories come from junk food? They are from Trader Joe's...so no artifical sweeteners or other hydrogented things. But still. 

If I stay within my target calorie range, does it really matter what I eat? 

yes it matters what you eat, but i doubt having 200 calories worth of pecan cookies will kill your weight loss. however having 1000 calories worth of them would probably be  bad.

Yes, it matters in the long run where your calories come from; but a few cookies once in a while will be fine for you.  Don't do, however, what I did on my 4-day family reunion and eat 1000 or more calories of cookies every day. 

As long as you stay within your calorie range, you will still lose weight, most likely. However, when it comes to feeling good and getting your nutrients, cookies may not be an idea choice.

It's okay to splurge sometimes, even good for your sanity, however, everything in moderation. You want most of your calories to come from protein and good complex carbs.

 I've eaten a box of chips ahoy cookies in 3 days!! it make u feel like shi*. It doesnt keep you full long at all.  I dont recommend on cookie overdose.

*wipes forehead* I suck at dieting, or restricting calories, so I'm just trying to unsuck haha. Thanks for all of the input. I was kind of in a jam, I was thinking to much into it. Advice taken. :D

if you are really concerned about those 200 calories, but want to have them anyway, i suggest you take a jog around the block for 20 minutes. that would take care of the 200 calories. Jogging would cancel out the cookies, so it's up to you if the pecan cookies are worth the trade off :)

I'd eat them :P

sleepy bum- you are so right. i would eat them too.

but velouriaa- if you do decide to eat them, eat them and ENJOY them, no point having something and then beating yourself up about it afterwards. eat and ENJOY, thats the whole point of cookies.

I agree in allowing "treats" on a regular basis, enjoying them, and moving on.  But I do think that it is important that they not be too big a percentage of your total calories, because that would crowd out more nutrient rich, satisfying (in the long term) foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and meats.  So, 200 calories on a 1200 calorie a day diet only leaves 1000 calories for "real food", which may not allow adequate fiber, minerals, vitamins and other nutrients.  But, on a 1800 calorie/day diet, would still leave 1600 calories of high nutrition foods, which should be more than adequate.

My personal strategy is to target 1700-1800 total calories/day (this is about a 500 calorie/day deficit), but to make sure that 1600 of those calories provide something more than just calories (protein, minerals, vitamins, fiber).  Then, I am "allowed" to make up the rest with treats like a glass of wine, or a small dessert, or a handful of chips or whatever I am longing to eat "for fun".  I often find I don't really want anything, and sometimes I either stop at 1600 or find that what I really want is something like a few more ounces of chicken, or another serving of brown rice (something I have defined as "real" food).

Also, remember that just because a "serving" is 4 cookies for 200 calories, you can stop after each cookie and ask yourself if you are satisfied, or if you really want another cookie.  I measure my treats onto a plate, sit at the dining room table, alternate a bite with a sip of water, and ask myself if I am "satisfied" after each bite.  Sometimes, all I want is a few bites, sometimes I want the entire serving.  I always stop when I feel satisfied.

OO, again, all excellent advice. Thank you! To reach  my weight loss goal my calorie allowence is 1300 =\ 

You're right, sometimes all I want is 1 cookie. Those famous amos chocolate cookies...just 1 cookie is enough chocolate to satisfy me. 

For my sugary fix I'm switching to a fruit smoothie and possibly one cookie XD

velouriaa: I hope you resist temptation a bit better than I did.  Between reading about cookies and taking the "Chocolate Survey" on another thread, I got to thinking about how years ago my favorite commercial cookie was "Heyday."  I searched for it online, but Nabisco no longer makes it.  I did find a rather time-intensive, difficult recipe to follow.  I made 25 cookies:  Result:  F on Appearance.  A+ on taste (even though they were not super close to the original Heyday).

I mean, if I really watch it like you do and only eat a couple, I guess I gave in to a chocolate, crushed peanut, caramel, wafer treat.