Counting calories (in my experiences) can be viewed as a way to restrict eating, control dieting, and enable an eating disorder...BUT there are some positives! Since I have been gaining weight (per the request of a doctor last summer), I started to just eat anything and everything. This isn't my normal attitude towards eating and has since left me quiet anxious about it all. I feel as though I have been eating to satisfy the needs of others and not for myself. SO, I decided to just get a better grasp on my diet. This is no way means that I am watching my calories to make sure I am sticking to a low number...but instead I just want to see how many servings of cereal I am really eating. I think that ready labels is great and posting calories at restaurants is super...but if you aren't keeping a general running tab, do you really know how much you've eaten? For example...if you compare a couple snacks and decide to go with the least caloric one, and you go with the best bet at Panera for lunch, and then pick a skinny latte from Starbucks...YES, you have made the best possible decisions in those scenarios BUT are you still consuming more then you expend? Probably..
So here is my suggestion. Don't go crazy and don't become OCD about it. But, simply take 2 weeks and track the calories of your normal dietary intake (your normal breakfast, your usual snacks, your casual coffee breaks, and your occasional dessert). And just see how much you are really eating. I think the biggest reality check will be the actual measurements...what does a cup really look like? And is that 200 calorie fiber one bar really worth it? I also think it helps for mindless eating. If you are aware of what you have eaten and what you are going to eat, maybe munching at your desk all day will become less appealing.
Just "food" for thought (har har har). And yes this is coming from someone who has struggled with eating issues for a while...but it is also coming from someone who tends to give better advice then she takes for herself ;)
Be healthy, live healthy, smile and have a wonderful weekend :)
Oh and get out there and exercise!!
XOXO
You should download the "MyFitnessPal" app...I found it super helpful to get a better idea of how many calories I was eating and how nutritious those foods actually were!
ReplyDeleteYou know what! I totally downloaded that same app the other day to track my calories! I haven't logged in but I've searched for food on it. You like it?? Thanks!!
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