Calories - your best friend or your greatest enemy?

So, let's take a look at calories.  Way back, when I was a teenager, I was a pre professional ballet student.  We took class for hours each day and rehearsed all weekend.  We tried to survive on as few calories as we possibly could - the lower the calorie count in a food, the more it was idolized.

Two years ago, I never thought about the calories in food.  I ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted it.  Part of this habit I attribute to my first pregnancy.  Having never been through a pregnancy before, my obstetrican was caught unaware by the fact that my body handles pregnancy WEIRD.  As in, I don't gain weight during pregnancy. (Seriously.  In fact, the most weight I gained during anyone of my six pregnancies was 11 pounds.)  I was sent to a nutritionist to determine why I was losing weight some months and then just maintaining others.  The nutritionist was not a very good one - she determined that I should be eating as much as I possibly could of any food that was high in fat and calories.  That was her answer - just eat and eat and eat some more of anything you want.

Well.  Who doesn't WANT to eat that way?  After my son was born, I continued to eat in the same pattern.  After all, I was nursing.  Lather, rinse, repeat, through the rest of my pregnancies.

And here were are now.  I don't count calories now either. 

I determined, when I began this journey, that it was going to be a lifestyle change and not just a diet.  I knew that there was no way I was going to be able to count calories and try to stay within a certain number.  I didn't want to be responsible for adding and subtracting for each meal. Look, I can barely balance my checkbook. Instead, I tried to keep the numbers on the lower side.  For example, I'll use my morning coffee, just because it's easy to do and such a glaring example.  I used to drink a Venti White Chocolate Mocha from Starbucks every morning.  Such creamy, yummy, sweet goodness.  It should be - with whole milk and whipped cream, it comes in at 630 calories. Knowing that the average woman, not trying to lose weight, requires around 2000 calories, we can see that one cup of coffee is just shy of 1/3 of the daily allowance.  A woman trying to lose weight should try to stay around 1500 calories - so that drink is almost HALF.

What I try to do is just keep the numbers low.  The coffee I drink now has about 150 calories.  150 vs 630 = no contest.  Tonight I bought cereal at the store.  Looking at the labels, all things being equal (no trans fats, no high fructose, larger number of fiber grams, lower number of sugar grams), I chose the cereal that was 50 calories lower. 

I don't count them in terms of trying to stay within a magic range, I just try to keep the numbers low.  But, if I want a treat, and I want it bad, I look at the calories and determine how much energy it would take to burn it off.  One Snickers bar - around 270, which equals to just shy of three hours of walking on the treadmill.  Is it worth it?  Only you can make that choice for yourself. 

Take the time to look up the calorie count of a few of your favorite foods.  Most every company has a website - with just a few clicks, you can see if your daily coffee habit could be making your pants tight.  Or what, exactly, that buttered bagel every morning is doing to your weigh loss efforts.

I also don't waste my calories on something that isn't the BEST I've ever had.  If I'm eating ice cream, and I don't think it's just amazing, I don't finish it.  It's ok not to - if I'm going to eat 300 calories, it's gonna be worth it.

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Thank you so very much for the warm welcome!  I am really enjoying the thought of this blog and have discovered that I have a LOT to say on the subject.  Tomorrow, I'll be talking pedometers! 

Comments

[Tara]

This site is great. I'm looking forward to taking your advice and start changing my lifestyle!! I would like some advice on starting a walking program. How far should you try to walk at first? Should you increse your distance daily, weekly, etc. Your advice would be much appreciated.

[Elizabeth]

I'm so happy to hear that you lost weight without counting calories. But, do you weigh or measure to get the correct portion size?

[Emily]

I've found portion size is really tricky when comparing food labels. If you're not careful you'll think you're getting fewer calories per serving--but really the serving is much smaller and you end up with more calories than you think.

[On the Journey to Victory]

You are very encouraging. Thanks for starting this blog. I visited yesterday from Mel's site.

I also struggle with my weight and go back and forth of what to do do loose the weight. Lately I have been a little frustrated with my blog too and have been wondering if I should continue or not. After spending some time on your blog I am considering changing the format of my blog and blog about my weightloss journey. I am thinking that maybe that will keep me accountable and motivate me to continue on my process.

After reading some of your posts yesterday, today I have already wrote down everything I am eating today. I am going to start being honest with myself and my actual food intake - not just what I know I should eat.

Thanks again. I will visit often.
I tried to add you to my bloglines, but it said it couldn't read the site feed. Do you know what I need to do to add you?
~Betty~

[javamama]

Good advice, Carmen!

I currently track everything now because I found I've got a warped view of portion size and "incidental" calories. I found I was mindlessly nibbling on an extra 500 calories a day while preparing dinner - gah! But I know I can't track so closely forever and I don't want to do it forever! I want to figure out how to intuitively take in the right amount of fuel for my engine.

I think it's sensible choices that you can LIVE with are the thing that will save us in the long run. (Especially if you are spending some time every day shaking your money maker!) You don't have to stress over every bite, only be aware of them.

But you do have to know that fancy coffee drinks are Satan covered in whipped cream and dusted with nutmeg.

[1girl2boys]

I'm so glad I found your site. I hope to do what you've done and I'll be looking for as much advice as possible.

[Julie]

I've been reading your other blog for quite some time. I clicked over here yesterday and am finding such inspiration. I love this ELF approach. I bought a notebook this morning and I've written down everything I've put in my mouth today. It's only 3pm I'm shocked at my day already. Nothing like seeing things in writing . . .what a reality check.

[Melinda]

Hi Carmen. I've been reading your other blogs for a few months now, and I really enjoy it. I also read Shrinking Mom, who told me about your newest blog. It's great too! I look forward to reading more of it.

[Daisy]

Great advice about treating yourself. I often tell people that something "just isn't worth the calories." For me, it's cheesecake. If a cheesecake is worth the calories, the memory of the taste will carry me through the workout required to rid my body of it. If it isn't that good, I stop at ONE bite.

But I also don't go in for any Fat Free or Diet food. Like the greatly missed Julia Child said, "I'd rather have one spoonful of a great chocolate mousse than a whole bathtubful of fat free Jello pudding." My apologies to Julia if the quote isn't perfect. I've started cooking more and more from scratch since I've had my second baby, and I've found that I'm more satisfied (and therefore eat less) when I use real ingredients (butter, EV olive oil, sugar) than when I try to substitute. It's just more "worth it" to me.

[Melanie]

I wish you had a contact link: I always feel compelled to say far too much in the comments. I kind of did the same thing you did when I made my NYResolution, 4 months ago. I wasn't looking to lose a certain number of pounds, or even pants sizes, I just wanted to feel better and look better and take better care of my body. I decided to stop eating fast food (which I was having sometimes as many as 5 days a week) and Coke. Like you, I have had days that I consume as many as 6 Cokes. Well, I am back up to at least two cokes per day and I have had fast food more often than I am willing to admit. I don't know what caused me to backslide, I can't even say when it was. I don't remember.

I love what I have read from you so far. I feel like you really understand my issues, and my reasons. I mean, you understand them, but you still reject them. It kind of makes me feel worse about myself, but in a good way, as silly as that sounds. I have some workout tapes, I have an exercise bike. I just need the will and motivation, and I think I found it in you.

I have my own blog, it's currently dedicated to my daughter. Maybe I will change it to a diet progress blog to give myself more accountability.

[Kathy]

Thank You so much for starting this blog.I am right now where You were so many months ago.I am 200lbs,I have six kids and the youngest is just three months old.Your entry about exercise totally inspired me.You are right!I can find the time each day.I just have to make it a priority and then got on with my day.

[Cindy]

Hey Carmen! I was wondering if you were going to recap your exercise "history" to the point where you are now... you're RUNNING now, right? How did you start and stuff...

Love BOTH of your blogs, cannot wait to read more!! (so, um, write more, please) =)

[Jeana]

Thanks, Carmen! Mary at Owlhaven and Mel both sent me here. I've seen the advice to write everything down a million times, but never did it until now--maybe because that's the main thing you said, not just one of a long list. (At least that's the main thing I took away.) Wow! I think my biggest problem is definitely denial. I cut 800 calories from the first day to the second, and all I did was stop the mindless eating. (BTW, I have no doubt the first day would have been even higher had I not been writing it down.)

I have a question though--when you first started eating different, did you experience any negative physical side effects the first few days? I've been having headaches, which I strongly suspect is sugar withdrawel. Especially since I started this directly following the sugar orgy that was last weekend. Any thoughts?