About Counting Calories

Okay, I'm not going to lie.  I really hate calorie counting with a passion.  I hate dieting in general.  However, if you are going to successfully lose weight, you've (we've) got to come to terms with the fact that energy coming in is balanced with the energy going out.  Just like a hard-earned deposit made to the bank in balance with money we've spent shopping for something we may not have really wanted, we've got to watch what kind of calories we consume.

Here is an example of things to change in your diet (as I'm learning).

I like coffee.  A lot.  Now, I cut out all of my quad peppermint mochas after finding out that they put EIGHT pumps of syrup in there!  I went down to 1/4 of the flavor and then cut them out altogether.  If I buy coffee, I drink an Americano.  However...I add cream to it.  If I only consume one of these puppies a day, I'm probably okay, but the problem is, that I drink coffee in the morning at home first, with 2% milk.  I accumulated the calories for just one morning and I realized I was drinking 265 calories just in my multi-cups of coffee before I even ate anything for breakfast.  In one morning, I ate almost my entire calorie budget (waffles, bacon, coffee with milk, and fruit).  I realized that something was going to have to change...

SWITCHING TO:

TEA, which in my opinion needs no milk at all (yuck), is not only healthier (according to experts), but is also virtually nothing in calories. (Some teas list 0 calories, others around 2). If you are addicted to caffeine like me, you can get Earl Grey or any other kind of black tea that still has the same caffeine as coffee, but is less acidic and easier on your system.  I highly recommend making the switch.  I know change is hard, especially with diet, but it's a suggestion.  You have micro-organisms in your intestines that are crucial to digestion and weight-loss that have a hard time surviving if you are an avid coffee drinker.  Just something to think about.

Another problem for me is fatty dairy.  I'm not so much a sweets fan (cutting out sugar makes you lose the craving quickly), but I love cheese, butter, sour cream, etc.

SWITCHING TO:

Actually, there are no replacement for butters and creams without adding chemicals to your diet, which I also recommend avoiding as MUCH as possible.  However, there are healthier options to butter, such as olive oil, but like butter, you have to watch the calories.  One tablespoon of butter = 102 calories, but is at least a natural substance, unlike margarine that contains fats your body can't digest well.  There are butter spreads that contain conola oil and are half the calories, but they contain things like maltodextrine and "natural flavors" which contain MSG and are chemicals that accumulate in your body and mess with reactors in your brain.  My suggestion is to SKIP butter altogether.

Meat...a lot of people believe they have to have meat to get protein into their diet.  I will go into more depth about meat later, but I will tell you right now that beans and rice together work in synergy to provide a whole protein, do not contain the dangerous saturated fats that most meats have and are an easily digested protein with a bonus, fiber, something that is also necessary to digestion and weight loss.

The best thing to do, is to avoid ALL processed foods when possible.  Make it a priority and switch to whole foods that are as close to nature as possible.  I'm not saying you have to go vegan, but as close in that direction you can go, the better you will be for it.  I was a vegetarian for years before returning to eating meat while I was pregnant with my daughter.  I was much healthier, much thinner, much more tone, lower blood pressure, etc.  The most often you can cut out meat and incorporate beans and rice, the healthier you will be.  I'm hoping to follow my own advice here and am happy to give you feedback on my experiences toward these goals.