I hope everyone is having a wonderful day! I got two finals out of the way today and only have two more left this Friday. I’m so close to the finish line and it feels so good!
Last night was spent cramming geology facts into my brain, watching last week’s Big Bang Theory, and eating the last slices of my Wegman’s ancient grain cranberry bread. I love that stuff and need to pick up more soon!
This morning I was going over my notes again over a big bowl of old fashioned oats with Chobani peach yogurt and banana slices. It was so delicious, and is only 358 calories!
When I asked you guys for advice on staying on track with my fitness and diet I got some really good advice that I will definitely be using. Jackie recommended I check out My Fitness Pal, an online calorie counter and food diary. They even have a free app so that you can synch your information over the phone. Based on my height, weight, age, and activity levels I need 1,800 calories a day. If I want to lose a pound a week I need to eat 500 calories less a day. This means I should aim to eat 1,300 calories a day. I’ve never tracked calories before and thought it was pretty cool to see my food allotment break down.
This lunch of a 100 calorie heart healthy English muffin, almond butter, and cut up strawberries was healthy, super filling, and 330 calories.
My egg and veggie burrito for dinner was 482 calories. I still have 170 calories left for the day! This is something I definitely want to keep monitoring to see how I do and track what I eat and where those calories are coming from. I plan on looking it more as guidelines than a rigid set of rules. As a vegetarian I’m always nervous to make sure I get enough protein in my day. The recommended daily amount of protein for me is 50 grams, which seems incredibly high. But by eating what you saw in those pictures I’m already at 58 grams of protein for the day. I never thought as a vegetarian I’d get more protein in a day than I needed!
And on a completely random note I wore my Maui Jims for the first time today when I went to the mall to find my dad a Birthday present and they were the most incredible lenses I’ve ever worn. They made the sky appear bluer, the glass greener, and were so crystal clear. While the style is not my absolute favorite the lens itself is better than my Rayban, Chanel, Dior, Kate Spade, and Juicy Couture sunglasses by far. Just wanted to throw that out there in case anyone is doing sunglass shopping now that the weather is getting warmer and the sun is shining on a somewhat consistent basis.
Time to make a Prezi for my group final and get ready for Glee. I am loving this season!
Question of the Day: Have you ever/do you count calories? How was/is it working out for you?
With a daughter in college about to take finals, I get a weird insight into her and her peers reading your post. Yes, indeedy, the future is in good hands! Please keep posting on your calorie counting success (or not) as it is a big endeavor. Don’t those kcals add up quickly?
Oh, and great tip about adding greek yogurt to my hot cereal. I have Chobanis in my refrig now that I will try out tomorrow with 7 grain hot cereal. http://funandfit.org/2012/04/take-good-care-of-your-hair-and-skin-eyes/
Good luck to your daughter with her finals! I will definitely keep you guys updated on how my calorie counting goes. You’re right, they add up way too quickly!
I’m excited for you to try Chobani in your hot cereal, it tastes so good!
Good luck with counting calories!! It works but I find it very tedious and usually stop after a day or two.
Yeah I’m going to try to keep the momentum up. I think more so than trying to lose weight with it I really want to see where my food is going nutritionally. Just from eating fruit I was over my sugar limit for the day, I find that kind of crazy!
Your heart healthy english muffin looks really good (same goes for your veggie burrito!)
Thank you so much! They’re both really yummy!
I’ve never been disciplined enough to count calories, but I know so many people who swear by this approach. I’ve found that keeping a food diary helps keep me in check, especially when I am training (and prone to eating entire pizzas). Best of luck with your finals!
Thanks so much! And yeah I’m definitely thinking it more of guidelines than a strict approach, but it definitely help keeps me in track. I could believe just from eating fruit how much over my recommended sugar I was! I didn’t have one sweet or piece of chocolate though so I’m letting those fruit sugars slide. ;p
I use MyFitnessPal too! I really like it. But, sometimes I have a really hard time tracking meals that are intricate and take a lot of ingredients. I try to add them as a meal or recipe but it becomes time consuming. Sometimes I just do a hand written calorie count to make sure I am staying on track.
Oh that’s a really smart idea! I was also wondering if you go out to eat to a non-chain restaurant how you track that? Do you just kind of estimate?
I never used to count calories, but now as a stay at home mom, I find it insanely necessary. If I didn’t I would snack all day, even healthy snacks add up. I know it isn’t useful for everyone but it is one of the biggest tools for me in weight loss and eating right.
Yes, it seems that a lot of times the healthy foods have even more calories because they’re so well balanced and filled with healthy fat and good carbs and tons of fiber and things your body needs instead of empty filler. I’m so glad to hear its working well for you, that definitely motivates me to keep it up!
I’ve thought about it, but have yet to give it a try. Congrats on making a go of it. I know that the free apps are a huge help…
Yes, the free app is what really put me over the edge in deciding to do it. I love that I can keep track on my phone!
Prezi – ha!
I used to count calories with an app and it did help me learn about serving sizes, how high in calorie some foods were that weren’t giving me much energy or satisfaction, and how many calories my go-to meals and snacks were. However I haven’t actively counted calories in almost two years now because I have struggled with disordered eating in the past and find it to be triggering. I also have found that my calorie needs vary so much with my activity level, which is not the same day to day, so it’s more accurate for me to go with an intuitive eating approach. For example yesterday I was starved all day and if I’d been counting cals, I know I wouldn’t have eaten as many as my body needed because it DEFINITELY needed more than usual.
However, I think calorie counting is a good way for people to start on a healthy living journal and educate themselves!
Have you used Prezi before? I am in love with it, its so easy and so much fun. It also looks so much cooler than a traditional Power Point.
Yes, that’s what I’m loving about the My Fitness Pal, I’m learning so much about the foods I’m eating that I didn’t know. I figure the more I can educate myself the better!
Woo congrats on reaching the home stretch of finals. I’m with you — one paper and one mini-assignment away from calling it a semester.
Calorie counting — I think it’s a helpful tool for losing weight, and I think it is a good thing for everyone to do from time to time just to be AWARE of how many calories are in their everyday foods. Knowledge is power!
That is exactly why I love it, I’m gaining so much knowledge about the foods I put in my body. I think that is so important!
Good luck on your paper and assignment girly! You got this!
I count calories occasionally,for a few days at a time. I find it helps me stay honest with portion sizes.
Yes, when I started using a food scale I was amazed at how much more than a portion size I was eating!
When I first started losing weight, I counted calories using SparkPeople and lost my first 10 lbs doing only that. It’s tedious, but it gets faster and easier the more you do it. I haven’t counted calories in over 5 months and can’t picture myself going back, but it’s an excellent starting point for those needing some extra accountability. Good luck!
Wow you go girl! Its awesome to hear it really works if you stick to it. Thanks so much, I hope I have an awesome success story like you do!
I use software called FitDay to track my eats and my exercise and I like it because it breaks down nutrients so I know how much protein, fats, carbs, fibre, etc. that I am getting.
And I like that I can set goals and match my results to them, too.
Weight loss is tricky and I think any tool that works and keeps it healthy is good.
Yes, I completely agree with that! There are so many different ways to get healthy and lose weight, whatever floats your boat and works best for you. FitDay sounds really cool!
I do use my fitness pal right now. In the past I was psycho about counting calories. It was seriously unhealthy. I am really working towards getting back to a healthier weight though because I don’t feel comfortable currently. I do find it tough sometimes if I want to try a new restaurant or something like that though and the information isn’t on there since it is a local place. Oh well. Trying to find a balance! 🙂 Hope it works well for you!
Aw thanks so much! I hope it works, while I’m in the BMI range for my height and weight I have like no muscle mass and know I should be 10-15 pounds lighter to be at my healthiest. I can definitely see how calorie counting could turn into a compulsive thing that leads to unhealthy behaviors. I just think I like food too much! ;p
I’m glad to see that you are giving Myfitnesspal a shot! I’m still using it too, and find it’s actually getting easier to use, even though it’s too soon to notice if it’s helping me out.
Yeah Josh and I are both trying to keep our calories in check with it and are finding it really successful so far! I’m glad to hear its working for you!!