No complaints on yesterday’s eats… they were yummy!

Quick recap:

Breakfast was a creamy cold bowl of refrigerator oats-nut butter style made with unsweetened chocolate almond milk. It was so good; I can’t even explain it… and so filling!

When I saw the egg rolls at lunchtime, I REALLY wanted one, but there was no chicken or fish option (only sweet and sour pork or teriyaki beef)… so I loaded my plate half full with vegetable stir fry (like a true dietitian). I also got some chow mein and the prized egg roll, then I tried to pick through the dark meat chicken on the salad bar to add some protein to the meal, but that little endeavor was rather unsuccessful. At first glance, I thought the spread looked healthy since there were so many vegetables, but maybe it wasn’t the best choice.  I got my eggroll, though, and I have healthier stir fry on the menu for dinner this week, so life goes on…

….on to 5 dried apricots right before I did 85-minute infinite freedom (power) yoga class from yogadownload.com! Man, it felt good to do yoga again really, it has been way too long. I have to say this class was way over my skill level, but it still felt great, and I got a lot out of it.

Dinner was simple, a chicken breast patty, half sweet potato, and sugar snap peas. Followed by a dessert of three dark chocolate almonds. 🙂 Happy Days.

Calorie Counting Journey-Part One: Weight Loss

So, I started this blog initially thinking that I would write about calorie counting at some point. My experience with it, how it helped me, mistakes I made, how I took it too far, and finally learning to eat intuitively. I’ve hesitated because I felt a little bit like a fraud.  Some days I still struggle to remember that my goal is to live healthy and not year around weight loss. However, since I’ve had many people ask me about it and I’ve helped many friends and family start calorie counting and then move to intuitively eating… I’m hoping my tips can help others. This is my real experience with weight loss, control, maintenance, and how it all fits into a healthy lifestyle. So here it goes, part one…

Weight Loss and Portion Control

So I took a trip down memory lane and pulled out these records from the very first week of my account at caloriecount.about.com.

HOLY SH*T! Well, thank God for that Vitacrave, or I might have zero nutrients.  I knew it was going to be bad, but I’m telling you if you told me I had to eat like this tomorrow, I first would laugh loudly and nervously, then if you seemed serious, I would make a run for it.  

I spy some fruit, but for the most part, PROCESSED PROCESSED PROCESSED foods. It is so crazy to me because now I pass by those types of foods without batting an eye. When I see them, I think, “Empty calories that won’t even put a small dent in my hunger.”

I can’t believe it gave me a B grade and I even felt pretty good about myself (if you don’t count the shakes, crazy mood swings, headaches, fatigue, and crankiness). I did, of course, lose weight, because I was severely restricting my calories. It didn’t take long at all to learn that vegetables and whole foods give you more bang for your calorie buck…

Look at that, one month in and what a genius I am, adding in some vegetables and whole grains! Wahoo! I’m also 95% sure that muffin mix is a fiber one muffin… so I’m getting some fiber too!

At this point, coming from a home where the cooking was southern, I was learning about the right portion sizes and portion control. The rapid weight loss motivated me, and it felt good to be making progress toward my goal. Being a type-A nut case/(do you see I logged tums? Dear God Kelli get a hold of yourself)  I loved to play with the little analyzer thing. I liked meeting all my nutrient needs and creating the most significant gap in energy expenditure possible.

I wasn’t paying attention to macronutrient recommendations, calories were the name of the game, and I was playing hard.  Little did I know the dreaded dieter’s plateau was coming… but that’s for another post. The point of this post is to say that calorie counting was good and is good for anyone just starting to lose weight (I’m not including anyone who has ever calorie counted before, been on weight watchers, or the like).

Benefits:

• You do not have to change the foods you eat to lose weight.
•  Teaches you portion sizes and calorie density of foods you usually eat, in perspective of your needs. If tracking macros, it teaches you what types of foods are considered protein, fat or carb.
• You will likely learn that healthier foods (like fruits and vegetables) are lower in calories so that you can eat more… increasing your intake!
• You will be encouraged to make food choices that are within your calorie allotment, especially when eating out.

Negatives:

• Does not teach you anything about the quality of your diet.
• Promotes the ability to over-restrict what you eat.
• It’s challenging to maintain daily or long term.

Related:

• Calorie Counting Journey Part 2: Signs It’s Working Against You
• Calorie Counting Journey Part 3:  How I Stopped Counting & Started Living
• Why 1200 Is Not The Right Number <— one of my most popular posts
• What Is The Best Weight Loss Program < —- read this before going on another diet!