I'm publishing my food and exercise journal weekly because I've found that public accountability is what works for me in terms of weight management and motivation to exercise. However, even if I weren't making it public, I would still keep track of calories for myself. I like to do the math; I like that there is no guessing involved. It helps me control myself and encourages me to make wise decisions. Seeing how many calories I've burned in a workout just makes me feel good. What about you? What works for you?
I know a few healthy people who say they never really keep track of what they eat; they just try to make healthy choices, eat only when hungry, and exercise regularly. However, most of the really fit people I encounter have at least a general idea of the number of calories they consume and expend daily. On the flipside, I've so many excuses from people struggling with their weight as to why they don't keep track of calories: it's too difficult, it takes too much time, I'm not sure how much to eat, I never seem to stick with it, it's too hard to figure out the calories in restaurant food, and on and on.
If you're one of the people who doesn't want to count calories but are struggling with your weight, think of it this way: if you managed your bank account the same way you manage your caloric intake and expenditure (i.e., not keeping track of it at all), you'd probably be in a heap of trouble pretty quickly, right? To take that risk with your finances would hurt you and those who depend on you. Why would you gamble with your health that way?
I know it's tedious, but you must be at least vaguely aware of the numbers if you want to manage your weight. Even if it's not a daily thing for the rest of your life, try keeping track of calories for an entire week just to see where you stand...or start with just one day if a week seems too daunting! There are so many apps and websites out there to help you, not only with keeping track of food, but with figuring out your resting metabolic rate and how many calories you expend during exercise.
If you already keep track of calories, maybe take it to the next level and calculate grams of protein, carbs, fat (saturated and unsaturated), and fiber in a day, just to see where you stand. That takes a LOT of work and dedication, but it may be eye-opening. For a full metabolic assessment, there are a couple of local options, if you are willing to shell out some money (usually between $100-200; this is something I plan to save for!). Borgess offers metabolic testing, as does another local company, In the Zone. Both of these places have great reputations - I have many friends who have had the testing done and were so impressed and glad they did it!
As with anything in life, ignorance will lead to poor choices. Try to stay informed, at least most of the time! For example, I went to see "The Hunger Games" Thursday night. I love popcorn, and in the back of my mind, there was that little devil voice telling me to just eat
popcorn and look up the calories later - after all, I had worked out twice that day (60 minutes of elliptical in the morning and Body Pump class at night). However, the angel in me googled "calories in movie theater popcorn" and, as expected, came up with a slew of articles about the shocking nutritional information (one even pointed out that eating two Big Macs and would be a better nutritional choice than downing a large movie popcorn with butter!). Does that mean I will never again indulge? Maybe, maybe not...but now I'm at least informed. This time, I ended up breaking the movie theater rules and smuggling in my own, pre-popped, 100 calorie bag of microwave popcorn. I enjoyed the movie and didn't feel guilty about my food choice afterwards...unlike last night, when I ate an entire order of curried chickpeas at Food Dance after I had already reached my calorie limit for the day!
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