| Ask yourself "Is it worth the calories?" | | | | number of pounds or even when you are |
| | | | consciously trying to maintain your current |
| One problem we all have when it comes to | | | | weight it is very helpful to be able to weigh |
| dieting is having to count calories. While | | | | your options when choosing your foods. If |
| it can be laborious and drudgery it is a | | | | you know that you are only allowing yourself |
| necessary evil if you're trying to lose | | | | 1500 calories in a day it becomes more |
| weight. You simply must know what you are | | | | important where those calories come from. |
| putting in your body on a daily basis. As | | | | Asking yourself "Are these calories worth |
| long as you are able to do this one simple | | | | it?" lets you focus on your goal more and |
| thing and stick to your plan you will have | | | | will often help you to make the right |
| success with your diet. | | | | choices. |
| | | | |
| But how to count those calories? Some people | | | | Of course most times you will make the lower |
| opt for the paper and pencil method. I've | | | | calorie healthy choice when you ask yourself |
| done this in the past and find that it IS | | | | if the calories are worth it, but that |
| laborious. Finding all the necessary | | | | doesn't mean you have to be a slave to your |
| information about calories for all the food | | | | diet. There are going to be times when you |
| you eat and carrying your little notebook is | | | | will want to allow yourself the pleasure of |
| just too much for some. You can also do the | | | | an indulgence and the calories WILL be worth |
| same thing with a spreadsheet, but again you | | | | it. If you are having an especially |
| need to find all of the nutritional | | | | stressful or challenging day it won't kill |
| information for your self. The best way I've | | | | you to have a Snickers bar, just don't make |
| found to keep track of my calories and | | | | it an everyday occurrence. |
| nutrition is through the FitDay database, | | | | |
| available for free at | | | | If you're out on a special date or an |
| | | | anniversary dinner with your spouse or |
| FitDay will allow you to track not only your | | | | significant other of course you want to treat |
| calories, but also your exercises and weight | | | | yourselves. Go ahead and order that |
| loss goals. There are thousands of items in | | | | chocolate dessert that has 1500 calories per |
| its database which makes it a breeze to track | | | | serving. In this case the calories are worth |
| your daily food intake. | | | | it. |
| | | | |
| One big issue that will become immediately | | | | The point is that what you feed your body is |
| apparent to you when you start tracking | | | | entirely up to you. It is all about the |
| calories is how easily empty calories slip | | | | conscious choices you make when eating. Too |
| into your diet. You'll be so much more aware | | | | many of us use food as an emotional crutch |
| of what you are taking in. Take something | | | | and we don't consider the impact of our |
| like soda; any non-diet soda contains around | | | | choices. In fact, many times we are not even |
| 160 calories in a 12 oz serving. Well, 160 | | | | doing the choosing we are simply reacting in |
| calories isn't a lot. But if you are | | | | a pre-programmed fashion. |
| tracking your calories you will see that 2 or | | | | |
| 3 sodas a day is going to give you close to | | | | Once you start to track your calories and you |
| 500 calories. For a woman that's 1/3 of her | | | | see what an impact making the right choices |
| normal daily allowance and even for men it is | | | | can have you will break out of that |
| 25 percent of a normal daily allowance. Once | | | | programming. You will finally be able to |
| you see this in writing you begin to | | | | feed your body what it deserves rather than |
| understand how you became overweight in the | | | | just stuffing it with empty calories. You |
| first place. | | | | will be making conscious choices to keep some |
| | | | foods out of your diet except for special |
| Personally for me soda is the first thing to | | | | occasions. And you will be on the way to a |
| go if I want to lose weight. I find I can | | | | healthier slimmer life. |
| drop a pound a week just by dropping those | | | | |
| 2-3 Cokes or Mountain Dews a day. And it is | | | | Start today by tracking what you eat and then |
| so much healthier to drink water anyway. | | | | you decide if it's worth the calories. |
| This is a conscious choice I am making about | | | | |
| my diet and once I get into the mindset of | | | | The author has held a diversity of jobs from |
| thinking "Are these calories worth it?" I can | | | | English teacher to steelworker. Currently |
| apply the same concept to all of my food | | | | he is in the IT field and is a budding |
| choices. | | | | internet entrepreneur. Interests include |
| | | | travel, fitness and health, computer gaming, |
| You see, when you have a goal to lose X | | | | website development and enjoying life. |