It has been my experience that most people, including myself, can deny exactly how many calories they consume in a day. I have been counting calories for over 2 years now so I'm pretty familiar with the calorie content of many foods.
And that's because I'm in the habit of finding out by reading nutritional information all the time. If the info is not on the pkg. I look it up on the internet. I routinely measure and weigh portions. This is all part of educating myself and helps me to make better choices. But every once in a while I think I can fudge the numbers. (no pun intended!) Numbers (true numbers) don't lie.
When someone tells me that they have lowered their calories and they're still not losing weight, the first thing I think (to myself) is that they're still eating too much. Plain and simple. They're still eating too much. Now they might not be doing it on purpose, I'm sure they really believe (hope!) they have cut their calories enough. But if you think you've cut your calories enough and your not losing weight, and you want to lose weight, cut them more! Or go to the doctor and find out if there's something wrong with you medically.
My weight was what I consider too high for most of the week, last week, and I wasn't too happy about it. I knew I was eating more than usual, but it was all good nutritous food so I justified it, that's part of denial. By Sat. I had to admit to myself how I had probably still been eating too much, and I was eating foods that I know cause me to hold more water (carbs) and foods that don't move through me as fast as some other types of food (not enough raw veggies and too many cooked veggies).
So, I took my own advice and meticulously portioned out and journaled more exact calories. I included a raw veggie salad, and miraculously, it worked! My weight reflected the extra effort of being honest, really honest about my food consumption.
Now, I'd like to blame my denial on laziness, but I don't like not taking responsibility for my actions. So I'll call it what it is, it was denial! Not on purpose (that's also part of denial!), but I was clinging to hope! Hope that I wasn't eating more than I was admitting, but I was, and if I wanted to change it, and I did, I had to face the conclusion that I was eating too much!
Saturday AM weight 128.0 (I haven't been this heavy on a Sat. in a long time)
7:30 KB
Menu
coffee w/cream 90 cal., cocoa 90 cal.
oatmeal w/milk 290 cal.
cabbage salad w/pork, golden raisins and curry dressing 520 cal. (large salad)
apple 120 cal.
prunes 100 cal.
yogurt shake w/strawberries and fiber 230 cal.
Misc. 100 cal. (2 mint candies and 1 date earlier in the day)
Total calories 1540 (for real!)
Sunday AM weight 126.4
High calorie day
No workouts
Menu
coffee/cream
prunes
apples
almonds
chili pepper soup w/chicken and 1/2c. black-eyed peas
ice cream, 1 pint of Hagen Daz, Mayan Chocolate 840 cal.
almond butter
chocolate and walnut cookies
Total calories 2800-3500?
I didn't want to stress about trying to add up calories today I guess I still want to be in a little denial!
I spent the morning/day (5:30-1:00)at the Flea Market and took with me the apples, almonds and prunes. When I got home I had some soup and was planning on going to a yoga class at 3:30. I wasn't going to have a high-calorie day, but it didn't quite work out that way.
When I spotted the pint of ice cream in the freezer and decided to "have a taste", I let myself "lose it" and my all or nothing personality took over. I ended up eating the whole thing along with finishing small container of almond butter (1/4c.). Then I started rummaging through the kitchen, found some cookies and the rest is history. I took a nap and didn't eat anything after 3:30.
Today I get to practice my strength in willpower and take my own advice. I'm determined to keep my calories low, and eat the type of foods I know I need to eat to accomplish my goals. Tomorrow I'll be back on track and feeling good. I am in control.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
Tracy,
What is your goal weight????
I am curious.... you look great! so be careful with your thoughts.
Yoana
Funny thing, that you bring up this question. I am planning on addressing just that point soon on my blog.
But to answer right now, I would like to get up every morning a see 126.something! I just have to make up my mind and focus on that exact goal.
I've been in "losing weight mode" for over 2 years now, and I'm finding it difficult to mentally be satisfied with maintaining a particular number.
Thanks for your concern, it's also a concern for me too. I know I am in danger of taking it too far!
The good news is that too much fat loss affects the look of my face. As you age your face naturally loses fat, so I am vain enough to still want to look cute! And not anorexic.
Tracy
Great post. But I do think that women, including my wife, can get so carried away with their weight. It almost becomes an obsession and constant topic of conversation, though and concern. Great to be purpose driven and to take action toward your goals, but within a realist context. Who really wants to go through life without eating a bowl of ice crea, or a chocolate chip cookie every now and then.
Either way you have achieved so much already. You already are a champion. Maintenance in your case seems to be the goal.
Franz, I know Mark gets tired of me constantly talking about my weight, so do I! It does become easily obbsessive.
There's a part of me that wants to be soooo skinny! But Why? That's another "million dollar question".
I think it has to do with perfectionism, self worth, and acceptance, at least those are some of the feelings I have about it.
Tracy
You wanna good laugh?
I was reading an article on T-nation that John Berardi wrote about Dave Tate coming to him for nutritional advice, and to help him get a healthy diet going ( ask Rif this about floored me ).
So the first thing they did was ask Mr. Tate make a food log of course.
He wrote it down including all the fast food,chips and snack ect he ate in a day.
Mr. Tate takes care of his kids a lot including getting them off to school and making lunches, well I totally recognized his eating behavior, and his average intake and meal sources looked one hell of a lot like the way I used to eat ( I still relapse but I am getting much better ). Including the Little Debbie Star Cakes both of our kids seem to like. LOL
Well when I read his food log I said to myself how could he get that damn big and strong eating that few calories.
They added up his food log and it was over 10,000 calories in one day.
I almost soiled myself, I still don't think I came close to 10,000 a day but still it must have been much higher than I thought. UGH!!
Exactly! Calorie dense food is usually the culprit, but it's a little more difficult for me to count calories in home-made food.
And alot of veggies react differently in my system. For instance butternut squash is a veggie but acts more like a potato, same with alot of the root vegetables I've been eating lately.
Much easier to count the calories in Little Debbie Star Cake. Doesn't Little Debbie make some sort of oatmeal/marshmallow cookie? Those are my favs!
Yeah they make those cookies, they rock. But so does being strong and lean enough to play sports with my buddies. LOL
I do like me the chewy junk food.........oh well.
Hey thanks for the add, really really cool!!!!1
Post a Comment