Day 7: Count The Calories That Really Count | 30-Day Weight Loss-athon
Time for Day 7 of the 30-Day Weight Loss-athon. Today’s 10 minutes could pay enormous diet dividends.
If you’re new you might want to check out these posts:
- FREE 30-Day Weight Loss-athon – Join Us This April!
- 30-Day Weight Loss-athon – Ready…
- 30-Day Weight Loss-athon – Ready, Set…
- 30-Day Weight Loss-athon | FAQs
Read the steps below first, then take 10 minutes to complete them.
Move fast, act quickly and stop over-thinking. Ready?
What You Need:
- Paper
- Pen
- Calorie counter book, website or app.
Step 1
Calorie counts – useful info, or source of major [cue Psycho shower-scene music] obsessiveness? Depends on how you use them.
One of the reasons my programs works so well for people is that they’re strategic. You make small sacrifices for large benefits.
An excellent way to identify such power-packed mini-sacrifices is to find out what your everyday food costs in calories. You may find there are things you care little for that contain 74 fatillion calories. You’d probably want to know what they are, right?
I’m not going to ask you to count calories, which many people find time-consuming, boring, and obsessive. But I will ask you to learn the rough calorie value of only certain foods – those foods you eat regularly.
Let’s start by making a list of the foods you usually eat. Include your usual breakfasts, lunches, dinners snacks and drinks. No need to be exhaustive – just list the items that come to mind.
Step 2
Next, use an online calorie counter, app or calorie book to look up the calorie values of your main foods. (If you have a favorite calorie counter, feel free to share it in your comment on this post.)
Make a note of the calorie value beside each item on your list from Step 1.
This exercise is very useful – it gives you a good sense of the relative calorie values of certain foods. Knowledge is power! But we have to act on that knowledge, right?
Step 3
What are we going to do with what we’ve learned about the calorie values of your food?
We’re going to look for smart ways you can eat fewer calories without feeling deprived.
For instance:
- Surprised that mud cake contains many more calories than other desserts you enjoy as much or more? Then you might decide to swap your slice for a lower-calorie alternative.
- Surprised that vegetables contain so few calories? Then you may choose to add more of them to your lunchtime sandwiches and evening meals so you feel more full.
Whatever you learned, look for ways to tweak your eating regime so you get calorie benefits without depriving yourself of the foods you most love.
Step 4
Update your diet tweaks from Day 4, as well as any post-its or reminders you’ve created to help you.
Check in!
And you’re done!
Be sure to leave your comment below to check in and stay accountable. If you’re reading this by email or in a reader then please click here to leave your comment.
See you tomorrow!
Congratulations to everyone: You made it the first week. Yippee!
I suggest you keep track of your food and calories for one week. This will give you a daily and weekly total of your calories. Keep up the good work and keep posting to be accountable. Good Luck!
Congratulations to everyone: You made it the first week. Yippee!
I suggest you keep track of your food and calories for one week. This will give you a daily and weekly total of your calories. Keep up the good work and keep posting to be accountable. Good Luck!
I use a google document spreadsheet template, 60 day Calorie Counter. I added a sheet where I keep track of items I regularly eat the first time I used it. (This really has helped) calorieking.com has been a good place to find calorie counts.
I use a google document spreadsheet template, 60 day Calorie Counter. I added a sheet where I keep track of items I regularly eat the first time I used it. (This really has helped) calorieking.com has been a good place to find calorie counts.
THanks for the encouragement on my personal “brisk”. Hubby and I did a 20 minute brisk this AM- Mon.
THanks for the encouragement on my personal “brisk”. Hubby and I did a 20 minute brisk this AM- Mon.
THanks for the encouragement on my personal “brisk”. Hubby and I did a 20 minute brisk this AM- Mon.
The only meal I am bad with is breakfast, because I like to sleep in in the morning so I eat things as I’m getting ready or walking out the door. It’s not bad, but it could be healthier. All of my other meals I try to make 1 main item and then pick veggies or such to supplement the meal.
The only meal I am bad with is breakfast, because I like to sleep in in the morning so I eat things as I’m getting ready or walking out the door. It’s not bad, but it could be healthier. All of my other meals I try to make 1 main item and then pick veggies or such to supplement the meal.
I’ve doing ww for the past 14 months, but in the last 6 months Ive got bored, and seem to eat well for 3 or 4 days, then binge for the next 3 or 4 (good just before weighin). Have got to the stage of thinking food is bad, so stop eating healthier choices with higher ‘pps’! This week I cancelled my subscription, and will get back to eating sensibly and hopefully start losing weight again 🙂
I’ve doing ww for the past 14 months, but in the last 6 months Ive got bored, and seem to eat well for 3 or 4 days, then binge for the next 3 or 4 (good just before weighin). Have got to the stage of thinking food is bad, so stop eating healthier choices with higher ‘pps’! This week I cancelled my subscription, and will get back to eating sensibly and hopefully start losing weight again 🙂
I’ve doing ww for the past 14 months, but in the last 6 months Ive got bored, and seem to eat well for 3 or 4 days, then binge for the next 3 or 4 (good just before weighin). Have got to the stage of thinking food is bad, so stop eating healthier choices with higher ‘pps’! This week I cancelled my subscription, and will get back to eating sensibly and hopefully start losing weight again 🙂
Just downloaded My Fitness Pal. Thanks for the recommendations. I love nifty gadgets/apps. Hopefully this will set me on the right path.
One of my biggest issues is comfort foods. My significant other is away right now at more military training and my go to foods are not always the best choice. I put my food diary on the table as a constant reminder to watch the calories and types of food I eat (and how often).
One of my biggest issues is comfort foods. My significant other is away right now at more military training and my go to foods are not always the best choice. I put my food diary on the table as a constant reminder to watch the calories and types of food I eat (and how often).
I started using Supertracker on ChooseMyPlate.gov. Works pretty good, but time consuming. One of these days I’ll upgrade to a smartphone. 😉
I started using Supertracker on ChooseMyPlate.gov. Works pretty good, but time consuming. One of these days I’ll upgrade to a smartphone. 😉
So yesterday was a total bomb…about the only thing I did right was drink water! I didn’t leave the house, so I got no exercise. And when friends came over for cards they brought…CARAMEL CORN! UGH. It’s one of those things I can’t stop eating. And I payed for it later when my sugar crashed. I am determined today will be better! And I love my fitness pal.
So yesterday was a total bomb…about the only thing I did right was drink water! I didn’t leave the house, so I got no exercise. And when friends came over for cards they brought…CARAMEL CORN! UGH. It’s one of those things I can’t stop eating. And I payed for it later when my sugar crashed. I am determined today will be better! And I love my fitness pal.
I use mynetdiary and really like it- it has lots of foods and you can scan the bar code too- I am scheduled for surgery in May and I’m not sure if losing weight is good for me, I need to check with the surgeon- I think it should be fine but I would rather be safe than sorry- funny to think that it wouldn’t be good for me to lose a few pounds before then 🙂 Cancer is a not so funny thing I guess-