Comments on: Counting it Out

By: You Win Some, You Lose Some… « The Great Balancing Act

You Win Some, You Lose Some… « The Great Balancing Act — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 23:42:30 +0000

[...] covered the chicken in some Kirkland organic no-salt seasoning then topped the sweet potato with cottage cheese. Wonderful meal, the chicken was SO juicy!! I [...]

By: A Day in the Kitchen « The Great Balancing Act

A Day in the Kitchen « The Great Balancing Act — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:44:36 +0000

[...] 13, 2009 by Susan Well first off, I want to say how impressed I am no one chewed my head off for counting calories again! Everyone understood my personal need to “check-in” on how I’m doing with maintaining my [...]

By: Angharad (Eating for England)

Angharad (Eating for England) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:17:45 +0000

Calorie counting didn’t work out for me long term but I do think it can be super useful as a tool for weight loss/gain/maintenance. Whilst it doesn’t teach people a holistic approach to nutrition, I think it can be a wake up call for a lot of people. I remember the shock on a friend’s face when she realised that the morning bran muffin she thought was a healthy choice packed almost 700 calories…

Way to go on the long run btw :)

By: Angela

Angela — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:15:15 +0000

I repect calorie counting and do it on occassion. It’s the best method for me to lose weight. Once I get in a routine I prefer to quit for awhile though because I get too obsessed with numbers and I noticed I would choose a less nutritious item solely because it had less calories which is counterproductive to eating healthy!

By: Susan

Susan — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:14:59 +0000

Hahahaha Ellie. Yes, I have seen that commercial! Now I’m going to think of that every time I eat a wasa!

By: Adam @ turnupmyworkout.com

Adam @ turnupmyworkout.com — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:42:21 +0000

I was never one to track calories per se because I lost 110lbs with weight watchers, so it was more points for me, but since I have started maintaining I find myself looking at the back of the packages more and more and being focused on the calories. I agree it doesn’t have much of a place in weight maintainence but I think that a quick check in every once in a while can be a good thing!!

Great post – BTW why are poems cheesy?

- Adam @ http://www.turnupmyworkout.com

By: ellie

ellie — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:21:15 +0000

“Ants on a wasa” makes me think of that commercial for beer where the frog yells, “whassssssssssuppppp?!” Did you get that in Canada? Your thrown-together dinner looks awesome. I love anything roasted :)

K, calories. Personally, it works for me. It’s how I keep track of the amount I am eating- I rely probably too much on it, but it also gives me more freedome/security. I think it’s useful and effective for weight control- I think for someone who doesn’t know anything about nutrition, it’s not the best way to acheive optimum health since it doesn’t ‘teach’ healthy eating habits, but if you have knowledge about healthy foods, etc, it’s the most effective way IMO. I used to count calories without knowing anything more than the numbers and volume so stayed clear away from things that didn’t offer “bang for my buck” so to speak (ie, why would I eat 1 tbsp peanut butter when I could eat a whole decent sized apple for the same calories?) but now I balance the two as much as I can. I really love that you haven’t counted calories lately because once the numbers are ingrained in your head, retraining your brain isn’t easy. Let us know how it goes!

By: janetha

janetha — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:20:26 +0000

i think it is a great idea to check up on you calories right now, where you dont want to lose/gain anything.. so nothing gets OUT of check. that was my problem. i lost it all and then just thought i could eat whatever and the weight crept back up. once i went back to basics it came off again.. and now i am making sure to always check back in.. maybe once a week i will mentally calculate my calories as i eat that day. not exactly, but a ballpark number. i like your response up there as far as posting your calorie counts. you are doing it for YOU and i agree, there are some people out there who dont agree with counting and they may criticize the numbers. but youve got my support! you know what a number freak i am :P i have seen that seasoning at costco. worth buying?

HAPPY FRIDAY! love to you susan!

By: Nancy

Nancy — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:46:22 +0000

I swear. Having everyone added to my google reader takes away from me clicking on ppl’s individual website and leaving a comment. But today, I just wanted to say congrats (a bit belated) on your 4 yr anniversary! Hooray for the 4 year team! (We hit ours in June and aren’t exactly celebrators either).

By: Susan

Susan — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:01:54 +0000

Lara, I thought about posting about how many calories I’m eating, but I’m scared it may influence people in the wrong way. How many calories a person needs truly is an individual thing, and I don’t want to open myself up to criticism over it being too high/too low. (although I will say, with my activity level, it’s definitely on the higher side!). I’ve so far comfortably maintained my weight for over a year with my current calorie range, so I already know it works for me :) I’m definitely going to be a little more critical with my macros and sugar intake though, I feel like that’s where I’m struggling…

By: Lara (Thinspired)

Lara (Thinspired) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:39:24 +0000

I think you know this already, but I fully support calorie counting, especially in moderation to check yourself as you are doing. I think it’s important to know where we stand and how we are doing. Maybe that is just because you and I have similar backgrounds in terms of our weight, but I totally understand.
Just wondering, are you going to be posting your calorie counts on the blog?

By: ksgoodeats

ksgoodeats — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:18:51 +0000

I share your views on romance – I hate those cheesy kind of things. Love letters? Please, give me a break.

I love how similar our lunch and dinner were yesterday! Pita sandwich and a big bowl of veggies with some veggie-protein. Great minds think alike ;)

I’m not a counter but I can see why people do it. As long as it doesn’t snowball out of control, I think it’s an okay tool to use for loss/maintenance.

By: Susan

Susan — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:02:21 +0000

I still calorie count in my head too, it’s almost like a subconscious habit now. And if I bake or make a big pot of something, I’ll figure out the calories in it so I can determine an appropriate serving size. But I at least don’t do it when I eat out anymore. For example, I don’t care to know how many calories my pork and chocolate cake had the other night. Whatever it was, it was worth it! :)

By: Susan

Susan — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:00:20 +0000

I saw the Saigon cinnamon when I was there and almost got it! I’ll be sure to make the splurge next time ;)

By: Susan

Susan — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:00:04 +0000

Lori, a lot of my food issues are from portion control too. My eyes have always been bigger than my stomach. Pair that with being a member of the “Clean Plate Club,” and you’ve got a problem. I haven’t been measuring my food as much lately which I think may be part of the problem. It’s probably something I’ll always have to do too. There are worse things than scooping my hummus out with a tablespoon measure for the rest of my life :P