Are These Calories Worth It?
Taking a moment to think before you eat can save you lots of calories! Becoming aware is the first step to making changes. Try starting a new habit of asking yourself a few questions before you indulge in a treat. The answers may lead you to some relatively easy weight loss!
1) How will I feel after I eat this candy bar/donut/milkshake? Of course you want it now; that goes without saying. But how will you feel 15 minutes later? Will you feel satisfied, satiated, or relaxed? Or might you feel guilty, tired from a sugar crash in 30 minutes, or just wanting more? If the answer is “better than I feel now”, it might seem like a good idea. But be honest with yourself. Waiting 10 or 15 minutes to rethink this choice. If the craving passes it might end up saving you up to 300 Calories!
2) Is this food worth the calories it will put into my body? Find out how many calories are in foods you are eating. Internet sites provide everything you need to know (just google ‘burger king nutrition’ for instance), and food labels give you the information as well. Think about the number of calories you are getting from a side of fries, from a dessert, or from a piece of office birthday cake and ask yourself, “Is this really worth the enjoyment I’ll be getting in exchange for the calories I’m taking in?” Lots of the eating we do is quite mindless, as we accept a cookie someone hands us, grab a few candies from the dish we pass by on our co-worker’s desk, or place the dessert on our tray before reaching the cashier in the cafeteria line. If you can bypass a 300 calorie indulgence each day, it will add up to a three pound weight loss at the end of the month! Maybe this sounds like too little to matter, but remember that a year from now that will add up to 36 pounds—gone! Not bad for just skipping a few treats you really weren’t enjoying in the first place.
3) What would I have to do to burn off this number of calories? Again, the internet is a great place to find extensive lists of activities you would have to perform to burn off 200 or 300 calories. Remind yourself what you will have to do to balance the extra calories you take in from high calorie foods during the day. Ask yourself, “If I eat this ice cream am I willing to go out for a 40 minute walk to burn those calories?” If the exercise isn’t in your plans, maybe the food shouldn’t be either!
Think before you eat and decide whether you will really enjoy the food and feel good about eating it; whether you would rather lose weight by passing up on those fattening treats; and whether you are willing to be more active to burn the calories off. See how often you decide it’s not really worth it and start watching the scale go down.
Written by Laurie Beebe
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About The Author: Laurie Beebe has been a registered dietitian for 25 years and is certified in adult weight management. Laurie currently serves as a Related posts:
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