Hey Gooders,
So your clothes are fitting a little tighter than you like. You can't stop grazing on snacks. Your workouts feel meh because you feel sluggish and slow. Have any of these happened to you? Coming off of 2+ years of Covid, my answer is a resounding "YES!"
Please note: If you have or had an eating disorder or if you don't have a great relationship with food, please take care of your mental and physical health first. No need to count calories. Please reach out to someone if you need help.
For those who want a reset, you may find helpful suggestions in my approach when I want to tighten up a little bit. I am a very rebellious calorie counter. I truly don't like it. But from time to time, I find it very helpful to see where I'm slipping and why after all of my efforts, I don't feel better.
My day is not dictated by the number on a scale and many of you feel the same way. But I take weight into account when I'm trying to gather data to see where I can improve. And as you know, if you want to tighten up, lose some weight, you need to be in a calorie deficit. And the best way to see where you are is to count the calories going in.
There are a lot of amazing calorie counter apps out there. I use the Lose It App as I've had it for years, I already know how to use it, it's good and I don't want to learn to use another app. This is my approach.
- I only count calories for 2-3 days. Tops.
- I prioritize protein and fiber intake.
- I drink a lot of water.
- I try to go to bed earlier.
- I don't exercise like a crazy person to "take it off."
What I discovered during the calorie counting days are the following:
- I am a grazer. Once I counted the grazing calories and was shocked. Almost 800 calories from innocuous healthy snacks like nuts. A small handful here, a small handful there... yikes!
- I "taste" as I cook. So you do need to taste as you cook to see if the seasoning is right. I was eating mini dinners while cooking and then sitting down to eat a real dinner.
- I eat huge portions. Tracking my calories actually made me realize that my portion sizes were too large. When I adhered to the suggested serving size, I realized I don't need 3rds. Maybe 2nds depending on my activity level that day but I was used to overeating and indulging. Eating til I was overfull became a habit.
Just by putting a little extra effort into what went into my body gave me huge insight. I took the data from the 2-3 days and started to adjust my meals. It took a few days to feel okay with eating less. Not because I was hungry but because I was so used to eating a lot. Good news is that after a few days, my body seemed to adjust.
I didn't drastically change my diet. I still kept in what I look forward to at the end of a meal. Like a cookie or two. If I wanted wine then I would have a glass and adjust something else somewhere. I started to eat more fruit as a snack to help fill me up in between meals. No one ever gained a ton of weight from too much fruit.
These small adjustments made a huge difference for me. I felt better, slept better and moved better. And when you start feeling better, you want to eat better, move better and live better. It's a positive upward cycle.
Bottom line is, take charge of what you put in your body. If you don't like how you feel, it's up to you to change it. You have the power to reach for an apple instead of a cinnamon roll. I don't do anything drastic but lean towards what I can change and keep doing as a part of my lifestyle.
I hope some of my approach gave you insight or an aha! moment. You can do this. And only you can do this.
I'm cheering you on!
**Xx, Essie**