The (sometimes counter-intuitive) truth
Did you know that a plain bagel has more calories than a chocolate glazed doughnut?
About twice as many, in fact. And its 53 grams of refined carbohydrates are not much better for your body than the doughnut’s 12 grams of fat.
While every brand’s calorie count is different, you can easily validate this information by searching for “calorie count bagel” in the internet search engine of your choice. Compare this information with the results from “calorie count chocolate doughnut.” I encourage you to do this. I DARE YOU. The proof will probably surprise you.
Do you usually choose the bagel or the doughnut? Why? If you absolutely love the taste of a bagel in the morning with your coffee, then by all means; enjoy that delicious bagel. But I know many people who chose the bagel (when they wanted the doughnut) because they believed it was the healthy choice.
I was astonished when I discovered the average restaurant Caesar salad has close to 1,000 calories; that’s practically two BigMacs! There are many foods that seem like they should be healthy, when in reality they are far from nutritious. It is incredibly important to take the time to learn what’s lurking in your favorite beverages, snacks and entrees.
Make use of technology
There are plenty of websites, books and phone applications that exist to inform users of nutritional information . My favorite is Myfitnesspal, which is an amazing website that also has one of the best iPhone apps I’ve ever used. The app is free, and it takes about thirty seconds to search for calorie counts for both homemade and restaurant recipes. You can even add these foods into your application’s food journal. It will subtract this number from your allotted calorie count for that day, as well as its fat content, sodium content and fiber content.
Take advantage of this wealth of information at your fingertips. There is no need for expensive nutritionists or even personal trainers. I found that after a few months of detective work, I was more comfortable estimating calorie counts and also became more creative with my meals. Websites that contain calorie counts also often share low-calorie recipes.
Apply your knowledge
I don’t think it’s necessary to count calories every day for the rest of your life. In fact, that kind of obsessive behavior is actually the opposite of what I’m endorsing. You will quickly find that you can easily estimate your calorie count for the day. You can estimate how many calories your sandwich had, because you remember the calorie counts for wheat bread, turkey and mayonnaise.
You just have to roll up your sleeves and do some research.
Calories in vs. calories out
If you ingest more calories than you expel, you will gain weight.
If you expel more calories than you ingest, you will lose weight.
If you are hoping to be successful in any kind of wellness program, you need to learn what you are really eating. Once you’ve discovered this information, you are well-equipped to make the truly important choices in life: Do you want the extra piece of bread with dinner, or the extra piece of chocolate cake?
Or should you walk another thirty minutes…and eat both?
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