More on those Deadly Calories

The average person is off by 25 to 40% when they are counting calories for the day. If that is so should we just completely forget about them? You hear many people saying don't worry about them. I am a firm believer in knowing calories. I believe that: "The more you know the more you can eat," and I am all about eating.
Calories are helpful in your decision making process when you are choosing between two items, especially when you are eating out. Why choose a 3000 calorie meal when there is one that is 800 that you love as much. Be mindful when you are eating out and go on-line and choose your meal before you go. This will save you 1000's of calories this year. Remember it takes 3500 calories to produce or reduce a pound so meals eaten out are killing us.
Purchase a small calorie guide and become familiar with your favorite foods. A good one is "Calorie King Guide"(Target).
Read Labels but beware as advertisers have become saavy to us and trying to trick us by putting the calorie amount of half of an item so pay attention.
Try and wrap your mind around the fact that the average woman can eat around 2000 calories/day. Some more, some less. It is a great idea to divide your day into meals by calories and plan 4 or 5 ideas that you consistantly eat for breakfast, lunch and then dinner (half plate rule) and snacks. As you do this you begin to kind of see what you have to work with. EG.
Breakfast 400 calories Lunch 500 Dinner 800
Snack 100 calories Snack 200
You can divide your meal planning guide anyway that works for you but you must eat breakfast.
By having this framework set you will really begin to see that you do not have alot of extra room for the mindless eating that you do. Also eating out takes on new meaning when you know what you are shooting for. Just try to plan a meal at Red Robin to fit into this meal guide.
If you develop a basic meal plan like I have shown, the next step would be to make the foods you love fit your plan. More on this in later blogs.