Goodbye, my love: An Advisory

I know, I know. Its been a while. I have lots of recipes and ideas coming up, but greatness takes time. 


In the meantime....


I rarely go into Starbucks, because paying $2.50 for something that I can make (better) myself just never feels right, but laziness got to me this morning so I went in. I had been dreaming the whole way there about those Petite Vanilla Scones and how they really are the best thing in that food display case--PLUS, last time I got them I remembered them being 140 calories for 3 so how could I go wrong? 


Well, not knowing how to read is one way and subtle trickery is another. The sign says $0.95 for one, $2.50 for 3, 140 calories each. Yeah. Just like that. So last time when I casually ate 3 of them and practically bathed in the sweet goodness, smiling like an idiot because they were only 140 calories, I actually consumed 420 calories. 


Sigh. 


I'm not going to rant   about calories or tiny deceptive writing-- this is simply an advisory to read signs and labels and then read them again. (Then, maybe one more time--just to be sure.) 


So long, wonderful, sweet, perfect little vanilla scones. We had a good run there for a while. May you rest in beautiful, sugary glaziness.

Pin It

Calories.

I know I’ve said in previous posts that calories shouldn’t matter as long as you are eating healthy. That’s true, they shouldn’t. But they do.

I ate healthy and gymed it up for over 2 months with zero change on the scale and while I felt good, I was in need of some visible progress. I needed to change things up a bit.

I’ve been counting my calories since the beginning of March. I’m not doing it the way I did in college, where a calorie was a calorie (ie. Choosing to have 2 beers rather than dinner or eating one meal a day when that meal was In N Out). No, I’ve graduated, so I’m smarter now.

I very strictly plan out my breakfasts and lunches and leave a little wiggle room for dinner because (1) it’s my favorite meal and (2) crafting a meal that will be satisfying for myself and my boyfriend that’s under 500 calories is a big feat, that I’m just not always up for. These planned meals have a lot of protein, veggies and fruit and I allow myself bread (mostly because I can’t live without it), but I’ve greatly cut down on my cheese intake and I write down EVERYTHING I eat, down to the 3 M&M’s I took from the breakroom. Everything counts.

This has been working. Since early March, I’ve lost 4.5 lbs. It feels really good to finally have some visible progress. The only issue is that my energy seems to fluctuate a bit. Some days I have tons of energy and I find myself grocery shopping, doing dishes, cooking dinner, making crafts, going to the gym, and still feel vibrant and smiley. Other days (like today), I feel like I just want to sleep. The coffee and 3 cups of tea haven’t done anything. I’m still debating if this is a calorie related thing, a girl thing, a Wednesday thing, or if I’m just having an off day.

Anyway, if you are really trying to loose weight, it is a numbers game. You need to eat less and burn more. The exact amount of calories you intake will differ from one body to the next, but it is the only way that I have ever really been able to successfully (and healthily) lose poundage. If I start seeing a pattern with the mood swings, I’ll up the intake a tad (since my body Is telling me to), but for now, I think I’ll just chalk it up to hump day.

Here’s to half the week being over! Cheers!

Pin It

Salad Bar Drama

The 2 salads below are from the same salad bar and look very similar but they are not. The ingredients are almost the same except one has chicken while the other has avocado but there is 394-calorie difference between the two. The difference is mostly in the amount of ingredients added, so when you’re at the salad bar, be mindful of portions and take a look at some of the calories that you may be adding to your salad.

713 Calories

319 Calories

Just keep in mind that a normal person trying to maintain their current weight (someone NOT on a diet) should probably be eating roughly 2,000 calories per day. About 500 should come from Lunch. (Note: if you’re trying to lose weight, a 350-calorie lunch is a much happier choice). A normal salad bar salad will come out to about 500-1200 calories depending on what you put on it.

I won’t bore you with a list of calories for every item at the bar. You can do that on your own, if you’re so inclined. This is merely a snapshot of what you might find at the bar and something to keep in mind next time you’re filing up your plate.

(hint: mushrooms, cucumbers, baby corn, beets, olives, tomatoes, radish, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, carrots, onions, and bell peppers are all under 30 calories per salad bar serving and great salad bar choices.)

Greens:

If you have the option, Mixed greens is a better choice than Romaine or Iceberg. There are far more nutrients (and flavor) in Mixed greens. If you need the crunch that Romain lettuce provides, mix the two.

The Ad-Ons that you ACTUALLY want:

(I’ve calculated the calories in to servings that you would probably really use)

Sunflower Seeds = 110 calories for 2 scoops

Hardboiled Egg = 70 calories

Avocado ½  = 125 calories

Chickpeas = 143 calories for 3 scoops

Kidney Beans = 80 calories for 3 scoops

Raisins = 80 calories for1 scoop

Cheese (any variety) = 110 calories for 1 scoop

Bacon Bits = 30 calories in 1 scoop

Croutons = 80 in ½ cup

Pre-Cooked Chicken Breast = 110 calories for ½ breast (about 4 sliced pieces)

Dressing:

These are calculated from 2 tbsp., which is the general serving size and is about the size of a ping pong ball

Ranch = 148 calories

Creamy Balsamic Vinagarette = 90 calories

Light Balsamic Vinagarette = 45 calories

Blue Cheese = 145 calories

Thousand Island = 118 calories

Italian = 56 calories

Caesar = 140

For the record, not all calories are bad. Avocados will keep you full for hours, same with chickpeas and hardboiled eggs—just use in moderation and if you have to have cheese on your salad (as I do), just know that you’re adding 110 calories with a pretty small amount of cheese…so enjoy the hell out of it. As for dressings, if you can’t eat a salad without a creamy dressing (again, like me), then maybe see how little you can put on your salad and still enjoy it.

Don’t freak out and never go to the salad bar again, just be aware of what you’re doing once you’re there.

Pin It