When You Need a Calorie Reality Check
I never count calories. I don’t track my meals. I try to eat when I’m hungry and stop when I’m feeling full and not overthink things too much. I’m definitely an “everything in moderation” gal, but occasionally “moderation” becomes “frequency” and there are times when it’s good to be reminded about a little thing called calories. Sometimes working out makes me feel like I should get an All-Access Splurge Pass — which isn’t the case unless you’re running marathons daily. So I fully admit that sometimes, I’m in need of a calorie reality check like I got in these two instances.
Instance 1. When I was pregnant the first time, my vice was s’mores. It was the only time in all three of my pregnancies when I was like, “We must go to the store right now and get supplies…” at 9 p.m. on a Wednesday. During my last pregnancy, I ate all of the bacon I could get my hands on during my first trimester. Then, my addiction switched to popcorn.
But not just any popcorn.
Have you ever had popcorn with melted marshmallows and butter drizzled over it? Do me a favor: DON’T. It’s the stickiest, sweetest, butteriest most wonderful and wonderfully unhealthy way to eat popcorn — like Rice Krispies Treats only popcorn instead of cereal. My husband and I ate it a few times while watching TV. And then we did a general tally of the calories involved. Needless to say, it was eye-opening. The numbers staring back at us weren’t pretty; especially for popcorn, what would typically be a healthy snack. We severely decreased our gooey popcorn intake so I wouldn’t end my pregnancy 100 pounds over the recommended weight gain.
Instance 2. I was at a sandwich shop about to place an order when my eyes landed upon the calorie count of my sandwich of choice — over 1,000 calories for a lunch sandwich. Not able to justify the caloric expense no matter how yummy, I immediately changed my mind to a reasonable still-delicious turkey sandwich order. Had I not seen the calorie count, I probably would have gone ahead and ordered the delicious Italian sub, knowing it wasn’t the healthier option but choosing willful ignorance. Sometimes that hard numeric truth gives you the kick in the butt you need to change your decision for the better. Now, that’s not to say that there aren’t instances where calories don’t matter. I splurge plenty. But sometimes we get into habits of just not worrying about it and sometimes we need a gentle reminder to steer us a healthier direction. Sometimes knowing calorie counts can be a good thing.
Have you ever had a calorie reality check? What had you been eating that you didn’t realize was such a heavyweight treat? —Erin