Calories and such...

So the guys I work with introduced me to a great site that allows you to track your calories. I'd like to lose a few pounds, so I signed up.

Counting calories is an interesting exercise, and one I'd recommend to anybody, at least for a few weeks of your life. Why?

Counting is eye opening. For example, in the morning I would eat two pieces of toast and an egg. 210 calories. I am not usually hungry in the morning, so this breakfast keeps me smiling and happy at least until noon, sometimes until 2:00.

So when I went to reach for a pop, and realized that there are more calories in the pop than there are in my breakfast, it became very easy to stop drinking pop. I'd heard of 'empty calories' before, but it didn't hit home until I started counting. Why drink a pop when I could have an egg sandwich? I'm still hungry after the pop, and content after the egg sandwich.

TheDailyPlate.com also tracks things like sodium and fat. I was logging my lunch today when I noticed that there was more salt in my chocolate milk than there was in my potato chips (hey, I said I was counting, not eating better). Another good reason to 'count', you start to realize what lovely 'things' you're putting in your body.

One last thing. I was making my egg sandwhich and noticed that a single serving of of miracle whip (and really, who only uses a serving, I usually slather on 2 or 3) had more calories than an egg. A little more pepper, and my sandwich had a great flavor, and a lot less calories. The devil is in the condiments.

Anyway, we've made a group at work, so we can all see what the others are consuming. It's kind of fun. I recommend going to the site and tracking what you eat, even if you only do it for a while.