COOK: Trying to Lose Weight? Try a Food Budget!

DO I REALLY NEED A FOOD BUDGET?
We all know and understand that we need a BUDGET for our FINANCES, we need a SCHEDULE for our TIME, we need a PLAN for our CLEANING LIST. Nothing happens unless it is planned for. That includes our eating habits. 

Can you imagine going shopping and buying whatever looked good, without any thought to how much it COSTS? Overspending and not budgeting would not be as bad for your budget as just shopping without regard to how much something costs. But, that is exactly what we do when we eat. Most of us have no idea how many calories are in most things that we eat. 

DO YOU KNOW?

Do you know how many calories (or points) are in the the foods you ate today?

Do you know how many calories you should eat for your age/height/activity level? 

Do you have any guidelines for what you eat? 

DID YOU KNOW?

• Obesity is the #2 cause of preventable death in the United States
•  8 out of 10 American's over 25 is overweight. YIKES! 

This picture doesn't look nearly as good as the top picture of the healthy family, right? 

WHERE DO I BEGIN?

1. How much should I weigh? howmuchshouldiweigh.org

A healthy weight based on your gender and height. If you are looking for a goal weight, this is a great place to start. 

2. Figure out your "budget" - how much should I spend to either lose or maintain my current weight? There is a ton of information out on the web about how many calories you should eat in a day. I use weight watchers, which makes it super easy for me. I would encourage anyone to use them if you want long term weight loss. If you don't want to go the WW route, check this out to calculate how many calories you should consume every day. EHow.com How Many Calories Should I Eat?


3. Keep a food journal - there are tons of great resources online, apps that will give you calorie counts on everything including restaurant food. The only RULE about this step is that you must write down EVERYTHING. Not just the good things that you eat, like the steamed broccoli. You must also include the handful of M&M's! :)
Calorie Counter by MyFitnessPal - this is the top rated app for calorie counting and exercise tracking, as well as food journaling. They have a website and mobile apps. 

4. Figure out where you are blowing it! I couldn't believe all the calories I was drinking! For example, here are a few hot drinks from Dunkin and Starbucks: (calorie counts from caloriecount.about.com - link below)

• Hot Chocolate from Dunkin Doughnuts - 220 calories. 
• For a small hot apple cider at Starbucks, 180 calories. (yea right, who is ordering a small?!!)
• A grande Carmel Macchiato at Starbucks - 224 calories
• How about a whole milk Hot Chocolate at Starbucks with Whipping Cream....440 calorie! eeek!  

The point is, we all think we eat well, until they begin journaling and figuring out how many calories are going in, without us even noticing! 

Check out this great website if you would like to know how many calories you have eaten already today! caloriecount.about.com/

5. Fill up on fruits and veggies. This is so important, because you can fill up on food that is good for you and that will give you FUEL. Most fruits and veggies are zero points on Weight Watchers (which is a great incentive to fill up on those, since it doesn't count toward your food points that day...which in turn gets you to fill up on smart foods!) 

6. Keep your blood sugar level. You need to learn how to "snack smart". I usually have a snack at 10:30 and at 3:00 everyday. If I don't, I am so hungry by mealtime, that I make horrible choices! In my next post, I will have tons of great snack ideas, so that you can keep your blood sugar stable, have more energy and feel full longer. 

7. Replace, replace, replace! I am the queen of not going without! :) I have replaced my nightly dessert with a SUGAR FREE Hot Chocolate (made with water instead of milk). It totally satisfies my sweet tooth and it is only 25 calories! Or try a sugar free chocolate pudding cup - the added benefit is that it is portion controlled. It is sweet and chocolatey! Love it!! To learn how to replace &/or remake foods that you love, visit: hungry-girl.com/ 

8. Everything Counts - yea, it is true for positive and negative choices. But, instead of getting all weighed down by every poor choice that I make (because we all do! We are not going to live on broccoli and grapes our entire lives - and that isn't the point anyway!) I try to think of  as a positive motivator. Every time I make a healthier choice, each time I exercise...it all counts. No matter how small - yes, taking a walk around the block for ten minutes counts. It probably does more for us than we ever realize. It gets your blood pumping, your metabolism rolling and your head cleared. It even gives you a boost of "happy juice" (adrenaline! :) And, can't we all use a little more of that? 

I hope this post is an encouragement to you. You can lose the weight (even if you have tried before...you can do it - you just need the right tools and lots of support). You have only one life...why not live it feeling energetic, healthy, strong??
Kristen