Long Bones

To be fair, it was only after I dropped those first forty pounds that I became a calorie counting convert. The thing with counting calories is that you become very aware of your habits and your vices very quickly. It is enlightening.

Of course this tip has other important factors in weight-loss wrapped up into it. I’m thinking of portion control specifically. After all, how are you supposed to measure how much you are eating if you can’t tell a cup from an ounce?

First, I don’t really actually bother to check portion sizes on not-starchy veggies and greens. Seriously, take spinach. Wonderful yummy awesome spinach is 7 calories per cup. So I’m going to eyeball it.

Anything more calorie dense, such as grains, proteins, fruit, chocolate, starchy or fatty vegetables, drinks – juice, soda and alcohol, dairy and cooking fat.

Some things will surprise you. For instance, say you’re being very conscientious about your diet and you’ve switched from coke to cranberry juice. Good for you! Cranberry juice has lots of vitamins and nutrients and all of that. But when you start looking at calories – 12 ounces of coke has 140 calories – 12 ounces of cranberry juice has 210 calories. One third more than the coke!

I’m not saying don’t drink cranberry juice! I’m saying be aware of how much you’re drinking over the course of a day.

There are lots of good websites out there for counting calories. I am a devotee of www.livestrong.com. A google search will help you find the one that’s best for you.