I’m not into calorie counting. Sure, I’ve done it. I’ve kept food journals and tapped into the online programs that keep track for you. But, like a lot of my weight-loss strategies, counting calories would get tedious and I’d stop doing it.
That said, I learned a few things today. I’d already figured out that in order to lose one pound a week, I need to shave 3500 calories per week through a combo of diet and exercise. That’s an average of 500 calories per day. Piece of cake!
Literally.
I am pretty generous with the treats, so I didn’t think I’d have a hard time finding 500 calories each day. I have at least one treat every day — and that’s being modest. I know I bought two big bags of the peanut butter m&ms in the last month (and they didn’t survive more than a few days). But I was a little shocked to learn just how many calories I’ve been consuming.
The truth about my favorites:
- Starbuck’s Pumpkin Loaf — 460 calories
- 28 peanut butter m&ms – 240 calories
- Mrs. Fields m&m cookie — 300+ calories
- Cold Stone Creamery vanilla bean ice cream with Heath bar mixed in (Like It size) — 435+ calories
The good news? This knowledge alone will make me think twice before indulging. And if I do get tempted, I’ll just brush my teeth (see rule #1 in previous post).