Keeping Tabs On Your Calories
Know what you are putting into your body. I love knowing that there are 3,500 calories in a pound of fat. Some people can consume that amount each day so it’s not surprising that some people gain 30 pounds in a year without knowing how.
It’s very easy to do. Think about it, a hamburger, fries and soda (1,200 calories) and there’s most of your daily calorie allocation blown right there, to top if off it won’t keep you full for long either. Eat that every day for a year without much exercise and that adds up to some serious weight gain.
The reason why I love knowing that there are 3,500 calories in a pound is because it puts it all into perspective. I know that to burn that 3,500 calories off, I will need to do more than 60 minutes on the cross trainer each day plus a 30 minute walk. So it makes me wiser in my food choices. It keeps you thinking and puts your mind in the place where you definitely wish you never had that extra donut or chocolate shake. And the place you will think about this the most is right in the middle of your intense work out where you pay for every extra calorie in sweat and pain. Don’t worry if you’re coming to terms with this, what is important now is you are aware of it. You will start to see food in a different light and gain a healthier respect for it and the effect it has on your body.
These days all foods display the amount of calories on their packaging. This way you can know roughly how many calories you will consume and if it meets your daily requirements. This is also a great indicator of foods to avoid especially if they are loaded with empty calories.
Use your knowledge when determining the number of calories a meal has, be a calorie detective by making it a priority to know what’s going into your body.
Once you get good at it, figuring out how many calories a particular food has will become a breeze.
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