 Tips when counting calories
There really is no way to know exactly how many calories you are consuming in a day if you are not weighing or measuring. But when life gets busy, there often isn't time for details.
With that in mind, here are some helpful shortcuts that you can incorporate into your routine and still feel confident that you are counting properly.
• Buy pre-measured packages. This can be a bit more costly, so you have to weigh the benefit. Sometimes when the pre-measured items are on sale, they're not much more than the regular items. Also, you can buy a bulk package and create your own pre-measured servings at home.
• Learn the marks on your dishes that match a portion size. For example, maybe the top of a design on a glass equals one cup of liquid or the first ridge on a bowl is a serving size of your favorite cereal.
• Note the number of servings on a package and consider how long it takes you to eat one package. This works well for things like pretzels or condiments. If you know that you have a small handful of pretzels every day and that there are 15 servings in a bag, you know that you need to make the bag last about two weeks. I also find that this works well for things like a tub of cream cheese. If there are eight servings in the tub, I just cut 1/8 of the circle out at a time.
• Learn to accurately eyeball a serving. Whenever time permits, weigh and measure. This will help you to get used to what a serving size looks like. When you are short on time or eating out, you are more likely to judge sizes correctly.
Remember, living in denial is likely what got you where you are. Solid information is what will get you back on the path to good health.
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