Calories == $$?

belltyler
belltyler Posts: 6 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Anyone else wake up in the morning and see their daily amount of calories as an amount they are allotted to 'spend' for the day, almost like a sort of currency?

For example: each food item 'costs' a certain amount of calories and you try to spend all of your calories every day on healthy food and not get too into debt? :tongue:

This is just one mindset one could apply to their calories, haha.

Replies

  • MG_Fit
    MG_Fit Posts: 1,143 Member
    Not gonna lie ... not me.
  • c_tap77
    c_tap77 Posts: 189 Member
    I absolutely do this!!!! Of course I work in finance so that might be a contributing factor....
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    YES, That's why I try to at least have a mental budget of how much for each meal.
  • Pmagnanifit
    Pmagnanifit Posts: 665 Member
    Yes, I even started logging before I eat so I know if I can spend more on something extra like a glass of wine
  • bcf7683
    bcf7683 Posts: 1,653 Member
    Yup! That's why when I log a tablespoon of this or a 1/2 cup of that, you can be damn well sure that I'm scraping that cup or licking that spoon clean to get my calories worth!... Maybe that makes me a calorie cheap-skate?..... :bigsmile:
  • pluckylass
    pluckylass Posts: 7
    Not particularly relevent, but my first thought was "no, calories equal pounds, not dollars."
  • MizTerry
    MizTerry Posts: 3,763 Member
    (raising hand)

    Guilty.
  • belltyler
    belltyler Posts: 6 Member
    Not particularly relevent, but my first thought was "no, calories equal pounds, not dollars."

    This is another way of thinking about it, sure! Everyone says that one pound is 3,500 calories. So that makes me think like, "If something is 700 calories, that's 1/5 of a pound!" or something along those lines.
  • kluvit
    kluvit Posts: 435 Member
    Absolutely! My mindset is "is it worth it?" And, I do borrow/carry over from one day to the next to remain within a weekly "budget," as I like to "spend" more on weekend dinners out and less on daily routine meals.
  • SailorKnightWing
    SailorKnightWing Posts: 875 Member
    Not particularly relevent, but my first thought was "no, calories equal pounds, not dollars."

    This is another way of thinking about it, sure! Everyone says that one pound is 3,500 calories. So that makes me think like, "If something is 700 calories, that's 1/5 of a pound!" or something along those lines.
    That was a pun... remember the British currency is called a pound? £
  • RockinTerri
    RockinTerri Posts: 499 Member
    I try to do that, but some days are a bit tougher than others. :ohwell:
  • 1JenMilam
    1JenMilam Posts: 108 Member
    Yes, I think of my calories as money! Puts it into persepctive to me.. I wont "spend" my calories that aren't worth it.
  • belltyler
    belltyler Posts: 6 Member
    Not particularly relevent, but my first thought was "no, calories equal pounds, not dollars."

    This is another way of thinking about it, sure! Everyone says that one pound is 3,500 calories. So that makes me think like, "If something is 700 calories, that's 1/5 of a pound!" or something along those lines.
    That was a pun... remember the British currency is called a pound? £

    I know the British currency is a pound, but that didn't even occur to me at the time of reading that! Dang, that was punny!
  • Leather_N_Lace
    Leather_N_Lace Posts: 518 Member
    Totally guilty here. I will even research food and see how that effects my intake for the day before I ever even eat.
    :)
  • NaomiJFoster
    NaomiJFoster Posts: 1,450 Member
    That's how I describe MFP to people. I say it's like balancing your checkbook. You have to mark down every deposit and every expenditure.
  • SpeSHul_SnoflEHk
    SpeSHul_SnoflEHk Posts: 6,256 Member
    Of course. It is the economy of food.

    I look at how many calories eating something will cost me, and how much utility will I get from it. Then I make a decision on whether or not I can afford to eat it.
  • Mr_Bad_Example
    Mr_Bad_Example Posts: 2,403 Member
    This is pretty much how I roll. Heck, sometimes I buy things on credit.
  • puckit61
    puckit61 Posts: 112 Member
    Yes! And now that you mention it, maybe that's why my finances are doing so much better as of lately... too much MFP!
  • glin23
    glin23 Posts: 460 Member
    I definitely look at it in those terms. Or atleast pretty close.
  • janettebishop940
    janettebishop940 Posts: 88
    When you don't use your calories it's like using credit cards but when you do it's like paying in cash - you see every penny being used or wasted!
  • Tessyloowhoo
    Tessyloowhoo Posts: 504
    This is pretty much how I roll. Heck, sometimes I buy things on credit.

    Me too dude Me too
    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t69SZo14zV4yTXNO5pOZJCeCs8VVRbRbYEO5HXwKh5dFad9JyXdoyXw+HVOKhFaLcbAeXzPeLOKzU2zqamcXwsAJQAGJb6AAIhH58/6ef+n+5EgRXSWdqFucor5v6GaAXkb1UbtV2GjlP+p8xZVAAFgXIEMowe6VNykore2kl3sL6ASbBWfoth7U5T952XhH92/ImjVhcOqcIwX4Ul48/U2lemfjeXLsOzqb4alZFvAz6nM+aHmpU2YuT4JvyVz0R2f4jYoS5ytFfHf6JnmNuJwastZMIIHyHcCVTpyu2+bbPIBY1xkm5ugAC+IAAi7cpxnVVYy4Xs/B6P8AncXc+eIuOQ47rKSTfah2X3rg/wCciOro7gPCunZatDXOpnHXMdd/7yUkACKV9UJ0ky/aj1sVrHSXfHn8PqVdn0NoqGd5T1MtqK7Et35XyZK0c9x3Z+ioPaTZZa74uMZH+XXj91FHRhcZKlLag7P0fiuJzgkCAciqcx7mEOabEK25d0hhU7NTsS/2v48CXPniJPLs9nS7L7UfdfDwfAjpqK+cfgrns3tMW2jq8/8AYe4+3grgDmwWYwrK8Hrxi9GvgdJGuaWmxV3imZM0PjIIPBAAeVlQr3Syr7EP1S+i+pYSpdJZ3rtcoxXpf6m5RNvL0Vc7Sy4KEj+xA9/ZRABkmlzFET/RnL7vrpLRaR73xfw+pG5XlrrTstIr2pcl9y50qSjFRirJKyRoVk+EYBqVbOzuyzNIKmQfK3Tmfx6r2ACIXRUKv0nxm1UVNboLX9T/AGsWLGYpUoSm+C3c3wXmUStUcpOT3ttv4khQx3djO5U7tRW4IhTN1dmeg+59F4ABLLn6AAIgACLKOzK8e6NRS4bpLmjiMpnlzQ4WKyxSuieJGGxBuF9BhNSSkndPVNcUeis9Hs32X1U32W+y3+Fvh4MsxAzRGJ1ius7M2gyuhEjdd44H90Q8VqSnFxkrp70z2DCDbMKRc0OGF2iqGbZLKi9qOsOfu9z+5F2PoTV9Hr3PiQeY9Gk7yo6P3Hu+D4ErBWA/K/xVC2p2cewmWlFx/XeOnH16qsGUbcRhZU3acWn38fDmarEgDfRU9zXNNnCxW/B4l05qcXqn6cUXxM+eF9wdTapwlzjF+iI6vbkCrr2TlN5IyeB9j7LcACLV6QqvSijaspcJRXpo/oWoi+kOCdSknFNyi1ZLe09H9DZpX4JBdQe3qY1FE4N1GY+n4uqhY7ctyqVaWmkVvk9y+7JPL+jLfaraL3E9fi+BYaVNRSjFJJbktxvT1gbkzMqrbL7OyTESVIwt4bz9vVa8JhI0oqEFpz4t833m4AiSSTcroUcbY2hjBYBACIz7Nurj1cH22tWvwL7nuOMyOwha9ZVx0kRlkOQ8+SjOkWZ9ZPq4vsx32/FL9t3mQplmCfjYGNDQuR1dU+qmdM/UoAD2tVAAEQABEAARZTLJkee3tSqvujN8e5/crRm5ilibI2zlvUNdLRS95Geo3EL6GCs5R0gcLQq6x3KXGPjzRZKdRSV4tNPc1uZCSwuiNiuobP2nDXMxMOe8bx+8V6ABhUktOKUdhuok4pNtNX3Ig6OV0a1N1UpUkr312o6b3rwOnpLirQVJb5vXwT+9jzmi6jCKmt72Y/8AKX87zfhDmtFjmT5KqbRfFLNJjaC2NlzcZlx0F9R4rg//ADcpLap1IST3PVXLDl1GUKUYS3xVnbXiQOZf4eFow4vtPyv/AMjfXxj/AOhjJNppxjdOz0b4/AyStfK0AnLFZadDJTUMr3NYQ4RhxF8s7G2YvlfirAYlNLe0vF2IHM8TKKw7UnqlfV6+xv5mzPMoTU621K6Sezps6WT9DWEAuMR1+9lNybUkwyGKO5ZYnO2Rbi4btFJ/9whaTjJS2FtNQ1diMjmtavpQhsx/zJfy3zN3R+hDqVJRV2mpPnZkbg8a8LUqUtly17MVzvp5pmVkTbuDRcjio+prZnMhkmfhY+98Gulxna+ehtvVmju138bGTmwFac4XqQ2Hd6d3A6TScLGys8MgkjD23seORQAhM16QqF4UmnLjPhHw5s9RxOkNmrBWV0NHHjlNuHE9F05vnCorZjrN7l7ve/sVCpVcm5Sd29W3xE6jbbbu3vb3s8tk3DC2IWGq5htPactfJidk0aD93rAAM6ikAARAAEQABEAARAAEWbnZgMznRd4PTjF7n/OZxGbnxzQ4WKyRSvicHsJBHBW/A9IKdTSXYlylufhL7kofPLnZg81qUvZm7e69V5Mj5KEHNhVvou1D2jDUtvzGvhp6KUxTvjl1rtFNbN91lG682Yz2sqtanSi7pWTs7q8nru7rGueeU6qSr0r23Tg9V5/c68unhYy2oytLh1l9PDgfbFlnFpuBbLReGujqccUcrML34iXEh1uFiM+VivGb9rFUqfBbGnjK/wAkR+Mn1cKlB8Kqa8LP/wCSXhgtvFdcpwceFpJvSNloaM+yic6inTjtXWtmt63enyEcjQWsJ3ea+1lJM9k1QxpuXkZZ3YRbd9Frzz/w0H3f8Ik/Vht02vei15xIrN8vnOjSjGLbja6007FvmSlGajCO00moxvdrRpamrIQWNtqCfVTdHG5tTNjBDSxmZ0ybYqJ6LVuxOD4NPzVn6o19IIulWp14/wAcfujODdPD1ZzdaDUtrsxvJ6yutxjHdIaUlZU9uzutvRX8DYs7vsbRcFRZkhGzhTzSBr2nLO5yNwcr7slulnVSr2cPSf657l9PU7MTm0KS/wARrasrwhq78fD4lbxOd1ZrZT2Y+7TWyvuR20ZBSNOosOWvitJ3aGSO/duLnHeQA0dGj1J+ik8xz2dXRdmPurj4viRlxcwbjWNYLNCrc9RLUPxyuJKAA9LAgACIAAiAAIgACIAAiAAIgACIAAiAAIh7VVri/NngBfQSNF766XvPzZ5uYAQknVLi4AXxAAEQABEAARAAEQABEAARAAEQABEAARAAEQABEAARAAEQABEAARAAEQABEAARAAEQABEAARf/2Q==[/img]
  • TheCaren
    TheCaren Posts: 894 Member
    This is exactly what I do.
  • AmandaMTL
    AmandaMTL Posts: 2
    Totally do this! (and agree with the credit card analogy as well)

    I always exercise at night, so throughout the day, if I'm about to go for something calorie-heavy, I ask myself "am I REALLY willing to pay THAT MUCH for it?"

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