All I see are calories....

Options
Does anyone else look at food with the thought of how many calories it is? Before I would think "ooh hamburger..yummy...can't wait to eat.." and now I'm like "I don't even want to know how many calories are in that.."

This is something huge for me because I've never thought this way. The food that I used to love no longer look that great.

Replies

  • Aimee_PD
    Aimee_PD Posts: 177 Member
    Options
    thats how i think now too. when i look at foods all i see are the numbers lol. i cant even enjoy peanut butter knowing how high the calories are! even if they are good calories!
  • Jizes318
    Jizes318 Posts: 409 Member
    Options
    I feel the same way! It drives me crazy but I am glad I do it now. I am smarter about what I put in my body and how much!
  • sweebum
    sweebum Posts: 1,060 Member
    Options
    I do that all the time and have done it for years.

    But I look at it more as low and high octane fuel- healthy food is high octane- gives me energy, health, weight loss and well being. Low octane gives me bloating, gas, and makes me tired :smile:
  • cardbucfan
    cardbucfan Posts: 10,396 Member
    Options
    I do and I use it to decide if it's calorie worthy! Makes my family nuts, I'm trying to stop saying it out loud.
  • spennato
    spennato Posts: 360 Member
    Options
    I do all the time, and like wise I would rather pass on the food than eat it, I used to eat Dairy queen twice a week and get a lg reeses cup blizzard until I looked up the calories and saw it was nearly 1,000. I would rather skip the ice cream than eat it and waste my time at the gym. The good thing though is you can warn people( only 1 time because some people are not ready to care yet) how bad it is and if they do not care than you can enjoy knowing you are eating better to live better.
  • NanBar
    NanBar Posts: 283 Member
    Options
    I'm different...I DO want to know how many calories are in the hamburger...and what the ingredients are...because sometimes the ingredients are worse than the calories!!!
  • jessieleah
    jessieleah Posts: 204 Member
    Options
    I do that, but moreso than that, I look at how unhealthy the things I used to put into my body were. I mean.. I'm not perfect still, but I just can't imagine chowing down on chips on a daily basis, and fast food weekly or more often. Idk how my body put up with it so many years!!

    Now when I think about fast food, I just think about how terrible most of it is. And tbh, it usually made me sick to my stomach when I ate it anyway. :p
  • TrainerRobin
    TrainerRobin Posts: 509 Member
    Options
    I think of it as a "budget." When I'm out shopping, and I see something wonderful that I'd like, I look at it and weigh whether it is worth it taking as much of my budget as it'll take. Sometimes it is. Sometimes, it's not worth it because I either simply can't afford it OR I think of the many other things I can get for the same "price".

    For me, food is the same. I compare it to the many things that I could have for any one big "expenditure" (aka splurge!) and usually (not always) choose the healthier choice that'll stretch my calorie budget further. :)

    It never ceases to amaze me how many people will write down every expenditure in their checkbooks to be sure they don't become overdrawn, but when the same simple concept is applied to food, they say, "No way. That's just too much work." But then they complain when they're "overdrawn" (overeating in the MFP world) and the cosequences (weight gain) start hitting home. Kind of like starting to see the NSF fees from a financial splurge.

    All of y'all who use MFP get it -- and have learned that when you accurately keep track, you do well! If our bank balance is important enough to keep track of, our bodies certainly are!

    It's good that you think of calories and actually take a second to look at the nutritional label. I often think of how hard this would be to do if our government didn't require nutritional labeling on foods!

    Keep up the good work, girl. You're on the right track!! And you have plenty of company here ...
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
    Options
    I had a ton of calories left earlier this week, and wanted my first cheat day. So I went to Carl's Jr and ordered whatever I wanted. I had the ice cream shake, it was delicious but I could tell as I drank it that it was a rare treat. Felt really weighed down and bloated afterwards. I had a burger and had to scrape off all the toppings (I usually order plain but didn't want to bug the workers this time) so it was just bread, burger, lettuce, tomato. I ate like 3 bites of it and couldn't stand it. Not that I don't like meat or anything, but that burger still is in my fridge from 3 days ago and it will be the first time in my life I have thrown away fast food.

    I'm proud of my new self and hope I can keep on and on and live a great healthy life :)
  • JillyBean819
    JillyBean819 Posts: 313 Member
    Options
    No joke, whenever I see or hear about 'Olive Garden' I always think "Calorie/Sodium Garden".
    I can't help thinking about the high levels of calories in everything now.
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
    Options
    All of y'all who use MFP get it -- and have learned that when you accurately keep track, you do well! If our bank balance is important enough to keep track of, our bodies certainly are!

    LOVE the comparison!
  • GURLEY_GIRL3
    GURLEY_GIRL3 Posts: 359 Member
    Options
    I catch myself doing that now.! but thats a good thing! last nite my husband was watching Man vs Food and usually I am like omg that looks so good..but now I wanted to puke seeing all that grease....doesnt even look good anymore.
  • newmeat30
    newmeat30 Posts: 766 Member
    Options
    I am a big calorie counter now. I used to never stop to see how many calories were in what I ate. I LOVE regular coca cola, but it is soooo terrible for you. Now I look at a coke bottle and think "that is 40 minutes on the treadmill" and decided that I rather use those calories elsewhere. If I'm treating myself, I indulge in a 7.5 oz baby coke can which is only 90 calories. :wink:
  • MelissaL582
    MelissaL582 Posts: 1,422 Member
    Options
    I think of it as a "budget." When I'm out shopping, and I see something wonderful that I'd like, I look at it and weigh whether it is worth it taking as much of my budget as it'll take. Sometimes it is. Sometimes, it's not worth it because I either simply can't afford it OR I think of the many other things I can get for the same "price".

    For me, food is the same. I compare it to the many things that I could have for any one big "expenditure" (aka splurge!) and usually (not always) choose the healthier choice that'll stretch my calorie budget further. :)

    It never ceases to amaze me how many people will write down every expenditure in their checkbooks to be sure they don't become overdrawn, but when the same simple concept is applied to food, they say, "No way. That's just too much work." But then they complain when they're "overdrawn" (overeating in the MFP world) and the cosequences (weight gain) start hitting home. Kind of like starting to see the NSF fees from a financial splurge.

    All of y'all who use MFP get it -- and have learned that when you accurately keep track, you do well! If our bank balance is important enough to keep track of, our bodies certainly are!

    It's good that you think of calories and actually take a second to look at the nutritional label. I often think of how hard this would be to do if our government didn't require nutritional labeling on foods!

    Keep up the good work, girl. You're on the right track!! And you have plenty of company here ...

    This is a wonderful way to look at it. Thank you so much for the inspiring words.
  • TrainerRobin
    TrainerRobin Posts: 509 Member
    Options
    No joke, whenever I see or hear about 'Olive Garden' I always think "Calorie/Sodium Garden".
    I can't help thinking about the high levels of calories in everything now.

    LOL!

    Fortunately, most of their food's nutritional info is posted online. Check it out.

    I love Olive Garden for the salad (ask for fat free dressing), the steamed mussels (yummo) and their Venetian Chicken (apricot glazed chicken breast with veggies, for only about 400 calories ... maybe less, I can't specifically recall).

    You've made my hungry and I just ate! LOL
  • elzettel
    elzettel Posts: 256
    Options
    I think of it as a "budget." When I'm out shopping, and I see something wonderful that I'd like, I look at it and weigh whether it is worth it taking as much of my budget as it'll take. Sometimes it is. Sometimes, it's not worth it because I either simply can't afford it OR I think of the many other things I can get for the same "price".

    This is what I do too. If I can't get something out of my mind for days it'll be worth it for me but the 'budget' idea totally gets me past some of the impulse moments.
  • 2hdesign
    2hdesign Posts: 153
    Options
    As the financial nerd in the household, I love the checkbook comparison. Touche.

    And I hate to admit that I love that Red Robin peppercorn burger - you know, the 1400+ calorie one!!!! But I haven't had one since I've been watching my calories and don't know that I could bring myself to order it now. If I did, I'd have to only eat 1/2 and send the other 1/2 away and eat light the whole day. Honestly? I'm not sure it's worth it anymore for me! And that's a good thing to be realizing! :p
  • ajax03
    ajax03 Posts: 96
    Options
    Does anyone else look at food with the thought of how many calories it is? Before I would think "ooh hamburger..yummy...can't wait to eat.." and now I'm like "I don't even want to know how many calories are in that.."

    This is something huge for me because I've never thought this way. The food that I used to love no longer look that great.

    Oh my goodness!!! I'm EXACTLY that way now. A coworker of mine was sippin' on an iced coffee from Starbucks and I blurted out, "Do you know many calories and sugar are in that thing?" LOL. ME saying that...whodathunk? lol