In today’s jungle of diet pills, tea detoxes, and medical procedures promising you that famed Kardashian Booty for the low, low price of a luxury car, calorie counting remains to be one of the most popular methods of weight control. This isn’t really surprising, since calorie counting is free, easy, and doesn’t require you to take a pill that could lead to heart attacks (or even worse) diarrhea. All jokes aside, whether you want to bulk up or slim down, calorie counting helps you reach your goals effortlessly. Well, almost.
I use the word “effortlessly??? loosely because calorie counting does require some effort. Like weighing your food to make sure it’s 6 ounces, not 8, which would make your breakfast 60 calories more than intended. Or measuring out your popcorn to exactly 3.5 cups before family movie night. Or making sure that you only prepare 1 cup of pasta for your spaghetti (which, let’s be honest here, is 3 cups NOT ENOUGH). And let’s not forget all the fun you used to have with your friends at restaurants. Who knew that your favorite salad had 700 calories without the dressing?
Let’s be honest here, calorie counting can restrict not only your waistline, but also the variety of foods you eat, your time, and your social life. And, if you’re not careful, it can become obsessive and take control of your life completely. Instead of seeing a medium banana, you’ll see 110 calories. Instead of a Hershey’s Kiss, you’ll see 22 calories of pure ecstasy. When you start paying more attention to the number on the label rather than the food itself, the number will begin to dictate what you choose to eat. This is unhealthy mentally because you don’t allow yourself to enjoy your food and physically because you’re paying more attention to calories rather than nutritional content. Not to mention, labeling laws allow a 20 percent margin of error on nutritional labels, so that 22 calorie Kiss could end up being closer to 26 calories. Now, this may not seem like much, but add those calories up over the course of a day, and you’re eating way more than you originally thought.
Ask yourself why you’re counting calories. Is it because you’re unhappy with the way you look? Is it because it gives you a sense of control when you feel like you can’t control the other variables in your life? Now ask yourself if it’s worth the hassle of logging everything you eat, not allowing yourself to indulge in your favorite ice cream flavor, waking up at 3AM hungry, or mentally freaking out when your grandma fixes you a batch of her famous chocolate chip cookies and you can’t determine the calorie content.
It’s hard to break a habit, but if you’re a calorie counter, here are a few things that you can count instead:
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Yourself: There’s a reason you’re counting calories. If you’re like most calorie counters out there, you’re probably unhappy with the way you look. Well, don’t be. Instead of hating how your thighs touch, be thankful that you have strong legs that allow you to run and jump and dance. Instead of squeezing the backs of your arms that aren’t as firm as you’d like them to be, think about how nice it feels to hug your family and friends. Focus on a part of you that you normally dislike and count the things about that part that you’re thankful for. For example, I have crooked teeth and I’ve always hated my crooked teeth. Still, my teeth allow me to eat my favorite foods, talk to the people I love, and flash a toothy grin to passing strangers. My teeth don’t sound so bad anymore, do they?
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How Many Licks it Takes to Get to The Center of a Tootsie Pop: It’s okay to indulge sometimes. You’re not going to gain 10 pounds overnight. Enjoy yourself and your body will thank you for it. So go ahead, count how many licks it takes to get to the center of that Tootsie Pop! Press a piece of dark chocolate to your palate and count the seconds it takes for it to melt onto your tongue. Enjoy your time with your favorite foods and your body will tell you when it’s satisfied.
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The Stars: Press the pause button on life for a second. Wait until it’s dark, spread a blanket on the ground, and lie down under one of nature’s most luminous pieces of artwork. Count the constellations and count the stars in between. Share your blanket with a friend and count who can make out the most shapes from the holes in the night sky. Stop counting for a second and breathe. You’re alive. So live.
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People You Can Count On: Count all the people that you’re thankful for. Do you have enough fingers? Whether you have simply one or two special people or more than you can name off in one go, remember that you can always count on them when you feel like you have nowhere to turn to. These people will always love you even if your arms aren’t as tight as you’d like or if your teeth are a bit crooked. Remember, you are your biggest critic. The things that you don’t always love about yourself are probably the very things that make others love you even more. Share your deepest fears, your embarrassing stories, your most obnoxious laughs, and, if you’re feeling really generous, your favorite candies with those you hold closest to your heart. Those are the people that make life worth living.
- Your Blessings: I know, I know. “Count your blessings??? is one of the most overused pieces of advice ever, but it’s overused for a reason. Once you start looking past all the things in your life that maybe aren’t “ideal???, it’s easier to notice the things that are. And, I won’t lie, sometimes it’s hard to find those little pieces of life that you’re thankful for. Sometimes, you won’t even know that you’re thankful for those things until you actively ask yourself what life would be like without them. Be thankful for the obvious things, like sunshine to warm you on chilly days, a roof over your head, food, family, and of course the internet (the greatest blessing of all). Be thankful for the less obvious blessings as well, like that time that you woke up way too early and couldn’t go back to sleep so you were able to witness the rose-tinted sunrise. Or that time the grocery store was out of your favorite cereal so you settled for a different kind that’s now part of your morning routine. Blessings often come as disguises, sometimes you just have to pull off their masks to recognize them. Don’t forget that life itself is a blessing, so be sure to make every second count.