Never thought I was.........

carlacollins · 03-31-2006, 09:05 AM

Eating SO MANY CALORIES BEFORE!

I have been overweight since I was 12....as most of you I have done EVERY diet known to man so I am no stranger to counting calories/fat/etc.....but over the past few years I had just given up hope and just basically didnt care- yanno...just tired of fighting the fight. When talking with my mom and sister I would always make the comment that I just wasnt a big eater and didnt understand why I was fat....I would never eat breakfast..sometimes not much lunch and usually just whatever for dinner...I had been on prozac which kind of gave me a "dont care" attitude and I could really care less if I ate or not... Having said all of this :biggrin1: since I had my band and have become accustomed to counting calories again...I am just amazed at how many calories I WAS taking in for a day....NO WONDER I was overweight...I have always been a big coffee drinker and I love flavored creamers( nice and milky thick in my coffee) which of course werent s/f and I have discovered that one t/s is like 30 calories....WOW...I would probably have at least 4 or so in my coffee and then have about 4 cups every morning....so right there you are looking at about 600 calories or so JUST IN COFFEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW....no wonder I was getting so heavy...GEE........and then I loved soda which of course wasnt s/f so 3 or so of them a day @ 220 calories or whatever...

GOLLY........now I KNOW WHY I WAS so overweight...not to mention just plain laziness:angry and then what I ate was not healthy (slice of pizza..a burger....fast food..etc) NOW I KNOW why I was so overweight........Man if nothing else... MY BAND has brought me back to reality about calories etc......I love my band!

Happy Friday everyone!
Much love

ddiedre · 03-31-2006, 09:08 AM

Isn't amazing when we have those eye opening moments?

carlacollins · 03-31-2006, 09:27 AM

Yes I was like no wonder I was so overweight........What an amazing eye opener!

**Jack** · 03-31-2006, 10:10 AM

IMHO coffee is best enoyed as a non-confectionary drink....hope you can enjoy the switch....and congratulations on the sudden insight!!!

cashley · 03-31-2006, 10:29 AM

When I started counting calories (which was before the band) I was drinking a latte' every morning that I would make myself with my espresso machine and about 1 cup of half&half... sure I could have used skim milk but it just didn't taste the same so I used cream.... wow that was a lot of calories and I was floored at the amount.

Also, I love salads but am amazed at how many calories are in dressing. I know I should have known all along but until you start measuring out two tablespoons and see how little it is, you just don't realize. I hate low carlorie dressing so I just don't eat salads now. I'd rather have the calories on some food that keeps me full. (Plus I like cheese and bacon on them too)

I still use real half&half in my coffee I measure it to the two tablespoon serving which is 40 calories. Some days I want two cups of coffee so I have to decide if 80 calories are worth it.

It certainly is amazing how many calories are in things you don't realize... and most the time they just aren't worth it. But if I chose to induldge in something most the time I'd rather have real and just a little bit then fat free and a lot. (I do like the fat free hot dogs though and a bunch less calories)

carlacollins · 03-31-2006, 10:56 AM

I know Cashley...I can so relate to that......I HATE FAT FREE salad dressing YUCK and NO THANKS...I would rather JUST NOT have salad than to have that so I can relate to evaluating if it is worth it...When you can have something substantial with protein vs. a high calorie salad...I choose the high substantial vs. the salad with the high calorie dressing...Again I say....WOW no wonder I was taking in so many calories :(

carlacollins · 03-31-2006, 10:58 AM

Thank you Jack...I am now discovering the non confectionary drink as being so dang good (hehehehehe)

nanster · 04-01-2006, 04:19 PM

Hey girls!
Like you, I LOVE my coffee. I used to drink 2-3 mugs (ie, 4-5 cups) of coffee before leaving for work, take a quart with me (doctored up with flavored creamer and sugar, of course) and then have another mug after dinner at night. With creamer at about 35-40 cal/tbsp and AT LEAST 2 in there, plus about 3-4 tsp sugar, I was really putting a lot of calories in just to enjoy my "drug".
Since surgery, I have allowed myself 1 cup before work (with 1tsp surgar and 2 Tbsp creamer (f/f & s/f) MEASURED. Then I sometimes take 1 cup to work to sip on all day (yes, everyone thinks it's gross I don't mind it room temp, but I don't) and 1 in the evening, an hour after dinner. It's still quite a few calories, but like you I'd rather plan for it and cut down elsewhere than do the yucky-tasting alternatives!
As a non-sweetener person (they all make me sick)...I have to choose what I put sugar in now and I have really starting noting how much it adds up to if you don't really measure and keep track!
I use butter or Pam for cooking-no margarine. I use real sugar. I use regular salad dressing, just watered down so it goes further. I still think that the more natural food items are USUALLY better than the synthetic stuff. You just don't get to have as much. But, with the band, you can't have as much anyhow so it works out fine!
I'm one of the ones that is just not willing to eat all LOW-CARB, LOW-CAL, ALL-ORGANIC, ALL-NUTRITIOUS stuff. If I have to do that, I might as well just drink meal replacement shakes for all meals, because there's no pleasure if it takes horrible. Perhaps that's why I'm losing slower than all of you in the Feb bunch, but I'm counting on it to eventually start coming off if I just continue with eating properly and counting the calories.
One of my co-workers let me borrow her Weight Watchers info for the weekend and I think I'm going to try to work the points system into my routine. I'm not going to do meetings, etc. but I think it will help me remain aware of calories, fat and quantities. Plus, it will allow me the flexibility for "real" food and "real" sugar, etc. in smaller quanitities so that I can still enjoy eating.
The French Vanilla creamer from Carnation comes in SUGAR FREE now....it's not that bad.
Nanster