So you are traveling along during your journey, making steady progress towards a healthier you. Increased activity a steady fitness routine, and you are making wiser food choices. Fantastic! Well, it doesn’t help that on every channel, TV & Radio there are advertisements for fast food or unhealthy food. Maybe you are driving to work, the store, what do you see on every corner? Fast food restaurants! If you are hungry you might just be tempted to pull into one of these joints and order a burger, fries and a soda. 
STOP! Let’s take a look at our Food Calorie Counter, hmm…results high calories, saturated fat, sodium, etc. etc! It doesn’t look very healthy does it? So what do you do? First of all remember to have your Healthy Grub Bag stocked, maybe try keeping an online Diet and Weight Loss Journal.
What is your weight loss goal? Do you want to lose 1, 2 or 3 lbs a week? Maybe you want to maintain your current weight level? Here is a tool that might help you…Daily Calorie Calculator.
I believe that understanding what I put into my body, with a clear picture of what I want to accomplish, I am able to resist the temptation easier and make wiser decisions. Knowledge provides more clarity in my book. Maybe some of these tools will help?
Stay active stay healthy!
38 users commented in " Clear Food Choices "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackNow i found the daily calorie calculator very interesting. It was a lot higher calories than i am presently eating! The carbs are a lot higher than i presently eat as well. Very interesting 😉
When i get a chance i’m going to go to fitday and put in what i’m eating and see how the protein, carbs and fat rate compared to that information. Thanks you’ve got me thinking 😉
@suzanne, I found that as well. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I have a full length mirror right by the fridge. You can’t HELP but look at yourself in it when you open the door. Bottom line it’s curbed many, many spur of the moment munchie moments.
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@Claudia, Fantastic! I like it…thanks for your input!
-Mark
Truer words have never been spoken. I could be having a nutritionally perfect day when… WHAM, a freakin’ Dairy Queen commercial sets me off. So far, I have been able to resist! but its getting harder & harder.
The absolute worst was one day Hubs & I were watching Ghost Busters (gotta love the 80’s classics), and Egon (or whoever) ate a twinkie. OMG we both craved a twinkie for weeks! Until we finally gave in, bought a box of twinkies, and found out… they weren’t as great as we remembered. But, hey , I got it out of my system! =) (Can you remember the last time someone mentioned Egon in on one of your posts????? LOL)
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@Shanna, Ha! Now you know that Twinkies are nasty! Ghost Busters is one of my favorites!
-Mark
Oooooo thanks for that Calorie Counter link. It gets annoying to have to rip off the labels all the time. Sweet, now I won’t have to so much 😉
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@Marcy, Yay! 🙂
-Mark
“I believe that understanding what I put into my body, with a clear picture of what I want to accomplish, I am able to resist the temptation easier and make wiser decisions.”
My thoughts exactly. Thanks for reading my mind. =)
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@ Big Girl, Thank you for your comments! 🙂
-Mark
Stupid fast food! Thanks for the tips and links as always. 🙂
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@Rachel D, I agree! Thanks! 🙂
-Mark
The links are rather interesting. Thanks.
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@Andrew, Thanks for your feedback!
-Mark
I keep from driving into the fast food evils by trying my hardest to keep water and a Nutrigrain bar with me.
But there are a couple of times when I was so hungry, I had no choice but to stop and eat whereever I could. The best choice for me is Wendy’s. I usually get the Grilled Chicken Sandwich (no mayo) and a side salad with light or fat free dressing.
My point is, yes, fast food places are horrible. But in those times when you absolutely have to stop at McD’s, there are smarter choices you can make.
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@Losing Irene, Making smart choices is a good thing!
Thanks for sharing! 🙂
-Mark
Interesting links, thanks for sharing!
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@Merry Mary, Thanks!
-Mark
Knowledge provides clarity – that’s the key! Well said.
I really like the calorie checker, it makes those burgers sound at least a little bit less appetizing!
Food, for me, is the hardest part of the whole equation of living a healthy lifestyle. I’ve gotten pretty good about eating out, but sometimes still slip a bit. This is good info.
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@Lance, I like the calorie checker as well…..when we slip we jut get back up and go strong! Thanks for your feedback!
-Mark
Love the Calorie counter idea. I am very guilty of walking by a little bakery or store and spontaneously picking up a mini muffin or snack.
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@Sandy, We all have had our moments. thanks for your feedback!
-Mark
Since March, I’ve been doing the calorie tracking thing, and it keeps me honest with myself and also on track. Great tip!
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@maggies mind, good job!
-Mark
Thanks for all the helpful tools Mark. I think the Healthy Grub Bag is a must!!! I hate all the commercials…..my son is such a sucker….he sees it and then comes in and tells me we should have that kind of cereal or whatever it is. There has been more positive commercials on Nick Jr…….they slip one in that says something like…….get up and play an hour a day. The media really should start focusing on some positive role models and healthy options too…I have been seeing them more and more so maybe there is hope!
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@Annette, I agree…thanks for your feedback!
-Mark
I have totally adopted the Healthy Grub Bag since you posted on it. Right now, I’m loving the raw almonds.
Fast food is so evil. There was an article in my newspaper yesterday about how loaded with fat and calories all of the kids meals are at fast food places. I knew the meals were bad, but I didn’t know HOW bad! I’m glad I never really picked up the fast food habit. I wouldn’t want to pass it on to my toddler!
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@felicepd, great job! Good food for the toddler… 🙂
-Mark
Arming yourself with all this kind of knowledge sure does help! I love FitDay. And thanks for the CalorieConnect link! That looks like fun:)
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@Sagan, Thanks you! 🙂
-Mark
Fast food joints are coming up with healthy alternatives. You make the choice. Be sparce on the dressings (see Food Calorie Counter).
Thanks for this useful tool.
@Dr. Hubbard, Thanks for your feedback!
-Mark
Great tips and I love the links. Thanks, I am adding them to my favorites.
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@Carly, I am glad you liked them!
-Mark
Even “healthy food” is not that healthy!! Got to read labels to get the true story.
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@FitMom, So true! Thanks for adding that!
-Mark
I think TV makes us fat in many more ways than simply luring us onto the couch for extended periods of time. I think the commercials for food are especially detrimental to healthy eating, and I think the money spent on cable that could be spent on a gym membership is another problem with TV.
Hate Hate Hate TV.
@Christine, Without a doubt advertising plays a huge role. Thanks for your feedback!
-Mark
I appreciated your thoughts on the healthy grub bag…we just did a road trip this past weekend to see my brother in Tampa. We did pack a grub bag and were able to avoid stopping at fast food joints along the way which saved us time and money and calories. But…reading your HEALTHY grub bag reminded me that maybe I should have left out the chips (ha!)…although the nuts and water and apples we packed were good ideas.
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@Suzanne, It looks like you did good…hope you had fun in Tampa! 🙂
-Mark
How we lament the institution that is fast food. If it would disappear tomorrow…
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@Gabrielle, An interesting thought…..Thanks!
-Mark
I have had an online calorie counter bookmarked for a while now – it does help to get a clear picture of what you are putting in your bod! I agree with Gabrielle – I know it won’t happen, but it would be nice…
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@Missicat, Thanks for your comments!
-Mark
not trying to lsoe weight, but all I need to do is peek at a store’s online Nutritional Calculator (if they have one) and I can EASILY say no to that Java Chip Frapputhing!
@WeightingGame, That is a wise move! 🙂
dude. go ahead and write something about how to combat insane, hormonal, menstrually driven food cravings while trying to diet in a group! arrrgh!
@liv, To avoid food cravings I like to keep busy, drink lots of water, snack on almonds. Now, that might be an incomplete answer as I write in my experience and obviously this one falls outside of my experience. I will ask others if they could please provide some insight and advice that might help.
@Liv – as a woman that also gets those crazy hormonal food cravings, I know just what you mean 🙂 For me, I’ve just learned that I can’t find them, but instead have to just ‘go wih them’. Meaning they will never go away, so I have to be prepared for when they come knocking me over.
During those times I crave sweet, so when I know it might be getting to be that time, I stick up on frozen fuit, sugar free popsicles/fudgesicles, whipped cream, marshmallow fluff, chocolate syrup…I know that it will only be a few days so I might as well just do the best that I can and not torture myself with dprivation because that only leads to trouble for me. One of my faves is a frozen bannana cut up, topped with light whipped cream, chocolate syrup & peanuts…like a bannana split but w/o the ice cream. 🙂 Let me know if you need any other ideas, i’ve gpt LOTS of them!
@liv I hear ya! I’m with Fitarella. I don’t try to fight it. Just go with it but in a controlled fashion. Meaning – I usually crave chocolate (which is highly unusual for me) or ice cream (which is pretty common for me) – so, you know what I do? I eat some chocolate and some ice cream. The key word is “some”. The cravings are usually only 1 or 2 days at most and then I try to be very diligent in my eating after that.
I read somewhere that we burn extra calories while menstruating anyway. I think it’s all part of God’s beautiful design to let us eat some chocolate during “that time” without it counting against us.
@liv–I agree with Fit and Lori, sometimes you just have to give in and allow yourself some chocolate and/or chips. I usually have some and then try to distract myself with a different activity so that I don’t eat the whole box/bag at once.
Mark, thanks for the reminder about food journaling. I know this is what I need to do to get my eating back to a good spot, so I need all the reminders I can get. Now where is that notebook…..?
@Fitarella,@Lori Bonaparte,@workout mommy
Thanks so much for the fantastic feedback! Very much appreciated!
I use weight watchers (online) after reading Jen Lancaster’s latest. She inspired me, (then uninspired me but in a good way) I use WW daily food journaling and exercise log. It all works if you work it. 😉
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POD, Very true….you must work it! 🙂
-Mark
I LOVE JEN LANCASTER
yep thats my comment.
Im not a calorie counter…but LOVED your reader’s insights.
Miz.
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@Miz, Thank Miz!
-Mark
Try to have some dark chocolate – like an ounce or two and move on to walking out the door for a walk!!
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@FitMom, That’s what my wife does…. 🙂
-Mark
Hey, Mark, thanks for posting the link to the calculator. If I increase my activity, I get to eat a reasonable 1600+ in order to lose 2 lbs a week. Theoretically anyway. I’d love to see some serious weight loss by the end of 2008 ~~ 30 lbs would be nice.
I have to completely avoid fast food places. Am I really missing anything? Yup….lots of poundage on my booty. But I must say, my mouth involuntarily waters at the commercials sometimes.
@Katschi, Thanks for sharing and good call! 🙂
-Mark