The Truth About Counting Calories

Yep, y’all get to hear from me one more time. If you haven’t seen the previous posts, I’ve been talking weight loss. Today I’m tackling the hardest subject, food.

When I started my first competition I did everything right, but I wasn’t losing weight as quickly as I had in the past. How on earth could I be religious about 1200 calories and only lose .8 of a pound in a week?

That’s when I came across this video.

I quickly learned what I put into my body mattered more than how much I put in, although that part was important, too.  I decided to try adding more fat, a lot more, and it did wonders to help take weight off. Weird, I know.

Here’s a basic overview of my meals on my strict days. I never exceed 1400 calories, even on days I worked out. I did have one cheat day a week where I ate whatever I wanted. You have to give yourself a break sometimes if you’re going to survive.

Breakfast: One Apple (usually a Pink Lady since they’re tart and sweet) and two tablespoons of peanut butter.

Lunch: Salad with one whole avocado on top (also any other veggies I wanted) with a yogurt dressing. I also had a half an ounce of cheese. I couldn’t be that strict.

Afternoon Snack: Usually about three in the afternoon I’d get shaky from my lack of carbs. No matter what other people tell you, some carbs are good for you. They just shouldn’t be your main staple. I’d have sprouted wheat toast or a non-sugary cereal.

Dinner: Anything low-cal that used either olive or coconut oil. Usually it was something with chicken or fish and lots of veggies. Carbs were either rice or potatoes, in moderation.

As promised, I’m going to pass along a few recipes for dinner that are good anytime, but especially while counting calories.

I’ll start with my favorite chicken or fish marinades, all are great for grilling:

Honey Marinade: ¼ cup Honey. ¼ cup Olive Oil. 1Tbs prepared mustard. 1tsp of curry powder or to taste. (Usually about 4 chicken breast halves)

Balsamic: Taken from The Biggest Loser cookbook. ¼ cup balsamic vinegar. ¼ cup low cal balsamic dressing (I use Newman’s Own.) Rosemary and black pepper to taste. Serve with grilled veggies coated in olive oil and salt & pepper

Asian: (not really a low-cal marinade, but not terrible when put on fish. I usually went without carbs when making this. It’s too yummy not to make.) Link here.

Potato Cauliflower Curry (pic from recipe link)

A few favorite all-vegetarian dishes:
Potato Cauliflower Curry
Grilled Chile Rellenos
Sweet Potato Crust Quiche

No matter what, the most important thing is to not give up! It takes a while for everybody to adjust to new eating. It took me three weeks to get over my chocolate cravings! And you know what? I felt so much better when I ate better. That’s more important than any pounds shed.

Thanks so much for coming over this week, Jennie! You inspired us and gave us great advice! I'll definitely try out those recipes and you've given me hope that I can count calories in a good way, I just need to eat more veggies. Come back any time!

Jennie Bennett is a hopeless romantic. Thankfully, her husband is willing to be cheesy now and again. It’s probably the reason they have four kids. When she’s not swooning over her favorite romantic television shows (Kdramas) she’s writing love stories. Well, in between changing poopy diapers. Her family currently resides in Houston, TX.