Tuesday, December 5, 2006

Calorie Counting

Bottom line for me is calorie counting. I try and shoot for a 1500cal. total daily and end up most days 1600-1700. Since adding up calories after lunch it's gotton easier landing around 1500.

I don't think most people have a clue as to how many calories that they take in every day. For example here's the calorie break down of my version of Spaghetti Carbonara:

6 slices of bacon 180cal.
1 tbl. bacon fat 100 cal.
1 lb. greens (this week I used beet greens, I usually use chard) 0cal.
1 lb spaghetti 1600cal.
1/4c. heavy cream 400cal.
2eggs 140cal.
2egg yolks 100cal.
1/4 c. prmesean cheese 120cal.

Total calories 2640 divided by 8 serving= 330cal. per serving

If you order a pasta dish at a restraunt the size is most likely a double serving. That's almost 700cal. That doesn't include the bread and butter most people start with, the salad and glass of wine. Forget dessert, you do the math!

I love using a serving of whatever pasta I make for my family in my soup. I get to enjoy the flavors of the sauce and be satisfied with the size of one serving. Measure out 2 oz. (200cal. no sauce) of pasta and cook it, I think you might be surprised at how little the serving is!

5:30am Bikram yoga
6:30 pm 45 min. walk
AM weight 130.2

Mondays menu

4-8am coffee w/ cream 85 cal.
9:30 oatmeal w/ brown sugar and cream 290 cal.
11:30 broccoli salad w/ tuna 340 cal.
1:00 chocolate sucker 70 cal.
1:30 sm. apple 80 cal.
2:30 veg soup w/ 1 srving spaghetti carbonara 330 cal.
4:00 chocolate sucker 70 cal.
4:30 de-caf coffee w/ cream 50 cal.
5:00 2 slices of meatloaf w/ chard 350 cal.

Toatal calories 1665

I miscalculated the calories in the carbonara the first time I added them up (I counted the lb. of pasta as 800 cal. instead of 1600 cal.!), so I thought I was at 1250 at lunch time. Then I made a meatloaf for dinner not intending to have 2 slices, so I thought I had room. Oh well, still not bad considering the amount of food I ate all day.

Here are more calorie break-downs:

2/3c. old fashion oatmeal 210 cal.
1tbl. brown sugar 45cal.
2tbl. half and half 35cal.
Total 290 cal.

2 1/2c. chopped broccoli, red cabbage, 1 carrot w/ 2tbl. low cal. dressing 150 cal.
1/2 small can tuna 75 cal.
2 tsp. mayo 65 cal.
2 tbl. dried cranberries 50 cal.
Total 340 cal.

I found myself hungry all day, that's why it seemed as if I was eating something every other hour. It could be because I had a low calorie day the day before and had stopped eating around 4:30. No crazy sugar cravings for the last 2 days.

Monday was a good day.

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