Counting vs Knowing

In my last post, I mentioned that I'm not going to count calories.  I'm going to "know calories."  That distinction is important to me.  I know that if I count calories to some predefined limit, I will chafe and rebel. I know that, once meet that predefined limit,  I will look at the rest of the day as depriving myself.  I know that when I cross that limit, I will not control myself but instead will say "what the hell, I blew it anyway.  Where's that bag of chips and, oh, how about just a pint of dip this time?"  I know myself well enough. It's one reason why points don't work for me either.

But, knowing what calories I've taken in makes a huge difference.  It's about being mindful.  It's about learning.  It's about paying attention.  It's a completely different mindset. And it works.  I'm learning about how the little bites of everything add up, and add up fast.  I'm mindful of what I decide to eat.  I plan ahead.

I know what is going on.

It's hard to describe in words what I'm experiencing.  A "rebirth" is much too dramatic.  A "revelation" is over stating it too.  I'm experiencing...growth.  I'm experiencing...control.  And it is rather exciting.  Sure I've already had days where I went way over what was healthy, but I know by how much I did and I can wrestle with the questions of why and, more importantly, if I really want to do that again. What's more, this approach seems to fit better with my personality and the way I process information.  It's putting things in a structure, a system, that makes sense (to me at least). 

I honestly did not know just how many calories I was putting into my body when I binge.  And now that I have that little piece of information, or know how I can go about finding it, I have something to make an informed decision with. Sure, I did read the nutritional guides on the sides of things, and that does in a pinch.  Using livestrong.com, however, brings it all in to sharp focus as it tallys and displays the information for me.  I do wonder if I will have the discipline to continue doing this.

So far, so good.