You bite it? You write it.

One of the biggest things I learned at Weight Watchers (WW) was to write down everything you eat. Sometimes putting that proof on paper can be a real eye opener as to what you’re really consuming on a daily basis. Often times, I think people don’t even realize how much their eating.

A lot of restaurants are making calorie and fat counts really easy, by putting it on their menus. When I didn’t care what I was eating, it used to infuriate me that they did this. And I know why. Because when you don’t see the nutritional info of what you’re eating, subconsciously, it’s like it doesn’t count. But when you consider your order of a cheeseburger and fries and then see that the yummy meal will be a whopping 900+ calories, then you’re more likely to rethink your choice.

Case in point….

The husband and I had Panera for lunch over the weekend and Panera has calorie counts on EVERYTHING now! I went through a ½ soup ½ sandwich or salad phase when I worked in downtown Nashville. After some quick math I figured out that I was consuming almost 1,000 calories with creamy soups, cheesy sandwiches and the half a damn baguette they give you. With the calorie counts now, it makes it much easier to make better choices.

Yesterday I had the same deal of a  ½ soup and ½ salad meal, but this time I went with a broth based soup and a salad with light dressing and I came it at 400 calories. And I was satisfied.

My husband, whom I love and adore and am sorry for picking on, chose a full sandwich and subbed a bagel and cream cheese for his side. His whopping meal came in at 1,250 calories. OUCH!

So I’m choosing restaurants that encourage me to make better choices. Eating out and dieting can still be done and we’re given every tool to make better decisions about what we’re putting into our bodies.

So next time before you bite it, think about it.

~ Jenn