When Should You Count Calories?

Yesterday, I went to the movies with my boyfriend and I hadn't eaten breakfast. We were late, so I ordered some Reese's Pieces and we ran to sit down. I knew it wasn't the healthiest breakfast, but how bad could it be? I estimated about 2 servings of probably 150 calories per serving. A bagel would have been about the same. Right?

I remembered to put the package in my bag when we left so that I could track correctly later. But I didn't track it until after I had eaten lunch and dinner. When I finally pulled out the package and looked at it, it was 5 servings of 200 calories. My 300 calorie breakfast was actually 1,000 calories. Let me tell you, I was SO MAD that I hadn't checked before I ate them.

I have the Spark App on my Blackberry, and I have several computers available to me. What was so difficult about checking to make sure it fit into my plan before I ate them? I could have had Aussie Cheese Fries from Outback, 10 bananas, or 20 cups of Strawberries instead. There are so many things that would have satisfied me more than those few handfuls of Reese's Pieces.

So when is the ideal time to log calories? For most people before they eat,( or even the day before) is the best plan. Logging your calories before is the best way to make sure you know the damage a food will do (or not do) before you eat it.

Everyone makes mistakes, so all I can do is check everything I eat today, and log it BEFORE I eat it. Guessing doesn't work for me. But next time I am in a similar situation, if I even get the candy, I will make sure I know what I am actually eating.

Have you ever been in a similar situation?