(Thumbs) Down For The Count

Today's persona non grata

And now a little vent of frustration. I don't think I've had one of these here? Maybe. I'm not sure. But blogs are for vents sometimes so here I go: I am frustrated with counting calories. I'm very unhappy. There I said it. I am having a very difficult time with it when it comes to my dinners and weekend meals. Slogans like "You bite it, you write it" really irritate me right now. I want to pull my hair out.

Now before I go any further, I want to say that the majority of sources I have checked state quite clearly that those who have been most successful with keeping their weight off keep a very close eye on calories going in every day. Stop counting calories and it's slip sliding away. If you eat very similar meals every day, you can probably ease up a bit because your count won't change much. But if your daily diet varies quite a bit, then calorie counters can be helpful, almost necessary. And that's why all these online trackers have popped up; that's why in the good old days they used calorie counting charts.

But put yourself in my shoes for a moment. Yes, I have the same breakfast, lunch and snacks every day. But come dinnertime, it's a whole new story. I create many of my meals on my own -- yes, I use iDiet recipes sometimes, but on some occasions I will "tinker" with them, or maybe just have an evening where I go off and create something of my own. That's what I do. I will make a salad, throw a handful of spinach in there, roast a red pepper with a small amount of olive oil and throw a few strips in there, grill some salmon and put some in there (and feed the rest to my Bassets), toss in a few capers and thinly sliced Bermuda onion, then mix with a very small amount of homemade dressing I make. And probably finish off with a small pinch of Kosher salt. Now how in the heck am I to calculate the calories in that?

And let's talk about last weekend. I made mussels in white wine sauce. I gave my husband the lion's share, and then I had some. Did I count how many mussels I had? No. How about the wine sauce? I made it by sight. How many calories are in that? How many tablespoons did I have? How in the world am I supposed to calculate all of this in MyFitnessPal? You can't. So I don't. But I feel guilty. And then the fear of weight gain creeps back in. I get unhappy. You see where I am going with all of this.

If I can't have some creativity in the kitchen, I am going to go nuts. Calorie counting, for me, is cutting into that. No, I do not want to gain my weight back. But I am not going to give up my cooking. It's one of my greatest joys in life. Good cooking requires some freedom, flexibility and eyeballing. So I am temporarily stuck right now. And I resent that. Yes, I will seek out help and suggestions. And the scale and my clothes can be a guide. But let's not forget I hate scales and I wear clothes that are a little baggy because I'm frugal and don't want to waste money on something that might not fit someday. Boy, what a vent this is!

Sorry to be a little grouchy here, but it's how I feel. I know there is a solution somewhere, some "compromise" to be had. I'll find it. But right now, just color me frustrated!