Eating Right...What goes in, must come out!

I, like most people, understand the importance of a healthy diet. I know that I must burn more than I eat in order to lose weight, burn what I eat in order to maintain, and that if I eat more than I burn, I will gain weight.

I know these things. You know these things.

But we know other things as well....Like how good an ice cream sundae tastes. Or how much we want chocolate during certain times of the month. And how often we stop at fast food places because we are just too darn tired to cook!

That is why I love the free website calorie counters, like the Free Calorie Counter at SparkPeople.com

They help you figure out the how good, how much, and how often and then they help you balance it out with exercise and activity. Because what goes in must come out!

And I, for one, would not like my bigger serving size and extra bread rolls to come out in the form of a bigger pants size and an extra stomach roll. I have been there, done that. Its not for me. I would like to work it out, sweat it out, and push, push, push until I am in balance with myself.

The nice thing about all this is that it is not a diet. Its a lifestyle change.

Wait! Don't roll those eyes!

Yes, I know you've heard it before. But its true.

Its true that if you stop dieting and start living, it quickly becomes habit. Its true that on days when you would like nothing more than to treat yourself to some ice cream, you find yourself staring at the nutritional menu.

Even more surprising, you find yourself thinking about how although you wanted a large mix of ice cream, cookie pieces, and chocolate, you are now suddenly thinking that it doesn't taste "980 calorie good." It is no longer worth it to you to waste that amount in just the snack.

It tastes about "300 calorie good," you decide, so you order a small chocolate cone instead. Maybe even a kiddie cone. And you don't feel deprived. Not at all.

In fact, you feel proud. You feel fulfilled. You responsibly treated yourself, which everyone needs every now and then, without even being tempted to go overboard. You allowed yourself to come in and order anything - anything! - and yet you came in and ordered something reasonable.

You should be proud! Congratulations! Its a brand new day.

Nothing feels better than living healthy.