Quote:
Originally Posted by Truffle
I have a terrible problem with perfectionism when trying to lose weight, and feel that if I eat even one "wrong" thing, I've blown everything, and then proceed to go back to old eating habits.
The problem is, if I'm going to count calories, I want to be able to be accurate, which, to me, means not being able to cook casseroles or anything "mixed" like that. In my mind, I'm going to have to eat strictly foods that are able to be measured, counted, tabulated.
Ummm....think about this: you eat one wrong thing, which means you blew it! You screwed up! Life is over and there's no redemption because you made ONE MISTAKE!!! And therefore...you keep making that same mistake? Huh? Throw yourself down stairs much, do you?
No human is perfect, dear. Not you, and certainly not me.
Besides, who says what a "wrong" food choice is, anyway? For example: there's a tremendous push toward dairy foods for the calcium and the hocus-pocus weight-loss benefits, but I'm lactose intolerant. If I have pills with me, dairy can be a "right" choice. But if I don't, dairy is definitely a "wrong" choice!
Alright, [/lecture].
Specifically addressing your question, why can't casseroles be counted? I'm a tremendous fan of "cream of chicken soup" casseroles. Weigh 4 ounces of pasta and cook it (for the pasta I use, 360 calories)...add half a bag of frozen veggies (175 calories)...add a can of cream of chicken soup (200 calories)...half a cup of skim milk (45 calories)...add a can of white chicken in water (315 calories)...and 2% cheese (120 calories).
In the entire casserole now I know I have 1215 calories. I also know how much my pan weighs (because I weighed it before I put anything in it) so I know how much the casserole weighs, too (because I weighed the whole thing when it was done cooking, and subtracted the weight of the pan). Divide 1215 by the number of ounces of casserole, and you have the calories per ounce. Then just weigh how much you want to eat, and multiply by that number to find the number of calories in your meal.
Or do it the lazy way: figure you've got 1215 calories, eyeball about a quarter of the pan, and call it 300 calories.
Whatever works!!
Point is, dear heart, don't make this harder than it has to be. And don't let yourself "excuse" yourself out of getting healthy and reaching your goals! Remember, this is about progress, not perfection.