I started counting calories today. But I ate to many bad foods and went way over my calorie allotment and haven't eaten supper yet! I told myself at least I would count my calories even if I go over today. I guess tomorrow's another day. I walked for an hour at the store today. I bought the wave exercise thing today. Biggest Loser starts tonight and I thought maybe I would workout some while I watched the show. But It's very hard to get back on calorie counting. Any suggestions?

Sounds like you need to plan what you are going to eat for the day ahead of time instead of counting as you go. The count as you go method is the surest way to run out of calories before dinner comes around.

You know what to do!

Plan. Failing to PLAN is planning to FAIL. So plan plan plan. In advance. And STICK to your plan like glue for three days.. it all gets easier after three days

Ah yes...the 3 day hump. And you can do this! I have so much confidence that you will plan well for tomorrow and get your exercise in. You CAN do it! Just keep chugging along . And if you MUST go over your calories today, at least do it on vegetables and lean proteins. Don't skip dinner in an attempt to cut calories. I may get tomatoes thrown at me for saying this , but calories are not the be and end all. It is important to get your nutrients too! You said you ate "bad foods", in that case even if you hadn't gone over your calories, I would say you should go over if it means you get your protein, nutrients, etc. for the day. Calories are only one part(a big part, true) of this journey. The others are just as important!

Wow, that was a lot longer and more rambly than I intended.

Hi VickiLou! Even I, a basic non-planner, have a plan each day. I'm not a journaler, though I know that's the key to most women's success, so I would highly recommend it. But I just plan to have a set amount of calories at each meal and for me that translates to 200 calories in each of six meals. I like eating every 2.5 hours because it's never very far away. When I'm the go, a meal is sometimes a 200 calorie protein bar or a 200 calorie frozen meal. I'm getting away from both those crutches, but it was a life saver that first month. I didn't have to do any math.

Those are my best suggestions. You can do this! You just have to get one day under your belt to get you on the right track. And even if you mess up, don't let it be a huge mess up. Just because you eat 50-100 calories over your goal is no reason to throw in the towel for the day.

I was going to say exactly what CC said. Plan out your foods - each and every meal and snack AHEAD of time. Know exactly what you will be eating at each and every food opportunity - no matter what. Don't wing it and count as you go along. Waaay too easy to go over budget that way.

Map out your food schedule in advance, each and every day. Set yourself up for success. This simply won't happen on it's own.

You must DECIDE to do this and than take the necessary steps to make it happen. And make it happen you CAN. You CAN. You've got the ability to do this. Push yourself. Challenge yourself. Amaze and astound yourself.

For me, I hate planned meals. More often than not, I get to the meal and really don't want what I had planned. So instead, I opt for planning calories. My max cals are 1507 a day. So I alot 400 cals per meal, which gives me at least 1200 cals a day. The other 300 can be used for snacks or to boost a meal. It's my alternative and it works well for me since I typically have an idea of what I'm in the mood for ahead of time, but it doesn't commit me to a certain food.

I found the first few days of starting a healthier lifestyle, for me, have to be set in stone. I have to work out X minutes, I have to eat X calories, etc. Anytime I've said "I'm going to try," I automatically bombed.

You can do this!!

Yes ...Three Days of toughing it will get you back. Go grocery shopping for healthy things (that you like) to keep on hand so you don't get hungry and just grab whatever...

I love calorie counting! One essential for me is having a couple of low calorie meal ideas (and having the ingredients on hand) so that if I had a high cal day, I can have a 200 cal dinner and be ok. Some things I like:

Big salad, lots of veggies, vinaigrette, chicken breast

Scrambled egg beaters & light cheese w/a slice of wheat toast

Veggie soup, chicken soup, veggie chili... anything low cal

sliced chicken sausage and brussels sprouts

Any lean meat (chicken, fish) and a cup of green cooked veggies

Bowl of high fiber/protein cereal (I like the Kashi line) and skim or almond milk

And I also keep a couple of frozen Lean Cuisines in the freezer, and a few cans of low cal soup in the pantry just in case.

Tonight's lite dinner was a bowl of Total Raisin Bran with Almond milk. 200 cal.

Hang in there, don't give up!

I think the thing that is most important with calorie counting is to be honest with yourself. I journal food - have never gained back while journaling, only when I quit so somebody tell me why I ever quit doing it please - and I plan ahead. If I eat something off plan at least it's in the journal and I can see why I had a bad day or a bad week.

I totally agree about having some low-cal options available for high calorie days. More of that plan to fail if you fail to plan thinking.