[QUOTE=2bthin44]Hi all calorie counters,
"I'm new here and want to lose weight by counting calories, but I'm confused about what to eat."
Hello "D", Calorie counting is a personal thing with numerous responses varying from healthly foods and not so healthy foods. Here's how I look at it. Calories are my body dollars. I have 2000 dollars to spend each day. If I want something expensive to eat like ice cream or pie it's going to cost me a lot of calorie dollars and I'm not going to be able to eat alot today. But, if I shop cheap like fresh fruits, fresh veggies(served fresh or cooked) and lean meats I can eat alot more and still have a little left for a little goody to satisfy my mental status(1/2 cup vanilla ice cream). It's a trade off. If you only want high calorie stuff then you get less to eat that day. If you only want low calorie stuff you can eat more and more often. Each day varies in menu, but my total calories stays at 2000. Do what works for you. Don't quit eating everything you love or you will be setting yourself up for failure. Try eating the same as usual but half as much. Just try to make sure you eat healthy.

Hi...canI ask what brand nutrition bars you found to be low cal & tasty? So many of them have enough calories to be a meal. I'd like to use low cal types for snacks now & then. I mostly have fruit,but the bars would be something diff. Thanks,Pat

I hear a bit of sadness for not wanting to give up the foods you love, and I know EXACTLY what you mean. That's exactly how I felt... like I was nostalgic for the foods I might have to give up or seriously curtail to lose weight.

Here's what happened though: I realized that while, yes, I do make sacrifices every day to eat healthier, I LOVE what I am eating! I don't think I remembered how sweet fruit was until I curtailed my candy eating, for example. And I loved loved loved my Kraft Mac n Cheese, but realized it wasn't filling me up. Maybe I will want it every now and again, but when I do, I suspect less of it will suffice, and less often.

But I think everyone needs to come at this in their own way. For example, I haven't really given up any food officially. But I eat a lot of the less healthy foods so much less frequently. I love really good quality ice cream, but have chosen to only have it 2ce in the past year, and I'm fine with that decision. Yes, I would like it more frequently, but the advantages of losing 100 pounds far outweigh the benefits of more ice cream.

I guess what I'm saying is that you may surprise yourself, and what seems like a hardship now from your point of view (e.g., eating less ice cream), won't actually feel that way when you're living a new life...

I like Zone bars. The regular sized ones are around 210 calories...I recently found snack sized ones at WalMart...they are 80 calories! You can find them sold as singles, too...so you can try a flavor at a time. There are other brands that taste pretty good, too...but you have to be diligent about reading lables!! Some are really high calorie, I look for a decent amount of protein in them as well. Oh yeah, Adkins has some decent tasting bars, too.

Thanks for the info on the Zone & other bars.I'll look for the lower cal type. Breaking one in half wouldn't work. Pat

The other half would be calling me, too.

Been counting calories for one week now,,,and I too have realized I don't 'want' the junky grab on the go type food..processed or otherwise.
Funny how that happened just by changing how I want to eat and lose weight. So for me Calories DO Count, and I am loving it!!

How profound is this statement?
....changing how I want to eat