654,500 extra calories to go

Oh my goodness, that is right... I have 654,500 fat calories to go. GULP, can we say intimidation! Holy crap, is that even possible? Okay, wait a minute... just breathe... inhale, exhale... slowly now... iiiinnnnhhhhhhaaaaallllleeeee, eeeeexxxxxhhhhhhaaaaalllllleeeeee... nice calm thoughts.

Okay, considering I have already lost 28,000 ... it is okay. Your probably looking at these numbers wondering, what the heck is this girl smoking? What on earth is she talking about.

Let me break it down, I read that one pound, one measly pound of fat is made up of approximately 3,500 extra calories. To lose one pound of fat, you should create a caloric deficit of 3,500 calories. Sounds unbelievable, after I read it and picked my jaw off the floor I had to calculate... how many fat calories am I carrying on this body of mine? So I calculated it....

322 pounds - 135 pounds (goal weight) = 187 pounds
187 pounds (I am considering fat) x 3,500 extra calories = 654,500 extra calories

Of course, I am no DR and I in now way can give medical advise and this might not even be a real calculation but it blew me away. It made me realize that I had to eat 3,500 extra calories for every pound of weight I have gained. SCARY... I mean nightmare kind of scary. It sounds unfathomable but it wasn't for me. There were days that I could polish off 4500 - 6000 calories in a day, from eating a whole pizza, having burgers and fries for lunch and fast food breakfast... you better believe it is possible. The good new is, I am awake now. I am becoming more and more aware of the foods I am eating and the foods that are out there.

Since I have become more aware of food (healthy vs. non-healthy) what I notice, of course this is just my opinion, is that advertisements for unhealthy food are everywhere. I mean seriously, every corner there is a huge billboard or commercial on that advertises food, cheap and unhealthy food at that, loaded with fat, unhealthy carbs and cholesterol. It just blows my mind to think what we are teaching our children. I am guilty of it for sure. I have gone to a fast food joint and ordered my son two hamburgers, an order of fries and a soda. Sure, my son is thin and he doesn't have to worry about weight but what he eats, what he puts in his body, that should be something I monitor and teach him how to eat healthy.

As I am cooking healthier and logging my food intake everyday, I talk to the kids. I tell them about how many calories each meal is and what foods seem so innocent but turn out to be an unbelievable amount of calories or fat. It makes me happy to know I am finally teaching a lesson that will impact my children for the rest of their lives, hopefully very healthy lives where weight never becomes an obsession or setback in their lives.

Oh, speaking of monitoring caloric intake... I found this awsome website, some of you may be familiar with it, it is called hungry girl. It has GREAT alternatives, recipes, snacks, tips and tricks to help make healthier choices. For those of you who follow weight watchers, it also gives the point value on all of it's items. If you get the chance, check it out: http://www.hungry-girl.com/