Calorie Counter

I have made a realization about myself and my weight today. I will not eat something that I know is bad for me. I've thrown a Snickers ice cream bar out the window of a moving vehicle before, after reading the nutrition label. But this is not the realization. I've always had the will power to not eat food when I know it's bad.

The realization is this: I will purposefully not read the label on something and just tell myself that it's "probably not that bad." I had a busy fall and easily lost several pounds because I just didn't have time to think about eating. But this spring my schedule has eased up and so has my diet.

I have been treating myself to McDonald's breakfast burritos every Wednesday lately. Living in Texas, it's practically a sin to get any tacos from McDonald's. But they are good. I figured that they couldn't be that bad. Two tacos. Well I looked it up today: 16 grams of fat each. Since a non-dieting adult should consume about 30 grams of fat each day, I was blowing my daily amount before 7 a.m. Now that I "know" how bad they are, I will never enjoy one again.

I also looked up nutrition information for my favorite burgers today. Big Mac - my favorite - has 33 grams. When you include the medium fries and coke, the fat gram count reaches 55. Another meal I will never enjoy again, at least until I forget.

But I already "knew." Why do I have to see the nutrition label to be convinced something is bad for me? And how can I stop letting things slide in under my personal "don't ask, don't tell" policy? As diligent as I am about avoiding high calorie, fatty foods once I've read the labels, I only stop to read the labels when it suits me... usually after a day of awful eating or just after hanging out with my fitness instructor friend Tina. She has a two year old and still looks better than almost anyone.

I am writing this blog to share what I know, but also to guilt myself into reading the labels on everything I eat. I figure if I have put myself "out there" as some sort of an expert, I will be obligated to practice healthier eating habits.

I found a site that lets you look up and compare nutrition information by restaurant and type of food. The most fattening burger at http://www.foodfacts.info/, with 96 grams (read three+ days worth), is the Hardee's 2/3 LB Bacon Cheese Thickburger. The least fattening is the Wendy's Jr. Hamburger with 9 grams of fat. To be fair, not all restaurants are included on the site, so there might be a fatter and skinnier burger out there.

If you need nutrition information for any restaurant not listed on the linked site, just type its name then "Nutrition Information" in a search engine. Here are some other things the novice calorie counter might not know.

• To maintain current weight, a moderately active female between the ages 31 and 50 should have 2000 calories per day. A sedentary female in the same age range should have 1800 calories per day. From http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/html/chapter2.htm#footf
  
• Moderately active means a lifestyle that includes physical activity equivalent to walking about 1.5 to 3 miles per day at 3 to 4 miles per hour, in addition to the light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day life
• To lose one pound a week, cut calorie intake by 500 calories per day. For the average adult woman, that means going from 2000 to 15oo. See the calculator at http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/calculate-your-calories
• Fat grams should be limited to fewer than 30 per day.
  
• There are different kinds of fat, but even "good" fat is fattening. Just because you got your fat grams from an avocado instead of a hamburger doesn't mean you won't gain weight.
• Fat grams are stored immediately as fat with no work required from the body. Excess calories are turned into fat.
  
• Chicken is not better for you if it is deep fried. Four chicken strips from Whataburger have 49 grams of fat (one and a half days worth).
• Salad is not better for you if you load it up with toppings. A Boston Market Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad has 62 grams (two days worth) of fat. And it sounds healthy.
  
• You can have a great sandwich with only 10 grams of fat (one-third of a days worth; 387 calories). Just skip the cheese. If you skip the mayo, it brings it down to 5.5 grams of fat (one-sixth days worth).
  
• One slice of American cheese has seven grams of fat (94 calories). White sub roll: 2 grams of fat (220 calories). Three ounces of lunch meat ham: 3.5 grams of fat (100 calories). One tablespoon Hellman's Light mayo: 4.5 grams of fat (45 calories); One tablespoon French's Honey Mustard: 0 grams of fat (10 calories). Two half-inch thick slices of tomato: .2 grams of fat (10 calories). One large leaf of lettuce: 0 grams of fat (2 calories).
• Most "taste" comes from smell. Sometimes just smelling something yummy will suit the craving. I rarely feel good after pigging out on even the most delicious treat.
  

Curtain Hanging Tips

We just built a house and had to hang curtains (and rods) in every room. I had to look all over the Internet and in print catalogs for advice, but was unable to find it in one place. Most was limited to whatever the site or catalog sold.

So here is what I learned, all in one place.

Basics

• A panel is one curtain. Usually panels are sold in packs of one, even though you probably need at least two.
• A clip ring is just what it sounds like: a ring attached to a clip. You use the clip to attach the ring to a panel. The rings slide over the rod more easily than the curtain fabric. They add a nice finishing touch to a window treatment.
  
• A sheer is an almost see-through panel. Think pantyhose. They are used to add privacy while letting in light and to dress up a window treatment. I like white, but they are available in many different colors.
  
• A double rod is curtain hardware with two rods instead of the usual one. Use a double rod to hang sheers and solid panels on one window.
  

Measurements

• Curtains are sold in lengths that are multiples of 12.
  
• Standard panels that cover a window and a few inches above and below the window seem to be either 72 or 84 inches. Of course, measure.
  
• If you want the curtains to hang to the floor, go with 96 inches.
• If you have high ceilings and want to go from close to the ceiling to the floor, 108 works.
• If you are using clip rings (which I recommend), be sure to remember them when determining how high to attach the rods.
• Shears and solid panels should be the same length.
• Longer curtains are more formal. I used 108 inch curtains in the master, dining and living room. I used 96 inch curtains in the guest rooms and office. I used 84 inch curtains in the breakfast area and garage. I used cafe length curtains in the small kitchen window.
• Cafe length means either 24 or 36 inches. Measure from the top of the lower window pane to determine what you need.
• You should not be able to see the top edge of the lower window when cafe length curtains are closed. The bottom of the curtain should rest on the window sill.
  
• The panels should be 1.5 times wider than the window. If your window is 30 inches wide, you should have 45 inches of panel. Err for too much curtain if you aren't sure.
• The panels should extend about three inches on either side of the window. More if you use them to black out light in a bedroom.

Hardware

• Clip rings come in packs of seven. Use one package per panel.
• Attach clip rings easily: Fold the curtain in half length-wise and attach the middle and two end clips. Then place two evenly spaced between the middle and end. And two evenly spaced between the middle and other end. This way you can eyeball it without having to get out a ruler.

Shopping

• I like the Umbra double curtain rods from Bed, Bath and Beyond. I spent weeks finding the perfect ones (sturdy, nice looking, affordable). Pottery Barn has some beautiful double rods also, but they cost more than I wanted to spend.
• Don't cheap out on the hardware. Saving $200 up front will not make you feel good about sagging curtain rods.
• Don't go too trendy when picking curtains unless you plan to replace them frequently.
• You can save a lot of money on curtains with a twenty percent off coupon. Linens 'n' Things puts them out more frequently than Bed, Bath and Beyond, but either company accepts competitor's coupons.
• I found some great curtains at Anna's linens. It's kind of the Ross of linens, so be careful. Don't buy something just because it's cheap.