Sabine shares…

I have had to watch my weight since I was 15 years old and have tried many different diets and ways of eating. I am almost 53 years old now and my BMI is at the upper limit of normal. I am once again doing the one thing that has helped me lose/maintain my weight in the past. Counting calories.

Every time I have stopped counting calories to try some other method of keeping my weight down, I have gained weight. I know this is a discipline I will probably have to continue for life.

The wonderful thing about counting calories is that it removes the mystery of weight gain. For example, since I know what my maintenance range is (from counting calories for a long time), I knew that the weight gain I experienced while taking amitriptyline was caused by a change in metabolism rather than a change in my appetite. So I stopped taking amitriptyline.

On the other hand, when I gained weight taking Neurontin, I discovered easily that it was because I had developed a monstrous case of the Munchies. I knew this because I tracked the amount of calories I was eating even though I knew I was eating way too much. Now that I’ve reduced the amount of calories, I am losing the weight I gained. The Munchies are still there, but I am not giving in to them (most days anyway!).

I keep track of my calories on one single sheet for the whole week, as I learned to do while I was a member of TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly). Most days I eat many of the same foods, so I just need to make an arrow to the next day.

I have memorized the calories in many, many foods and can estimate most things pretty accurately. I do use a scale for things like nuts and a measuring spoon for sugar, for example.

When I need to travel, I take along pre-measured packets of snacky foods like almonds and pretzels rather than buying candy bars and chips at the stores (although I do buy some of those as well, and count the calories).

I have post-prandial hypoglycemia, among several other disorders and illnesses, so I do need to eat in a healthy, balanced way. However, there is no food that is forbidden to me. I just need to budget my calories and decide if it’s worth it. Drinking a lot of water and eating loads of veggies are the key to keeping comfortably full. Currently, I have a baggie of rutabaga strips in a zip-lok baggie in the fridge. I’ll grab a handful to munch on a few times throughout the day. Yellow peppers are a nice, sweet, low-calorie snack, too, if you can afford them.

Any weight-loss effort requires self-discipline, and counting calories is no different. I know that many people don’t like to count calories. For me, it works and it relieves the anxiety and frustration of not knowing *why* I am gaining weight. I know why, when I have counted calories. I also know if a weight gain is caused by an actual change in metabolism, such as the weight gain I experienced from the amitrityline. Fortunately, I was able to stop taking it. I know that many people need to take drugs that make them gain weight in spite of eating very few calories. My heart goes out to them.