Start counting your calories boys and girls!

Should they start weighing and measuring
everything they eat?

This scares me. Really it does. The US government, the FDA more specifically, has decided to encourage kids and their educators and families—i.e. everyone—to start tracking their calories, because, you know, doesn’t that solve the ‘obesity epidemic’? Well, no, it doesn’t—and it may cause more harm than good.

Their stated goal is to get kids and families to start reading labels and think more about what and how much they eat. Innocent enough, right? Well I don’t think so. Maybe I’m biased because I see far too many kids and adults, stuck in their heads with too much information; they spend time calorie counting, and limit their choices to single portions of foods because that’s what the label says is the ‘right’ amount. They allow the label to define their personal need, as if serving size was one-size-fits-all, when really it’s designed to provide information about nutritional value per serving, based on “usual” portions. They’ve lost their intuitive sense of how to regulate their intake.

What’s wrong with this campaign?

Let’s start with the messages in this campaign, and then you decide how helpful the guidance is. Here are a few highlights, shown indented.

The end of childhood.

Keep track of the calories you eat throughout the day. To find out what your “target” calories per day are, visit www.choosemyplate.gov .

Should kids really be tracking their calories, as if simply knowing their magic number would make everything all right? Calorie calculators are far from accurate, and don’t take into account a fair assessment of muscle mass which increases calorie requirement. They fail to adjust for individual variation in caloric need, aside for activity level. Larger sized body? You’ll get prompted with a CDC message that you’re at a high BMI and can choose to move to a ‘healthier’ weight—with no assessment of risk factors, and without regard to whether this has historically been a healthy place for you (based on your growth curves, if you’re a child, or your weight history, if you’re an adult).

I tried it out, for the sake of this piece. Where are the fats, I wondered? The sweets? Where’s the healthy, balanced diet? Exchanges from all food groups are included except for the oils and fats (fats may be components of foods in each category, but there was no place for added fats like healthy oils)—despite acknowledging separately that they provide essential nutrients. 

They do identify a calorie level for what’s called empty calories—which I was pleased to see—but they don't include it as part of my daily meal plan! Surely they need to be included—because forbidding them will only lead to deprivation and preoccupation with getting them. Omitting them surely sends a message—that they are bad, and kids and adults will feel bad including them.

The impact on real kids

This might be just what Dan needs to meet his nutritional needs.

Dan decided to become a vegetarian last year, along with a family member because he cares about animals. Fine enough, as far as I’m concerned. But then his high school health teacher (using the FDA curriculum) directed him and his classmates—regardless of their size—to reduce their fat and sugar intake and choose foods lower in calories. You know, because of the ‘obesity epidemic’.

Problem is, Dan was thin from the start. And his intake was limited enough. And being tall, and active, resulted in inappropriate weight loss, during a time that weight gain is appropriate and necessary to support growth and development. Guidance from a respected figure like your high school teacher seems like a logical thing to follow—especially when it’s coming from the US government’s program.  Yet Dan is one of many, many kids I’ve seen negatively impacted by the direction of their health or science teacher.

Are you eating  just for calories?

Kids, like adults, eat for all kinds of reasons—because they’re stressed or anxious, because they’re tired, because they’re procrastinating getting their work done and because their friends are snacking, to name a few. Just telling them ‘here’s how much to eat’ fails to acknowledge the many obstacles to ‘Just doing it’. What if we taught them how to moderate portions and how to manage stress, arming them with alternative coping skills?

If you consume more calories than you burn, you gain weight.

I’m tired of weight gain being framed as a negative. Yes, they’ll gain weight! Isn’t that what growing kids are supposed to be doing?

400 calories or more per serving is high; 100 calories per serving is moderate

Yes, so what? The teenage athletes or kids in super growth modes might need closer to the high end than the low for calories per snack.

Consider stuffing a pita or wrapping a low-fat whole grain tortilla as a lower-fat alternative to some breads.

Why lower fat alternative? And how many breads are high fat anyway—unless we’re talking about croissants, which we don’t typically refer to as bread! And why pull out fat as a problem nutrient to be watched? There’s no shortage of evidence that low fat diets  have failed us in our attempt to control weight.

Read the Label to see which foods are lower in nutrients to get less of — then replace one high-fat or high-calorie item you would have ordered with one that has lower calories or fat.

Again, why villainize fats? Maybe portions to meet individual’s needs would be more appropriate to address.

Choose foods with less sugar.

For the record, you should know that a glass of milk—plain, unsweetened milk (yes, even organic and even more so fat free) contains a decent amount of sugar. Natural sugar, called lactose, that hasn’t been linked to disease development nor to obesity. And dried fruit? And fresh—if it had a label?  All are also high in sugar and need not be avoided. Perhaps this needs to be clarified in their materials.

Nuts and dried fruits can make great snacks because they often contain nutrients to get more of – as long as you follow the serving size!

Does that mean kids need to limit their portion to ¼ cup—even of their calorie needs are high?

Why this needs to change

I worry about the impact on our kids.

Dieting is one precipitator of eating disorders; a significant percentage of those struggling with an eating disorder started off with what seemed like an innocent diet. And we surely don’t need to increase this population.

Kids need enough calories to support growth. Weight loss is generally not indicated in kids.

General educators are not skilled enough to nuance the recommendations individually, and may have their own nutrition and diet baggage, so to speak. The teacher educating kids to calorie count who perhaps is also on Atkins is not the person I’d want influencing my children’s eating.

I certainly support nutrition education in schools. But I’d like to see a different type of education.

Imagine this

What if we taught this in schools instead? (adapted from Drop the Diet, Lieberman and Sangster link):

• Eat breakfast within a half hour of waking.
• Include 3 meals and 2-3 snacks daily, at a minimum. Avoid going more than 3 ½ - 4 hours without eating (during waking hours, of course).
• Avoid compensating for a less-than-stellar day of eating; consider a clean slate, forgiving yourself for less-than-ideal eating.
• Shut the TV and the electronics when eating, and work on eating mindfully. 
• Keep all food in the kitchen—not the TV room, not the bedroom.
• Use your senses; smell, see, feel, hear and taste your food, and truly enjoy eating.
• Beware of false fullness from drinking lots of water or non-caloric beverages, or eating large volume of low calorie foods.
• Ask yourself  “Am I hungry?” Consider other means to satisfy those other eating triggers when you aren’t hungry.
• Clean up the environment. Keep foods off the counter to prevent them from calling to you. But eat foods you enjoy when you do need to eat. Then use the strategies above to manage portions.

As for the adults impacted by this campaign, be aware that at best, approximately 1 in 5 people who intentionally lose weight successfully keep it off for more than a year—and few studies track outcomes beyond this point. But maintaining lost weight should not be the sole measure of success. Weight suppression data identifies the risks that maintaining a weight below one’s highest weight creates.

Let’s not be short sighted and worsen one problem in an attempt to improve the health of our kids. There really is a better way.

Want to know how much I ate today? The pros and cons of comparing your eating to others’

Today's breakfast-crepes with sauteed fruit,
melted chocolate drizzle and vanilla yogurt.

When I was little, I mean, when I was young, (I was never particularly little compared to my peers), I recall a recurrent argument with my mother. “She can have it/eat it/do it—so why can’t I?”, I’d beg to know, to which she’d respond something like “If she jumps off the Empire State building does that make it okay for you too?” (Yes, I’m from NY and that was the tallest building back then.) Her point, of course, was that what’s good for one isn’t necessarily good for another. And if you’re going to compare, be careful.

Which gets me to you and your need to compare yourself to others; and more specifically, to compare your eating and your weight.  So what do you think—helpful to compare or harmful? Is it okay sometimes, or must you be consistent and never compare? Does it matter if you’re under eating, or if you’re overweight or is it simply dangerous?

Does it really matter what I eat (or anyone else, for that matter)?

Well, yes. To be honest, that’s why I include all the so-called food porn on this blog—beautiful images of delectable foods—all of which I am personally eating. Perhaps it shouldn’t matter. I mean I can give you sensible guidance regardless of how I choose to eat. But knowing that someone else is eating cookies or including carbs, or adding fats—things you just might fear—and is perfectly fine, reassures us. Viewing a peer’s eating as they’re comfortably eating ice cream can help motivate. Yes, normal, healthy people can and do eat ice cream. Seeing this can help increase your flexibility around foods and food categories—and that surely can help you change your relationship with food.

Yet it’s rather unprofessional to suggest that because something is fine for me that it’s fine for you. When I make my recommendations, they are based on my clinical experience—my 28 years in the nutrition field—and my knowledge of nutritional science and the limited research we have to work with.  What’s fine for me, isn’t necessarily right for you; I might include lots of veggies daily, but for you that added volume might be a challenge, making it difficult to meet your calorie needs. I might make most snacks rather calorie rich—when I’m out cycling or hiking for many hours and I’d rather eat smaller portions at each snack for convenience—this may be unnecessary for you; I’m almost 5’8 and my weight is just fine where it is, but your needs may be different—based on your height, your bone structure, your muscle mass, perhaps from years as an athlete, and your needs to normalize your weight to support your health.

Be careful!

My lunch. Looks big, right? Two pitas 'cause they were those too-light-be-
adequate 80-calorie ones. Certainly larger appearing than my husband's!*

When comparing to others, you might think—“She’s only eating a salad, why is that not okay for me?” or “Why do I need to work out when none of my coworkers do?” You may look at a friend and wonder how they can eat whatever they like when you have to be more mindful, or else your weight climbs out of your healthy range with no effort. Patients get frustrated when they report that their coworkers eat fast food and “junk food” and their weight is just fine, whereas they have to work hard and watch everything they eat. But they aren’t with these coworkers 24/7. Who knows what happens the rest of the time. What you see is a small slice of time, which may or may not reflect how any individual really eats.

Maybe they eat lighter when others are around—but make up for it in private. Perhaps they eat more only when they’re out with friends like you, but restrict when they are alone. Essentially, you have no idea what really goes on when you’re not with them. Unless I asked (and unless he were honest), I’d have no idea that my husband eats the leftover baked goods from work functions when he gets hungry and hasn’t brought enough to eat from home. Or even if he has, yet they are sitting so attractively frosted and displayed in work common areas for all to grab.

What you observe others eat may not be in their best interest—nor in yours. They may be struggling, denying their hunger and feeling fatigue, and preoccupied with food all the time.

He looks sedentary, but you should've seen him run today!

Are you comparing yourself to others for the wrong reasons? Do you let your eating disorder do the comparing as in “She’s having the fries, but I’m going to just order the side salad” or “He’s ordering the large ice cream, so I’ll just get the kiddie sized one.” Not what I’d recommend!

But I’m different

Do you ever think “that’s fine for you, but my body’s different”? You’re not alone! Somehow you may struggle to believe that what’s true for everyone else—that they can eat a range of nutrients including fats and protein and carbohydrate and no foods need be absolutely forbidden—just doesn’t apply to you. In fact, this basic truth does apply! Take a look at this older post: http://dropitandeat.blogspot.com/2012/04/youre-not-so-special-rethinking-your.html

My FAVorite cupcake place--located in NYC.

There are dangers in comparing your eating with others, as one size does not fit all. Just like food labels should not dictate how much we should be consuming—they merely identify nutrition info—you need to learn just what will meet your body’s individual needs.

And just because they decide to put themselves at risk and jump from the Empire State building doesn’t mean it’s okay for you.


* And for the record, I had a Napoleon pastry late afternoon and take out Japanese for dinner--with some nice Chardonnay. And if you asked, I'd tell you there were a few other items, too.

Please share your thoughts and let me know you’re out there reading!

Struggling to Manage Your Weight? Products, packaging and marketing leads to second guessing your eating.

This is a self-serving post. Really, I need to vent; because these things drive me crazy. They’re not directly harmful—except for the laxatives to be addressed in the next post—but they cause you to stumble. They mislead you. They impact your thoughts about what’s healthy and what’s allowed, and they add to your list of should and should nots.

They impact all of us, regardless of our weight. I’m just starting my list, in no special order, but I hope to inspire you to add to it—your comments, your own pet peeves. Because the more you're aware, the less you'll be mislead by the subtle, unreasonable nutrition messages. And the better you'll get at trusting your self and your body.

Almond milk: Forgive me if you are among the food allergic who can’t consume cow’s milk or soy milk. For you, almond milk is a reasonable option as a milk alternative to help meet your calcium need. But with the exception of its higher vitamin E content, it has little merit; it truly falls short as a milk alternative for those who do tolerate milk and soy. Here’s my issue: it short-changes you, because it looks like a glass of milk. But the calories don't compare, nor does the protein.

Sure, almonds, (as they proudly display on their website for Almond Breeze, one brand of almond milk) are high in protein and fiber and low in sugar. But this so-called almond milk? At 1 gram or less of protein, it is 6 or 7 grams less per cup compared to soy or cow’s milk, respectively. And a total of 1 gram of fiber. So please don’t assume that because it’s made from wholesome almonds that almond milk is anywhere near as nutritious.

Gatorade light: Why-oh-why would you choose light Gatorade? If you are consuming this sports drink for the reason it was developed—‘specifically formulated to help you perform your best’ during sports and training, then why have a reduced carbohydrate and low calorie beverage? Did I mention that calories=energy? The calories, from carbohydrate, are a convenient, easy to absorb fuel while exercising. But the light version is hardly worth it, providing minimal fuel to support physical activity.

And for the record, the electrolytes you get from Gatorade—the 160 mgs. sodium and 45 mgs. potassium from the recently increased serving size of 12 (vs. 8) ounces—is no greater than you’d get from a 12 ounce glass of milk (160 mgs. sodium and 560 mgs. potassium). 

Ok, I know you’re not about to drink milk on your run or bike ride. But unless you’re doing long duration exercise, generally more than 90 minutes, there’s little need for a sports drink anyway. You could easily replace your electrolytes when you get home, perhaps with a serving of pretzels and an orange or banana—a more generous replacement for both sodium and potassium losses. Just add any beverage to replace your fluid losses.

Sandwich thins: Made by Arnold and other companies, these seem innocuous, and are perhaps even viewed as a healthy alternative to sliced bread. And, they’re well liked, it seems. (I can't say personally—I've never tried them).

My problem? Eating one is like having just half a sandwich. And unless you are quite short in stature and quite sedentary, you likely need more than a half sandwich for a meal. Yet they look like they should be enough—there are 2 halves—but also half the calories. And, they provide little surface area to add your peanut butter or Vegemite (shout out to my Australian readers) or tuna or whatever. But if you love them and want to include them, have 2 for lunch! Or else when you get hungry later you’ll be beating yourself up thinking you’re not deserving of eating again!

Skinny Cow: I really love these ice cream sandwiches. But do you want to know a little secret? They’re no lighter than most traditional ice cream sandwiches you can buy (at perhaps a lower cost per bar!) But doesn’t Skinny Cow sound so light? All brands I looked at which are a similar size were within 20 calories (higher or lower)—and not promoted as a ‘skinny’ product. I do love their tag line, though: ‘who gives a lick about calories?’

The orange juice aisle: Maybe it’s just in US suburbs, but supermarket shopping is simply an overwhelming experience—even for me. A recent trip to the market revealed more choices than I could ever care to contemplate. Beyond the pulp options, there are orange juices fortified with calcium, and ones with fish oils (can you imagine?). It begs asking ‘Must one food item, this orange juice, meet all of my needs?’ Can’t we have orange juice for its naturally occurring vitamin C, folic acid and potassium? Must I get everything from this single item?

Similarly, must my pasta be protein fortified—or can’t I have chicken with it? Does it need to have added fiber, or won’t my eggplant, artichoke, peppers, etc. add that? Get the point?

Whey protein powder: Some of you who restrict your food intake and those vegans who plan poorly may truly benefit from boosting your protein intake. Why not use whey protein, the refuse, the left over liquid that remains when making cheese, conveniently packaged and sold at top dollar prices at health food stores, supplement sites and health clubs?

Whey protein boosts your calories—so this might be a positive for those of you trying to add some. But a whey protein shake mixed with water, in spite of it’s high protein content falls short as a meal replacement. And let me remind you about food halos. There’s nothing magical about protein. While your body requires protein to fuel your muscles and maximize recovery, from the looks of the label you might be thinking that you need whey more (sorry, couldn't resist) than you do. Even bodybuilders need little more than 1 gram of protein per kg body weight (or .45 gram per pound body weight). 

Are you a non-body builder? Then .8 grams per kg (or .36 g/lb will meet your need. (For most, a daily total of 50 or so grams is adequate.) No doubt you'll see how over the top these whey protein supplements actually are, and not without their risks. 

Shrinking packages: Why has the portion of yogurt dropped from 8 oz (one cup) to 6 oz, to in some cases 5 plus ounces? And, for the same price? And why did my half-gallon of ice cream slim down in such a deceitful way, denying me the full number of portions it used to have? (It’s now 2 cups short of the old packaging, so if you feared you were plowing through it more rapidly, fear not!) Food manufacturers should not determine what an appropriate portion is, so be sure that you allow yourself to have as much as you truly need. And that's likely to be more than a 100-calorie pack, too!

Packaged nutrients, not foods: Must we be categorizing everything we eat based on nutrient content? Can't we just eat things because we enjoy them? Because they give us pleasure? 'Protein and Fiber'? Really? Looks like sweetened, cluster cereal to me.

I'm just scratching the surface. Gentle laxatives, gelato, bottled waters and other favorites of mine will be addressed in an upcoming post! Please send me your pet peeves, too!

Protein: The New Black

There’s a halo hanging around all things high protein, these days. In fact, even foods not high in protein are labeled as if they are—simply to convince you to buy them! Case in point: which is lowest in protein— Starbuck’s Protein Bistro Box, Chicken and Hummus Bistro Box or their Turkey and Swiss on wheat bread? 

The winner is? Their Protein Bistro Box! Yes, in spite of containing egg, cheddar cheese and peanut butter—a rather disgusting combination, I might add—it comes out the lowest at 13 grams, compared to its competitors at 16 grams and 34 grams of protein, respectively. 

If you are selecting the Protein Bistro because you think all that protein (which doesn’t exist anyway) is going to help with weight management, let me break the news—it’s among their higher calorie meals! And for the record, it's the calories that make the difference. Personally, I’d rather have the lower cal sandwich and add on a mini whoopee pie or cupcake. Maybe that’s just me.

I could have kept this secret to myself. I mean, if you are underweight and struggling to eat more, and protein feels safe, what’s it to me? But here’s the thing. I believe you need to be well informed, that if you are striving to eat better you should have the facts. That goes for those of you who are trying to increase your intake and gain some weight, and it applies to everyone else too. If you are overweight and struggling to lose weight, it’s only fair that you, too, be well-informed. Being well-informed, well-equipped to handle misinformation, allows you to be in control.

So let me set the record straight—there’s nothing magical about protein, about any one nutrient, in fact, that’s going to resolve your weight struggle. And we don’t eat protein. Rather, we eat foods, not nutrients. In those foods there may be protein, but there will also be other macro (large) nutrients, such as fats or carbohydrate. If you assume that protein is good, or safe, it implies that carbs and fats are bad. And you know what I think about these descriptions of good and bad! We need all three macronutrients for health. And no one nutrient will cause weight gain—or weight loss. If only it were that simple.

Adequate protein intake without adequate total calories will still result in loss of muscle mass. Not a good thing! Loss of muscle mass decreases metabolic rate, necessitating fewer calories to maintain your weight.

Excess calories over and above your need for maintenance, regardless of their source—protein, fat, or carbohydrate—will help contribute to an increase in weight.

Yes, it really is about energy balance.

Take it from Harriet

Harriet, an overweight woman, came to see me last week for guidance on weight loss. She’d been working with a trainer recently, at her gym. And given his extensive training in nutritional science (you know, men’s work out magazines and the like) he guided her to do the following: eat virtually no carbs, but push protein—you know, to build muscle and increase metabolism. She was eating as he instructed, whole avocados without the crackers, and limiting her fruit to only grapefruits (3 times per day). Reminds me of the Scarsdale Diet I followed in my teens for no good reason and with no good outcome!

Her energy level plummeted, making her workouts quite the challenge. She reported feeling deprived following her current regimen, and she spent a great deal of time thinking about food, preoccupied with when and what she’d get to eat next. And so she wisely sought out more sensible guidance.

When she presented at her initial session with me, she left with a grin from ear to ear. “Now I can have starches? And other fruits?” She was so excited. At her one week follow up visit, she reported feeling great—greater energy, and so much happier, being able to enjoy foods she badly missed. And, her weight was down. In fact, I had to recommend she further increase her intake to slow the rate of weight loss. It certainly proved the point that carbs weren’t harmful, and large amounts of protein are hardly helpful!

Regardless of your eating struggles, trust that all nutrients are necessary, and safe to eat. Be flexible, to avoid deprivation, allowing you to sustain healthy dietary changes. And please don’t be misled by poorly trained trainers, or misleading food packaging! 

Calories Count. But I Prefer Not To.

A Balanced View On Calories and Weight.

It’s 11:20 AM. Breakfast was only 2 ½ hours ago, yet I’m hungry. So before writing this post, I march myself up to the kitchen and heat up a brioche, a flaky, buttery, mushroom-filled leftover deep in my freezer. There was no label, no caloric info on this bakery item to guide me regarding portion. And I had the whole thing. And it was delicious. My only regret? I didn’t think to photograph it!

I had just read Ashley’s post at Nourishing the Soul entitled The Great Calorie Debate http://bit.ly/egoWZU, including the many reader comments. And struggling to not hoard the space allotted on her comment page, I decided I needed to give this matter my full response.

The comment I did post stated that this, like most subjects, is not such a black and white issue. And if you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’d know that calorie counting is not my mode of managing weight. Rather than reiterating that viewpoint, I’ll direct you to past posts, focusing on the need for using internal cues, such as hunger and fullness, as distinguished from thoughts (including numbers, shoulds, food rules) and emotional triggers. These also emphasize that weight regulation does come down to calories. But how we regulate them is where some of us may differ.

http://dropitandeat.blogspot.com/2010/06/this-is-my-dog.html

http://dropitandeat.blogspot.com/2011/01/why-carbs-got-bad-rep-and-what-you-can.html

http://dropitandeat.blogspot.com/2010/05/pound-of-feathers-or-pound-of-gold.html

http://dropitandeat.blogspot.com/2010/12/weight-watchers-beware.html

http://dropitandeat.blogspot.com/2010/11/forty-eight-food-filled-hours-and-yes.html

But here’s the other side of the coin, so to speak. No doubt, calorie counting provides a safety net, an insurance of sorts. Trusting a plan’s calorie level can help individuals on both sides of the scale. If you're a restrictive eater, having a reality check about just how much you are falling short calorie-wise, could be quite useful. It might help to understand why you are experiencing unpleasant symptoms, and provide a template to work toward meeting.

One of my favorites for ice cream at a fraction of the
saturated fat and calories compared to premium ice creams!

Or like Robin, you might be frustrated that you do everything right—you exercise, choose healthy foods, and only eat half your meals when dining out. Yet your weight has been climbing out of range steadily over the past decades. For you, realizing that the 1 ½ cups of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey provides more than half the calories you likely need for weight loss, if you are less than 5’7” or less than super active. Sometimes that reality checking is quite valuable.

Last weekend while I was out, I stopped at a restaurant for lunch. Fresh City is a regional place, New England based with the motto: “Bold and original creations you can feel good about…” And I must admit, the food quality and selection was quite good. Yet approaching the counter, glancing up at the menu board I was alarmed. It was my first time being confronted with the calorie value of every menu item.

And I felt very conflicted. I certainly knew I was only going to order foods I enjoy, that much was certain. But how did I feel about the regular wrap being, if I recall correctly,160 calories greater than the low carb wrap option? Or the fact that for those little ones 10 and under, a PB and J contained 777 calories? Unless they are doing early Olympic training, that’s an exorbitant amount for a kid’s lunch, particularly once you add in a beverage to go with!

Well, for the record, I ordered the regular wrap (any surprises there?) and my college age kids couldn’t have chosen the peanut butter and jelly anyway (although the caloric value would’ve been more appropriate for them than the targeted customer)! God knows how large their bread is or how much PB they throw on the sandwich! I could tell you it did make my husband ask about his homemade PB sandwiches (which are a little more than half the calories of those designed for the under 10 crowd.)

So here’s the thing. Most individuals who have not abused their bodies with diets and unhealthy thoughts and rules (yes, that may just leave children and a few select others!) will eat part of the sandwich, regardless of it’s calorie level, and stop when they’ve had enough. And if, perhaps, they ate mindlessly, leading to consuming more than they really needed, then they would feel quite full. 


And so, if they listened to their hunger, they wouldn’t be eating until some time later. Maybe they wouldn’t end up needing a snack later—but maybe they would. The point? Even if you didn’t know how high the calories were, if you just listened to your body, and ate mindfully and trusted, you’d be just fine. (Unless, of course, the what the what the heck effect takes over and your dieter’s thoughts convince you that all is already lost and you may as well keep going.

If you’re going to look at calories, be certain to not set an upper limit. Calorie counting is not a perfect science. For any number of reasons, you may get hungry, even if you ate all the calories you think you're entitled to. Then what?! What’s most important is that you learn to honor your hunger. See http://bit.ly/94Xnm1

It’s 12:55 and I’m not yet ready for lunch. That rich and buttery brioche is still digesting. Lunch just may not happen for awhile. But I think I’ll bring a snack with me when I head out—just in case I get hungry! 
No regrets about the pastry, or about not knowing the calorie content. Sometimes, you just need to trust your body.
BTW, as this is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, please share this blog with 2-3 friends or family members who might benefit! Thanks!