*The title of this post was taken from the band of the same name*

Calories can be extremely confusing for a lot of people.

Even if you think you’ve counted your intake right, there are countless ways for them to be incorrect.

Cup measurements can differ from scale measurements when it comes to food.

Restaurants can add oils and butter to food to make them taste better right before you get served.

The bartender could pour more or less of your liquor and the same could be said for your mixer (think Jack and Coke or vodka and cranberry.)

You could have digestive issues which prevent you from metabolizing food completely.

And then there’s the friendly server at Chipotle who serves you a more generous helping of guacamole with your salad.

With examples like these, it’s easy to see how calorie counting can get really screwed up.

All of this is to also remind you that calorie counting is not an exact science. You can get a general idea of where things are at so you know where you’re heading but sometimes it’s easier just to focus on the problem areas of your diet:

-Weekend splurges

-Mindless snacking (at home or the office)

-Frequent trips to the pantry or fridge (even after a meal)

-Added calories from drinks/energy drinks (think low calorie options or sweeteners added to coffee or tea)

Or, you can look at behavioral triggers such as family members who stress you out (causing you to overeat in frustration), buffet dining (which few people can actually control), or work events where both alcohol and appetizers are in abundance.

These things affect all of us. They’re real, not imagined. They are easy to forget about. And by forgetting about them, it doesn’t make you unintelligent, ignorant or less of a person.

It makes you a lot like the rest of us. Flawed but cognizant.

And it’s that cognition that can help you find success.

Pretend you’re a fly on the wall of your own life.

What would you see? What would you uncover? What would you solve?

You’re not wired all wrong. You’re normal.

The majority of my clients struggle with things like this. And if they struggle, then chances are, you might struggle too. And if you can focus on those things and bring them to light, problems can be solved.

We can help.