Calorie Counting..Friend or Foe?

I know everyone has heard they should count calories. I also know what a pain in the rear it can be. The way the world works Ladies and Gents is
how much you eat + how much you move = how much you weigh
It sucks, I know! I struggle just to remember to write everything down that I eat, we are not even going to get into how many things do not have the calorie count beside them in my food journal!
 We will get into food journals later but simply put..write down anything that goes past your lips! This is the only true way to know how many calories you are eating. Every little bit adds up! Chewed a piece of gum? It might have calories. That taste you took while cooking? Yep it has those bad boys in it also.
Not all calories are created equal. You can eat something unhealthy that is equal to 400 calories or you can eat something healthy that is 400 calories. Now they might be the same number, and you might come in under your total calories for the day. In fact you will even still lose weight! Problem is the unhealthy food is not going to give you all the things the healthy choice does.
So let me tell you why I LOVE CALORIE COUNTING! Just because something is a pain does not mean you can not love it! ( Ask any mother or wife!)
Southern girls love to eat! We are brought up that when you get together with friends and family...you eat! Some people get all caught up in the bad food / good food view of eating. Like I said before it is different and you should be aware of that fact.  Good news for use Southern Girls is bad or good the calories still add up. If you are eating healthy foods the majority of the time and you have a holiday or get together coming up, feel free to eat what you want. Just watch your calories! This is not going to stop your weight loss as long as your daily intake does not go over what you are allowed to have.
Now some people like to go over and then just work out harder to burn it off. Yes I guess this would work. I am not going to go 30 more minutes on the treadmill for a bite of cheesecake. Not worth it to me!
So this is a very simplistic view and I am sure this topic will be revisited at some point, but alas it is Saturday and I got places to go and people to meet! Have a great day readers!