Fitness Blogger Compares Food Choices And Their Calories And You Need To See This

Truthfully, not all of us are consistently making healthy food choices. Many of probably make very few healthy food choices, actually. Honestly, I had a soda and 4 chocolate chip cookies for breakfast but last night we did baked fish and asparagus for dinner so I'm working on balance.

Fitness blogger Lucy Mountain is on a mission to challenge us to rethink and reevaluate how we look at food, an in particular her mission is "counting calories." To perfectly prove her point, Lucy is using visual comparisons and it's working really well. Lucy wants people to look at this several ways. For one, we can clearly see that there are healthy ways to "treat ourselves" and stay within daily limits. Another important point she's making? How much more fulfilling and healthy your food choices can be in comparison to alternatives we often find ourselves choosing. 

Take a look at some of her stunning visual examples and keep them in mind as you work your way through a healthy lifestyle, or attempting one.

1. Meet Lucy.

Lucy is on a mission to help us all reevaluate our food choices.The Fashion Fitness Foodie

2. White americano versus a flat white

“It’s often surprising how many calories are in coffees and hot drinks – a large Starbucks Flat White is 290 calories and a latte is 300. If weight-loss is your goal, a simple swap like ordering a white Americano instead will save you 250 calories.”The Fashion Fitness Foodie

3. A handful of almonds versus a packet of fruit pastils

“Many would choose the almonds for the nutritional value or the flavour – which is totally fine. Many would choose the almonds because even though they’d prefer Fruit Pastels, almonds would make them feel more ‘on track’ mentally – which again, is totally fine… When the majority of my diet has consisted of well-balanced food that’s full of micronutrients, I have no issue eating something that’s less so just because I love the taste of it. This is just a personal choice… ‘Healthy’ to me is exactly what I make it. And Fruit Pastels (in moderation) make me happy which I believe contributes largely to my overall health.”The Fashion Fitness Foodie

4. Solero ice cream versus magnum ice cream

“If your goal is weight loss, the Solero could be a good swap for the ole classic Magnum (if it helps you stick to stay in a calorie deficit). And equally – if your goal is weight loss, the Magnum could be a good choice regardless (if it helps you stick to stay in a calorie deficit).”The Fashion Fitness Foodie

5. Salt and vinegar crisps vs. vegetable crisps

“Although the difference in calories is pretty minuscule, you’d expect the vegetable crisps to be considerably less calories right? This is just another little reminder that often there’s not much difference between the product marketed as the ‘healthy alternative’ and the real thing. So go for the thing you actually WANT to eat.”The Fashion Fitness Foodie

6. Water lies.

“These ‘Touch of Fruit’ guys totally got me a couple of months ago when I was focusing on trying to get a little bit leaner. I just didn’t expect my water to have calories, I felt so betrayed lol.”The Fashion Fitness Foodie

7. Two Salads: Both are the same size, both come with avocado, cheese, croutons and dressing.

“… Salads are a fantastic way to pack in lots of lovely micros but not all salads are the same. Being aware of the individual components of the meal you’re eating AND how it sits in context to the rest of your day will massively help if weight-loss/weight-gain is your goal.”The Fashion Fitness Foodie

8. A Twix serving versus a real-life serving

“If you’re being more mindful of your calories, this is a prime example of why it’s important to read the labels properly and not just what it says in large font on the front. I mean OF COURSE you’re going to eat the whole god damn thing, but it’s just good to know exactly what that equates to.”The Fashion Fitness Foodie

9. ‘Healthy breakfast’ versus ‘naughty snack’

“They’re practically the same calories and macros, with the digestive biscuits being a fraction higher in protein and lower in sugar than Belvitas. Yes, Belvita has an extra few micronutrients but only the equivalent to approximately 150g of spinach…”The Fashion Fitness Foodie

10. Fatloss food vs. fattening food

“No single food will cause weight-gain. Eating more calories than you’re expending constantly over a period of time will do this. Equally, no single food will cause weight-loss. Eating less calories than you’re expending constantly over a period of time will do this.”The Fashion Fitness Foodie

11. 100g milk chocolate versus 100g 85% dark chocolate

“For those of who genuinely love dark chocolate, keep doing you. However, if you PREFER the taste of milk, but force yourself to eat dark because you’ve read it’s ‘healthier’, just have the milk chocolate and enjoy it. In terms of weight-loss from a calorie perspective, it’s actually more beneficial and will raise happiness levels by 938% (unproven stat).”The Fashion Fitness Foodie

12. 100g milk chocolate versus 100g gluten-free, wheat-free, milk-free chocolate

“There’s an association that ‘Free From = Healthy = Weight-loss.’ And it’s just simply not the case. Just because something doesn’t contain gluten or milk doesn’t means it’s any less calories or more conducive to your fitness goal.”The Fashion Fitness Foodie

13. Toast with butter versus... toast with butter.

“As you know from my recent posts, I’m about enjoying ALL ze food and there is nothing I cut out of my diet that I like the taste of – no matter my goal. Learning how to manage portion sizes has allowed me to achieve this!”The Fashion Fitness Foodie

14. Smoothies are not created equal.

“Now some people have a smoothie as a meal, others have them as a snack – and either way, that’s totally fine. However, if weight-loss is your goal, being more mindful of what you throw into your smoothies could really make a difference.”The Fashion Fitness Foodie

15. 100 Calories: Fresh strawberries versus dried strawberries.

“Don’t get me wrong; dried fruit is waaaay easier to eat when you’re on the go (ain’t nobody got time to whip out a punnet of strawberries lol). So they could be a good option if convenience is the priority. But when fat loss is the goal, 300g of fresh strawberries is likely to be more satiating.”The Fashion Fitness Foodie

16. Her final and most important message:

“That’s right, there is no difference. There’s no difference because the method you choose (if any) does not solely dictate the food you consume. It starts with you… Does counting a calorie stress you out? If so, don’t do it. It’s simply one of many methods.”The Fashion Fitness Foodie

Is it shallow or are we allowed to have preferences based on that factor? Check out these confessions from people who would never, ever date someone that is overweight.