Calorie Counting Blog

Being held accountable can help us all stay motivated to live healthier. For some, working out might be a little more fun (and effective) with a pushy friend by our side, urging us to jog that extra mile. And surely most would agree that dieting is much easier when those around us are dieting too. (Nothing beats a great salad, but it’s not easy to love lettuce when your dining partner is devouring a burger.) To get to the point, people in our lives provide support and hold us accountable.

Enter 21st century technology. It has changed the way we communicate and interact with one another. Websites – particularly Facebook, Twitter and blogs – and mobile apps have taken our social activities into the vast virtual world. Online communities full of people with similar interests are just a few keyboard taps and mouse clicks away. It’s here where you’ll find people who, just like you, want to exercise more, eat less, and just be healthier. They want, and need, a pushy and supportive friend to hold them accountable, and they’re willing to return the favor.

Log in to Facebook or Twitter and you’ll undoubtedly see status updates or tweets from friends or people you follow that say something like “going to dinner at McDonald’s [or any other restaurant],” or “I had raspberries for breakfast.” Sound like someone you know? While it’s easy to poke fun at people who think that anyone cares about where, when or what they eat or do, it’s important to remember that these people might just have the right idea. They’re seeking, and ideally getting, interaction – and being held accountable – by everyone who sees that status update on Facebook or tweet on Twitter.

A lot of people, especially the more tech savvy or those who find pleasure in writing, have staked their claim on the blogosphere. They create wellness-related blogs about everything from their weight loss journeys to tips and secrets for staying fit. Check out Erika Nicole Kendall’s blog titled “A black girl’s guide to weight loss.” This popular blog has almost 22,000 subscribers, almost 19,000 “likes” on its dedicated Facebook page, and almost 4,500 followers on Twitter. So apparently, there are more than a few people who care to hear and read what Erika has to say and write.

For a long list (emphasis on long) of inspiring, motivating, and just plain cool blogs about fitness, wellness, weight loss and more, check out healthylivingblogs.com. Take a 21st century approach to living healthier by getting involved in a community of supporters. Our guess is that you’ll become more calorie-conscious and wellness-aware just by tweeting what you’re eating, or something like that.

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Foods can be deceiving. Just when you think you’re making a healthy choice, you come to find that the sauce in your pasta dish outdid your good intentions. To show you how food descriptions aren’t telling the whole story when it comes to calories, we took a look at some Qdoba items and entrees that appear on Graphite’s Food Nutrition Database.  Here are some tips when ordering at Qdoba:

1. Don’t skimp on the tomato-based salsa. Two ounces of Fiery Habanero Salsa (Extra Hot), Pico de Gallo (Mild), Salsa Roja (Hot), or Salsa Verde (Medium) range from 10-25 calories each. That’s a lot of flavor packed in very few calories. Corn Salsa isn’t as forgiving, weighing in at 60 calories, while guacamole packs 85 calories for 2 ounces.

2. Choose your taco wisely. Here’s the lowdown on three taco types. Per serving, Qdoba Grilled Vegetables are 20 calories, Pinto Beans are 43 calories, Chicken is 63 calories and Ground Sirloin is 79 calories. 

3. Go naked! A “naked” burrito foregoes the tortilla in lieu of another base like black or pinto beans. 

4. Don’t be fooled by the wrapper. It seems like that thin, flat tortilla shell couldn’t pack too many calories inside of it. The fried taco shell, on the other hand, feels like a real indulgence. Actually, they’re relatively close in calories. Just one Taco Salad Shell at Qdoba includes 400 calories. The burrito-sized Flour Tortilla (13") holds 330 calories. If you want the shell, go for it. Just be careful what you put inside. 

For many more Qdoba items and thousands of other foods, check out Graphite’s Food Nutrition Database.

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