"Life is the sum of all your choices." -Albert Camus

To eat it or not to eat it...that's always the question. Eating less calories doesn't always mean you're eating correctly. Sure, you can rip open a 100 Calorie Oreo Pack and it will fit right in with your daily caloric intake, but is it going to help you? No. If you're going to eat that many calories, why not make it count? Instead, go to the refrigerator and cut up some strawberries. 100 calories worth of strawberry halves is 2 cups! That's so much more food for the same amount of calories and it is going to benefit you in more ways than those carb-ridden crackers will. Yes, fruits have carbohydrates, but let's discuss the difference between slow carbs and fast carbs. A slow carbohydrate is one which breaks down slowly and creates energy at a more regulated speed. One very important role this plays is keeping your blood sugar stable, and if you want to burn fat throughout the day, a stable blood sugar level is what you want. These are the carbs found in natural sugars, the good kind of sugar. 
These awesome carbs can be found in:
-lean beef
-turkey
-chicken
-all kinds of beans
-cheeses
-all seafood
-eggs and egg substitute
-veggies such as  carrots, lettuce, spinach, cucumber, zucchini, eggplant, tomato, cauliflower, cabbage, snow peas, asparagus, peppers
-fruits suchs as strawberries (all berries), apples, peaches, grapefruits, peaches, oranges, apricots, prunes, pears
-non-fat yogurt
-almond milk
-pasta (surprisingly) but of course in moderation, still high in calories
-grains such as quinoa, bulgar, barley, old fashioned oats (not instant..I'm guilty)
Basically, you should be eating foods that are natural and have no sugar added.

Now, a fast carbohydrate is one which takes less time to break down the foods. They produce energy very quickly. Fast carbs trigger your body to release a Insulin. Though, the main function of insulin is to pull the sugars from your blood into the cells for energy, excessive insulin (which is triggered by intake of fast carbs) works to store the extra carbs as fat. Not good.
Avoid these:
-fruits such as watermelon, pineapple, raisins, mango
-grains: brown rice can be ok, but instant rice is a big NO! Avoid rice cakes!
-dairy products such as rice milk, ice cream, not good.
-potatoes, so that means lay off of those french fries!  (sweet potatoes are much better for you so if given the choice, go for that)
-Snacking: avoid anything with a rice base or anything with added sugar.

So, what have we learned about carbs? Not all of them are bad! Your body has to have them so why not choose the right ones?! Balancing your diet can really have an effect on your weight loss, so make sure you're consuming protein, sugar, carbs, fat, and starch (not a lot of starch, though. Don't eat too much corn or peas).A lot of people attempt to cut at least one out, but I just don't see how that's possible when all of this is found in just about every food! Of course you want to consume as much protein as you can because it helps to keep you feeling full for a longer period of time. Along with protein, you need to consume more slow carbs in order to maintain a steady blood sugar level which in turn also helps to keep you feeling full. I avoid as much bread as I can, but my addiction to the stuff is hard to kick. So, when I do consume bread, I make sure that it is only present in one meal a day, if at all. If I have a sandwich for lunch, I'm going to have something like chicken with vegetables for dinner. If I'm going to have one of the many, many recipes involving reduced-fat crescent rolls that I've come up with for dinner, I'm going to eat something like soup or spaghetti squash for lunch. So you see, balance.

Here is also a list of superfoods and metabolism boosters which help you to burn fat and avoid illness:
-almonds
-avocado
-blueberries
-broccoli
-cantaloupe
-carrots
-flaxseed
-oats
-brown rice
-salmon
-apples
-water
-cinnamon
-olive oil
-cocoa powder
-tomato
-yogurt
-garlic
-beans
-soy
-eggs/egg beaters
-spinach
-cottage cheese
-ginger
-lemon
-all fish
-sweet potato

Of course, with all of these on the list, remember to balance out your intake of fast and slow carbs.

But I digress. The real reasoning behind this post is to make you think about your choices in calories. Like I've said before, a plain hamburger from McDonald's is 250 calories. What else could I have for 250 calories? An oven roasted salmon fillet with honey dijon sauce, 1 cup of steamed green beans, 1 cup of pan seared squash, AND a sauteed apple covered in cinnamon...Yeah, all of that...over that tiny little hamburger. So really, really think about it. Even if the food you're thinking about eating is low in calories, think about what that particular food is going to do for you. Is it going to help you or hurt you? Is it going to keep you full or is it going to only satisfy for a few minutes? Is it worth it? When you're shopping for groceries, don't just look at the calories on the package, take a look at the amount of sugar, fat, protein, and carbs (just don't forget about that list of fast/slow carbs I shared with you).

Pay attention! Pay full attention to what you're putting in your body. What you think may be a good choice could possibly hold you back!
Don't just eat a low calorie diet, eat a good calorie diet.