By Davia D. Adams Limestone County SNAP-Ed Coordinator
CNHI
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Calories — the eight letter word we all know and hear over and over again. Especially during this time of year when we are planning last minute vacations on the beach, summer weddings and wearing less clothes due to the intense late summer heat of Alabama. Calories are always connected to weight. Too many of them can cause unwanted pounds each year, keeping us from getting into that suit or dress.
Calories, the unit we use to measure a food’s energy is also called kcals for short. The amount of calories a food item contains is listed on the product’s nutrition facts label. This is a very helpful nutrition label required by the Food and Drug Administration that gives information on calories and nutrients per serving.
The recommended amount of total calories daily according to the American Dietetic Association is 2,000 calories for a normal healthy adult. Healthy dietary intake includes choosing 100 percent whole-wheat breads and pastas, lean meats, beans, seafood, low-fat dairy, plenty of raw or steamed vegetables and fruit, water and a limit on sweets, processed foods, salty foods, and fried foods daily.
It takes a total of 3,500 extra calories per week to gain a pound (16-ounces) of weight. This means if you eat or drink an extra 350 calories every day (i.e. a piece of cake or milkshake), you could gain up to an unbelievable 35 pounds in one year! Even a mild increase of only 100 calories a day for one year can lead to a weight gain of 10 lbs a year. It is very important to realize the cost of eating too many unhealthy calories in a day.
Your total calorie amount is shared among fat, protein and carbohydrates. These are the only nutrients that give you food energy. Make sure you are careful of the calories from fat. Fat calories are the most costly or caloric dense. There are nine calories per gram of fat and only four calories per gram each of protein and carbohydrate. Too many fat calories cause twice the food energy needed to promote weight gain.
So, when you look at the following tips, keep in mind the total calories are reduced when fat calories are reduced.
You can make food choices to reduce your total calorie intake by selecting nutritious choices and healthy appropriate serving sizes. Here are seven tips to reduce those extra calories:
1.) Skip dessert and choose fruit. As stated above, an average dessert can cost 350 kcals or more. But, if you choose a serving of raw fruit, such as a banana, a sliced apple or peach, it will cost you less than 85 calories for dessert.
2.) Select a smaller version of the food item. Avoid sizing-up versions. Grand size 16-ounce Caffe Mocha made with whole milk and cream packs on 360 kcals, switching to a smaller version, a short (8 oz.) gives you 200 calories, a savings of 160 calories. Instead of eating a large bagel costing 200 kcals, choose one of the new smaller mini bagels for 65 calories, a savings of 135 calories.
3.) Choose water or real, no added sugar, fruit juices to drink instead of a cola or fruit drink. A soda can cost you an extra 150 calories daily, and 12-ounces of fruit drink can cost you 200 calories. Just eliminating a can of soda daily can save you 51,100 calories a year or 14 pounds loss in a year. There are no calories in plain, non-flavored water. If you do not like plain water, try adding a sugarless flavor pack to your water, costing only five calories or less per serving.
4.) Watch out for salad dressings and sauces. You can substitute the mayonnaise on a sandwich for a packet of mustard or a packet of ketchup saving you 100 calories. If you enjoy eating salad, use reduce calorie salad dressing for 35 calories or less per tablespoon verses regular dressing for 75 calories or more per tablespoon.
5.) Skip mindless snacking. This is eating when you are not hungry. Know what you are eating. Some quick processed snacks out of the vending machine can pack in calories. A pack of cheese crackers can add 160 kcals, a bag of chips or a candy bar can add up to 250 kcals in a day. If you are hungry, try a natural low calorie vegetable snack. Select raw carrots, broccoli, peppers, cauliflower which can give you 25-50 calories a serving, instead.
6.) Choose grilled or baked skinless version instead of fried. Select grilled skinless three-ounce chicken breast giving you 140 calories over eating the fried with skin version at 220 kcals. Catfish fillet deep-batter fried catches 180 calories compared to the grilled fillet of 115 calories.
Note of caution:
Keep in mind your body needs energy at least 1,200 calories to function properly daily.
Not enough calories can make your body think it is starving and will slow down your body burning calories.
This will cause you to not lose weight as much. Plus, you need enough nutrients from healthy foods to keep your body functioning properly.
A total calorie reduction, especially reducing the amount of fat kcals will decrease weight, but introducing daily physical exercise in addition to eating less calories can get us leaner and neater, often sooner in our clothes.
For the average 155-pound person, a daily 60-minute exercise regimen can work wonders to “eat up” calories.
For example, a moderate pace (3.0 mph) walk can burn up to 235 calories, leisure bicycle riding up to 280 calories, low impact aerobic dancing 350 calories or water aerobics can rid 280 calories in a day.
So choose a lifestyle of eating a healthy and adequate amount of calories (avoiding too many calories, especially from fat) and remember exercising daily is the ultimate way to keep your weight and health in check and give you that silhouette you desired.
