MyNetDiary Blog

Meal Replacements at Lunch Can Help You Lose Weight

I just read an interesting study about how meal replacements at lunch can promote gradual weight loss. Levitsky & Pacanowski published their nifty study in the peer reviewed journal Appetite: “Losing weight without dieting. Use of commercial foods as meal replacements for lunch produces an extended energy deficit.”

Note that weight loss researchers have long known that meal replacements can encourage gradual weight loss. What was different about this study was that the meal replacements were commonly purchased prepackaged foods, not liquid high-protein supplements, special high fiber meals, or expensive diet-branded meals. The study used five commonly purchased foods that are not typically considered “diet” foods: Chef Boyardee Pasta (microwavables), Smucker’s Uncrustables, Kashi Bars (GoLean style), LeanPockets, and Campbell’s Soup in Hand.

These products average about 200 calories per container. Study participants were allowed to add one piece of fruit to their meal replacement of choice. Over the course of the 10-day study period, participants consumed an average of 250 calories less per day on these meal replacements compared to eating unrestricted lunch meals. This resulted in an average weight loss of 0.5 kg (1.1 lb) by the end of the study. Average calories intake at other meals remained consistent despite consuming the lower caloric lunch. As well, study participants did not rate their hunger any higher or lower at subsequent meals despite the lower caloric lunch meal.

What might be the teaching point from this study? The authors state that “these data suggest that substituting any meal that contains less energy than a typical meal can be used successfully as meal replacements for the purpose of weight reduction.”

My take home message from this study is that we don’t have to spend a fortune on specially formulated prepackaged products to lose weight. We can simply use affordable prepackaged foods to control calories at lunch and lose weight gradually, without an increase in hunger at other meals.

Of course, I would rather have folks choose a balance of less processed, whole foods for their meals to maximize nutrient intake while limiting calories, sodium, saturated fat, sugar, and preservatives. But losing weight if you are obese (BMI ≥ 30) is extremely important for your health too. If eating a calories-controlled processed lunch meal helps you achieve a safer weight then do it. After all, a plan to eat a calories-controlled lunch meal cooked from scratch from whole/unprocessed foods is only a good plan if you actually execute it! Be practical. If you are worried about nutrient intake, examine your daily, weekly, or monthly nutrient intake averages by using MyNetDiary’s report tab on the web.

Have questions or comments about this post? Please feel free to comment on MyNetDiary’s Forum or Facebook page. I would love to hear from you!

Best,
Kathy Isacks, MPS, RD
Consulting Dietitian for MyNetDiary

Disclaimer: Please note that we cannot provide personalized advice and that the information provided does not constitute medical advice. If you are seeking medical advice, please visit a medical professional.

Are Our Words Contributing to Our Obesity? How Our Language and Social Status Influence What we Eat

Ever hear of statements like “fit for a king” or “breakfast of champions”? For a long time in our history we have equated portion size with social status, and we have promoted an image that “more is better.” But where has this gotten us? Today, nearly a third of American adults are obese (with the expectation that will rise to 41 percent by 2015) and 17 percent (or 12.5 million) of children between ages 2-19 are obese.

A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research took a closer look at this “bigger is better” mentality and asked if it could be related to our current obesity epidemic. In the last 20 years, researchers have found that portion sizes have increased by 52 percent for soft drinks, 27 percent for Mexican food and 23 percent for hamburgers. The notion of “super sizing” every food order is running rampant in our country, being fed by the idea that if we “eat like a king” then we must be one.

The researchers at Northwestern University experimented by manipulating the status of meals to find out if consumers’ portion choices would be influenced by the perceived need for social status as it is attributed to food size. What they found is that people did choose larger portions if they felt they had a more prominent social status, and, on the other hand, they chose smaller portions if they felt they had a more negative social status. In short, choosing bigger portions was an expression of how they felt about their social status (i.e. bigger = better).

So what can we do about this? First, we can remind ourselves that we have the freedom to choose our portions. If a restaurant or fast food chain offers a “Super Gargantuan Mega King Kong” option for a burger or side of fries, it’s likely they also have sizes small through large. We can exercise our power of choice and order according to our calorie goals and level of hunger.

Second, we can consider the nutrient density of the foods we choose. Yes, we may be tempted to go all “XL” on a bucket wings, but why not go “XXL” on a plate of veggies too (or better yet, instead of!)? We don’t have to make our “one big thing” the most unhealthy thing on our plate. We can double up on the good stuff and choose smaller portions of the not-so-good stuff.

And lastly, we can “go big” in other areas of our lives. We can literally become the “queen of our workouts,” or the “king of the running club,” or even the “pauper of Pilates.” We can “give big” too, volunteering to coach a kid’s activity or sport once a week. There are many other ways we can satiate our egos in relation to “bigger is better” instead of just choosing the biggest burger on the menu.

Tell us, what healthy ways do you “go big”? Share them on the MyNetDiary Facebook page or in our Community Forum. We’d love to hear from you!

Running the Holiday Gauntlet

Here we are again – in the middle of that magical time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day - the holiday gauntlet. It is a time for holiday cheer, festivities, parties, gift giving, and calories. As I recommended in last year’s post, consider a sane approach during the holiday gauntlet: aim to maintain weight rather than trying to lose weight. That is, hold steady – this will give you a little more leeway with your calories intake with which to enjoy the season.

You Still Matter More Than Gifts!
Don’t get so caught up in the merrymaking and gift giving that you fail to take care of yourself. Your family and friends will not benefit from you forgoing self care simply to insure that they get their favorite sweet or gift. You being alive and healthy enough to enjoy life is what matters most – and your loved ones ability to enjoy your company. Don’t lose sight of this very basic fact.

Not Enough Time
Yes, there is enough time to cook healthy meals and exercise even during the holiday gauntlet! You simply have to value those activities enough to schedule it into your day along with the other things that you do. Think of ways to free up time. If you have a family, then what age-appropriate activities can your children and teenagers do to help you get a healthy dinner on the table? How about your spouse – does he/she pitch in enough? Who’s doing the dishes? In my house, the person who cooks does not do the clean up. Ask for help! This frees up some of your valuable time for self care behaviors.

Dining Out & Parties
We tend to consume a lot of calories in both eating environments. Choose one or the other, but don’t do both for five consecutive weeks. If you typically eat out for lunch, then start bringing in lower caloric foods from home so you can budget for party calories later that evening. Skip parties that you really don’t enjoy and use that time for self care.

Keep Tracking
Keep tracking to remain aware of your calories intake relative to your total calories expended so there won’t be any unpleasant surprises in the New Year. So what if you made some choices that resulted in a huge calories surplus one day? It is the net calories over time that results in weight loss, gain, or maintenance. A 3500 calories surplus is needed to gain one pound of weight. That means you would have to eat 3500 calories over your weight maintenance calories to gain one pound. Most of us gain weight gradually over time with a creeping calories surplus that occurs for weeks, months, and years.

“All or Nothing” Doesn’t Work
Get rid of the “all or nothing” approach to holiday eating. If you persist in this type of thinking, I can pretty much guarantee that you will gain weight over the holidays. You don’t need to be perfect – this ultimately results in a pretty dramatic fall from grace during the holidays. And not knowing how bad things are getting is not freedom – it is simply not knowing. Better to track, assess, and make changes without drama. Knowledge is power – use it to make effective dietary and activity changes rather than as a tool for self-loathing.

Have questions or comments about this post? Please feel free to comment on MyNetDiary’s Forum or Facebook page. I would love to hear from you!

Best,
Kathy Isacks, MPS, RD
Consulting Dietitian for MyNetDiary

More Resources

Clemson Cooperative Extension. Control Holiday Weight Gain.

Gay Riley, MS, RD, CCN. NetNutritionist.com. A Survival Guide to Holiday Eating.

Harvard Health Publications. Enjoy Guilt-Free Holiday Eating.

Disclaimer: Please note that we cannot provide personalized advice and that the information provided does not constitute medical advice. If you are seeking medical advice, please visit a medical professional.

Control Calories on Thanksgiving Day?

I believe that Thanksgiving Day is a day to enjoy with others. I hope that those of you trying to lose weight will not punish yourself by forcing a calories deficit on a day reserved for being thankful for food and sharing it with others. Having said that, it is also a great opportunity to practice portion control. It not only helps minimize a likely calories surplus, but it also helps prevent us from overeating to the point of feeling sick and lethargic. One can enjoy Thanksgiving Day without deprivation by simply consuming smaller portions of delicious food and going for a walk.

Walk!

If you have the big meal earlier in the afternoon, then you can go out for a walk afterwards while it is still daylight. You can’t burn off the meal by walking but it will help reduce the calories surplus for the day. As well, it feels good to get out in the fresh air and move a little bit after being inside all morning long (possibly cooking, baking, eating, and/or socializing). I bet you will be less likely to keeping eating all afternoon and evening if you can take a walking break. Also, walking after the main meal is ideal for those of you with diabetes – walking will help control the post-meal rise in blood glucose. For more tips on controlling diabetes in general, please see my article at MyNetDiary.

Enjoy in Moderation

Limit alcohol. Choose wine, light beer or plain liquor to limit calories per serving. Microbeer lovers beware – some styles can be over 300 calories per serving if the alcohol content is particularly high. See my blog article on beer. Mixed drinks with multiple shots, cream, juice, or soda pop will also be high in calories.

Appetizers. Best choices are fresh veggies, fresh fruit, or very lean proteins (e.g. grilled shrimp or chicken). But skip the dip – most will contain about 80 – 100 calories per tablespoon. Limit appetizers with high fat meats (e.g. bacon or prosciutto wrapped anything) or cheeses to one piece or skip them altogether.

Be picky. Only eat what you think is truly great tasting and leave the rest. Perform triage with your holiday meal calories!

Dinner plate. Fill your dinner plate once and be sure to include protein, whole grains, and plenty of non-starchy veggies. For help on balancing your plate, check out Harvard’s Healthy Plate diagram.

Dessert. If you want to sample multiple desserts, then limit portion size of each sample so that the entire dessert plate is equivalent to one serving and don’t go back for more. Extras that add calories: homemade whipped cream (100 calories per ¼ cup or 4 tablespoons) and drizzled chocolate syrup (100 calories per 2 tablespoons).

Stop nibbling. It is very difficult to assess the total calories intake from nibbling. It is a form of mindless eating that is rarely accounted for in our logs. However, bites here and there can contribute a lot of calories throughout the day. Eating bites of dessert from other people’s plates (or licking batter off of spoons or bowls) can easily cost us 50 calories per bite (e.g. 1/6 of a small brownie, 1/6 slice of pumpkin pie, or 1½ tablespoons of cake batter). Some foods, like creams and frosting, are closer to about 70 calories per tablespoon.

Don’t skip meals. I know a lot of folks try to save calories by skipping breakfast the day of the feast, but don’t bother. You’ll only make it up in spades later in the day. Nibblers – are you meal skippers?

Have questions or comments about this post? Please feel free to comment on MyNetDiary’s Forum or Facebook page. I would love to hear from you!

Best,
Kathy Isacks, MPS, RD
Consulting Dietitian for MyNetDiary

More Resources

Eating Well. Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes, Menus and Cooking Tips.

Food Network. Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger, MS, RD. Full on Thanksgiving.

Harvard Health Publications. Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes. November 2005.

MyNetDiary Blog. Katherine Isacks, MPS, RD. Thanksgiving.

NPR. Nicole Spiridakis. A Vegetarian Thanksgiving. 11/19/08.

Disclaimer: Please note that we cannot provide personalized advice and that the information provided does not constitute medical advice. If you are seeking medical advice, please visit a medical professional.

What Really Contributes to Weight Gain - Some Surprising Stats

Weight gain comes in many forms. Yes, each pound literally comes from consuming 3,500 calories above your RDI (recommended daily intake), which is based on your height, current weight and activity level. However, how those calories add up seems to be influenced by some surprising (and some not so surprising) factors. There have been a number of recent studies exploring what contributes to weight gain. We’ve compiled a few of the interesting ones for you.

Though the “Freshman 15” may not be entirely accurate, weight gain during college was the topic of a recent article in Social Science Quarterly. The study showed that no more than 10 percent of college students actually gain 15 pounds. The average was closer to just over three pounds. Interesting, this study cites that 25 percent of college freshmen actually lose weight their first year at school. However, on average, guys gain more than girls do their first year (1/3 more weight than girls to be exact).

With the holidays just around the corner, we’re entering into the six-week season of stuffed turkeys, potato salads and stretchy pants. A recent study in Nutrition Review found that in the general population the weight people gain during the six-week holiday season accounts for an astounding 51 percent of all the weight they will gain that year. And if you’re already overweight or obese, the percentage of weight one gained was greater than non-overweight individuals. The average gain in six weeks for overweight or obese individuals was 14% of their starting body weight.

Lastly, a study in the British Medical Journal considered what role job loss played in weight gain or loss for men. It found that when a man lost his job, he was twice as likely to experience major weight gain rather than major weight loss. Zoë Harcombe, author of The Obesity Epidemic, suggests that the weight gain is due to loss of purpose, self-esteem and income, in that order, and that job loss literally gives us more time to eat during the day.

Understanding what larger forces and life changes may be at play in weight gain may help put in perspective why you’re gaining weight. And if you can determine some of these root causes you may be less likely to give up the fight to be healthy, especially if you know you can’t immediately change those life circumstances. The trick is not to get down on yourself for gaining weight and closely monitoring your food intake with a calorie counter. Posting your story in our Community Forum or on our MyNetDiary Facebook page can help too. Give it a try!

‘Exergaming’ Away Those Extra Pounds

As cooler weather creeps across the country, now becomes the time when some of us look for ways to exercise under a roof instead of in the blustery fall winds. We may start taking a few extra classes at the gym (or join a gym!). We may put away our biking cleats for a DVD set of the latest fast-paced, high-intensity workout program. However, for those with a gaming console and specialized controllers like the Kinect for Xbox 360, the PlayStationMove or Wii Fit, ‘exergaming’ (as it’s called) can really make an impact on our weekly exercise regimine.

Likely more than a fad, ‘exergaming’ is projected to be a strong part of the gaming console’s $40 billion industry (by 2015). From dancing, boxing, ‘track-and-field-ing,’ to intense ping pong and bowling games, ‘exergaming’ can have seriously positive effects on your exercise regimen and put a smile on your face to boot.

The trend has been studied by the University of Calgary Exergaming Research Centre, the American Council on Exercise and the University of Massachusetts Department of Exercise and Health Sciences. And each has provided qualified evidence that ‘exergaming’ can provide some heart-pounding exercise and positive health benefits.

When used at intermediate or high-intensity levels, ‘exergaming’ can pack a bigger punch (sometimes literally) than walking at a brisk 3 mph rate, which burns about four calories per minute. Here’s a list of some of the more popular ‘exergames’ and how they stack up against brisk walking:

‘Exergame’ / Calories Burned Per Minute
Golf - 3.1
Bowling - 3.9
Baseball - 4.5
Tennis - 5.3
Dancing - 5.3
Boxing - 7.2

For ‘exergaming’ to really work, though, it’s all about your intensity level. Of course, like any exercise, you should always consult your doctor before beginning any new regimen and only exercise within your ability. And always stay hydrated and rest when needed.

Perhaps the main draw to ‘exergaming’ is that users feel more like they are playing a game rather than exercising, which means it’s something people are more likely to continue doing on a regular basis. Many games can be played individually or against a real or virtual competitor. Experts who have studied ‘exergaming’ tend to agree that this “stealth exercise” will continue for as long as it is fun, and one of the ways people can keep ‘exergaming’ from becoming boring is to develop personal tournaments or rewards for achievements, just as organized sports does in the “real” versions of these games.

And though no one is exclaiming that ‘exergaming’ should replace all other forms of exercise, it is something that can be done rain or shine and it can be a more relaxing method of building up strength and agility in the privacy of your own home instead of in front of a class of 30 strangers.

And, of course, it sure beats sitting on the couch!

Tell us, are you an avid ‘exergamer’? If so, what are you favorite games and gaming consoles. Share with us on our MyNetDiary Facebook page or in our Community Forum.

What behaviors are making you gain weight?

Most of us know that weight control boils down to calories intake vs. calories expended. If you consume more calories than you burn, then you will gain weight. But it is also helpful to know what lifestyle factors or specific behaviors are associated with weight gain over time. Some behaviors can be changed to reduce risk of weight gain whereas others (like quitting smoking) should not be changed.

In last week’s blog post I reviewed dietary factors related to long term weight gain. This week, I continue with lifestyle factors that are associated with long term weight gain. The information in this post comes from the same study I reported on last week – a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine (6/23/11) by Mozaffarian et al.

Behaviors That Appear to Promote Weight Gain

Quitting smoking. Quitting cigarettes (within a given 4-year period) has the strongest relationship to long term weight gain. For those of you who have recently quit smoking, this is a big challenge to weight loss or weight maintenance.

Alcohol intake. Increasing number of drinks consumed per day is associated with greater weight gain over time. This is not surprising – alcoholic drinks have calories.

Sleep hours. People who sleep less than 6 hours a night or those who sleep more than 8 hours a night have an increased risk for long term weight gain. That is, if you sleep too much or too little, you are more likely to gain weight over time.

TV hours. It comes as no surprise that increasing hours of TV viewing come with more weight gain over time. The authors speculate that TV viewing probably increases weight gain by decreasing physical activity, increasing calories intake (especially snacking while watching TV), and decreasing duration of sleep.

Physical Activity Helps Fend Off Weight Gain
The more physical activity people engage in, the less weight they gain over time. Of course, this should come as no surprise since exercise burns calories and has important metabolic effects. The key, of course, is to engage in regular physical activity over time, not just for a short period of time to lose weight.

Smoking is not worth the lower weight!

Because smoking is so detrimental to one’s respiratory and cardiovascular health, all smokers are advised to quit even if the result is weight gain. Calories tracking is ideal to curb weight gain during this difficult period. Caloric foods or drinks are often consumed to replace smoking and this increases calories intake. For instance, 7 sugar-free Lifesavers® candies (any flavor) contains 35 calories. That doesn’t seem like much, but an extra 35 calories on top of your maintenance calories will cause you to gain about 3.65 lb over the course of a year (3500 calories surplus = 1 lb weight gain).

Have questions or comments about this post? Please feel free to comment on MyNetDiary’s Forum or Facebook page. I would love to hear from you!

Best,
Kathy Isacks, MPS, RD
Consulting Dietitian for MyNetDiary

Reference
Mozaffarian D, Hao T, Rimm EB, Willett WC, Hu FB. Changes in Diet and Lifestyle and Long-Term Weight Gain in Women and Men. N Engl J Med 2011; 364:2392-2404. June 23, 2011. Online abstract: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1014296

Disclaimer: Please note that we cannot provide personalized advice and that the information provided does not constitute medical advice. If you are seeking medical advice, please visit a medical professional.

Snack Ideas from MyNetDiary Members

For the past 2.5 years, subscribers have shared their ideas for calories-controlled snacks on MyNetDiary’s Community Forum. For those of you who are unaware of the Forum or don’t have time to browse older posts, you might find these snack ideas helpful. They are loosely sorted into “craving categories.” Some snacks are processed foods, whereas others are unprocessed. Most of these snacks are below 200 calories, but you can check by simply looking them up on MyNetDiary. I used specific brand names when subscribers used them. As just a reminder, all members, free and paid, have access to our Community Forum.

Crunchy

Air-popped popcorn with: 1 tbsp of low fat whipped butter mixed with 1 tsp of lemon juice; 1 tbsp chopped dried cranberries mixed with 1 tbsp fat-free feta cheese; or 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese
Kashi Go Lean Crunch® cereal
Low calorie Triscuit® crackers with sliced avocado
Low fat animal crackers with 1 tbsp dark chocolate chips
Melba toast
Rice cakes or flax seed cakes
Shredded wheat & bran cereal added to vanilla low fat yogurt
Wasa® Light Rye Crispbread

Protein

2% cottage cheese with: fresh fruit; 1 tsp Nutella®; or 3-4 chopped walnut halves with cinnamon
Buffalo chicken dip with celery: boil chicken and then run through food processor. Add low fat mayo or sour cream, ranch dip powdered mix and Frank’s® RedHot sauce
Hummus with mini whole wheat pita bread, tomato, and cucumber
Hummus with baby carrots
Low fat cheese sticks or string cheese
Non-fat Greek yogurt with: honey, vanilla agave syrup, berries, and/or ground flax seed
Low fat ricotta cheese (1/4 – ½ cup) with honey and vanilla extract, topped with Cool Whip® Lite
PB2® powdered regular and chocolate peanut butter (half the calories of regular peanut butter)
“Sandwich thin” with turkey, lettuce, tomato
Skim milk or soy milk
Sodium-free bread & butter pickle chips with 2% cheese on water crackers
Whey protein powder blended with low fat unsweetened almond milk and fruit

Salty

Broth-based soup (homemade will be a lot lower in sodium than canned)
Cucumber wrapped with sliced low fat ham (also high in protein)
Laughing Cow® cheese on celery or crackers
Nabisco® Wheat Thins Hint of Salt (these are actually low in sodium)
Nuts & Seeds: 1 oz (1/4 cup) of any type - most are not high in sodium even though they taste salty
Popcorn (microwave bag): Orville Redenbacher’s® Smart Pop; Smart Balance® Smart N’ Healthy Popcorn
Rold Gold® pretzel thins
Salsa
Steamed veggies with siracha hot sauce and hoisin sauce

Sweet

Baked apples: bake a cored Macintosh or Granny Smith apple that has been stuffed with walnuts, dash cinnamon, ginger, and a drizzle of honey until soft (about 20 minutes)
Chocolate rice cake with fat free whipped cream and fresh strawberries
Dried fruit – ¼ cup or less added to other foods to sweeten (e.g. oatmeal and yogurt)
Fiber One® Yogurt - key lime pie flavor
Fresh fruit - plain or with a nut butter (e.g. apple with almond butter, banana with peanut butter)
Fudgsicle® (sugar free or regular)
Goodness Knows® snack treats
Grapes, frozen
Ice cream: Skinny Cow® single serve treats
Ice cream: slow-churned low fat vanilla ice cream with sliced peaches, fresh berries, or heated frozen berries
Small pretzels with 1 tsp Nutella®
Sugar free jam or jelly
Red Mars® Bar
Pudding: no sugar added
Steel cut oats cooked with cinnamon, sugar free maple syrup, and/or fruit
Tesco® healthy living snacks
VitaTops®
Weight Watchers® snacks (e.g. caramel wafers, chocolate biscuits)

Veggies

Raw sliced sweet peppers or baby carrots
Roasted squash, eggplant, or peppers with spray oil
Roasted chickpeas – dust with spice of choice. This snack is also high in protein.
Roasted kale with spray oil
Zucchini and eggplant sprayed with oil and microwaved (turn every 5 minutes until dark and crunchy)

As you can see, protein is a popular snack ingredient since it wards off hunger for a modest caloric price. Sweet snacks are also a hit and many are combined with protein foods to satisfy both hunger and a sweet tooth. Snacks fit into any eating plan – simply track them to stay within your total calories budget.

Have questions or comments about this post? Please feel free to comment on MyNetDiary’s Forum or Facebook page. I would love to hear from you!

Best,
Kathy Isacks, MPS, RD
Consulting Dietitian for MyNetDiary

Disclaimer: Please note that we cannot provide personalized advice and that the information provided does not constitute medical advice. If you are seeking medical advice, please visit a medical professional.

Cheating to Win: How it Can Work for Weight Loss

How many of you have felt shame when sneaking a mid-morning doughnut at work or have been scolded by your diet partner for getting 2% milk in your latte instead of skim? Probably a lot of us have. This notion of shame, or guilt, can actually be self-destructive to losing weight, and unless we change our mindset about food - realizing that we can “cheat” to win - we risk starting a downward spiral that derails us from our goal to lose weight.

The definition of cheating is essentially doing something outside the rules in order to win or gain an advantage. We hear a lot about cheating in sports or contests, but dieting and weight loss are not games. We have to eat food to survive, so why should food have a negative connotation? Why do we feel the need to label this food as “good” and another “bad”? If we place negativity around certain foods, we can bring on a sense of discouragement in ourselves just by being around them. Who has felt some level of stress or pressure when a coworker brings in a plate of fresh-baked cookies, and that’s even before we ate one? Just looking at a cookie made us wonder if our willpower was strong enough to withstand the bits of tasty “evil” hidden inside those chocolate chips. These feelings won’t help us reach our goal to be healthy and lose weight because they cause us discomfort during our journey, and if we feel discomfort every day just by being around food we run the risk of giving up because it gets too hard.

The powerful tool that is a food diary allows us to budget for any food, and we can remove the label of “bad.” Now we know, of course, that some foods are more or less healthy for us, but by tracking calories we understand how to maximize our portions in relation to our nutritional needs. “Bad” foods are often rich in calories, so one bite of that chocolate cake may run us 75 calories or more. Whereas a whole medium apple is about the same (according to MyNetDiary). Just knowing this can help us in deciding whether or not we really want that cake anyway.

Other diets (aka. fad diets) are about restrictions, and they thrive on the notion of “good” and “bad”, but using a calorie tracker shows us that we can find joy in all foods - as long as we budget for them. Think of calorie tracking as a financial budget: if we want that new set of golf clubs or fun vacation, we plan and save for it, don’t we? The same goes for calories - if we know we’re going somewhere that has great desserts, we can “save up” on calories a day or two before, or a day or two after so we’re averaging out to our daily calorie goal. Calorie goals are not something set in stone; they represent our limits as an average. This way we don’t have to feel discouraged if we go over one day. We can just aim to make that difference up over the next couple days.

Some MyNetDiary members find it helpful to pick a night of the week (or a day) that is their “splurge day” (or cheat day). It’s a day where they can take a break from the pressures of avoiding this or that and enjoy those treats. Of course, they still record what they eat so they are aware of their calorie intake, but they’ve planned for this time all week. It’s something they look forward to. You, too, can do this - plan and hold yourself accountable. In fact, it’s encouraged because a little “cheating” can go a long way when it comes to losing weight.

Tell us, have you tried to stop thinking of foods as “good” or “bad” now that you track what you eat? Let us know on the MyNetDiary Facebook page or in our Community Forum. We want to hear from you!

The Liquid Culprit: Sugary Drink Consumption Stats Released

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released America’s ‘report card’ for sugary drink consumption, and sufficed to say we need study harder. The CDC found that half the population age 2 and older drink a sugary beverage (soda, sweetened bottled water, sports and energy drinks and non-100%-fruit drinks) every day. This is despite the American Heart Association’s recommendation that people limit their sugary drink consumption to no more than three drinks a week.

In fact, a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association, Rachel Johnson, says that sugar drinks account for the No. 1 single source of calories in the American diet and they also account for half of all the added sugars people consume.

The report found that one-quarter of Americans drink 200 calories a day - that’s 1,400 calories a week or the equivalent of 20 pounds of fat a year calories-wise!

Additionally, it seems that the worst offenders for sugary drink consumption are only getting worse. The CDC found that 5% of Americans consume more than four cans of soda every day. That’s one out of 20 people drinking, on average, 600 or more calories a day.

So who is drinking the highest number of sugary drinks? According to the CDC, men drink more sugary drinks than woman, and minorities and low-income individuals drink more than do white adults and those with higher incomes.

But perhaps the most alarming demographic of repeat-sugary-offenders is males age 2-19. The report shows that 70% of these individuals consume a sugary drink every day. But it’s not school or daycare to blame. The report also shows that only 1.4 percent of the calories consumed from sugary drinks in this demographic are obtained at school or daycare. So it’s suggesting that it’s the parents who can primarily control the amount of calories these young boys are drinking.

Research has shown that drinking sugary drinks can lead to greater overall calorie consumption and can increase the risks for obesity and Type II diabetes in adults.

As a healthy alternative, the American Dietetic Association recommends “sparking” up water with lemon, lime or orange for natural flavoring. There are also low-calorie add-ins for water, such as G2 or Crystal Light. Diet soda, however, is not the answer, as they are being considered for their relation to increased risk of stroke or heart attack and possible decreased calcium absorption in women.

What do you do to curb sugary beverage intake? Share with us on the MyNetDiary Facebook page or in our Community Forum. We want to know!