Many of my clients ask me how many calories they burn doing different exercises. One of my favorite websites for determining this is Caloriesperhour.com. When you click on “Activity Calculator”, you can enter your weight, the type of exercise and the amount of time you spent exercising. It will give you a list of activities, and you choose the one that most closely resembles what you are looking for. After you click on the appropriate activity, hit calculate and it will tell you the calories you burned. Happy Exercising!
The Holiday Season is a special time of year that many people look forward to and enjoy. However, it can be the most difficult time for people to try to manage their weight. Many family gatherings and holiday parties involve a large selection of foods, which are often high in fat and calories. In order to stay on track with your weight loss efforts, it is important to plan ahead and have some strategies in place to maintain a healthy eating plan. Try the following tips to help stick with your nutrition goals:
Do not allow yourself to get too hungry.
Being overly hungry often leads to poor food choices and overeating.
- Eat a healthy snack before going to a party (fruit, veggies, yogurt, etc.)
- Don’t skip meals on holidays, make sure you treat the day as a regular day, eat at least 3 meals.
Portion control is key.
- Use a smaller plate so you don’t take too much food. Keep portions small. A taste often satisfies a craving.
- Try to limit yourself to 1 trip to the buffet for more control over amount eaten.
- If you would like more to satisfy cravings, make a doggy bag and take a portion home with you for the next day.
Do not stand beside the food at a party.
You can often snack hors d’oeuvres without realizing how much you’re eating.
- Focus on the conversation and not the food. Enjoy the company!
Avoid “clean your plate syndrome”.
Leaving some food on your plate will signal that you are done eating, and people will be less likely to ask if you want seconds.
Choose healthier foods to fill up on at parties.
The following are some healthy food options often found at parties:
- Steamed Shrimp or Scallops- try cocktail sauce or lemon as a condiment
- Fruit and Vegetable Tray- Plain, dipped in low-fat yogurt or low-fat veggie dip (use dips sparingly)
- Sandwich without mayo or bring a healthy dish (This guarantees a healthy choice that you will enjoy)
Choose only foods you really want to eat.
Don’t waste calories on foods you do not enjoy.
- Look at all the food choices at a party before eating and select accordingly.
Limit alcoholic and sugary beverages.
The calories you drink can add up quickly and they often do not provide any nutritional value to the diet. Alcoholic beverages may also stimulate your appetite and inhibit your ability to make appropriate food choices.
Control your environment.
Limit candy, cookies and other snacks in the house.
- If someone gives you cookies, try the following.
- Have a cookie and freeze the rest. Save for when you have guests.
- Recycle: give it to another friend or neighbor, take it to work or just toss it.
- Fill decorative dishes with potpourri in place of candy.
Continue with your exercise program.
This helps manage stress and burn calories. When schedules get busy, remember a shortened work out is better than no work out at all!
Remember holidays are about sharing time with friends and family.
While food is something to be enjoyed around the holidays, don’t let it be your only focus. Enjoy the other aspects of the holidays.
Your mom just may have been right when she said breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Not only does breakfast improve concentration and performance at school/work, but a high-fiber breakfast can also help to improve cholesterol levels and reduce the amount of calories consumed throughout the day. It has been found that those who eat breakfast on a regular basis are more successful at losing weight and maintaining weight loss than those who skip breakfast. (People who skip breakfast tend to overcompensate for the calories later in the day, and often choose foods with less nutritional value than the foods they would have eaten at breakfast.)
When planning a healthy breakfast, it is ideal to include at least three food groups. Breakfasts with high-fiber grains and some protein can have some real lasting power and keep you satisfied longer. However, any breakfast is better than no breakfast at all. Below is a list of some breakfast ideas:
| Meal Ideas |
Tips |
| Cereal(Hot or Cold) Skim Milk Fruit |
- Look for “whole” grains as the first ingredient on the label
- Try to include cereals with at least 3 grams of fiber per serving
- Limit sugary cereals. If you like sugary cereals, try mixing them with a low-sugar/high-fiber cereal. It might be just sweet enough.
|
| Fruit & Yogurt Parfait (Yogurt, Fruit of choice, Crushed cereal) |
- Choose low-fat or fat-free yogurt
- Remember that granola has a lot of calories…try sprinkling other types of crushed cereals for a lower calorie alternative
|
| Cottage Cheese Fruit English Muffin |
- Try to choose whole grain English Muffins and other bread products
|
| Egg White Omelet Whole Wheat Toast |
- Good omelet fillers: onion, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, or any other veggies, ham
- Limit: sausage, bacon, cheese and other high fat meats
|
| Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich |
- Peanut Butter is very healthy, but it is also very high in calories. Portion control is important for weight management
|
| Frozen Waffle Fruit Skim Milk |
- Try choosing whole grain waffles
- Top with light syrup for a reduced calorie option
|
| Granola Bar Smoothie Fruit |
- Choose granola bars that have > 3 gm fiber for serving
- Kashi, Pria and South Beach are some brands that make bars which tend to be fairly high in fiber
- Dannon makes an easy smoothie to take with you on the road
|
The chart above includes a few ideas, but don’t be afraid to get creative. If you don’t like breakfast foods, then eat a sandwich or left-over food from last night’s dinner. There is no rule that certain foods should be eaten at any specific time of the day. Also, be sure to think about your schedule when planning for meals. If time is limited have things available that you can grab and go.
Tis the season…for baking holiday cookies, making dishes for holiday parties, and the list continues. There are many traditional foods that are served around the holidays that are loaded with fat and calories. However, with some slight modifications, many of these recipes can be little healthier. Try the following substitutions to reduce the fat and calories in some of your favorite dishes:
| Instead of: |
Use: |
| Cream Cheese |
Low-fat or fat-free cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese |
| Heavy Cream |
Evaporated skim milk |
| High-Fat Cheeses |
Low-fat or skim-milk cheese (look for < 5gm fat per ounce) |
| Mayonnaise |
Low-fat or fat-free mayonnaise or plain low-fat yogurt |
| Oil or fat (for basting) |
Fruit juice or low fat stock |
| Oil (in baked goods) |
Applesauce |
| Sour Cream |
Fat-free sour cream or plain low-fat yogurt |
| Sugar |
Nonnutritive sweeteners (i.e. Splenda) |
| Whipped Cream |
Fat-free whipped cream or fat-free Cool Whip |
| White Flour |
Equal parts white flour and whole wheat flour |
| Whole Egg |
2 egg whites or ¼ cup egg substitute |
| Whole Milk |
Skim milk |
Saving 50-100 calories here or there, may not seem like a big difference. However, cutting back 100 calories a day can lead to a 10 pound weight loss at the end of the year. Many of these substitutions can be made with very minimal changes to the flavor or texture of a dish. Chances are that your family or friends won’t know the difference, but their waistlines may thank you for it.