WEIGHT CONTROL: CALORIES COUNT
To enable you to obtain a better understanding of the number of calories in many foods and the appropriate portion size, I want you to begin to do the following:
Read Labels
Before purchasing a food or beverage item, it’s very important to read the container label. Start with the number of calories per serving and the total number of servings per container. Multiply these numbers. That represents the total number of calories in the entire container.
Calories per serving x Servings per container = total calories for the entire container
You then need to determine your average portion size. It probably is much, much more than you realize and greater than the serving size described on the label. That “small” bowl of fat-free frozen yogurt you’ve been downing may be more like 450 calories than the 150 calories you thought you were having. To better gauge portion/serving size, purchase a measuring cup, a food scale, and other items that establish portion size. If you go to my web site, www.jimkaras.com, you will find a complete listing of the items I am recommending and can purchase them directly. Here are a few visuals that should help you to begin to gauge portion size:
3 ounces of protein = the size and thickness of the palm of an average hand or the size of a deck of cards
1 ounce of cheese = the size of four dice
1 average-size piece of fruit = the size of a baseball or the size of an average fist
You will also find a complete listing of calorie counts for popular foods on the site as well. Like the food diary, you don’t need to use these for the rest of your life, just long enough to create or improve caloric awareness. Pretty soon determining portion size will become second nature. You’ll quickly get a feel for what four ounces looks like.
As you begin this process, be aware that many of the foods Americans frequently consume are extremely caloric:
Food item Calories
1 ounce of granola 130
1/2 cup of premium ice cream 150-300
1 ounce of mixed nuts 160-180
1 medium-size fig 50
1 medium-size avocado 300
1 cup of guacamole 400
1 ounce of mozzarella cheese 90
1 ounce of Brie cheese 100
1 ounce of American cheese 110
2 tablespoons of peanut butter 190-210
1 tablespoon of mayonnaise 100
1 tablespoon of real salad dressing 45-85
1/2 ounce of croutons (about the size of two dice) 65
Diet Busters
I also want to mention what I refer to as “diet busters”: traditional favorite foods that we may think of as being “healthy,” when in reality they are loaded with calories and fat and can quickly sidetrack a weight-loss program. The list includes:
Food item Calories
Typical restaurant Caesar salad 660
Taco Salad from Taco Bell 850
Deli tuna fish sandwich 750
1 cup of hummus 440
1 ounce of pesto sauce (only 1 ounce) 150
Three-egg omelet with 2 ounces of cheese 600-700
*65/280/5*
