BlogHer - Can you eliminate 400 calories per day? - Comments

Yes, small changes are the best

IAAdmin — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:47:31 -0600

Thank you for your comments everyone. As erinehm said, the idea behind the post is, "Small changes in your eating habits can lead major changes for weight loss."

I gave a few examples of measurements, which not everyone may use, but I was going for the basic idea of thinking about what you eat and how much you eat.

I'm so happy to see that people were able to get the message................:)

Lisa

Iowa Avenue

Re: Shaving 400 Calories a day

kamigray — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:33:00 -0600

While Arrietty's tone may have been a bit counter-productive and off-putting, I have to agree with her/him. While it is important to get portions under control and cut back, that is an awful lot of butter and mayo. I don't eat either of those items in the first place...or fruit juice or frosted flakes. Making better choices to start with as well as limiting portions is far better. I do agree with Erinehm that small changes go a long way.

Kami Gray, http://blog.kamigray.com/

re: serving sizes

erinehm — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 12:20:09 -0500

Why don't you make some helpful suggestions instead of just being critical of the list Arrietty? I think we can all extrapolate that shrinking our portion sizes just a bit can make quite a difference in calorie intake.

I fail to see what the huge problem is with tossing out an egg yolk once in awhile.

I think the spirit of the piece was that by making small changes in what you already eat, you can be healthier without making major diet changes which some people find very intimidating.

Serving sizes

Arrietty — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 07:32:33 -0500

The reason why you were surprised by how these figures added up is because, in the real world, they don't really.

What do you propose doing with the spare egg yolk? You can either make something with it or throw it away. Making something is impractical if you are trying to lose weight, since the only things that call for egg yolk are fattening foods such as homemade mayonnaise and some cake or cookie recipes. And throwing it away is insanely wasteful. A better way to cut down would be just to have one egg - it makes an omelette difficult but you can poach, boil or scramble it.

Who puts a tablespoon of butter on their bagel? That's a serious amount of butter.

Who eats a cup of brown rice? That's a heck of a lot and I think I would struggle to get through that, especially if there's an accompaniment.

Of course mustard is healthier than mayonnaise, but again, your serving sizes are out of whack. I would be hard pressed to eat a tablespoon of either on just one sandwich.

And advising to eat a cup of cornflakes rather than a cup of frosted flakes is a bit like saying to eat a punnet of strawberries instead of a chocolate bar!

Great Ideas

IAAdmin — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:24:36 -0500

Changing sweetners and adding natural fruit to your oatmeal are fantastic suggestions. Thank you.................:)

Lisa

Iowa Avenue

mornings

Southerngirl — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:26:55 -0500

The easist for me was splenda instead fo sugar in my coffee and tea. I also make my own blended cofffe drinks intead of the overly fatty ones from that popular chain. I have gone to plain oatmeal with frozen blueberries or strawberries instead of brown sugar and cinamon.

Michelle

I blog at http://www.mommycan.blogspot.com/

Even as I wrote this

IAAdmin — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:50:45 -0500

I was surprised by the numbers and how quickly they added up. I'm glad you liked it.............:)

Lisa

Iowa Avenue

Who Would Have Thought?

Simply_B — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 09:10:40 -0500

I stumbled across this and am amazed at how those little things really do add up. I'm not trying to lose weight, but this is something most of us should be thinking about. What do we put into our bodies and do we want it there?

Life According to B

Can you eliminate 400 calories per day?

IAAdmin — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 06:02:40 -0500

Yes, you can.

In fact, it’s a lot easier than you think.

Small changes in your eating habits can lead major changes for weight loss.

A reduction of over 400 calories per day will enable you to lose more than 1 pound per week, without exercising. But, by doing both you’ll lose even more weight.

Although I’m an advocate of physical fitness and exercise, I also realize that people frequently have a difficult time finding the time to do so. So, by changing your eating habits, you can access another way of losing weight.

So, back to the topic at hand:

How can you eliminate 400 calories per day?

Here are a few suggestions:

1. Instead of having a two egg omelet (144 calories), have a one whole egg + one egg white omelet (89 calories) - a calorie savings of 55 calories

2. Instead of drinking a cup of apple juice (117 calories), have an apple (72 calories) - a calorie savings of 45 calories

3. Instead of having a tablespoon of butter (102 calories) on your bagel have a tablespoon of low-fat cream cheese (35 calories) - a savings of 67 calories

4. Instead of having a cup of brown rice (218 calories) at dinner have ¾ of a cup (164 calories) - a savings of 54 calories

5. Instead of having a cup of frosted flakes (152 calories) have a cup of corn flakes (101 calories) - a savings of 51 calories

6. Instead of having a 4oz. boneless chicken breast (188 calories) have a 3oz. boneless chicken breast (141 calories) - a savings of 47 calories

7. Instead of putting a tablespoon of mayonnaise on your sandwich (102 calories) have a tablespoon of mustard (10 calories) - a savings of 92 calories

Suggestions #1-7, equate to a total calorie savings of 411 calories.

Making these small changes in your life will easily help you to lose weight. But, as I stated above, I’m a firm believer in exercise. You’ll be able to lose more weight by exercising, too.

Do you really think you’ll notice the difference between a cup of rice vs. ¾ of a cup? How about the idea of feeling much fuller by eating an apple instead of drinking a cup of apple juice?

These are but a few examples of how small changes in your diet can make an enormous difference toward your health and weight loss goals.

Have you made any small changes? Share your ideas, because

After all, it’s about a healthy lifestyle!