2011_0129 2nd Half of Chapter 2
All Calories Created Equal?
A good thing to mention is that not all calories are created equal. I have seen countless talk shows with guest who practically starve themselves to death because all they do is count calories to the extreme. But, it's not just the calories you need to worry about, it is the quality of the calories as well. A simple example I can relate to is a small banana, just under 6" vs. 1 piece butterscotch hard candy. The first is about 72 calories, the latter is about 70 calories. While the candy is 2 less calories, you get more nutritional calories out of the banana. So, no, not all calories are created equal.
Foods That Help the Calorie Cause The subsections which follow, were helpful in both understanding the common buzz words and using them in everyday life to lose weight: Complex Carbs, Friendly Fats, Protein, and Fiber.
The Top 10 Foods That Fill You Up: The Cream of The Crop
Reading the list and their advantages was enlightening. I must say I had never heard of "quinoa". Now I am going to have to look it up, find the easiest way to prepare it and give it a try. I have heard of "Greek yogurt," but have never tried it. Both of these items have been added to my shopping list.
Foods That Hurt the Calorie Cause
Simple carbohydrates are bad because the body automatically stores some of it as fat and not much is left for your tummy. After your body takes it's share, you end up feeling hungry again. My experience has been, I feel hungry quickly and sometimes I would even say I feel even hungrier than before.
Something I learned about "trans fats" is, it is used to increase the shelf life of products. What already knew, they increase your bad cholesterol (LDL) while decreasing your good cholesterol (HDL).
Smart Swaps At Every Meal
The Breakfast Club
Eat something in the morning to start your day and it will reduce your temptation to reach for junk food before its lunch time. Smarter choices are not always that tough to make and your palate might like them much better. One of the Smarter Cereal Choices suggest is one I can commit to without having to think twice about it. I like General Mills Apple Cinnamon Cheerios. Lose It! suggest to swap them with Post Honeycomb. This little swap saves me 73 calories, per cup! Let me add that to the shopping list.
The book mentions one other swap that I am already doing. I enjoy cream cheese on whole grain wheat toast. I used to use Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese, now I use the Whipped Cream Cheese version. Each 2 tablespoons I save 30calories. Every calorie saved is a calorie closer to a pound lost effortlessly.
The Calorie Crunch at Lunch
Offers the similar suggestions as the breakfast section. One swap I will use from this section is the one from Subways. When ordering a 6"Subway Club sandwich, I will as for "fat free honey mustard" instead of mayonnaise. Doing this simple tasty swap will save me 80calories each time.
Even at Dinner, You Can Make Yourself Thinner
Again, it offers similar suggestions as the previous two sections did for breakfast and lunch. The suggestions offered here were not so helpful to me. But, I can see how they may be helpful for most who eat fast food for dinner. The book does offer some very simple swaps when eating at McDonald's for example. The swaps do not change your McDonald's experience and thus you save calories AND enjoy your usual McMeal AND save calories AND lose some weight.
Tomorrow is Another Day
A very simple section with a very simple message that most would shrug off as unimportant. If you take the time to ponder the idea, then entertain a different way of seeing your daily caloric intake, it will help from falling off the weight loss wagon.
And that is the end of Chapter 2.
If you are reading the Lose It! book, please share your thoughts on the book, your experience, and anything related to the LoseIt! book or the LoseIt! app.
A good thing to mention is that not all calories are created equal. I have seen countless talk shows with guest who practically starve themselves to death because all they do is count calories to the extreme. But, it's not just the calories you need to worry about, it is the quality of the calories as well. A simple example I can relate to is a small banana, just under 6" vs. 1 piece butterscotch hard candy. The first is about 72 calories, the latter is about 70 calories. While the candy is 2 less calories, you get more nutritional calories out of the banana. So, no, not all calories are created equal.
Foods That Help the Calorie Cause The subsections which follow, were helpful in both understanding the common buzz words and using them in everyday life to lose weight: Complex Carbs, Friendly Fats, Protein, and Fiber.
The Top 10 Foods That Fill You Up: The Cream of The Crop
Reading the list and their advantages was enlightening. I must say I had never heard of "quinoa". Now I am going to have to look it up, find the easiest way to prepare it and give it a try. I have heard of "Greek yogurt," but have never tried it. Both of these items have been added to my shopping list.
Foods That Hurt the Calorie Cause
Simple carbohydrates are bad because the body automatically stores some of it as fat and not much is left for your tummy. After your body takes it's share, you end up feeling hungry again. My experience has been, I feel hungry quickly and sometimes I would even say I feel even hungrier than before.
Something I learned about "trans fats" is, it is used to increase the shelf life of products. What already knew, they increase your bad cholesterol (LDL) while decreasing your good cholesterol (HDL).
Smart Swaps At Every Meal
The Breakfast Club
Eat something in the morning to start your day and it will reduce your temptation to reach for junk food before its lunch time. Smarter choices are not always that tough to make and your palate might like them much better. One of the Smarter Cereal Choices suggest is one I can commit to without having to think twice about it. I like General Mills Apple Cinnamon Cheerios. Lose It! suggest to swap them with Post Honeycomb. This little swap saves me 73 calories, per cup! Let me add that to the shopping list.
The book mentions one other swap that I am already doing. I enjoy cream cheese on whole grain wheat toast. I used to use Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese, now I use the Whipped Cream Cheese version. Each 2 tablespoons I save 30calories. Every calorie saved is a calorie closer to a pound lost effortlessly.
The Calorie Crunch at Lunch
Offers the similar suggestions as the breakfast section. One swap I will use from this section is the one from Subways. When ordering a 6"Subway Club sandwich, I will as for "fat free honey mustard" instead of mayonnaise. Doing this simple tasty swap will save me 80calories each time.
Even at Dinner, You Can Make Yourself Thinner
Again, it offers similar suggestions as the previous two sections did for breakfast and lunch. The suggestions offered here were not so helpful to me. But, I can see how they may be helpful for most who eat fast food for dinner. The book does offer some very simple swaps when eating at McDonald's for example. The swaps do not change your McDonald's experience and thus you save calories AND enjoy your usual McMeal AND save calories AND lose some weight.
Tomorrow is Another Day
A very simple section with a very simple message that most would shrug off as unimportant. If you take the time to ponder the idea, then entertain a different way of seeing your daily caloric intake, it will help from falling off the weight loss wagon.
And that is the end of Chapter 2.
If you are reading the Lose It! book, please share your thoughts on the book, your experience, and anything related to the LoseIt! book or the LoseIt! app.
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