Month: July 2023

When you’re trying to lose weight, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by all of the diets, supplements, and meal replacement plans promising quick results. It’s important to approach these claims with a critical eye since most of them don’t have the support of scientific evidence.

The ones that do however all boil down to one common thing – limiting your calories.

Limiting your caloric intake or burning more calories than you consume is the only way to lose weight. Learning and mastering how to do this consistently over time is how you lose weight and keep it off.

In this guide, I will teach you how to curb your caloric intake and how to keep it in check consistently.

We will cover everything from creating a calorie deficit to tracking your progress to maintaining weight loss.

 

Caution: This is not a lose-weight quick guide. This article will show you how to manage your diet so that you can lose weight consistently one pound at a time without the need for dieting or medications.

 

What are Calories?

Before we delve into how you can lose weight naturally, you must understand calories. 

A calorie is merely a unit of heat energy. Generally speaking, it is defined as the amount of heat energy needed to heat 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius. Today, we can use a machine known as a bomb calorimeter to burn food and measure how many calories (heat energy) are released from the foods that we eat and the drinks that we consume.

The amount of calories in specific foods is determined by their unique chemical composition. Generally, foods high in fats and carbohydrates provide more calories, while protein-rich alternatives typically provide fewer calories.

Similarly, when we eat food our bodies metabolize that food for energy. The heat energy released is also measured in calories. This can be measured using a formula known as the Harris-Benedict Formula. You will not have to use this formula.

The more food we consume the more fuel we have to utilize. If we consume too much food our bodies will store that extra fuel for future use. We indirectly measure this fuel as calories. Or put another way, our bodies will store the extra calories.

Eating too many calories will result in weight gain.

 

How Many Calories Do I need?

The amount of calories you need per day is called your basal metabolic rate (BMR). Your BMR is the amount of calories your body burns at rest to maintain vital functions. 

 

How Many Calories Do I Burn Per Day?

Now that you know how many calories you burn at rest or BMR, you need to understand how many calories you use or burn per day given your activity level. Your activity level significantly influences the amount of calories you burn per day. Calculating how many calories you burn based on your activity level will show you the difference between what you need at rest versus what you are burning based on your lifestyle.

 You can use the chart below to calculate this. Just multiply your weight in pounds by the multiplier in the right-hand column that corresponds with your activity level.

For instance, if you weigh 190 pounds and you are lightly active then you would do the following: 190 x 13.5 = 2,565 cal. Thus your body needs 2,565 calories per day to maintain your current weight. Eating any more than this consistently will cause you to gain weight whereas eating any less than this consistently will result in weight loss.

You must eat at a caloric deficit in order to lose weight.

Now that you know how many calories you are burning daily, you can start deciding how many calories you need to cut out in order to lose weight.

While the number of calories required to gain or lose a pound depends on a variety of factors, as a general rule of thumb, you should cut your caloric intake by about 500 calories per day to lose 0.5 lb to 1lb a week. While this is not a perfect calculation, this is a good place to start in order to get an idea of how many calories you need to eat in order to lose weight.

Always remember to stay hydrated if you are going to be cutting your caloric intake by drinking plenty of water.

You should also consult with your primary care provider if you plan on cutting more calories than this or if you notice any concerning symptoms.

How Can I Monitor My Caloric Intake?

Now that you know how many calories you need to eat to lose weight, you need to monitor how many calories you are consuming.

There are several apps and online calculators that will help you do this. 

Tracking your calories creates a sense of awareness and accountability.More importantly, it empowers you to make informed choices about portion size and food selection.

If you would rather not use calculators or apps to help you lose weight and prefer a general guide of what foods you should or should not eat, please reach out to our office directly.

 

How Can I Cut Calories?

Here are the three effective ways to cut your calories:

1. Cut Out Poor Quality High-Calorie Foods

This one is straightforward. When aiming to cut calories, you must cut down on poor quality high-calorie foods from your diet.These foods typically include processed snacks, sugary drinks, and items high in saturated fats.

You can significantly lower your caloric intake by reducing or eliminating these unhealthy choices. Opt for nutritious alternatives like fresh fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. 

2. Switch to More-Filling Low-Calorie Options

Another effective strategy to reduce caloric consumption is to switch from less-filling high-calorie options to more-filling, low-calorie options.

For instance, instead of reaching for calorie-dense desserts like cookies, pastries, and chips, consider alternatives like fresh berries or nuts like almonds or cashews. Similarly, swap out calorie-rich beverages like soda or sugary juices for water, low-sugar or sugar-free herbal tea, or sugar-free flavored sparkling water.

These substitutions allow you to enjoy satisfying foods and beverages while reducing your caloric intake.

3. Cut Down on Portion Sizes

Cutting down on portion sizes is a practical way to reduce calorie intake without eliminating your favorite foods.

Avoid eating whole portions in one sitting from restaurants. These portions tend to be more than one serving size and can be spread out over multiple days to help keep you at a daily caloric deficit.

Be mindful of how much food you put on your plate, and avoid going for seconds just to feel stuffed.

Paying attention to hunger and fullness cues can help prevent overeating. Remember, it’s not about depriving yourself of food but rather finding a balance that allows you to enjoy your meals while controlling your caloric intake.

4. Know Your Menu Options

We all love to eat out and enjoy the occasional “fast food” restaurant. You don’t have to cut out your favorite restaurants in order to lose weight. You just have to know what your options are and how often you can “splurge” on unhealthy options. Every restaurant, even McDonalds, has low-calorie options. Check out this list here for some of the more popular resturants.

How Can I Curb My Appetite?

Oftentimes, the hardest part of eating less and maintaining a caloric deficit is controlling your appetite. Appetite control can be difficult, especially when your body is used to overeating or consuming more calories than you need.

This can be even more difficult when we factor in such things as busy work/life schedules, readily available low-quality food options, and foods that are designed to make you eat more. 

There are effective strategies that can help you curb your appetite and make healthier choices. Incorporating these 3 habits into your daily routine can help.

1. Eat Low-Calorie Meals that are Filling

This one is also straightforward.

Focus on incorporating fiber-rich foods like vegetables and whole grains. These nutrient-dense options provide volume and help you feel full for extended periods. Including lean proteins like chicken, fish, or legumes can also contribute to satiety.

2. Drink Plenty of Water with Meals

Hydration is important for overall health; drinking water before or during meals can help you feel more satisfied. Staying properly hydrated is important because, at times, the body may mistake thirst for hunger, leading to unnecessary snacking or overeating.

3. Dont Deprive Yourself of food

Cutting calories while keeping your hunger in check can be difficult. As stated earlier, often times the hardest part of eating less is controlling your appetite. One of the worst things you can do when trying to cut weight however is to deprive yourself of food to the point where you are hungry for a significant portion of your day. This can result in such adverse effects as weakness, fatigue, depression, irritability, lightheadedness, nausea, upset stomach, and headache. No one wants to feel any of these let alone more than one of these symptoms at any given time.

No weight loss plan can work unless you find a balance where you can curb your hunger while eating enough and maintaining your motivation to want to continue losing weight. Because of this, it is important to eat at regular intervals throughout the day so that you can continue to maintain satiety/fullness. Even if you aren’t hungry, you should consider eating regularly throughout the day in order to avoid feeling hungry. As you can expect, feeling hungry and irritable is the quickest way to derail your weight loss and cause you to go back to the unhealthy eating patterns that resulted in the weight gain in the first place.

Note: If you are having difficulty curbing your appetite sometimes you may need a little extra help. There are medications that may help control your appetite while you progress towards your weight loss goals. If you would like more information please reach out to our office.

 

If you look closely at the ingredient labels on the food items in your pantry, you will likely find a wide range of food additives. While some additives are generally safe and pose minimal risks to most individuals, others have been associated with negative health effects and are best avoided. In this article, we will briefly cover which food additives to avoid when possible.

 

What Are Food Additives?

Food additives are substances added to our foods to enhance their taste, appearance, shelf life, and sometimes quality. They are vital in preventing foodborne illnesses, enabling food transportation to remote areas, and helping to lower costs for mass production. While they play a vital role in the foods we consume, it’s essential to recognize that not all food additives are created equal. In fact, some food additives should be limited or even removed from consumption. 

 

Here are seven food additives you should avoid:

 

1) Artificial Food Coloring

Artificial food coloring is commonly used to brighten and enhance the appearance of various foods, like candies. It’s a popular way to enhance the visual appeal of dishes, making them more enticing.

Health Effects of Artificial Food Coloring:

Specific artificial food dyes, such as Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 40, and Blue 1, have been linked with allergic reactions in some individuals. Excessive consumption has been shown to contribute to hyperactivity in sensitive children and may be linked to ADHD.

Some food dyes like Red 40 contain benzene which is a known carcinogen that has been shown to promote tumor growth in animal studies. More research is needed to fully assess their impact on humans.

To make healthier choices, limit your intake of artificially colored processed foods and opt for naturally colorful whole foods.

 

2) Sodium Nitrite

Sodium Nitrite is commonly found in processed meats such as deli meat, canned tuna, and sausages. It is a preservative that helps prevent bacterial growth.

Health Effects of Sodium Nitrite

Too much consumption of sodium nitrite has been linked to bladder cancer and other health problems. When exposed to heat, nitrites can convert into nitrosamines which are also known carcinogens. Because of this, you should do your best to reduce your consumption of processed meats when possible. 

 

3) High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

HFCS is a highly-refined artificial sweetener derived from corn. It is found in most processed foods like processed bread, flavored yogurt, candy, salad dressings, cereals, soda, juice, candy, breakfast cereals, and canned vegetables. 

Health Effects of HFCS:

Consuming HFCS excessively can lead to weight gain, increased LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels, the development of diabetes, and overall inflammation. The inflammatory effects of HFCS may cause worsening symptoms for those with such conditions as arthritis, gout, or autoimmune conditions like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.

Studies have shown that high-fructose corn syrup can contribute to belly fat accumulation which can be an issue for those trying to lose weight. Because of this, you should avoid regular consumption of snacks and foods containing high fructose corn syrup. 

Ideally, you should eliminate or limit your consumption of any sugary sweeteners as many have been linked to a number of deleterious health effects. However, if you do consume sweeteners you should do so in moderation and consider using natural sweeteners like raw sugar, honey, dates, agave, or maple syrup. Unfortunately, however, not all natural sweeteners are considered compltely safe for consumption such as Stevia and Monk Fruit.

 

4) Stevia, Truvia, Monk Fruit

Stevia, Truvia, and Monk Fruit are popular natural sweeteners that many people use as alternatives to sugar in their baking and beverages.

Stevia is a natural sweetener derived from the plant  Stevia Rebaudiana. 

Truvia is a commercially produced product from multinational corporations Coca-Cola and Cargill Inc. Because it is derived from Stevia, those corporations have deemed it a natural sweetener.

Monk Fruit is a plant native to Southern China with a sweetness 250 x that of table sugar.

Health Effects of Stevia, Truvia, Monk Fruit:

Recent studies have raised concerns about the specific sugar replacement in products like Monk Fruit, Stevia, and Truvia. One sugar replacement, erythritol, found in these sweeteners, has been associated with stroke, blood clotting, and heart attack. Moreover, Stevia may cause side effects like bloating, nausea, and gas.

 

5) Sodium Benzoate

Sodium benzoate is a commonly used preservative in salad dressings, pickles, carbonated beverages, and fruit juices. It helps prevent spoilage and fungal growth in meat-related food items like packaged meats.

Health Effects of Sodium Benzoate:

While the FDA generally recognizes sodium benzoate as safe, studies have highlighted some significant side effects. For instance, merging sodium benzoate with artificial food coloring has amplified hyperactivity in young children. Excessive intake of beverages containing this food additive was also shown to be associated with increased symptoms of ADHD in college students. Furthermore, when combined with vitamin C source, this food additive can be converted into benzene, which is associated with the risk of cancer development.

Carefully read food labels and avoid products containing ingredients like benzoic acid or benzene, particularly when combined with vitamin C sources like citric acid.

 

6) Trans Fats

Trans fats are found naturally in dairy products and meat from ruminant animals like cattle, sheep, and goats. They are also present in synthetic forms in processed foods such as deep-fried fast foods, margarine, and certain baked goods made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. These fats enhance flavor and extend the shelf life of food products.

Health Effects of Trans Fats:

Numerous studies have shown that trans fats increase LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) levels while decreasing HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol) levels. This imbalance in cholesterol levels increases the risk of heart attacks, heart disease, and strokes. Trans fats are also associated with increased inflammation and diabetes.

To reduce your intake of trans fats, minimize your consumption of processed foods that contain partially hydrogenated oils such as processed chips, cookies, cakes, pastries, margarine, crackers, and fast foods. Our motto is, if it comes in a bag and you can pop it open and eat it on the go then it most likely has trans fats.

Consider healthier alternatives like whole foods, freshly baked goods, natural fats like butter, and olive or coconut oil.

 

7) BHA/BHT

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are artificial antioxidants obtained from petroleum. They are widely used as preservatives in various food items, such as cereals, potato chips, chewing gum, and many vegetable oils. The main function of BHA and BHT is to safeguard against color alterations, flavor deterioration, and food spoilage.

Health Effects of BHA/BHT:

Studies have shown that BHA and BHT affect the brain’s neurological system and alters behavior. While these additives are considered antioxidants, they have been shown to form reactive compounds in the body that may actually be carcinogenic.

To minimize exposure to these additives, prioritize whole, unprocessed foods and read food labels carefully.

Tips for Avoiding Unhealthy Food Additives

Here are some practical tips to help you avoid harmful food additives and make informed choices.

1) Prioritize Freshness:

Choose fresh foods in their natural form and vibrant hues and colors. Explore the option of going to your nearby farmer’s market or subscribing to CSA (community-supported agriculture) deliveries so you can obtain fresh produce.

2) Frozen Food Can Be a Good Option:

If fresh foods are not available, frozen fruits and vegetables can be a nutritious alternative. Look for options without any additives or preservatives.

3) Read Food Labels:

Before adding a product to your grocery cart, take a moment to read the ingredient list. Avoid purchasing items with known additives, and be cautious of ingredients that are difficult to pronounce or understand.

The Bottom Line