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Counting calories: Get back to weight-loss basics
Choosing lower calorie foods
Beyond your indulgences, you can also replace common foods that are high in calories with ones that are lower in calories. You may not realize how much you can cut with some simple substitutions. For example, drink fat-free milk instead of whole milk and sparkling water or diet soda instead of blended coffee drinks. Have an extra serving of vegetables at dinner instead of an extra serving of meat. Or snack on sliced fresh fruit instead of chips.
Lower calorie options
| Instead of this ... | Calories* | Try this ... | Calories* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole milk, 8 ounces | 149 | Skim milk, 8 ounces | 86 |
| Blended caramel coffee drink, 16 ounces | 380 | Diet soda, 12-ounce can | 0 |
| French fries, large fast-food packet | 500 | Strawberries, 1 1/2 cups whole | 60 |
*Actual calories may vary by brand.
Reducing your portion sizes
The sizes of your portions affect how many calories you're getting. Twice the amount of food means twice the number of calories. It's common to underestimate how much you're eating, especially if you're dining out. Controlling your portions is a good way to control calories.
Portion sizes
| A typical portion ... | Calories* | A standard serving ... | Calories* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orange juice, 8 ounces | 120 | Orange juice, 4 ounces | 60 |
| Buttermilk pancake, 6-inch | 175 | Buttermilk pancake, 4-inch | 86 |
| Whole-grain cooked pasta, 1 1/2 cups | 210 | Whole-grain cooked pasta, 1/2 cup | 70 |
*Actual calories may vary by brand.
Try these tips to control portion sizes and cut calories:
- Serve smaller portions. At the beginning of a meal, take slightly less than what you think you'll eat. You can have seconds later if you're truly still hungry.
- See what you eat. Eating directly from a container gives you no sense of how much you're eating. Seeing food on a plate or in a bowl keeps you aware of how much you're eating. Consider measuring your food with a measuring cup or scale to see how much you are actually eating.
- Check food labels. Be sure to check the Nutrition Facts panel and other nutrient information for the serving size and number of calories a serving. You may find that the small bag of chips you eat with lunch every day, for example, is two servings not one, which means you're eating double the calories listed on the label.
- Don't feel obligated to clean your plate. Stop eating as soon as you feel full. Those extra bites of food that you're trying not to waste add unneeded calories.
- Use a calorie counter. Check out reputable resources that offer tools to count calories, such as Web sites or smart phone applications.
Putting it all together
Eliminating high-calorie foods, choosing lower calorie alternatives and cutting your portion sizes can help you reduce calories and improve weight control. For a successful — and sustainable — weight management plan, you also need to increase your physical activity. It's this combination of regular activity and healthy eating that will help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
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- USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 22. U.S. Department of Agriculture. http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=4&tax_level=1. Accessed Nov. 16, 2009.
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- Duyff RL. American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide. 3rd ed. Hoboken, N.J.:John Wiley & Sons; 2006.
- Hensrud DD, et al. The Mayo Clinic Diet. Intercourse, Penn.: Good Books; 2010.
- Nutrition comparison. McDonald's. http://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/nutritionexchange/nutritionComparison.do. Accessed Nov. 16, 2009.
- Zeratsky KA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. Rochester, Minn. Nov. 20, 2009.
- Anderson CF (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. Rochester, Minn. Nov. 16, 2009.
