Calories

If you're trying to lose weight, understanding how many calories you're eating in a day can really help. But if you think that you have to deprive yourself and your grumbling stomach all day long in order to see the scale drop, think again. The following meal plan clocks in at 1,400 calories and is full of healthy, whole foods that will keep you full and help you get the important nutrients you need every day. Use this plan as a guide if you are looking to reduce calories safely.

Breakfast: Antioxidant Chia Berry Smoothie

Start your day off right with this fiber-rich mixed berry, pomegranate, and chia smoothie, which will keep you full and energized.
Calories: 233

Midmorning Snack: Grapes and Apples With Peanut Butter Greek Yogurt

If a late-morning hunger attack hits, don't make a vending machine trip. The creamy peanut butter and Greek yogurt spread in this recipe is a cinch to whip together and is a lower-calorie option than just dipping in regular peanut butter. Make these grape and apple snacks in the morning to take with you to work.
Calories: 150

Lunch: Chard Veggie Burger Wraps

A leftover veggie burger is perfect for lunch the next day. This recipe for chard veggie burger wraps takes almost no time at all to prepare but is filled with different textures and flavors to keep you satisfied. If you make it with these 202-calorie quinoa veggie burgers, your wrap will be around 316 calories total. Add a side salad of mixed baby greens with homemade oil and vinegar dressing (around 100 calories) to round out your meal.
Calories: 416

Get the rest of the plan after the break.

When you go out to eat, you don't want to have to count calories instead of enjoying them. But these three simple steps will save you over 100 calories each, without much thought. Read on to see how you can easily make your next restaurant dinner healthier.

1. Pick a nice spot: A recent study found that people who ate at restaurants with soft music and lighting ended up eating 175 fewer calories than those who ate at establishments with harsher lighting and louder music. Pick a spot that encourages you to eat slowly and enjoy the experience, and you may just eat less.
2. Sip your wine: If you love your wine, splitting a bottle with your dinner companion is probably at the top of your list when you think of a nice dinner. But if you don't want to down hundreds of liquid calories, be sure to sip on one glass of wine and replace the rest with water; you'll save 96-127 calories per glass, depending on the type of wine.
3. Skip the bread basket: Starving when you get to the restaurant? Resisting the bread basket saves you 100 calories (plus 36 calories per pat of butter), so if you're watching calories, drink a full glass of water instead while you wait, or eat something healthy and filling, like yogurt or a piece of fruit, before you head out the door.

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. This week Shape turns to dietitian Cynthia Sass.

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you probably know that I don’t recommend counting calories. In fact, I believe it’s a strategy that can actually backfire (check out my previous post about the biggest calorie mistakes).

Instead, my focus is on reaching for delicious foods that naturally help you manage weight; choices that boost satiety, rev up metabolism, build calorie-burning muscle, or provide key nutrients involved with weight control. High up on that list of naturally slimming foods is produce.

RELATED: Top 50 Fall Diet Foods for Weight Loss

According to the latest data, 75 percent of Americans fall short of the minimum recommended five daily servings, but a recent study published in The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that filling that gap can help you trim down. Over a four-year period, women who added just two servings of fruits and vegetables to their daily diets lost three pounds. This may not sound like much, but that’s without “dieting.” And shedding three pounds of body fat can be very significant, both for your health and how your clothes fit (think three 16-ounce tubs of shortening).

RELATED: How to Lose Weight Without Feeling Hungry

While the produce-weight loss connection isn’t a hard sell and there are many other benefits (such as a glowing complexion), many of my clients still struggle to consistently hit the daily goal. If you tend to fall short, put these two rules into action:

See the two rules after the break!

If work ran late and you have to skip your workout because of a long commute time, find out how many calories you're actually burning just getting to and from the office. It might surprise you that this simple back and forth can cause a dent in your calorie counts for the day. And while the dent may be noteworthy for some, don't let these numbers be an excuse for tomorrow's heart-pounding, sweat-inducing hour at the gym!

Keep these numbers somewhere handy like your planner so that you can calculate how much you burn per day; you can go by the time or distance of each to tailor it to your commute. More power to you if you're able to combine two, or even three, of these transportation methods!

*Walking speed is approximately 4 miles per hour, running speed is approximately 5 miles per hour, biking speed is approximately 13 miles per hour (calculations based on a 130-pound woman)

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. This week Shape turns to dietitian Cynthia Sass.

When you walk the aisles of the supermarket, do you grab packages and toss them into your cart, or do you stop to turn a product over and read the label? According to a new study, the latter may help you fend off weight gain.

After collecting information from 25,000 men and women to see who checked nutrition information, researchers found that 58 percent of men frequently or always read labels compared to 74 percent of women, and that habit has a greater impact on women's weight. On average, female label-readers have a body mass index that's 1.48 points lower than nonreaders versus a BMI difference of just 0.12 points for men. For an average woman, that can mean a difference of nearly nine pounds!

12 Salads Worse Than a Big Mac

In my private practice, I sometimes meet clients at the grocery store so we can check out labels together. In my experience, it can be a powerful tool — if it's done correctly. One source of confusion for my clients is the reference to 2,000 calories. Take a peek at any label, and you'll see ". . . based on a 2,000-calorie diet." Because of this wording, I've had many clients assume that they should be striving for a daily intake of 2,000 calories, but the truth is that's just a reference number. The Food and Drug Administration had to choose something to provide consumers with perspective, so they selected 2,000 based on the average needs and intakes of both men and women. But that may be above or below your body’s needs.

Find out how many calories you should be eating after the break!

Want a balanced lunch that offers fiber and protein? A sandwich has your back, but choose the wrong add-ons and condiments, and it's a whole day's worth of calories in a few bites. Here are ways to cut calories from this favorite lunchable — they may not be huge amounts, but keep in mind that little bits definitely add up.

1. Whole-wheat pita (170) instead of two slices of whole-wheat bread (200): saves 30 calories
2. Spinach wrap (180) instead of a sun-dried tomato and basil wrap (210): saves 30 calories
3. Two pieces of Romaine lettuce (10) instead of a whole-wheat wrap (120): saves 110 calories
4. Go open-faced: Eat one side of a whole wheat roll (190) instead of the whole roll (380): saves 190 calories
5. Two ounces of sliced roasted turkey (60) instead of two ounces of sliced ham (70): saves 10 calories

Keep reading to find out other ways to save sandwich calories.

Some of the healthiest foods are high in calories, so it's important to learn the correct serving sizes before you go overboard. Can't resist extra guacamole? Love to munch on spoonfuls of nut butter? Check out the recommended portions and try to tweak your habits accordingly:

• Avocado: Sure, avocado is full of good-for-you fats, but you should stick to eating just half of the fruit (114 calories) to avoid overload. Quick tip: cut avocados width-wise (pictured here) so that when you store the second half, there's less surface area exposed that might brown.
• Whole grain pasta: When it comes to carbohydrates, complex is certainly the way to go. With extra fiber, protein, and vitamins, they're a crucial part of any diet. But a full plate of whole grain pasta? Not your best bet. Learn what serving sizes look like so that you can eyeball it on your own, and keep in mind that a 1/2 cup of dry whole grain pasta is around 200 calories
• Energy bars: Although they shouldn't replace meals too often, that's what most energy bars are meant to do — a single bar can contain up to 300 calories, after all. They're convenient and usually healthy, but it's smart to study labels and scrutinize ingredients. That way, you'll recognize which bars are healthy snacks versus those that should be eaten as meal replacements.
• Yogurt: Creamy yogurt packs a great protein punch, plus a healthy serving of calcium. Not so nutritious? The ones with lots of added sugars. Stick to one cup of yogurt to keep sugar intake in check and calories right around 150.
• Wine: Yes, red wine has health benefits, but that doesn't mean you should empty an entire bottle; one glass of the heart-healthy drink will set you back about 123 calories. To reap the benefits without hurting your health, pour carefully and steer clear of giant goblets.

Keep reading to learn more proper portion sizes.

One of the best things about the Super Bowl? The endless spread of dips, of course. But even if you know what dips to avoid (see which healthy dips make the grade here), you could be shoveling in more calories than you think depending on the type of dippable food you choose. Before you grab another handful of chips, see how many calories you'll be consuming with our breakdown below.

Note: we calculated calories based on 10 items of each food, but these aren't necessarily serving sizes — just an easier way to compare when you're dipping into the bowl on Sunday!

Read on to see how many calories swapping these dippable favorites for veggies will save you.