FitSugar

Do You Count Calories?

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:00:55 -0700

While reading through the most recent issue of Women's Health, I was surprised to learn that Kristen Bell admitted she counts calories. She's says it's almost comforting and helps her stay conscious of what she's eating. If you're trying to lose weight or maintain your current figure, you've got to be aware of portion sizes, and for some, that means reading labels and monitoring their calorie intake. They may even keep track in a food journal. So tell me, do you count calories like Kristen Bell?

Diet Tip: Count Your Calories

FitSugar — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 12:30:00 -0700

We all know to lose weight we need to eat fewer calories than we burn. It is simple math. However, getting into that calorie deficit is not always so simple.

While we might think we know how many calories we consume in a day, it is worthwhile to really track what you eat, calorie wise for an entire day. You might just be surprised (as I was that someone could consume 2000 calories in 4 minutes last night on "The Biggest Loser") by the total number of calories consumed, and that surprise could be educational. It is a nit picky activity writing down every single calorie, that is why I only suggest doing it for one day. I consider this activity intense food journaling, but what a great learning tool. Write what you eat as well as the calories consumed, and try to be as accurate as possible.

Read the nutritional labels of the foods you are eating and pay attention to portion sizes too. If the food is not packaged, here are a few sites to help you with the numbers:

Calorie King
Calorie Count
Nutrition Data

If you have a favorite online source for tracking calorie details, please share it in the comments section below. I for one am always interested in nutrition / calorie tracking sites.

Source

Should School Lunch Menus Display Calorie Counts?

FitSugar — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 09:00:00 -0700

A North Carolina school district is testing new technology aimed at fighting childhood obesity. The schools have licensed food boards resembling those at fast food drive-thrus, but in the place of prices are calorie counts.

The school board realizes that providing the calorie counts alone won't do much to make a positive change, so teachers will devise lessons for the classroom to help kids make healthier choices. Crest Middle School principal Amy Jones commented, "We really don't want to make them afraid to even pick up anything and put it in their mouths, but we also want to make them educated, that's our job."

It's important for kids to understand how their food choices affect their bodies, but I can also see how providing calorie counts for kids could be sending a confusing message. What's your take on this experiment?

The Dark Side of Posting Calorie Counts

FitSugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 03:00:05 -0700

Posting calorie counts has been nothing if not controversial. In NYC the restaurants complained, and now on college campuses students are questioning the practice. In attempts to fight the freshman 15, dining halls have begun posting calorie counts, but there have been some negative consequences. Although about a third of all college students fall into the American College Health Association's obese or overweight categories, the calorie counts might be inadvertently provoking eating disorders.

The unstructured collegiate life, along with all-you-can-eat dining halls, can lead to disordered eating, which is broader than just anorexia and bulimia and includes unhealthy dieting practices. Students and nutritional advisers alike believe calorie counts oversimplify the thought process needed to learn balanced nutrition and that there is a better way to educate vulnerable students about weight gain. Some colleges now post nutritional information online, rather than in the cafeteria, and others have created healthy dining halls, free of french fries, fried chicken, and white bread. Hopefully, higher education can incorporate lessons of healthy living into campus life and help students learn the value of healthy eating and an active lifestyle.

How do you feel about posting calorie counts? Do you feel it can inspire a negative relationship with food?

Biggest Headline of 2008: Calorie Counts For All to See

FitSugar — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 04:00:29 -0800

In April, New York City began requiring any restaurant chain with at least 15 outlets across the country to post the calorie counts of food on its menus. The goal is to help curb obesity by making diners more aware of what they are eating. Philadelphia followed suit, and the state of California passed similar legislation in September. There's also a plan to reintroduce legislation in Congress to require national chains to publish their nutritional info. Do you think this is a good idea? Would you want to see calorie counts in your city?

Source

Do You Think All Fast Food and Chain Restaurants Should Post Calorie Counts?

FitSugar — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 09:00:00 -0700

It began in NYC and made its way to the West Coast, then skipped over the Atlantic and hit the UK.

I am talking about posting calorie counts in fast food and chain restaurants, be it on a menu board at McDonald's or a printed menu from the likes of Macaroni Grill or TGI Friday's. Many restaurants are resistant to the laws and voluntary programs too. What do you think . . .

Source

McDonald's: Not Posting Calorie Counts on NYC Menu Boards

FitSugar — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 10:15:00 -0700

July 1st, 2007 marks the day that restaurants in New York City are required to begin posting calorie counts on menus in type that is at least as large as the price. Some restaurants, however, are not having it.

Word has it that Burger King, McDonald’s and Wendy’s are among the chains planning to defy New York City’s new rule (Taco Bell and KFC aren’t commenting on the matter), while waiting on a lawsuit in federal court they hope will get the new regulation thrown out. The restaurants say that the new regulation makes for a massive eye sore on a menu board in their NYC eateries, but a healthy advocacy group says that the restaurants are just afraid that when people see these eye-popping calorie numbers, they might switch to a smaller size and lose revenue.

In the end the city won’t fine anyone for violating the rule until October 2007, so I think it's going to be an ugly battle until then.

Source

How Kristen Bell Stays Fit as a Fiddle

FitSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:50:16 -0700

Kristen Bell is no stranger to the spotlight, with her villainous role on Heroes and also starring in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Now she's in another new flick, Couples Retreat, and with her busy career, Kristen has maintained her amazing figure.

In a recent interview with Women's Heath magazine, the blond actress shares how she tries to squeeze some kind of physical activity into her schedule every day, whether it's going for a walk, taking the stairs, or hiking with her pooches. Yoga is also part of her routine to help her stay aware of her body, and strength training helps her stay toned. I love that Kristen admits she'll lift weights for much longer with a trainer than she would by herself.

Does Kristen count calories? To find out read more.

You may be surprised to hear that Kristen does keep track. "I find it almost comforting to count calories, because it makes me conscious of what I'm eating." She is a conscientious eater too. Kristen decided to go vegetarian at age 11 for animal rights, but her mom made sure she was healthy about it. Bell explains, "I try to eat more fresh foods than processed ones, and the grainiest bread possible."

Another great tip? Kristen will exercise during lunchtime, and afterward, snack on her lunch the rest of the day. Instead of devouring it all at once, she'll enjoy a handful here, do a little work, then have another gigantic handful. She says, "It spaces the meal out to a place my body can handle." When it comes to preparing food, Kristen loves to cook. Perusing recipes online and trying them out is one thing she loves to do for others. Making food yourself is one sure way to know what you're putting in your body, so you can make sure it's healthy.

Easy Liquid Calorie Breakdown

FitSugar — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 07:30:00 -0700

We all know that drinks can pack a good amount of calories, but the problem is that you don't always get the calorie counts on the glass (fountain drinks, restaurants, etc.), which can make calculating the calories a tough feat.

In light of this WebMD has created an easy list of general calorie counts for common beverages. I suggest printing yourself out a copy and keeping it in your wallet.

Beverage	Calories
12-ounce light beer	110
12-ounce regular beer	160
8-ounce coffee with cream and sugar	30
5 ounces of wine	120-130
6-ounce wine spritzer	80 calories
16-ounce sweetened tea	160 calories
12-ounce diet soda	0
12-ounce soda	150 calories
20-ounce smoothie	410 calories

Keep in mind that the calorie counts are not exact, but a generalization to give you something to go by. For example, if you're getting a smoothie with peanut butter and whipped cream, it's probably going to be a bit more than 410 calories.

Source

CA Evens the Playing Field

FitSugar — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 02:00:00 -0700

While I was mourning over an overturned law that would require NYC restaurants to post calorie counts on menu boards, I nearly missed some good news on the same matter in my neck of the woods.

Here are the details:

By a vote of 42 to 31, the California Assembly [on 9/11/2007] made California the first state in the nation to pass statewide legislation requiring fast-food outlets and chain restaurants to provide nutrition information at the point of purchase – a move favored by 84 percent of Californians in a statewide poll last April. Commonly known as the menu-labeling law, Senate Bill 120 (Padilla/Migden) is seen as landmark legislation to help Californians make healthier choices.

Furthermore:

When signed by the Governor, SB 120 will make California the first state to require chain restaurants and fast-food outlets to provide nutritional information for standard menu items. Specifically, the bill requires the number of calories to be posted on menu boards. Printed menus would provide the amount of calories, grams of saturated fat, trans fats, sodium and carbohydrates.

How cool is that? Being a Californian, this makes me a lot more excited than the pesky NYC law. No word on a proposed date it would go into effect, but I'll keep you posted. Let's hope it passes!

Source