Hidden Calories

credit: sigalonhealth.soup.io

Although losing weight is very rewarding and potentially life-changing, it can be a very
frustrating process. The most common reported frustration is when you feel that you are
doing all of the right things but the weight just won’t come off. This can leave you feeling
down and useless, and could potentially lead to the end of the diet. But why does it happen?

In some, rarer cases, it is a case of the body’s metabolism catching up with the dieter and
simply refusing to lose any more weight. Ironically, the main reason this happens is that the
dieter is taking in too few calories so the solution would be to add a few more calories into
the diet to kick-start your metabolism.

For most, this isn’t the issue. For most, it is the opposite; they are taking in too many
calories. The main culprit in this tale is hidden calories. Hidden calories are the enemy of the
dieter and are the root of all the frustration and anger that you are feeling. So where are these
calories and how do you bring them out into the open?

The main perpetrators of hidden calories are the foods and drinks that you think are healthier
choices. When we start our weight-loss plan the first thing that many of us do is to look for
healthy alternatives to the snacks and drinks that we thought were making us overweight.
However, shop bought fruit smoothies are often packed full of calories. They are nutritious
and full of vitamins but they can have just as many calories as a full-fat can of fizzy pop. The
reason? All of those fruit sugars that make the smoothie so tasty! The tropical fruits often
used in smoothies, such as mango, pineapple and banana, are full of natural sugars and are
also relatively high in calories. So, although you should make sure to eat plenty of fruit,
enjoy these varieties in moderation.

Salads can be full of hidden calories too. Lettuce, tomato and cucumber are super low in
calories but the added meat, dressing, croutons, cheese and avocado that can dramatically
raise the calorie content. In fact, a salad such as a traditional Caesar with chicken, bacon,
croutons, cheese, and a creamy dressing can potentially have more calories than a burger! So
be sensible – go for vinaigrette dressings and drop some of the fattier elements such as the
cheese and bacon.

As far as food goes, one of the worst things you can eat when on a diet is pasta. Pasta can be
a healthy choice as it is virtually fat free and relatively good for you but, unfortunately for
those trying to lose weight, it is packed full of calories. Even a small serving of pasta can
have as many calories as a bucketful of couscous, for example, so avoid it when you can.

Finally, you should look at your drink choices. You may have swapped out sugar for
sweetener but you need to also consider skimmed milk in your hot beverages rather than
semi-skimmed or whole. This will save you calories with every mouthful. Also, look out for
alcohol. Although it’s hard to cut out alcohol completely, there are no low calorie alcoholic
drinks and you would be shocked at how many calories there are just in a glass of wine.

So hidden calories are everywhere but they can be beaten. You just need a little knowledge,
and maybe the help of an online calorie counter, and you can understand what’s really in
your food.

Written by Kat Kraetzer, an experienced blogger working in the health-care industry.