Monday, December 27, 2010

Fat Free Equals Fat Gain

Many people are now trying to lose a few pounds for a good New Year's start. You may think of buying a few items that are fat free to help get the scale moving in the right direction. Here are a few examples of why that's often a bad idea. Two tablespoons of peanut butter are 191 calories but a reduced fat alternative is still 186 calories.( Not much of a help) A 1/2 cup of regular granola is a whopping 257 calories and so is its reduced fat partner at 237. Fig newtons are only 180 calories a serving but non fat newtons are 210 calories for the same amount. ( That was a surprise to me)
The main problem is, when they take out fat they add sugar, flour or some fake stuff that may be worse that the fat they replace. In addition some people eat more of non fat items thinking they are eating lower calorie. As you see by my examples, this can result in weight gain not weight loss.
When it comes to sweets, look at labels and watch your portion size. You may want to try fruit or even frozen grapes or other fruit to help slow you down a bit. Remember you need to take in fewer calories than you burn to lose weight. A few sweets a the end of the day can turn a day that would of been a win and turn it into another day of stagnation or even weight gain.

No comments:

Post a Comment