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Eight Small Things That Can Sabotage Your Diet
It’s our day-to-day habits — not the occasional calorie fest during a night out — that ruin our good-eating efforts.
Are you guilty of any of these bad-eating behaviors? Dropping just a couple of bad habits could save you hundreds of calories a day.
Snacking Right Out of the Bag
You think: I’ll just grab one handful to take the edge off.
Do the math: You can polish off 200 to 300 calories without even realizing it.
“I call this the snacking dinner,” says Marissa Lippert, M.S., R.D., a nutritionist at Nourish Nutrition Counseling Communications in New York City and author of The Cheater’s Diet. People tend to underestimate how much they’re eating when it’s straight from the bag. Even the smarter snacks, such as tropical trail mix (285 calories for half a cup) or almonds (164 calories for one ounce, or about 24 nuts), add up fast.
Skipping Meals and Then Gorging Yourself
You think: I’ve been good; I’ve barely eaten all day!
Do the math: You could be heading straight for a binge.
Getting too hungry is a bad idea. “You usually overcompensate and make bad choices,” says Reyna Franco, M.S., R.D. a nutritionist at Nutrition and Exercise Consulting in New York City. Skipping breakfast and then getting so hungry you resort to whatever is at hand — yum, doughnuts from the morning meeting! — is an all too-often told story of diet failure.
Eating and Drinking While Cooking
You think: A glass of wine and a few nibbles of cheese while cooking don’t count.
Do the math: You could easily polish off 250 calories while grating cheese.
A glass of wine averages 120 calories for a five-ounce glass; every ounce of cheddar cheese is 114 calories. “Instead of eating while you cook — when you’re not really focused on what you’re putting in your mouth — have a healthy snack midday, such as a piece of fruit, so you’re not as hungry while making dinner,” Franco says.
Drinking Your Calories
You think: I’ll just hold off on the whipped cream, which is where all the calories are.
Do the math: It’s hard to escape from your favorite coffee place without taking in 200 calories.
True, leaving off the whip is a good step, but a 16-ounce Caramel Frappuccino® without whipped cream is still 270 calories and 3.5 grams of fat; a caffè mocha is 260 calories and 8 grams of fat. And soda averages 100 sugar-laden calories for eight ounces. Instead of drinking all this sugar and fat, choose water; carry a refillable aluminum water bottle with you so you’re ready when thirst strikes.
Eating Two Dinners
You think: I can’t stand to see my kids waste food.
Do the math: Cleaning the plate can cost you anywhere from 200 to 300 extra calories.
“It just feels like a few bites, but it’s more than you realize,” Lippert says. Combat the double dinner in two ways: First, lose the idea that you can’t waste food, and second, if your kids eat earlier than you do, make their mealtime a planned snack time for you and have something nutritious, like fruit or veggies and hummus.
Using Giant Dinner Plates
You think: I can monitor my portion size on my own.
Do the math: 150 or more calories can easily hide on a bigger plate.
Research shows that the larger the portion offered, the more we eat. In one study, people ate 30% more calories when given a larger portion of mac and cheese. The same researchers found that those who were offered bigger sandwiches ate more. Another study found that people who got bigger portions of pasta in a restaurant setting ate more. Bottom line: If it’s in front of you, you’ll probably eat it.
Late-Night Snacking
You think: I don’t want to go to bed hungry.
Do the math: A bowl of ice cream loads you down with 300 or more calories before bed.
“Nighttime snacking is a huge hurdle for almost everyone,” Lippert says. It’s usually less about hunger than it is about relaxation, watching TV and being social. Realize why you are eating and ask yourself if you are hungry. If you do snack, manage the portion carefully and make it something relatively healthy (baked snacks vs. fried; or, even better, fruit).
Grocery Shopping While Hungry
You think: I’ll just run into the store to grab a few necessities.
Do the math: 500 empty calories can wind up in your cart before you know it.
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