Calories.net Diet and Nutrition Calorie Counting

Calories : Apples are Your Friend

Staff — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 13:14:16 +0000

The most popular fruit on calories.net that is looked up on our online calorie counter is the humble apple. Apples have fiber, taste great and come in a lot different types. We found a great video put out the by Calorie Wizard that shows some cool facts about the apple. Next time you’re wanting a low calorie snack – think of an apple!

Calories in an Apple

Ultimate Calorie Burn Workout …..with Yoga?

Staff — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:05:16 +0000

When you think of workouts that burn hardcore calories to get fast results, you think aerobics or another high impact cardio workout right? Tara Stiles has put together a video series that shows that strong muscles burn more calories and she attains this through yoga. Yoga is a great way to get maximum benefits from a low impact workout on your body.
Here is one of her videos from the Slim Month 1 Series to give you an idea of the calorie burning you can actually get out of a yoga workout.

Calories – Learning About Calories

Staff — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 03:36:59 +0000

One of the biggest hurdles to losing or maintaining weight is to understand what a calorie really is. It’s not a little demon that wants to make you wider, it’s just a unit of measurement but a calorie is measurement of energy. When you hear something has 70 calories, it’s describing the worth of the energy your body will receive from eating those calories.

Calories aren’t bad for you. If you didn’t have calories, you’d have no energy for your body to burn for all its functions. If you eat more calories than you burn through activities, then you’re going to get fat as a result.
Nearly all foods and drinks have a caloric value. Water has no calories, a cup of iceberg lettuce has just under 10 calories. Half a cup of peanuts will have 427 calories for example.

If you’re watching the calories you eat and you want to know how much you’re eating, use our free calorie counter and look up the foods you eat the most. You can get a good idea if you’re eating more calories than you should be.
Want to learn how to quickly calculate the calories from fat grams in what you eat?
Here’s a simple formula:
There are 9 calories in a gram of fat.

So for example if you were eating a serving of potato pancakes and they had 10 grams of fat. You would take the 10 grams of fat in the potato pancakes and 10 x 9 calories in a gram of fat which equals 90 calories from fat.

Why is the Cabbage Soup Diet Still Around?

Staff — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:53:00 +0000

One of my friends is trying to lose weight fast because she’s a size 14 and she bought a size 10 dress to wear to her high school reunion. She’s kind of a “last minute” sort of person so of course she waited until one month before the reunion to do that losing 20lbs fast thing.

She’s had 6-months to knock off the weight through diet changes and exercise, but now we’re at DEFCON-4 for fitting into the very pretty and expensive dress she bought and I asked her what she was going to do. Her solution? Why the Cabbage Soup Diet of course.
I admit it, I snickered. Audibly.
And she said, “Oh it’s been redone and revamped. It’s not the same. A nutritionist redid it.”

I said nothing. The Cabbage Soup Diet is one of the worst offenders in the Fad Diet category. No nutritionist in their right mind would ever recommend consuming the Cabbage Soup Diet as an alternative to eating sensibly and exercising as a weight loss plan. Sure it’s low in calories but it’s also low in nutrition and my friend may very well lose the promised 10-15 pounds, but the problem is that most of the weight lost will be primarily from fluids, not fat, and will return quickly once she resumes eating normally.

So, it’s now one week until reunion time, and I checked on my friend to see how she’s doing. She got bored with the Cabbage Soup diet around the “eat 8 bananas day” part and quit. She bought a larger sized dress and and a gym membership the same day. So at least she’s on the road to getting a healthy lifestyle going without the Cabbage Soup Diet.

Fast Food Calories – Learn What You’re Eating

Staff — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:59:58 +0000

One of the biggest saboteurs to a diet plan can be those all too easy to make fast food runs. Knowing the fast food calories you’re eating can go a long ways to helping you stay on your diet plan. Also watch out for the fat grams in some of the “healthy lunch specials”. One fast food restaurant was advertising their 500 calorie/5-dollar lunch however that 500 calorie lunch packed a whopping 35 grams of fat. When you eat extra fat, you will wind up storing it, unless you burn it off through physical activity.

If you want to get an idea of what some good choices would be on those times you eat fast food, use our fast food calorie counter and write down a small list to keep in your wallet or purse to refer to. You can access our fast food calorie counter here.

What has 500 Calories and 26 Grams of Fat? McRib is Back!

Calories in Eggs

Staff — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 02:33:04 +0000

Eggs have gotten such a bad rap, and if you incorporate them into a healthy diet plan, there’s nothing wrong with adding eggs to your diet. Which leads us to the nutritional part of the equation – what are the calories in an egg?

We went to the American Egg Council to get the scoop on eggs and here’s what they said:
Eggs are incredible when it comes to nutrition.

Eggs are all-natural, and one egg has lots of vitamins and minerals—all for 70 calories. The nutrients in eggs can play a role in weight management, muscle strength, healthy pregnancy, brain function, eye health and more. At less than 15 cents apiece, eggs are an affordable and delicious breakfast option.

The protein in eggs is the highest-quality protein found in any food. The high-quality protein in eggs provides the energy families need to perform their best on important days.
Nutrient-rich, all-natural eggs are a welcome addition to any diet.

The nutrient package of eggs aids in the following:

Weight management: The high-quality protein in eggs helps you to feel fuller longer and stay energized, which contributes to maintaining a healthy weight.
Muscle strength and muscle-loss prevention: Research indicates that high-quality protein may help active adults build muscle strength and help prevent muscle loss in middle-aged and aging adults.
Healthy pregnancy: Egg yolks are an excellent source of choline, an essential nutrient that contributes to fetal brain development and helps prevent birth defects. Two eggs provide about 250 milligrams of choline, or roughly half of the recommended daily intake for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Brain function: Choline also aids the brain function of adults by maintaining the structure of brain cell membranes, and is a key component of the neuro-transmitter that helps relay messages from the brain through nerves to the muscles.
Eye health: Lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants found in egg yolks, help prevent macular degeneration, a leading cause of age-related blindness. Though eggs contain a small amount of these two nutrients, research shows that the lutein from eggs may be more bioavailable than lutein from other food sources.

So there you have it, a good part of a diet, low in calories and packed with nutrition.

Tips to Avoids Gaining Weight During the Holiday Season

Staff — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 04:20:38 +0000

Okay, it’s almost Halloween and you know what comes after that, the much anticipated yet dreaded by your waistline – Holiday Season. If you even have the smallest circle of friends, chances are oh so excellent you will invited to enough high calorie shindigs to expand your belt.

Fortunately, we have some good tips here at Calories.net for enjoying yourself and not consuming a ton of extra calories.

First of all, relax. One night of enjoyment won’t undo the hard work you’ve been doing for staying healthy, however too many times of it will definitely blow any progress you’ve made.
Many people adopt the 19/21 rule. Ever heard of it? They try to eat 19 healthy, calorie and nutrition conscious meals per week and that leaves 2 meals open for special occasions and if you want to indulge in that after dinner cheese cake slice and coffee, you can without guilt or a second thought.

Another trick many calorie counters use is to eat something like a salad or a healthy choice before attending a party. You’re not as hungry and you won’t be as tempted to cruise through the appetizers two or three times because you’re famished. Another good thing to do is bring a healthy snack or two that’s low cal and filling. You may make some new converts and at least you’ll have some good choices too.

Alcohol can lead to more eating. Some people feel the need to eat more when they drink, if you’re one of those people, you may want to skip the drinks or limit yourself so you don’t feel the urge to endlessly snack on top of a glass or five of wine.

There’s nothing to show that drinking a huge glass of water will do anything to kill your appetite after about 30 minutes. It’s a far better solution to just make some healthy choices and if you do decide to be a little “bad” calorie-wise, try to limit it and just enjoy the holiday season coming up above all.

More good tips are over at http://www.sacbee.com/2011/10/27/4011189/how-to-avoid-scary-pounds-this.html

Halloween Candy Calories?

Staff — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 01:13:49 +0000

I saw an interesting article over at The Patch earlier today, it was about Halloween candy of all things and I think we can all agree that no candy is really good calorie or sugar-wise, but they had some really interesting candy facts that came from a nutritionist who looked at the candy in terms of “what’s the best choice?”.
Here are the results, according to the news release:

PayDay beats Reese Peanut Butter Cups because PayDay is the only candy to list peanuts—not sugar—as the first ingredient. Obviously not good for anyone with a peanut allergy, but still a better nutritional choice if you’re not allergic. Additionally, Reese Cups contain polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR), an emulsifier used to reduce cocoa butter.

Kit Kat beats Twix, even though they’re similar in calories and sugar, and both contain PGPR. Twix is also marketed as a biscuit topped with caramel and chocolate—but there’s no caramel on the ingredient list.

M&Ms beat Skittles because M&Ms have a tiny amount of calcium and protein, as well as less sugar.
Yes, you read that right, M&Ms have a tiny bit of protein. Who knew?

The a number of great Halloween candy hints and facts and if you want to get the lowdown on whats the best bad thing to eat on Halloween, you can read the entire article over at The Patch.

Most People Don’t Read Nutrition Labels Study Shows

Staff — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:04:59 +0000

Most people don't read nutrition labels

A very interesting study came out, it showed only 33% of participants regularly looked at nutrition labels on the foods they purchased. For the study, University of Minnesota researchers recruited 203 participants to gauge what kind of information people looked at before deciding to buy a food product. The task involved a computer-based grocery shopping exercise in which the volunteers were shown 64 items — typical products like cereal, crackers, soup, cookies, ice cream — and asked to indicate whether or not they would buy it.

This means if you’re not reading labels, you’re consuming a lot of calories and fats you don’t realize – one of the main contributors to unwanted weight gain and obesity.

A number of food manufacturers have begun using the Grocery Manufacturer’s Association Facts Up Front label, which is a series of 4 white tabs containing calories, fat, sodium, and sugar. Manufacturers also have the option of adding two tabs that include information on two key nutrients (such as Vitamin C, potassium, Vitamin A, etc.). These appear on the front of a products and are in addition to the standard nutritional labeling.

Do you read labels for calories and fat on a regular basis?

What has 500 Calories and 26 Grams of Fat? McRib is Back!

Staff — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:38:26 +0000

500 calorie McRib

From today through November 14th at selected McDonalds’ locations around the country, the McRib will be available once again. The boneless pork creation has developed a cult following and tends to sell as fast as they can be made.

The sandwich, which is dressed with onions, pickle slices and barbecue sauce, was introduced nationally in 1982. With 500 calories and 26 grams of fat, it’s slightly trimmer than the Big Mac, which has 540 calories and 29 grams of fat. And just like the Big Mac, the McRib has become a popular McDonald’s offering.

Obviously not part of a healthy diet plan, save the McRib for your “free day” that you treat yourself to something naughty calorie-wise.

Read more : http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/story/2011-10-24/mcdonalds-mcrib-sandwich/50888872/1

Would You Eat an 8,000 Calorie Lunch?

Staff — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 23:21:21 +0000

8,000 calorie lunch

Holy Calories Batman! Have you heard about the recently opened Heart Attack Grill in Las Vegas? This is a place that embraces and promotes morbid obesity and customers who tip the scales at more than 350 pounds eat free. As you can guess from the name, The Heart Attack Grill specializes in food that’s bad for you.

Not only does it place advertise eye-poppingly high calorie food, it also lets you know it’s bad with a hospital theme complete with an ambulance parked out front. Your servers are dressed like nurses and the owner calls himself “Dr. Jon.” You also get a hospital gown to wear as a body napkin if you wish.

a killer burger from the Heart Attack Grill

The dish that has the most people talking is the “Quadruple Bypass” — four half-pound burger patties topped with cheese, bacon and no lettuce (lettuce is for wimps). If you order it with the fries cooked in lard and the triple butterfat milkshake topped with a pat of real butter, you’ll be getting 8,000 calories worth of food.
Yes, 8,000 calories.

Curious about how long it would take to walk off that many calories?
The average person burns about 100 calories walking a mile, which means you’d have to walk 80 miles to burn off that Quadruple Bypass with fries and a shake.

Keeping a Calorie Diary

Staff — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 02:42:44 +0000

When you’re trying to develop a way to lose weight, you may not think you eat very much, but if you just write down what you eat for 3-5 days, you will be amazed at the times you eat and you don’t even think about it.

Many people who struggle on diets are “drive by eaters” meaning they cruise through the kitchen and just grab a little something and usually don’t even stop to eat. One women that kept a food diary was amazed to discover that she went past her kitchen and “nibbled” in a small handful of dry granola cereal. When she totaled up that she did this 4-5 times a day and the granola was 24 grams of fat per half cup serving she was able to see that through snacking on what she thought was “just a little” cereal here and there was really adding up.

If you’re finding that your weight loss efforts are plateauing or you’re struggling to lose weight, keep track of your foods and calories for a few day with a calorie diary – it’s extremely eye opening.

Promote Your Diet-Nutrition Business Free

Staff — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 04:19:00 +0000

One of the hardest things about breaking into the diet and nutrition field is the promotion aspect. Getting new clients can seem like a huge wall to climb. However, utilizing the power of the Internet is one of the smartest things you can do.

Consider getting a listing with us, it’s absolutely free and we are a very busy site that serves up free information about the calories in foods, diet reviews, nutritional information and more every day. When someone searches our site for a nutritionist or dietician in their area, make sure they find YOU. Get your free listing on Calories.net right now.

What does “burning calories” actually mean?

Staff — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 10:07:25 +0000

Question by lifescircle: What does “burning calories” actually mean?
You can’t literally “burn” calories, so what does this refer to?

Best answer:

Answer by Michellee
It refers to losing the fat that you have eaten..

What do you think? Answer below!

Calories in a Banana?

Staff — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 08:52:10 +0000

how many calories in a banana?

We get an unbelievable amount of searches per month for “how many calories in a banana” apparently there are a lot of banana-eaters!

Bananas are the third more popular eaten (apples would be #1 followed closely by oranges). How many calories in a banana will depend on the size of the fruit.

The following calorie counts for bananas are for raw, uncooked bananas
Extra small banana (up to 6 inches in length) will have 75 calories.
Small banana (6 to 7 inches in length) will have 90 calories.
Medium banana (7 to 8 inches in length) will have 105 calories.
Large banana (8 to 9 inches in length) will have 120 calories.
Extra Large Banana (over 9 inches in length) will have 135 calories.

Use our free online food calorie counter http://www.calories.net/foods/