Holiday Diet Tips

One thing that most people do not realize is that to lose one pound of fat you will have to burn up 3500 calories.  So the question is how much is 3500 calories? Well, if you are on a 2000-2500 calories a day diet, 3500 calories is about one and a half days worth of food.  Keep in mind you don't have to burn up all 3500 calories at one time, but here are a few exercises and things you do everyday that can help you get there.

Here is a quick list of ways many of us burn calories (calories per hour- avg. weight 175-185);

Burning calories through exercise is one way to get to 3500, but to maximize your loss; here are a few tricks you can use to avoid the extra calories. The fewer calories you add to your daily diet, the fewer you will have to try to burn off every day.  Another way to "burn" away calories is to simply avoid the easy ones;

One 12-ounce can per day equals over 40 gallons per year. Many people drink several cans of pop per day.  Pop and other types of similar beverages are very high in fructose-laden corn syrup. One can per day equals 30 lbs. of sugar a year, and roughly 10lbs of fat.

TIP#1: Try drinking water instead=0 calories.

1 cup spaghetti w/no sauce=224 or 60 min. of walking.
1 cup spaghetti w/meat sauce=640 or 3 hr. of walking.

1 5 inch small plate of plain noodles =    1 1/3 cups/ 300 calories
1 8 inch medium plate of plain noodles= 2 cups/450 calories
1 12 inch large plate of plain noodles =   3 cups/670 calories

TIP#2: Use the smaller plate, get rid of all large plates, they are not needed in a house, except for maybe the china hutch..

1 tablespoon of mayonnaise=150 calories/20g. fat.
1 tablespoon of mayonnaise=100 calories/10g. fat.
1 tablespoon of mayonnaise=20 calories/less than 1g. fat.

1 tablespoon of mustard=15 calories/ less than 1g. fat.

1 tablespoon of Ranch Dressing=146 calories/ 15g fat.
1 tablespoon of low-fat Ranch Dressing=66 calories/ 5.2g fat.
1 tablespoon of fat-free Ranch Dressing=34 calories/ less than 1g fat.

TIP#3: Always eat a lot of salad, just don’t drench the salad in liquid fat, defeating the purpose, same with a sandwich.

Foods are not created equal, an ounce of lean chicken is not the same as an ounce of butter. Stick to healthier foods, longer/darker foods, such as complex carbs, like rice and vegetables are much better choices.  Try to increase the number of meals in a day to six, but much smaller meals almost consider them snacks.  Replace one snack with a salad (no dressing or FF).  Replace one meal with a MRP (Meal Replacement shakes w/o milk or a bar).  Also, use your feet as much as you can, use the stairs instead of an elevator and if it is close walk or use a bike, save your gas money for a special treat.  Obesity takes a toll on the human body increasing the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, infertility, gall-bladder disease, osteoarthritis and many forms of cancer.  Just try three of these changes to your diet and watch dramatic results in just two weeks.

………………For more information and tips, check my website, www.chadamartin.com.