Tag Archives: calorie counting

Check Your Calories, Not Your Weight

This article was written by Paige Corley, Program Director for The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge, the sponsors of our Biggest Loser newsletter.

The other day I was running the path through Snow Canyon State Park – it’s an eight mile round trip run, which is a definite challenge for me – and I noticed during the first mile that I kept checking my watch to see how much time had passed. I don’t mean I was checking my watch every mile, I mean I was checking my watch every minute!

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Posted on June 1, 2023 by GuestBlogger

Healthy Memorial Day Picnic Quiz

Memorial Day is fast approaching. It’s a day set aside to honor the men and women who died in military service. As we anticipate the beginning of lazy summer days at the beach, hot dogs on the grill, late nights and frozen treats, many communities celebrate the festivities with picnics. If you aren’t careful, you could easily eat a day – or more – worth of fat and calories in just one meal. Take this easy quiz and see how knowledgeable you are when it comes to making healthy choices at your picnic.

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Posted on May 25, 2023 by Carmen

IHOP’s New Pancake Stacker Rivals KFC Double Down

On April 12th, KFC debuted its new Double Down Chicken Sandwich, boasting 540 calories and 32 grams of fat. Just a few weeks after KFC’s announcement, IHOP has one of its own – the IHOP pancake stacker available through June 20th.

IHOP, known for their pancakes and whose restaurants serve over 700 million pancakes a year are “giving our guests another reason to come to IHOP” as stated by the Carolyn O’Keefe, IHOP’s senior vice president of marketing.

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Posted on May 14, 2023 by Amy

20 Ways to Cut Calories

Emily Fonnesbeck is the Registered Dietitian for the Biggest Loser Resort, and joins us today to share some must-have tips to help you manage calorie consumption and weight loss.

Chances are you have heard some of these suggestions before. But just because you have heard them, doesn’t mean you are actually doing them! Take a good hard look at what you are currently doing and decide where you can slash some calories.  Some of these are easy as long as you are committed!

1.  Quit drinking your calories. This includes milk, juice, alcohol, sweetened tea and coffee with sugar and cream. You’re quenching thirst with added calories.

2.  Eat more often. That’s right, if you are going too long in between meals, you are probably overly hungry and eating too much.

3.  Switch to leaner proteins. Poultry or fish instead of red meat. Skim or low fat milk and dairy instead of whole. Beans, legumes, nuts and seeds work well too! (more…)

Posted on March 24, 2024 by GuestBlogger

Lowest Calorie Beers for St. Patrick’s Day

We all know that St. Patrick’s Day is more like “national drink some beer day.” But, what is the holiday really all about? St. Patrick, not of Irish descent, is known for establishing monasteries, churches, and schools all over the country. He used these aids to help him convert the Gaelic Irish to Christianity. He used the three-leafed shamrock to help represent the combination of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. St. Patrick died on March 17, thus this day has been commemorated as St. Patrick’s Day ever since.

Why is alcohol associated with St. Patrick’s Day? This is a generalization and a huge stereotype. In Ireland, people drink as a social past time as they do here in America. As it rains quite a bit in Ireland, so the tradition is to hit the local pub for a pint or two. Seems to me that people in America hit the local bar whether it’s rain or shine! So, with that being said, you might as well indulge in some healthy choices of beer if you are going to partake in this festive holiday. Below is a list of the healthiest choices of beer, both foreign and domestic. (more…)

Posted on March 15, 2024 by Matt

Calories Burned During the Most Popular Winter Sports

cross country skiingIt’s winter and most of us are buried beneath a few feet of snow so it’s tempting to want to hibernate inside and feast on comfort food. But fast-forward a few casseroles and cups of hot cocoa from now and it’s swimsuit season.

If the marshmallows suddenly just dropped from your hands, fear not. Winter sports can seriously torch calories and give your body a great overall workout. Plus, with the Winter Olympics upon us in just a few days, you’ll be inspired to lace up your skates or polish off your ski poles, don that cute winter hat and get moving!

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Posted on February 12, 2024 by heather

Tune In: Hungry Girl Uncovers Dangerous Foods on Rachael Ray Show

lisa lillienTune in this Thursday, January 14 to the Rachael Ray Show when Lisa Lillien, aka, the Hungry Girl, reveals which supposedly healthy foods could be moving your scale in the wrong direction.

Lisa Lillien is an expert when it comes to not just creating delicious and calorie-conscious recipes from her bestselling books like the Hungry Girl’s 200 Under 200, but she also has her constant nutrition pulse on the latest in food finds and hidden calories in your favorite dishes.

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Posted on January 11, 2024 by heather

Calories Counts on Food Labels and Menus Don’t Add Up

food labelResearchers at Tufts University looked at 10 frozen food items and 20 restaurant meals and found that they are serving up more than what dieters are asking for. According to a new study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, prepared foods may contain an average of 8% more calories than their package labels own up to and restaurant meals may contain a whopping 18% more.  Some individual restaurant items contained up to 200% more calories than expressed on the menu.

Eeek! What’s a dieter to do? Well, before you go throwing out your food journal read this article for some perspective. Without question, this study suggests a potential threat to weight loss for people who are counting calories as a means to weight loss. Yes, it would be great if the FDA stepped in and said “Hey, these labels need to be more accurate.” But if you wait for the government to change a regulation you’ll be old and gray before you reach your weight goal. So, take matters into your own hands with these simple tips. (more…)

Posted on January 8, 2024 by Rebecca

The Best Calorie-Burning Winter Activities

Many people look at the winter season as a time to let up on their outdoor exercise because the weather is too nasty. But there’s no reason to hibernate. There are plenty of things to do that aren’t just fun, but can also burn some serious calories.skiier

Here are some winter activities and the calories burned. The number of calories will vary depending on your weight. So, for the sake of simplicity, this will be based on someone who is 160 pounds:

Downhill Skiing – Skiing isn’t just fun, it’s a great way to burn calories and workout your entire body. Make sure you warm up and stretch before you head out on the slopes. You should also stretch after skiing to minimize the pain. If you don’t, be prepared to feel like your thighs are on fire. If you ski for an hour (and who doesn’t ski longer?), you will burn about 740 calories. (more…)

Posted on December 29, 2023 by Jason

Restricted Calorie Diet: What You Need to Know

strawberriesCalorie restriction diets may not sound fun but these very reduced calorie diets are all the rage right now, particularly as Americans look to the starting line of the New Year to make 2024 the year to finally the lose weight.

Calorie restriction diets, or CR for short, not just promise weight loss, but also recent research has suggested that reducing calories over the long-term may slow the process of aging, reduce risk of certain diseases and cancers and extend lifespan. In fact, the science is so potentially powerful and hopeful that one of largest studies investigating this eating plan, the CALERIE study, just wrapped up a two-year investigation of the prolonged effects of calorie restriction on adult Americans.

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Posted on December 28, 2023 by heather

The Mathematics of Weight Loss

Weight loss is often shrouded in mystery. Thousands of diets with variations on what it takes to lose weight proves this. While it’s not necessarily quite as simple as calories in, calories out, that is a very important starting point to getting yourself to your weight loss goals.weight scale

So much of weight loss comes down to simple math. We already know that Americans consume too many calories every day. I came across data for the period of 2000-2002 that states Americans at that time consumed 3,790 calories a day (UN Food and Agriculture Organization). When you consider the fact that the average man only needs about 2,000 calories to sustain his weight, slightly less for women, it doesn’t take a mathematician to see the dilemma.

There are approximately 3,500 calories in a pound of stored body fat. So, if you create a 3,500-calorie deficit through diet, exercise, or a combination of both, you will lose one pound of body weight. (more…)

Posted on October 13, 2023 by Jason