Hidden Calories - The Weight Loss Nemesis

Have you heard of the saying, ‘Calories – tiny creatures that live in your closet and sew your clothes a little bit tighter every night?’. Well, this is probably a good way to explain what hidden calories are, these are the calories that we are not even aware we are consuming.

How is this possible? Well, it happens in a lot of small ways - essentially almost everything we consume has a caloric value however sometimes we may not be aware of how much or how often we are consuming them.

We do not recommend counting your daily calories, but being aware of hidden calories may help you to achieve and maintain your weight loss goals. Here are a few things to watch out for and some simple tips on how to prevent it:

• Snack amnesia – Because we often eat on the run we forget how much we have actually had. Does any of this sound familiar: You walk past the biscuit jar at work and grab a biscuit that you finish before you get back to your desk. You go to the fridge and drink the juice/milk/soft drink straight out of the bottle. You snack on the foods you are putting into your kid’s lunch boxes as you make their lunch. You have a nut jar on your desk and regularly grab a small handful of nuts throughout the day. You don’t stop to eat but have multiple milk-based coffees (or cans of soft drink/energy drinks) instead.
  We kid ourselves into thinking ‘we didn’t eat anything today’ simply because we didn’t actually stop for a meal, however substituting meals for frequent, calorie dense snacks can lead to an excess in calories.
  Instead, try to stick to scheduled meal and snack times and pre-plan what you are having.
• Up sizing – Most of us understand that ‘up sizing’ a meal adds extra calories but forget that the same is true for the humble coffee. Ordering a large or grande coffee rather than a small one can double if not triple the calories, especially if you are having several a day. Most of us love our daily caffeine hit but try to stick to a small/regular and limit it to 2 a day.
• Finishing meals – When you don’t like to waste food, or have been taught to always finish your plate you may find that you will continue to eat even after you feel full rather than leave food on your plate or finish what’s left on your children or partners plate while clearing the table.
  Work on being ok with not needing to finish your plate and that leftovers taste great the next day for lunch!
• Sauces and dressings –Adding salad dressings, mayonnaise, tomato/BBQ sauce, gravy or meal-based sauces in a jar (such as Butter chicken or Sweet and Sour) adds extra calories and often sugar, quickly and easily without any extra volume.
  Instead, try making your own sauces so that you know what is in them or using herbs/spices and vinaigrettes (like balsamic dressing) to add flavor to your meals.  
• Eating of off a large plate - The larger the plate the more food we tend to put onto it.
  Use a side plate or small bowl to help lower your portion size.
• Mindless eating - Snacking while watching your favourite TV program, driving in the car or sitting at your desk is fine but it is important to watch your portions. If you open a large bag of chips, chances are you will eat at least half the bag, if not all of it. Alternatively, have a small snack bag of chips or a small bag of air popped popcorn or a snack size box of mixed nuts. This way you won’t continue to eat simply because it’s there.

Balanced eating doesn’t mean you should miss out on all your favourite foods, life is definitely too short for that, but instead, it means being mindful of what, when and how you are eating. Plan your snacks just as you would plan your meals and look for alternatives for your high calorie favourites. Save those for special occasions. Also, stick to scheduled meal and snack times and avoid eating outside of these times.