Diet Detective's Calorie Bargain Bible More Than 1,000 Calorie Bargains, in the Supermarket, Kitchen, Office, Restaurants, Movies, Special Occasions and More

This is a book about bargains. We look for bargains in clothing, electronics, food, and travel -- to name just a few. We go to discount price clubs, cut coupons, and wait until things go on sale so that we can get more for less. We want to spend wisely and know that we're getting the most for our money. What if we were as cost conscious about our calorie consumption as we are about our spending? Unfortunately, we have a finite number of calories in our bodys' budget, just as we have limited funds in our pocketbooks. So how can we be sure that we're making good use of the foods we consume? The answer: Look for Calorie Bargains. These are foods that are relatively low in calories and high in nutrients, but still taste great and satisfy your strongest temptations. You use these "cheaper" foods to replace others you eat regularly that are more calorically "expensive." But remember, if it doesn't satiate you, a Calorie Bargain can easily turn into a Calorie Rip-off, because you'll end up eating more of it, consuming more calories, and gaining more weight. You can find your own Calorie Bargains using these three easy steps: STEP 1:Think of a food that you typically eat each day. It might be a guilty pleasure or simply a high-calorie food you think might be worth replacing -- if you had a good substitute. Example:The food I eat now that I'm willing to change: Lay's regular potato chips, 150 calories per serving. The serving size I would eat in a typical sitting (be honest!): three servings, about four handfuls. Total calories:150 X 3 = 450 calories. STEP 2:Now try to think of a substitute for that food. It's got to be something you think you might like, and it's got to have fewer calories. Example:My potential Calorie Bargain: air-popped popcorn, 25 calories per serving. Serving size I would eat in a typical sitting (be honest!): three servings, about four handfuls. Total calories:25 X 3 = 75 calories. You just saved a whopping 375 calories. So if you normally eat chips three times a week, and you replace them with popcorn, you could lose as much as 15 pounds in a year! STEP 3:Make sure you can live with the food choice you just made, and that you will not overindulge to make up for the fact that you're eating a food that is lower in calories and higher in nutrient density. If you consume more of the Calorie Bargain than you did of the substituted food, you will defeat the purpose. Learn to Get Good ValueYou have to learn to know a good thing when you see it. Understanding value in food is important, and it's important to think before you eat. Again, remember, Calorie Bargains are only to be used to replace something that you are already eating on a regular basis. A Calorie Bargain should never be added to your existing diet; it is only a replacement for higher fat and higher calorie foods. And if it doesn't satiate you, you'll end up eating more food, consuming more calories, gaining more weight, and losing that Calorie Bargain. So be careful. Experiment, negotiate, and keep track of your failures and successes.Your initial goal should be to reduce your calorie intake by 100 to 200 calories a day for maintenance, and about 250 to 400 calories per day for weight loss. This means you should substitute at least 20 percent of your current diet with Calorie Bargains for weight loss and 10 percent of your current diet for weight maintenance. As you become a skilled detective, however, you'll be able to find even bigger bargains. Here's one of mine. I used to eat chips, cookies, and ice cream, averaging about 600 calories in an evening. Now I substitute pan popcorn. I don't love air-popped corn, so I started experimenting and found a way to use regular kernels, a skillet, and cooking spray. Put the kernels in a deep pot lighPlatkin, Charles Stuart is the author of 'Diet Detective's Calorie Bargain Bible More Than 1,000 Calorie Bargains, in the Supermarket, Kitchen, Office, Restaurants, Movies, Special Occasions and More', published 2008 under ISBN 9781416551225 and ISBN 1416551220.