Smart Ways to Feed Your Body
Q: I've heard that artificial sweeteners can make you crave more sweets. So why do weight loss plans encourage eating foods—like yogurt—with artificial sweeteners? —HILARY SHEFFLER HOWARD, ATHOL, ID
A: Diet sodas get more negative attention because they have zero nutrition. Yogurt, however, has some positives (protein and calcium) along with the artificial sweeteners. My advice is to limit your intake of artificially sweetened foods and drinks to two a day, because they keep the sweet taste on your mind and taste buds, which can make it harder to beat sugar cravings. As for yogurts, I prefer those with a little real sugar. Look for flavored ones with no more than 14 g sugar per 4-oz container and no more than 20 g per 6-oz. (This includes the sugar that's naturally found in yogurt from lactose and from fruit purée, honey or other added sweeteners.) Of course, less is best! Most flavored nonfat Greek yogurts meet my cutoff.
Q: Should I eat more on days when I exercise a lot? —LAUREN BAILEY, NEW YORK
A: Most of us usually don't exercise enough to justify extra calories. But here's a general guideline: Multiply your weight by 13. The total is how many calories you should eat daily, whether you're not exercising at all or if you're working out moderately for an hour or less (walking, swimming, doing an exercise DVD). On days when you exercise for more than an hour, add 100 to 200 calories per additional hour. So if you took a two-hour hike, for example, add 150 calories to a snack or meal that day. If your energy is lagging during a particularly active week, try adding more protein to breakfast (a scoop of cottage cheese, an egg) and snacks (a handful of almonds, string cheese).
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Comments
- 6/22/2012 12:05:32 PM
Out of curiousity, I did run some quick graphs to see where the 'weight * 13' line even crosses any of caloric goal ranges (calculated for inactive female at 20yo and 50yo, 5ft, 5'6'' and 6ft). In short - for low end of HEALTHY BMI, short-to-average height female -pounds*13 is somewhat similar to MAINTENANCE kcal range - but as soon as you are but 10 pounds away from convergence point, that' s a 130kcal/day difference right there, so this formula is not something to safely rely on. Also, for tall females convergence point is in anorexic range - so the punds*13 will always OVERestimate the recommended caloric intake.
Kilos*13 - quite the opposite, UNDERestimates caloric intake for most. This underestimate is around 750 a day (drastic weight loss goal) for most of the obesity ranges. For BMI in 47-50 it does even match 500kcal deficit a day - what might be a believable weight loss goal. - 6/19/2012 5:20:49 AM
This blog was not helpful at all!
- 6/18/2012 5:32:04 PM
In fact that whole calculation is suspect given that it is supposedly the same whether someone is not working out or working out moderately for under an hour. Sorry, but for me 40-55 minutes of moderate cardio is around 4200 calories burned a week. That's 600 more calories a day that I need as fuel that I wouldn't need if I stopped working out.
Guess I know who NOT to listen to. - 6/18/2012 12:23:09 PM
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