Sabotaged Weight Loss by Hidden Calories in Foods

When we aim to lose weight, the thing we are actually doing is reducing calories. No matter whether we are calorie counting, just eating plenty of low calorie foods, juicing, or focusing on satiety, all diets work when they cause a calorie deficit that we can stick to.
But sometimes even our best plans can be completely wasted when we encounter unexpected calorie sources. And there are so many sources of hidden calories that dodging them can feel like being in an actual food minefield. But knowing is half the battle. If you know where these extra calories are most likely to be, then you can look out for them and actually consider them in our calculations.

Sauces and rubs
It is easy to overlook sauces and rubs because they seem so insignificant. Of course we will all try and calculate the calories in obvious high calorie sauces, like mayonnaise or chocolate sauce. But we have to remember that all sauces, and any rub with sugar in it, will have calories. So whether you are putting ketchup on your fries, having BBQ glazed wings, or using yoghurt for dipping some vegetable sticks, make sure to check the calories per tablespoon and add them to your count for the day.

Sweeteners and creamers
Just as with sauces, many people do not include the sweeteners and creamers in their tea, coffee, or chocolate when they are counting calories. And if you only have a teaspoon of sugar or a splash of creamer once a week, then maybe this oversight will make no difference. But if you drink hot drinks daily, and always add something to them, you could be adding up to 300 calories a day!

Also, beware some sweeteners. Some artificial sweeteners used in sugar-free sweeteners and hard candy actually have calories! Which means that if you have more than two or three servings of these a day, you need to start counting them.

Drinks
We have probably all by now heard the saying “Don’t drink your calories.” But you really need to live by this. When you are thirsty, reach for something with zero calories. And don’t replace meals with smoothies, as they are high in fruit sugars and not satiating.

Tasting things
When we are cooking we might taste a little bit of the dish as we prepare it, or snack on ingredients. At the deli or at the supermarket we may take a free sample or two. If our friend is eating something nice, we may take a forkful. We often don’t count these calories, but they do add up. A good rule of thumb is 25-50 calories per spoonful.

Side dishes and garnishes
Again, because we don’t think of them as part of the meal we often don’t count calories found in garnishes and side dishes. But they all have some calories. The bread you eat before a meal, the side salad you have wish it, and the cone your ice-cream arrives in all have calories that need to be counted. This is why a meal with only around 400 calories in its main ingredients can sometimes add up to over 900 calories after we have added all the extras. Either avoid eating garnish, or count the calories in it.

Fruits
You can blame a certain points-based weight loss program for this, but many people do not count the calories in fruit. And this is completely and utterly wrong.

Fruit does have calories, and it can have a lot of them. Generally small pieces of fruit like apples, pears, and bananas have 100 calories. Very small pieces like a plum, apricot, or tangerine have 50. Medium pieces like a small mango or a large orange can have 150-200 calories. And large pieces like large mangoes, passionfruit, grapefruit, or pomegranates can have anywhere from 200-500. Berries have 150 per cup and fatty fruit like avocado are loaded with calories. So beware!

Portion sizes
Finally, watch out for portion sizes. Often we are eating far more than a portion. So a portion of mayonnaise may be a tablespoon and may be 100 calories, but if we have two tablespoons then we had 200, or if we had a heaped tablespoon it could be 150-200. Always play it safe and follow portion sizes closely.