Measure For Measure: The Scoop On “Diet Disasters”

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By Mia Bolaris-Forget

Working out? Dieting? And, still struggling to shed those (last) few extra pounds? Well, you’re not alone. In fact, most of us seem to plateau just when we think we’ve just got a few more pounds to go. And, the problem according to experts, is not that we aren’t working out hard enough, well, not necessarily, but rather, not eating “little” enough.

Remember, the key to losing weight is burning off MORE than you take in, but most us, say, experts, especially those of us watching our weight and our waistline, take in more than we bargained for.

According to statistics, even those of us who carefully measure our portions are probably “cheating” on our diet. Take for example one scoop of heart healthy, cholesterol fighting and brain functioning oatmeal. One scoop is what the nutritionists recommend, and what that usually translates into is one “heaping” scoop that levels off just slightly above the rim. And, that results in 57 grams of oats and 214 calories rather than the recommended 40 grams of oats and 150 calories. The trick: filling your measuring spoon or cup to a level just slightly below the rim. And, when it comes to another popular “diet” staple, especially when it comes to power-packed protein, the amount of peanut butter we pack on (to our spoon and sandwiches) is often another problem.

Again, most of us level our measuring spoons well above the rim, licking the spoon afterwards and giving ourselves an extra 82 calories we weren’t counting or counting on adding to our daily “diet”. And, done daily, especially if you combine the two (ie: peanut butter oatmeal for breakfast), you can actually wind up gaining weight.

Long Island Weightloss Articles > Measure For Measure: The Scoop On “Diet Disasters”