Do you cook with oil and butter?
Maybe throw some on your salads?
If so, do you measure the amount of oil you use?
Well, 1 tbsp is 125 calories.
The average ‘pour’ or ‘glug’ of oil is three tablespoons. (And I am talking non-Paula Dean versions.)
This means if you don’t measure your oil and glug, then between some oil to cook your breakfast, on your salad at lunch, and to prepare dinner is adding up to anywhere between 750-1125 calories in oil a day.
Yikes.
Try measuring out your portions to just enough to coat the pan, a teaspoon, which is about 45 calories.
And now you are down to 150 calories of oil.
See the importance of being more aware and measuring out your oil portions?
While having a strategy session with a client, this exact situation came up and ended up being the difference of her achieving her goal of losing weight.
She was frustrated she had been journaling and tracking her food intake and hitting her calorie goal, but not losing any weight.
We dug in and eventually realized she was using oil for cooking her meals and on her salad at lunch. But, not measuring or tracking any of it.
This is understandable because we dont even notice or ‘see’ the oil on our plate and think of it as food. It’s not like it stands out visually like an 8oz steak and potato would on a plate.
Yet, it can be just as many calories.
Meaning the oil to cook/flavor the rest of your meal is just as much food calorie wise!
So my client was eating much more than she was recording. We had her switch to using cooking spray for her meals and just vinegar or lemon juice for her salad dressing, and sure enough, the pounds started to melt off.
After all, she cut out about 800 calories in her day and was now genuinely eating her calorie goal amount.
When it comes to oil, butter, dressings, and preparing your meals, try these tips on:
- Measure with a measuring spoon
- Switch to cooking sprays
- Use cooking methods that do not require oil. (Baking, steaming, grilling, sauteeing in a bit of water, etc. )
- Use a calorie-free dressing. They have pre-made ones or go with something like vinegar or mustard.
You will be surprised at the difference they can make!
Progress > Perfection
Dedicated to your success,
Gary Deagle
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