"Pop" vs. "Soda", seems to be a great debate between people from different regions of the United States. How do you refer to a soft drink in your area? In my hometown, we always called it pop. Regardless of which particular name you call your soft drinks, if you have a problem with losing weight, could your drinking habits be contributing to your difficulties? I used to drink a shocking number of calories per day. Probably about 1,000!! I didn't even realize it at the time. I had my normal habits of going to the store and getting pop to drink or other calorie-filled beverages that would satisfy my sweet tooth. During that period, I naturally put on a lot of weight as a result of my habits/choices. The beverages were not the only factor in my weight gain, but did play a major role. Back then I had a laundry list of bad habits, but that's another story for another day. I remember when I finally had my ah-ha moment, the light bulb came on or whatever you would like to call it. One day I decided to actually look at the label of a drink. To some, label reading may seem like a commom sense action to take, but to others it may be more common to overlook the beverage calories you're consuming. Especially if you can relate and just drink certain beverages because you like the taste and don't really pay attention to labels. After the light bulb came on though, I knew that I had to seriously cut back on the calories I was drinking. In trying to find a solution for my problem, I figured it would be useful to know how many calories are in a pound. I thought that was a valuable piece of information to know and I think it is worth sharing to those who may not already know. The answer is about 3,500 calories in a pound of fat. For those trying to manage their weight, knowing this info may make a big difference in helping you accomplish your goals. How can I use this info to help manage my weight? Focusing only on the numbers and no other factors, to lose a pound in a week you would have to consume about 500 fewer calories per day for a week. Conversely, to gain a pound in a week you would have to consume about 500 extra calories per day for a week. To give you an idea of a possible small change to help you consume 500 less calories, consider the calories you consume in your beverages. If you drink pop, there may be about 250 calories in a 20 ounce bottle. So, if you normally drink two or more 20 ounce bottles of pop per day and decide to cut out two bottles for seven days then, youmaybe able to lose about one pound in a week. To help with your weight loss, make sure youread the nutrition labelsto see how many calories you are actually consuming. Also, don't forget to pay attention to the serving size on the labels. Staying with pop as an example, there are usually about 2.5 servings in a 20 ounce bottle. So, if there are 100 calories in an eight ounce serving, make sure you determine how many servings you actually consume. (100 calories x 2.5 servings = 250 calories) I hope this info is helpful. Paying attention to what and how much you are consuming is a very important habit to learn. Making small changes in your lifestyle may result in big improvements in your health!For the best results you must have balance! You should have a combination of a balanced diet, physical activity and be aware of the actual calories you're consuming. Additional Info Dietary Guidelines For Americans How Stuff Works Article Daily Reference Intakes Mayo Clinic: Counting Calories Article Please check out our new blog atwww.bfewellness.wordpress.com. Thank you for reading! *This was written for informational purposes only. Always consult your physician before beginning an exercise program or modifying your diet.
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