Sneaky Calories, and Where to Find Them

While going through my own fat loss phase and meticulously tracking my food intake for a photoshoot, I started realizing just how many foods have sneaky little calories in them. The problem with these food items is that you don't really think about the calories you are consuming because they are often so small, however, they all add up. Truth is, people struggle with fat loss because they often underestimate how much they are really eating. So it helps to try and be as accurate as possible and take everything into account. 

If your goal is to lose body fat at around 1-2lbs per week, you may need to create a caloric deficit of 350-500 calories per day through an increase in activity, and decreases in food intake. These sneaky little calories I'm about to discuss set you back because you think to yourself "It's only 20 calories!" and you don't really track it or give it much thought. BUT those 20 calories, multiplied by however many times per day/per week you consume them all add up. 

Another issue is how often people consume "healthy snack foods" like almonds, peanuts, etc. As I mentioned before, people underestimate how much they are eating by a staggeringly large percentage. A lot of snack foods are very calorically dense for a very little amount of food, so the smallest increase in portion size can lead to a big increase in calories. So your handful of almonds could be anywhere from 160-300 calories because lets be honest, you didn't sit there and count them out. 

With all of that said, I am going to share some of the foods/snacks that I have realized most people just don't take into account. And away we go:

Almonds/Peanuts/Other Whole Nuts

It's not that nuts are bad for you, the fats they contain are actually very good for you. But therein lies the problem. They are mostly fat which is very calorically dense. For this reason I think nuts are a terrible snack food when it comes to fat loss to be honest. You can't tell me you are "full" after just eating one serving of almonds. Most people could eat 3 handfuls and still go back for more. Furthermore, most people just keep a bag or container open in front of them and just keep snacking without a second thought! So if you are going to snack on nuts, keep in mind how much you are actually eating.

Nut Butters

I dislike this for mainly the same reason as listed above with whole nuts, but it goes a step further. At least when you eat whole nuts, it is a solid food that your body has to work towards breaking down. Nut butters are already processed, so your digestive system doesn't have to do much work, and it just absorbs the calories. On top of that, just like with whole nuts, you can't tell me you are really keeping track of how many tablespoons you are eating.

Sugar Free Gum

Oh yeah, this one really can sneak up on you. I know a ton of people that go through piece after piece after piece of gum throughout the day. It may be because it gives them something to chew on and helps with hunger cravings, or just because of all of the awesome flavors. The rub is that sugar free gum still does contain calories because of sugar alcohols which are artificial sweeteners. One piece of sugar free gum can have 2-6 calories per piece, and many people pop a few pieces in at a time. Do this multiple times per day, throughout the week, and before you know it you have consumed and extra 75 to 100 calories without giving it a second though.

Powder Supplements

I'm not taking about protein powders, weight gainers, or anything that obviously contains calories. I'm talking about other powder supplements. Many supplements in powder form contain calories either due to a small amount of sugar added or the artificial sweeteners. I was blown away when I really started looking at the label of some pre-workout powders to find that some contain 25-45 calories per serving, and they often recommend multiple scoops for full effect. Even fiber supplement powders contain calories from the sugar added to make it taste good. The same can be said for a lot of the "fruits and greens" powders to help you get vitamins and minerals if you don't eat many fruits or veggies, Again, this all adds up so next time you are looking at any powder supplements pay attention to how many calories there are per serving, and how many servings you'll have to consume.

Low Calorie Coffee Anything

A lot  of people go to Starbucks or other coffee shops at least once per day. Unless you get straight black coffee with absolutely nothing in it, your coffee likely has hidden calories. Those that make coffee themselves are still often adding creamer or other flavors to the coffee. The low calories creamers and sweeteners can still contain up to 20 calories per serving, which most people don't measure out. Even the "sugar free" additives contain calories because of the above mentioned sugar alcohols.

Sauces

Oh boy, this one is really a kick in the pants. BBQ sauce, hot sauce, any sauce, all have calories. Usually from the added sugar and sometimes even fat to make them taste good. In my fridge right now, the lowest calorie sauce I have is still 10 calories per serving and a serving is only 1 tablespoon. And as I have mentioned previously, I know that no one is sitting there measuring out how much sauce they are adding or dipping their foods in. When I am trying to bulk up and am to a point where I just can't eat anymore food, I really on sauces to give me extra calories. That is just how dangerous those tasty little things can be. 

Let's do some quick math as an example now that we have some of those things listed. Here is what an average person, let's call them Luke, may consume of these food items per week and how it all adds up:

Almonds/Nuts: Over-consumes by approx. two full servings by the end of the week (it's easy to do)= 340 calories

Nut butters: Over-consumes by approx. one full serving by the end of the week= 180 calories

Sugar Free Gum: Chews 12-15 pieces of gum per week= 60 to 75 calories

Supplements: Takes a supplement 5 days a week that contains 30 calories: 250 calories

Coffee Stuff: Drinks one cup of coffee per day with low calories creamer= 105 calories

Sauces: Adds one tablespoon of sauce to chicken per day= 210 calories

Let's add it all up! Luke consumed 1160 extra calories over the course of a week that he likely never took into account.  If Luke did that every week, and never took those calories into account with the rest of his caloric intake, it would likely take Luke 3 weeks to lose 1-2lbs of fat. 

You may be thinking to yourself that I am blowing all of this out of proportion, but I can tell you with confidence, I am not. This is a very real problem with most people. Can you really tell me that you take into account every little thing you eat when the amount of calories seems so low? No, I doubt you do. And that could honestly be holding you back. 

So, if you are going to consume the things on this list, which is perfectly fine, you need to take it into account with your total daily calories intake. When you start taking everything into account, you will be considerably more successful at reaching your goals.