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Attention, You Nibblers
by Maia Appleby
I often hear people say that, although they watch what they eat for
breakfast, lunch and dinner, they just can't seem to lose any weight.
Following this statement, many of them add that they nibble on the
things they miss eating, figuring that just one bite won't make any
difference. When you look at the big picture, one bite probably won't,
if we're really talking about one bite.
Chronic nibblers, on the other hand, eat a lot more than they realize,
and are often in denial about it. They consume excess calories several
times each day without even realizing it, assuming that tiny amounts
of this and that don't count. They do count, though. If you're nodding
your head with a guilty grin on your face, you've taken the first
step toward recovery.
Here are a few examples of what you're consuming when you sample
some of the most tempting items you encounter throughout the day,
and the number of calories they contain. Keep in mind that most of
these are high in fat and sparse in nutrients:
- One fried
chicken wing: 200
- One teaspoon
of cookie dough: 170
- One fried
spring roll: 104
- Mayo on your
sandwich: 100
- One square
of cheese: 100
- One tablespoon
of either peanuts or peanut butter: 90
- One cocktail
meatball: 85
- One pig in
a blanket: 85
- One spoonful
of icing: 80
- One lollipop:
50
- One crab
puff: 42
- Five M&M's:
40
- One potato
chip with onion dip: 40
- One potato
chip plain: 32
How can this be remedied? Simply by recognizing it. Be mindful of
every bite you eat, no matter how insignificant it seems. If it helps,
keep a written log for a few days. You'll be surprised at how these
little tidbits add up.
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