And that’s not a number I pulled out of my head. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, 1200 calories, or more accurately 10 calories for every pound of body weight on a woman and 11 for a man, is the number that your body requires just to keep internal organs functioning while you’re at rest. It is known as your resting metabolic rate (RMR). As soon as you get out of bed your caloric requirements increase.

I view those approximately 1200 calories as the end result, not the target. Say I eat 2100 calories a day. 400-500 go to my workouts, be they cardiovascular or strength. Several hundred more go to activity I engage in throughout the day, like when I walk to my kitchen, car or desk, tidy, water my plants, etc. And of course when I eat more I burn more calories through digestion. The point is at the end of the day I’ve used these calories up so I don’t store them as fat. What should remain is the 1200 calories that go to my body’s basic functions – although since I’ve been building muscle for over a year that base number has probably increased, because muscle requires more calories for maintenance than fat does. We should be trying to meet the goal of using up the calories we take in, not trying to create a deficit.

I should point out that I obviously don’t know all the answers, I’m just tired of all the focus on cutting calories as the solution to every person’s weight problems. I’d much rather see a “diet” that doesn’t mention a calorie goal at all, but that encourages people to eat quality foods and eat small meals more often, which gives the body a steady supply of fuel so it doesn’t have to store unused energy as fat. What are your thoughts on weight maintenance?

Even though my personal grocery list would never feature a store bought pasta salad, I usually wouldn’t hesitate to grab one for a potluck or take a few scoops at a friendly gathering. Funny thing is I don’t even like the overly saucy salads that much…has anyone else noticed the weird aftertaste? Like many unhealthy things they are just convenient. But homemade pasta salad can actually be pretty convenient as well, and a whole lot healthier.

The first rule for making a nutritious pasta salad is cutting down on the mayonnaise dressing, or even better skipping it altogether. Opt for your favorite oil and vinegar based dressing, such as Italian or herb. Then simply chop up any veggies you have on hand. Celery, green, red and yellow peppers, onion, carrot, cucumber, tomato – the combinations are endless. Add in some olives and feta for a Greek version. Canned tuna is a great way to add healthy protein. And I shouldn’t have to say it but whole wheat pasta is a must. Never pass up an opportunity to increase your fiber intake.

Directions: Cook the pasta el dente so your salad isn’t soggy and mix it all together. No really, that’s all you have to do.

As with most foods, no matter how much you alter pasta salad it still won’t be lacking in the calories department. So control your portions. Take a small scoop of a few and load the rest of your plate with veggies and some lean protein. And because we all like variety, let us know how you make your pasta salad.

Sounds like a step in the right direction, but I just can’t wrap my mind around the idea of KFC being a place to eat healthy. Hopefully when people are choosing the grilled chicken they also pick better sides and drinks, such as green beans and salad (not the ceaser) while skipping the almost 200 calorie options, which include mac & cheese, BBQ baked beans and of course the home-style biscuit.

Sure the chicken is grilled, but that won’t matter if you complete your meal with 800 calories worth of sides and beverages.The garlic parmesan dipping sauce sounds delicious, but at 130 calories and 13 grams of fat it might not be the best idea.

Just for fun I tried out KFC’s nutrition calculator (click on nutrition facts) to find out what it would take to put together a decent meal. It’s a little time consuming and I can’t help but wonder if this was intended. Only the truly motivated will stick around to see the results, and they are probably not the people who would be eating at a KFC anyways.

My meal: 1 grilled chicken breast, a side salad with low fat italian dressing, a small cob of corn (no butter) and the biscuit (8 grams of fat without adding butter). It comes in at just under 500 calories, which comparitively isn’t bad. The 1640 mg of sodium is though – it’s more than half of what the CDC considers to be the upper limit for sodium intake. It’s above the limit for those with high blood pressure or over the age of 40.

The bottom line is if you already eat at KFC a grilled chicken meal is better than a fried one. But don’t fool yourself into thinking it is a great choice. If you have the willpower to be around all those temping breads, side dishes, sauces and desserts without giving in and ordering them then a KFC grilled chicken meal every once in a while isn’t going to hurt. If you often give in to temptation it’s probably best to avoid this sort of place altogether.

The grilled chicken is only in U.S. locations right now so I’ve haven’t had a chance to try it, let me know if you have and what you think about it.

For some time now popular opinion has been leaning towards pinpointing the consumption of high fructose corn syrup as a major cause of obesity. On the surface it makes sense. Just after this corn-based sweetener burst onto the scene as an ingredient in everything from soda to bread, people started gaining weight – and associated conditions such as diabetes. If corn syrup is not the direct cause of obesity, say some opponents, its initial low cost was a big contributor. With the arrival of corn syrup, sugary high-calorie foods could be priced lower and purchased more often.

More recently the Corn Refiners Association has been fighting back, claiming that since corn syrup is made from corn (the reason some consider it to be natural) and has the same amount of calories as sugar, it can’t possibly be as bad as people are making it out to be. (They also have on their side the fact that the FDA has ruled corn syrup safe to consume.)

Some researchers might disagree. As explained more fully in this Prevention Magazine article, studies have found links between diets high in fructose (which corn syrup is) and certain conditions associated with diabetes. Nothing conclusive, but enough to warrant further research. (As far as I know there have been no studies that show benefits of consuming high fructose corn syrup.)

So it seems high fructose corn syrup doesn’t have many redeeming qualities beyond its sugary flavour, but it also hasn’t been proven to be harmful. Maybe the lesson here is that rather than blindly trusting the information we’re given by scientists on either side of an argument, we should trust our own instincts. And if something is being touted as being “just as good” as something else, it’s helpful to consider what that “something else” is. If corn syrup is only as good as calorie-laden, nutrient poor sugar, should the comparison really make you think that it’s ok to eat more of it?

We all know there are better sweetener options out there than corn syrup and refined sugar. Honey and agave nectar are two natural alternatives to consider. But if we smother our food in honey it will still have a negative effect on our health and waistlines. So enjoy the sweetener you prefer, as long as you do it in moderation.

A number of Hydroxycut products have been pulled off shelves and users are being encouraged to return their purchases. Among the concerns are that an as-yet-to-be-determined ingredient in the supplements may cause serious liver damage. It has been reported that a few people have even required liver transplants. If that’s not bad enough, the death of a 19-year-old man in 2007 was linked to a Hydroxycut product.

I know some of you are going to have an argument that goes something like this. “But all pharmaceuticals come with risks and side-effects. Considering that millions of people have taken Hydroxycut the risk is actually very small.” I get what those people are saying but I think there is a big difference between taking a drug for a medical condition and taking a drug (no matter how natural it may be) to get rid of love handles.

Maybe I’d feel differently if this was a wonder-drug that allowed people to overcome obesity and the serious health risks that come with being overweight but let’s face it, these supplements are for two kinds of people. Those who are already dieting and exercising and want to get to the next level of leanness, and those who hop from one diet or diet pill to the next in the hopes of finally beating the battle of the bulge. The first group will likely achieve what they want with these supplements, while the second will probably see some success. But both groups will gain the weight back after they stop taking the supplement. The fact is there are much healthier ways for both groups to go about losing weight and keeping it off.

I have been browsing forums about user experiences with Hydroxycut products and this is a sampling of what people have experienced while taking them. Numbness and tingling in their arms and legs, nausea and vomiting, headaches, feeling hot all the time, withdrawal symptoms similar to going off antidepressants, irregular heart beat and trouble sleeping. And those are just the non life threatening ones. More serious health problems that have been reported include seizures, cardiovascular disorders and rhabdomyolysis (muscle damage that can lead to other serious health problems like kidney failure).
I don’t know about you, but I’d rather eat healthy and exercise than deal with those kinds of side effects.