Cookie-eating vs. Walking it off

Sunny asked a few friends recently, "Are you Trading Your health for a “Treat”?  The resounding answer was "I don't think so. I can eat dark chocolate every day because it's good for me and I'm so active.

While walking to burn a few extra calories is good, it's even better to limit the incoming cakes, cookies, etc.  Did you know that even a tiny Tootsie Roll has 25 calories?  And who eats only one...usually it's 3-4, so you'd need to do 10 minutes of power walking just to burn off that trip to the candy bowl.

What about a single dark chocolate cookie -- how much damage can that do?  Well, the Nantucket cookie seen here has enough calories to sustain a 20 minute jog to and from the park!  Can you really take that jog every time you hit the bag at the office meeting?

Pepperidge Farm® These cookies are American Classics

Nantucket™ Dark Chocolate Cookies

Nutrition Facts*
Amount per Serving (serving size) = 1 cookie

Calories 130	Sugars 8g
Total Fat 6g	Protein 1g

“It’s not the one cookie; it’s the one cookie you eat everyday” said my training client, Jess Grass.  When I see that she's gaining back the weight she worked so hard to lose, then I know she's giving in to the sweet treats too often.   You don't have to go sugar-free everyday, but she and many others should try it for just a single day or two and see how many calories we save.

I went sugar-free for 5 days in September and it was eye-opening.  There's sugar hidden in so many foods!  Ketchup, salad dressing, and simple breads, not even "sweet" breads.  My boyfriend asked what I was doing and if I was somehow anti-sugar.  “I’m in favor of sugar” he said, and three of his friends quickly agreed.

But if I can do without sugary treats, I will save a lot of the fall and winter excess from ever piling on.  And that will keep me in summer-weight range and happier, longer than any Nantucket cookie can make me.