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Scary-Easy Ways to Eat 1,000 Calories

Posted Thu, Jun 04, 2009, 4:28 pm PDT

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Hungry Girl's here to inform you just how easy it is to rack up over 1,000 calories in one sitting. Don't let this happen to you...

The Sandwich Scenario:
You're in the mood for a sandwich, so you pull out two hearty slices of wheat bread and spread a tablespoon of mayo on each slice. You add a couple slices of Swiss cheese, about four slices of ham, plus some lettuce and tomato. A can of soda and a handful of potato chips round out this pretty basic lunch. As unassuming as it sounds, you just racked up 1,015 calories! Take a look at the breakdown...

Bread = 200 calories
Mayo = 115 calories
Cheese = 212 calories
Ham = 183 calories
Soda = 150 calories
Chips = 155 calories

Hungry Girl Tips: Go for light bread, low-fat mayo, 2% Swiss cheese, and extra-lean ham. Ditch the can of regular soda for Coke Zero. And choose Baked! Lay's instead of regular chips. Now that meal will only cost you about 415 calories. MUCH BETTER!

The At-Work Scenario:
Your boss brought in a pretty nice spread of bagels, muffins, pastries, and fancy coffee drinks for the team. How can you refuse? You grab a large bagel and smear a few tablespoons of cream cheese onto each half. You snag one of the whipped-cream-topped mocha drinks to wash it down. And to keep it healthy and balanced, you spoon out a small cup of fruit salad. Now it's not even lunchtime, and you just downed 1,000 calories. Ouch. Here's how it adds up...

Bagel = 360 calories
Cream Cheese = 202 calories
Mocha Coffee Drink w/ Whipped Cream = 363 calories
Fruit Salad = 75 calories

Hungry Girl Tips: No need to avoid the breakfast spread altogether. Grab an English muffin instead of that doughy bagel, and spread a tablespoon of jelly on it instead of all that cream cheese. Treat yourself to a small nonfat mocha drink without the whipped cream. And enjoy that fruit salad... in fact, DOUBLE the portion! You can have all that for less than HALF the calories.

The Drive-Thru Scenario:
You're craving fast food, and you're pressed for time. So you pull up to McDonald's and order a Big Mac, medium fries, and a medium Coke. That comes to 1,130 calories, without any super-sizing whatsoever. Look...

Big Mac = 540 calories
Fries = 380 calories
Coke = 210 calories

Hungry Girl Tips: Get the Premium Grilled Chicken Sandwich without the mayo, an order of Apple Dippers with the Low-Fat Caramel Sauce, and a Diet Coke. Now you're down to 475 calories, and you didn't even have to leave McDonald's.

The Dinner-Out Scenario:
You're at Chili's with 3 friends, and you're craving those Boneless Buffalo Wings. But you decide to get your fix with the Boneless Buffalo Chicken SALAD. (Aren't you smart!) Since you avoided the appetizer temptation, you agree to share that Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie with your 3 pals. Hate to break it to you, but you hit 1,000 calories before you even stuck your fork into that dessert. The salad plus your share of dessert comes to 1,468 calories! Here's how...

Salad = 1,070 calories
1/4th of Dessert = 398 calories

Hungry Girl Tips: Instead of that salad, order the Guiltless Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. And get your OWN dessert -- the Sweet Shot Red Velvet Cake. That comes to only 636 calories. NOT BAD!

And check out these Fast-Food Gems for Dieters.

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For a daily dose of guilt-free tips, tricks, food finds, recipes and more, visit hungry-girl.com and sign up for free daily emails!

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1441 Comments

1. Posted by barbiegirl199711 on Fri, Jun 05, 2009, 8:17 pm PDT

OH MY GOD! I never would have guessed that ther were this many calories in that little food! Thanks hungry girl, you've informed me very much.
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2. Posted by brandyrigsby88 on Sat, Jun 06, 2009, 3:20 pm PDT

right on hungry girl
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3. Posted by bookandshoejunkie on Sun, Jun 07, 2009, 10:19 am PDT

Thanks!! Trying to lose weight and eat out is a drag.
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4. Posted by rosieb52 on Sun, Jun 07, 2009, 2:57 pm PDT

I am so glad that we have some like hungrygirl to watch over us :)
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5. Posted by modifications.loan on Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 7:04 am PDT

Wow....I would have never guessed these great foods were so high in calorie! -Steven Ruza
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6. Posted by r_girl_2000 on Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 9:09 am PDT

Seriously, who the heck puts on TWO TABLESPOONS of may on a sandwhich and is then surprised that it might be fattening? And where can you even find Swiss cheese that has over 100 cal/slice?? And by now I'm pretty sure we all know a big mac and fries is not the pinacle of good nutrition. I know what you're saying - calories can sneak in (esp. in coffee drinks!!) but let's be a bit more realistic.
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7. Posted by barbanddon8@sbcglobal.net on Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 11:08 am PDT

who would of though
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8. Posted by lepsone@att.net on Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 11:09 am PDT

I like turtles!
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9. Posted by e.cox2@verizon.net on Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 11:17 am PDT

eating is getting dangerous these days.... gotta get out of a junk food rut and eat healrthy from now on people
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10. Posted by fahrnord on Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 11:19 am PDT

No big deal!! The average adult female needs 2400 to 2600 calories for an active day and males require 2600 to 2800 or more. With a little sence in choice that is not hard to beat if your diating. Too few calories is a worse problem than a few too many in a day, just average it out for the week. No worries !
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11. Posted by mlps1977@att.net on Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 11:23 am PDT

Quit dieting and work out. A mocha here and there won't hurt. A Big Mac once in a while won't hurt. Don't tell yourself you can't have it, it will back fire.
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12. Posted by princess84943 on Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 11:23 am PDT

Wow that was shocking, but very good to know!
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13. Posted by riahgomez97@sbcglobal.net on Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 11:26 am PDT

OMFG are you serious I do that at work all the time! Oh yea and r_girl_2000, Some people actually do that put two tablespoons of mayo on a sandwich I know it's gross but it's true. And I'm sure there has to be cheese like that, over 100 calories per slice, and she said a couple pieces of cheese that's two so I can see where she gets 212 calories for TWO pieces of cheese.
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14. Posted by jennifer_zaragoza@att.net on Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 11:29 am PDT

omg ive eaten a big mac meal before i didnt know it had soo many calories
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15. Posted by Sue W on Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 11:33 am PDT

Most people would not put 4 slices of ham or 2 tablespoons of mayo on a sandwich, first of all, so that is misleading. The fast food and the spread of bagels at work is not an everyday thing to the normal people. And fohrnord in right, people need to EAT to maintain health, energy and brain activity. Overdoing anything, even exercise and so called healthy living, isn't good. I am so tired of all these scare tactics. You could hit by a bus tomorrow and all that "healthy" living was for nothing. Sorry, just being real and using common sense.
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16. Posted by Sommer on Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 11:43 am PDT

So this is "sneaky" in that it is completely obvious? What, did you think that when you made a sandwich all of the calories of each ingredient just disappear? Wow, completely obvious information for anyone with half a brain. Eat whatever you want, just be prepared to work it off and/or face the consequences.
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17. Posted by Marty on Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 11:49 am PDT

The only one here that is remotely surprising is the Buffalo Salad, but I had already read that salads at the big chain restaurants are not as healthy as you would like them to be. Anyone that even pretends to be watching their intake that uses regular mayo, that many slices of cheese, and drinks soda with high fructose corn syrup is daft! And a Big Mac...? Seriously?!?!?!? As for drink choice, while I love Coke Zero, you can go healthier by choosing unsweetened Iced Tea or even, heaven forbid, WATER!
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18. Posted by Kalia C on Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 12:02 pm PDT

I would not say that the article is misleading. I would say however it is good that there are post like this out there. We live in a society that has created so much convenience for us that people really don't realize what they are consuming. Eating in itself is not wrong but it is what you allow you self to consume. America has an obesity problem the only way it can be solved is if people are more informed on what they are eating and how it affects them and if this is the only way then so be it. Once they learn the proper life style skills then they can determine what they can and can not have. Until then we will continue to see post like this.
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19. Posted by madick2@att.net on Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 12:09 pm PDT

I love good food and enjoy cooking. I believe more people should take the time to prepare food at home, and enjoy home comforts. It is well worth the time.Yes, I do work, but try to make a dinner at night. No one really knows what is in all the foods when we eat out. A foody
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20. Posted by Rosa R on Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 12:22 pm PDT

I ALWAYS order from Chili's Guiltless Grill Menu. That salad is surprisingly high. I assumed it would be high with the buffalo ckicken, but damn! I've given up sodas, so i don't have to wory getting calories from those. :P
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21. Posted by April M on Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 12:30 pm PDT

People do eat like the scenarios above. My husband's family is like that and it shows. Just keep in mind that portions are bigger these days, we are bombarded with food advertisements and with modern conveniences we exercise less. Weight Watchers is a great tool to learn about your eating habits. It is important to be conscious about what you eat. NOT JUST THE CALORIES but everything. There is a lot of junk in low-cal/ low-fat food. Don't knock people for wanting to better their lives.
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22. Posted by Joe on Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 12:34 pm PDT

haha people are so clueless about nutrition! and to the person who said the average adult female needs 2500 calories for an active day?? No way, try 2000 only if they're working out vigorously every day of the week. People are too lazy and afraid to exert themselves in any way these days.
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23. Posted by pinkgirl on Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 12:37 pm PDT

Actually diet coke or coke zero can help people gain more weight then when they drink a regular coke, because it makes people more hungry and their are no naturals sugars so the body puts all the artifical sweeteners as fat. Instead juice or water would be better. It's not all about the calorie count it what the outcome is.
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24. Posted by Tiffer on Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 12:43 pm PDT

2400-2600 calories a day for an average woman? That's almost double my calorie intake for a day! No, I am not on a diet nor am I under or overweight. I am a 5'4", 130 lb. 29 yr old. It is recommended to eat that many calories in a day if you a looking to gain weight, but to each his own I guess...Just eat whatever you want in moderation and get active!!! Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park a little farther at the grocery store. You need only 15-20 minutes a day of physical activity. Laziness is the devil's backyard....
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25. Posted by Wakynao on Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 12:54 pm PDT

pinkgirl, sorry, but where did you get the information that because there's no sugar in diet sodas the body "turns the artificial sweeteners to fat"? That is, pardon me, one of the dumbest things I have ever read. You cannot make something from nothing.
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26. Posted by pci510@verizon.net on Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 12:54 pm PDT

Some of these people who think that 1000 calories for lunch is too much are wrong. Eating 450 calories for breakfast 900 calories for lunch and 600 calories for dinner am still losing 5 lbs per week. Posted by Kareen
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27. Posted by Vegan Vindicator on Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 1:01 pm PDT

Another great article, Hungry Girl. Sure, it's about calories in and calories out, but calling those of us with sedentary jobs, long commutes and very little time "lazy" is out of line. Everybody should have a life just like yours, eh,? Aren't you special! Skip Micky D's altogether and get the BK veggie burger with no mayo, yummy and no dead animals in it!
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28. Posted by atlantaborn1234 on Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 1:33 pm PDT

In other words, if it tastes good, spit it out! Have you ever heard of moderation and who wants jelly when there is cream cheese?
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29. Posted by Deborah J on Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 1:44 pm PDT

What's in that salad that make it a little under 700 calories. I think of a salad as mostly lettuce with some shreded carrots maybe onions and cheese. Now, I don't want to think about the antipasto salad that I've been eating, and with the crazy bread, it's like eating fries with your burger.
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30. Posted by Ken V on Mon, Jun 08, 2009, 1:55 pm PDT

Just stay away from starches!
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