Popcorn... OK or not?

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Life_is_Good
Life_is_Good Posts: 361 Member
in Food and Nutrition
To curb my grazing issues... I eat popcorn (about a bag of the ACT II 94% fat free per day).
I keep a bowl on hand ALWAYS. My justification is that it keeps me from grabbing a handful of Cheezits, Doritos or even worse, those flippin' Oreos (all family favorites).

Well anyways, to the point... it's been THREE freaking months since the scale has moved. I know I've reached the plateau nightmare, OK... patience... but, could popcorn be part of my problem?
High carbs... but high fiber... low calorie.... alot of sodium... great substitute for all those other things I want to put in my mouth.
All input is more than welcome!

Replies

  • bmmiller4
    bmmiller4 Posts: 39
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    I can't answer your question but the way I keep from grazing all day is to chew gum. I am chewing on something so I tend not to think about putting food in my mouth.
  • Tabs_A
    Tabs_A Posts: 69 Member
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    I love my popcorn! It's my go to snack as well when I need something. Not sure if it would be affecting your weight loss. It shouldn't if you work it into your daily goals and drink plenty of water! Good luck!
  • saldridge
    saldridge Posts: 125 Member
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    Popcorn in and of itself is not problem calorie wise. It probably is high sodium, maybe check for a low sodium version?
  • jkd1214
    jkd1214 Posts: 27
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    I hope it's ok because I also eat it almost daily!!! It fills me up and has become my crutch. I would be very sad if I had to give this up!!!
  • Msaip
    Msaip Posts: 482 Member
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    I love me some popcorn....though i eat the movie theatre butter by orville redenbacher.....i can't help myself. i keep it to once a week though
  • breezymom81
    breezymom81 Posts: 499 Member
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    Try getting an air popper, cuts the sodium out, very low calorie!
  • Angela4Health
    Angela4Health Posts: 1,319 Member
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    I ordered an air popper for under $20 and it will get here today. It uses hot air instead of oil to pop the popcorn and I don't have to add any fat or salt to it, I can add whatever I like, to make it healthier. I would recommend doing that.
  • carlfry
    carlfry Posts: 62
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    Do not add salt, butter, etc. to it and you should be fine! I love my organic popcorn with nothing added. I could eat it 24/7!
  • foxxybrown
    foxxybrown Posts: 838 Member
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    He says no!!!

    "When you puff or pop a grain, you are increasing the rate at which it turns to sugar."

    Check out this video...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=598KCyPutIU
  • kennysrush
    kennysrush Posts: 124
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    I grab pop corn as a filler too... usually Orville Redenbacker Light Butter. You really have to compare the nutrition labels though, because we've noted a big difference in calories, etc. between this and other Orville products.

    Everything in moderation, right?!
  • QueenofCups
    QueenofCups Posts: 365 Member
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    It *may* be affecting you, i.e. your plateau, but are you on target with your calories and exercise despite the popcorn?
    If the answer is yes, then I would try switching to air-popped popcorn. I find its not quite as tasty of course without all the salt and butter, but its something to snack on and very low calorie.
    If you think you could tweak something else in your diet or activity without stopping your popcorn consumption, you can try that. Maybe omitting cheese on sandwiches, cutting portion size down, etc. Just some thoughts.
    But having said that, I am no expert since I have been on a plateau for 6 months now. :)
  • ashley0616
    ashley0616 Posts: 579 Member
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    I love me some popcorn. I add nothing to it, I pop kernels from a bulk package I have and I use a stove top method. It is very satisfying and if you buy high quality kernels it's really yummy without butter or salt. You can always add a few shakes of a salt-free spice mix like Mrs Dash if you don't like it plain. I don't think it will affect your weight loss as long as you are keeping it reasonable - for instance I wouldn't suggest having 7 cups of it 5 days a week. :smile:
  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
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    I eat popcorn every evening as a snack, as long as you dont get the fatty movie theatre butter its good, I like the Orville Reddenbacher 94% fat free with some ICBINB spray on it and its a great snack, we calculated it out to 150 cals a bag
  • mjp202
    mjp202 Posts: 50 Member
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    I agree with everyone who has said popcorn can be a good snack option, but averaging a full bag (assuming its the larger bags and not the mini 100 calorie bags) every day might be preventing you from eating a balanced diet. That may be as much as 15-20% of your total caloric intake coming from one relatively nutrient-light food source. I don't know the science behind it, but I often find that my plateaus correspond with nutritional "crutches," where I'm relying too heavily on one type of food that technically satisfies the calorie requirements. Just my $.02...
  • naravyn
    naravyn Posts: 3
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    You need to think about if you are entering the calories and whatnot of the popcorn you are grazing on into your journal. If not, then you may not see that it could be putting you high enough to keep at your platau. I use an air popper. We got it at K-Mart last year. Even my kids eat it fresh from the machine. But if you go to the grocery store, they have these little bottles of powder flavors to add to your popcorn or even veggies. Not sure the calories in it without looking, but put a little on it when its fresh to make it a little more tasty.

    I would suggest to try and gauge how much you are grazing on throughout the day and if its putting you over your calorie limit, then maybe up your exercise a little to counter it or try cutting it down.

    Hope this helps and you get it figured out.
  • Life_is_Good
    Life_is_Good Posts: 361 Member
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    He says no!!!

    "When you puff or pop a grain, you are increasing the rate at which it turns to sugar."

    Check out this video...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=598KCyPutIU


    Great link... I really like this guy & his website! Think I need to cut back on my popcorn.

    Thanks everybody for your input!
  • foxxybrown
    foxxybrown Posts: 838 Member
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    He says no!!!

    "When you puff or pop a grain, you are increasing the rate at which it turns to sugar."

    Check out this video...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=598KCyPutIU


    Great link... I really like this guy & his website! Think I need to cut back on my popcorn.

    Thanks everybody for your input!

    Popcorn was a daily snack until I saw this. It definitely hasn't helped me lose weight since I started eating it more lately.
  • Meg2012
    Meg2012 Posts: 106 Member
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    Let's be real. Grazers are going to graze. And as long as you keep your blood sugar level (with regular small meals) and your activity high, you should be fine.

    I used to microwave popcorn, until I read the ingredients list. It's kind of gross.

    Now I air pop organic pop corn from my local grocer's bulk bins. It's economical, you know everything that goes on it, because YOU put it there, and it is fiber. I top it with either I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray, (Yeah I know, ingredients), or a little olive oil, cracked pepper, and a little ground sea salt or cayanne, if I want a kick.

    That said, it's a snack that you should measure out portion sizes of. Eating a whole bowl of air pop will still spike blood sugar, but if you keep it to about a cup or so, no biggie.
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
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    Try getting an air popper, cuts the sodium out, very low calorie!

    +1 to this idea.

    Air popped popcorn is delicious and much better for you.
  • connamiragna
    connamiragna Posts: 40
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    I LOVE eating 2 slices of lite wheat bread cut into sticks and dipping them in mustard. Filling. 80 Calories!

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