Starting Again

Calorie counting is new to me; hope it works! I could do with some tips and friends, too, if you're interested? :-)

Also, a little tip that I wish someone would have told me a while ago is the truth in labeling. The FDA allows any product that is under 5 calories a serving and less that .5 grams of fat per serving to be labled as calorie free and fat free.. so that one little serving actually can have up to 4 calories and a almost a half gram of fat... which wouldn't be bad if you ONLY used that serving. People tend to think that since the label claims fat and calorie free then you can apply as liberally as you'd like. Wrong. Everything has some fraction of calories except water. Best example is: I can't believe it's not butter spray. One serving is labeled as fat and calorie free (5 sprays) so people think that they can use it til their hearts are content... some admit to opening and pouring the liquid on their food. "no calories, why not?" WRONG. The bottle actually contains 900 calories and 90 grams of fat. Sneaky little trick for labeling that everyone should be aware of!

Hey ladies, trust me I know what you're talking about! I lost 25 lbs a few years back and have kept it off, but now it's slowly coming on because of my poor eating habits and emotional eating. I like my Taco Bell like anyone, but its about making better decisions. I lost all that weight strictly by knowing what I ate, tracking what I ate, and portion control.

TIPS:
1: Watch your labels! What you want to look at are SERVING SIZE, FAT GRAMS, DIETARY FIBER, CALORIES. For a beginner label reader it's too hard to get caught up in Protien intake, etc. Here's why the above are important.

Serving size - that one snack grab bag of chips may say at first look 12 grams of fat, 200 calories, but read the first part of the label where it says serving size (bet you it says more than 1 serving). So if it says 2.5 servings that means that one little delicious bag has 30 grams of fat, and 500 calories (now its not as worth it), make sure you know the serving size before opening! I try to stick to single serving items so I don't rely on my own calculator to help me decide the size (like when grabbing a handful of chips out of a big bag), I naturally will make mistakes!

Fat Grams and Calories- using My Fitness Pal will help you determine based on your current situation and goals what amount of calories and fat you should take in each day, if you follow the guidance and track honestly it will work.

Dietary Fiber - this is one measurement that helps your metabolism (no it wont make you go to the restroom all the time), it just helps make sure your metabolism is burning better than foods with lower dietary fiber (specifically carbs like crackers, breads, bagels, etc) I have learned to really like the Kelloggs Fiber Plus bars (better than Fiber One)

2: Exercise - I know.....even if you don't like it, do more than you are now, you will see more results I promise you!

3: Portion control - start eating your meals on a salad plate instead of the dinner size plate, you'll eat less if you only stick to one plate. If you have to eat fast food, try ordering a kids meal instead of the main menu items, it helps trust me!


Now I know I dont have all the answers but the things above helped me tremendously and I hope they help you too!!! Best of luck in your goals....you can do it! A good friend one time told me "Nothing Feels as Good as Thin"