Label Whore

I am proud to report that reading labels for nutritional facts and ingredient lists is becoming a habit. I am still learning what they mean and on which information to focus, but I am already reaping the rewards.  A cookie isn't appetizing when the ingredients are a long list of words I don't know and can barely pronounce.  I've made cookies and my recipe is quite different than the ingredient lists I've been reading.  Cereal is another example. My coach told me to only eat cereals with more than 5 grams of fiber and less than 10 grams of sugar per serving. I found 3 cereals that met these criteria. How sad is that? Only three! (FYI, Uncle Sam Cereal gets a pass and it is delicious.)

Stay tuned for details on label reading.  I must now go to sleep because I am very, very tired.  I'd like to close by pointing out how clever my title is.  Introducing a different kind of label whore...

“Don't judge a book by its cover.” American Proverb

Small Change, Big Gain

At the end of every month one of our sales managers brings in a box of freshly baked cookies from my favorite bakery. Every month I eat at least one cookie. This month started out the same, until I remembered what I learned this weekend. Since there was a possibility that the cookies were made with a hydrogenated fat, I didn't eat any! I didn't want to pollute my body!! Later in the day someone offered me my favorite chocolate bar – a Twix bar. The first thing I did was read the ingredients list, where I discovered a partially hydrogenated oil! I didn't eat that either. I wasn’t even tempted. What a good day. I hope this fear of trans fat lasts.

"It's a great thing when you realize you still have the ability to surprise yourself. Makes you wonder what else you can do that you've forgotten about." Alan Ball, American Beauty

WARNING: Know Your Fats

I’d heard of trans fats and I knew they were bad for you. But I had dismissed the topic, figuring that I’d revisit it later in life when it was more relevant. That changed last week after my coach told me to substitute my commercial brand of peanut butter for an all natural one. When I asked why, she told me it was made with hydrogenated oil which is bad for our heart and clogs our arteries. I needed more information – of which there is an abundance of online (both articles and videos).

It was worth the read because it has turned me off of eating literally thousands of foods. By cutting out any food containing hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats, I am going to be removing a lot of the processed foods and junk foods from my diet. Below is a summary of what I’ve read online. (NOTE: I am not a doctor and the information below is just based on what I read online!)

What it is: Hydrogenated oil is made by heating vegetable oil with a catalyst to change the molecular structure of the oil. These oils are laden with trans fat – a result of the process of hydrogenation.

Why it is: Hydrogenated oils are used because they are cheap fats, they increase the shelf life of the food product, they are easier to use (are in the form of a paste or solid), and aesthetics (size, texture, etc. is impacted).

The damage: Trans fats clog arteries and make them more rigid, lead to high blood pressure, cause a decrease of HDL (good) cholesterol and an increase in LDL (bad) cholesterol, raise the risk of heart disease, and can contribute to type 2 diabetes. It is also believed to be linked to many other diseases such as cancer.

How to eliminate it: read food labels. Do not eat anything with partially hydrogenated fat/oil or hydrogenated fat/oil or shortening in the ingredients list. You can also check the nutritional facts, to ensure that the product doesn’t contain trans fat.

“Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.” Mark Twain

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

I tried to post this last night but I couldn't login to Blogger!

Do you ever grab a bite of food “here and there”? I do! I don’t think it’s an issue because I only do it sporadically. Although, if we are talking about evenings spent working at home, then I should say frequently. Today is one such evening. I've had several items that weren't on my plan. I also engaged in some unplanned nibbling this afternoon – which genuinely was only here and there. As it turns out, nibbles add up fast. 400 extra calories! Unreal. In order to lose just one pound of stored fat we need to burn off 3500 extra calories. To lose one pound a week, we need to cut down on 500 calories a day. I “nibble” everyday. No need to spell things out...

While 400 excess calories itself is a good deterrent; I need a backup for moments of weakness. I am going to take a picture of all of the unplanned food from today and put it in both my kitchen and food journal to serve as a reminder of the repercussions of nibbling.  I am thinking this is brilliant, but let's see how it pans out...

"The obscure we see eventually. The completely obvious, it seems, takes longer." Edward R. Murrow

To be prepared is half the victory

I can’t believe it. Planning my meals the night before made such a difference! I spent zero time agonizing over food today because I knew everything was already planned. Whenever I started thinking about what to eat, I’d remember I didn’t have to because I had already decided – and I moved to other business. When I was hungry I pulled out my book to see what was on the menu, grabbed the food, and was done.  When I was still hungry after eating my lunch, I simply looked up what I planned for my snack and just ate the snack earlier.  Today was very easy. Now, based on how I felt during the day, I am making adjustments in my plan for tomorrow.  I think I will eventually reach a point where I know exactly what meals are best for me and planning will be 1 or 2 minutes.

"Before the reward there must be labor. You plant before you harvest. You sow in tears before you reap joy." Ralph Ransom

He Who Fails To Plan, Plans To Fail

Planning meals for the next day is a pain. My evenings are fleeting as is – no additional to do items please. Coach says I don’t have to plan, but I do have to write down everything I eat. And I have been, albeit inconsistent. I honestly find it embarrassing to write down what I eat, so I hide my food journal in a drawer at work. If I am out in the evening, I try to remember what I had and write it down when I get home.

Today was brutal. Finding healthy meal and snack options was challenging, especially when I was already hungry. It takes much longer to think of and find healthy food versus the unhealthy. Having only 5-15 minutes because I have to run back to work for a meeting also adds complexity. The icing on the cake is also trying to figure out what is real hunger versus the habitual, mindless eating that I so love to do. Oh and did I mention that healthy food isn’t as filling and I keep going for more food?

Now I know why people plan in advance. It really saves time. I expended so many thought cycles and so much energy around food today!! Tonight I did what any efficient person would do. I planned my consumption for tomorrow. It took me 10 minutes. And it is a good thing I did because now I will eat in advance of a party that I am going to tomorrow night. That wouldn’t have happened otherwise. Oh the calories I will save.

P.S.  Having a list of meal and snack ideas helps speed up the planning process.

"Always plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark." Richard C. Cushing

"It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan." Eleanor Roosevelt

The Beginning of the End of Struggling

This is it. This is the end of obsessing over food, my body, my eating habits, my health. Like many people, I have struggled with my weight. I know what to eat and how I should eat. The problem is execution. Willpower fades, self-help books become a burden. Diets are temporary and we all know a lifestyle change is required. Yada yada yada. We’ve heard it all and read it all. The question is always how to make a permanent change. I decided to go to an expert for some one-on-one coaching. It has been exactly one week since my first meeting with my coach. I am now ready to kick this into high gear and I am starting to believe that a rewiring is possible. The plan is that at the end of week 10, I will be 10 lbs lighter and I will have a new relationship with food. Let’s roll…

P.S. I ate two Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches as I wrote this. For real.

“Miracles sometimes occur, but one has to work terribly hard for them.” Chaim Weizmann