Every Morsel

For my nutrition class this semester, one of our assignments was to record what we ate and drank for 2 days. One day was a week day and one was a weekend day. There is more to it than just what we ate though – my professor had us write down what we ate, when we ate it, who we were with, how hungry we were, where we were, time we spent eating, and what we did while eating. Pretty detailed, right? I thought so.

I wasn’t too excited to have to think that much while eating. Really. But after I started doing it, I really enjoyed it. I found that it was incredibly enlightening to write down my degree of hunger, what I did while eating and who was with me. Those three things, among others, effect what and how we eat SO MUCH.

In a recent study they found that “people who kept daily food diaries lost twice as much weight or more as those who didn’t keep a tally of their meals.”

Nearly 1,700 Kaiser Permanente study participants agreed to exercise and adopt a healthy diet, but those who took the extra step of keeping track of what they consumed got something of a booster charge in their weight loss.

Overall, two-thirds of the study subjects lost nine pounds or more during the six-month study. But those who kept a food diary every day of the week dropped up to 20 pounds, more than twice as much as those who didn't record their every bite.

I don’t think it is necessary to write down everything you eat for the rest of your life in order to lose weight and maintain it. But maybe you’ve been trying to lose weight, exercise and eating well, yet pounds aren’t dropping…writing things down might be a huge benefit. It is usually the snacking and the little additions to meals during the day that add up, yet we forget about them.

There are lots of options for food diaries. Online food journals are becoming very popular. Here are a few free ones online that you can set up a profile, enter what you eat and how much you exercise and see what the outcome is:

My Pyramid Tracker
Fit Day
Livestrong

There are also a variety of options to print out and use at home. I can even e-mail you the one I used for my class. Or, a simple pen and paper work just fine! I would encourage you to write down degree of hunger and time of day with what you eat, at least for several days.

~Do you track what you eat? What way works best for you?

Size Matters

Remember this post on some scary facts about today’s health? Or I guess lack of health? And this sweet website on portion distortion? Well, I was flipping through a magazine last week and whatdayaknow…more info on this big problem of portion mix-ups.They recruited two dozen volunteers and asked them to help themselves to five foods that are linked with some great health benefits. Check out what happened:

1. Whole Grain Cereal: people who eat breakfast tend to have healthier body weights and eat more fiber

Recommended serving size: 3/4 c (120 calories)

Testers’ Average Serving: 1 1/2 c (240 calories)

Tips? Buy a bowl that tells you your portion size, or always use a measuring cup. Sometimes you are really hungry and a couple servings is okay…but you need to KNOW you are eating more than one serving.

2. Peanuts: Nuts are high in calories and healthy fats, and studies show that people who eat them regularly tend to be leaner than those who don’t.

Recommended serving size: 1 oz (170 calories)

Testers’ Average Serving: 1.42 oz (240 calories)

Tips? Count them out. There are about 28 peanuts in a 1-ounce serving.

3. Dark Chocolate: nutrition experts say a small daily treat will keep dieters from feeling deprived…dark chocolate is a good choice since it delivers far more heart healthy flavonoids and is more satisfying

Recommended Serving Size: 1.45 oz (250 calories)

Testers’ Average Serving: 1.45 oz (250 calories) – right on!

Tips? Buy singly wrapped chocolates and stop at one. If you have a full bar, it is harder to stop at one bite. Also, most servings of chocolate are about 250 calories. If you’re really trying to lose weight, just take a taste so you aren’t loading up on the calories.

4. Whole Grain Pasta: research has shown that people who eat more whole grains, like whole wheat pasta, are less likely to be overweight and tend to have less body fat.

Recommended Serving Size: 1 cup cooked (200 calories)

Testers’ Average Serving: 2 cups cooked (400 calories)

Testers’ BIGGEST Serving: 3 cups cooked (600 calories!)

Tips? Add vegetables to pump up the volume of your meal and make you feel fuller. You can even puree vegetables to make your own healthy sauce for the pasta. Also, select a satisfying shape – tiny shells or spaghetti noodles pack down in your bowl so you want more. Try bigger shapes like ziti or penne.

So maybe it’s time we start measuring a bit more!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!