Reading labels is an essential part of any weight loss program. Being able to clearly identify key components of a food item is vital to the success of your diet. You have to be careful when you read the label and be extremely thorough. Labels are placed on food items because it is required by law. Marketers are forced to display this information but it does not keep them being tricky about it.
Lets take a look at a sample label.
See here we have the Serving Size of the food item. First we have the Serving Size which is 1 oz. or 28 grams. Then there is the Servings Per Container which is 16. This is where you have to be careful. On small items like a bag of chips or cookies, people tend to skip this part of the label and go straight to the Amount Per Serving Section. This where you will kill yourself. Most small items have a Servings per container with more then 1. They usually have 2 or even 2 1/2 servings per container. Not being aware of this, people do not correctly calcuate the Nutrition Facts for that item. When they think they are eating 200 calories in reality they are eating 400 or even 500 calories.
Next thing to look at is Calories and Calories from fat. Most people only look at the total calories. Here we see that this item has 190 calories. Not alot of calories. But here is the killer. Calories from fat is a whopping 150. Making this item over 80% fat. A big misconception of people who read labels is, there is not a lot of saturated fat becasue the lablel says only 2grams of saturated fat. Wrong, there is another 15 grams of fat. Where does this come from? My best guess is that about another 10 -13 grams of fat are trans fat which is the fat responsible for obesisty.
Next we see the % Daily Value. This is recommended daily allowance set by the FDA. This item has a total of 25% fat inregards to your recommened dailiy aloowance. That means that is you eat 4 of these food items, your fat intake would have to be cut off for the rest of the day.
Another item we should look @ is Total Carboydrates. This is the evil demon among low-carb dieters. The FDA's recommended daily allowance for carb intake is around 330 grams per day. There are good carbs and bad carbs. The bad carbs would be considered Sugars. In this case there is only 1g of sugar and 3 g of Dietary Fiber. In regards to carb intake this is a good product.
Then there is the protein. The more the better. Remember this fact. 1 gram of protein and carbs are the equvalient to 4 calories. 1 gram of fat is the equivalent to 9 calories. I hope this article has cleared up some issues in regards to reading labels. Any educated dieter is a successful dieter.
Joe Maresca
Senior Health & Fitness Advisor
http://www.getbuilt.net
Joe has over 15 years of health & fitness experience. He has helped numerous individuals meet their fitness goals.
maid service near Lake Forest ..Let me tell you something - if you are doing... Read More
Did you know that less than 2% of dieters lose... Read More
The general approach for treatment of obesity is to suggest... Read More
Hoodia Gordonii a cactus plant found thousands of miles away... Read More
Causes of ObesityJust like there is no weight loss pill... Read More
If you are trying to lose weight, the holidays literally... Read More
There have been many diets and weight loss plans that... Read More
As the holidays approach, a frequent question from my clients... Read More
Do you know the name of that one disease which... Read More
I just read this conventional diet tip ? and we've... Read More
With all of the conflicting studies and fuzzy interpretation of... Read More
It's a sad comment on human nature that prejudice and... Read More
Yes, you must be aware of the following 7 points... Read More
Although the big push for fad diets has died down... Read More
It all begins with water .... Water makes up 75%... Read More
If winter hibernation tends to pack on the pounds, take... Read More
I want to make this perfectly clear, fruits are healthy... Read More
The first rule for successful weight loss and weight maintenance... Read More
It is well known that about two-thirds of the U.S.... Read More
The debate about whether supplements for weight loss are healthy... Read More
Individuals who are interested in bariatric surgery need to be... Read More
Ever heard of the expression, "Getting up on the wrong... Read More
There is only one way to lose weightThere really is... Read More
More and more people are starting to recognize that they... Read More
I am not a diet and fitness guru or an... Read More
top rated cleaning service Des Plaines ..Just like any other diet, the Atkins diet can become... Read More
Close kept secrets to weight loss: Give me 9 days... Read More
A fill is nothing to be worried about. The actual... Read More
I know, I know. What a crazy question!Considering that we've... Read More
Any dietary plan on the market has some portion of... Read More
Stop Weight From Creeping Up By Staying AwareEveryone has small... Read More
You and I know that getting plenty of support from... Read More
Obesity and overweight, weight reduction and weight management therapies, miracle... Read More
Obesity is defined as an excessive accumulation of body fat.... Read More
I'm sick of all the fad diets I see people... Read More
With the growing epidemic of diabetes and obesity in our... Read More
When most people begin a Weight Loss program or diet... Read More
Low carb beer and lite beer are two different animals.... Read More
The world today has more obese and overweight people than... Read More
Most Americans do not get enough calcium in their diets;... Read More
The Psychology of Weight Loss ? Your Approach!We have missed... Read More
There are several factors in winning at weight loss. Sometimes... Read More
Serious diet pills are intended for people who are overweight... Read More
I recently received the following email:Q. Five weeks ago, I... Read More
Every day you walk down the street it is becoming... Read More
If you pick the right personal trainer?you'll most definitely see... Read More
There are many factors that cause us to increase body... Read More
According to Veronica Atkins, the widow of Dr. Robert Atkins,... Read More
If you were going to travel to the other side... Read More
I made myself a sandwich today and thought I'd be... Read More
Weight Loss |