March 18, 2010

Open Mouth, Insert. . . Whole Grains and Milk

Each week I am supposed to turn in my food and excercise log at the First Place 4 Health meeting. I say "supposed" because I haven't been doing it. Last week I popped off and said that I hadn't been turning mine in because they were always done correctly and I didn't need anyone to look at it and make suggestions.

Um, yeah. That's me sometimes. Take it or leave it.

Did I mention the leader is my mom? Anyway...

After my declaration of perfection on Sunday and vowing to turn in my flawless log this week, I thought I better read up in my FP4H  literature concerning portions and serving requirements for various food groups. You know where this is going...

Turns out I missed something along the way. Imagine that! I have not been eating enough dairy or whole grains! And I have been eating too much oil! All this time!!

I know this is huge because I am eating the correct amount of calories. And if I am eating the correct amount of calories but not consuming the nutritional requirements, that means I am using a portion of my calories, a portion that is set aside for nutritionally sound food, on things such as low fat ice cream bars, extra honey, extra dressing, fries, extra OIL, etc.

I think a lot of people make the mistake or assumption that as long as you are within your caloric or "point" range all is good. And in defense of those people, some weight loss programs promote such a mentality. This is simply not the case.

 Not all calories and points are created equal. You have to meet the health requirements (grains, milks, veggies/fruits, protien, healthy oils, water) for the program I am on  and others like it (Weight Watchers) to work most effectively.

Will you lose weight if you stay within the range but not follow the other guidelines? Maybe. Probably. But not as fast and you won't reap the full benefits of a healthy lifestyle. And after all, that's why we're doing this, right?

RIGHT?

Okay. Off to to plan the rest of my week. It WILL be flawless on Sunday.
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7 comments:

Katie said...

That's what I need to start doing. I started using SparkPeople so I can see if I'm getting enough of protein, cards, fat. I always eat wayyyy to many carbs! Blah..I liked this post!

Unknown said...

I totally relate!!! I am also using Spark like Katie and I was amazing to see where my calories were actually coming from. I have really tried to fine tune it.. could prolly still use a little tweeking, but it's working for now. I was super surprised to see how much sodium I was taking in.. YIKES!

THANK YOU so much for the comment and the email reply. You made my day!!!! Seriously!!! I can't wait to see that belt you pick out!! :)

Hugs!

Laura said...

It is always good to re-evaluate if you are getting the "best" nutrition within your caloric limit. I think as you continue on this journey, you will be given even more opportunities to reflect on what you are eating and "tweek" your menu to fit the healthy lifestyle you are achieving. Thanks for the thoughts (and for stopping by my blog:-)

Anonymous said...

Oh goodness...I know my nutrition totally stinks at the moment. TOTALLY!!! Your leader is your mom? Yikes.

Kate said...

I completely need to start tracking my food. Today, I had an apple, a tuna melt and a handful of gardettos. Duh. No veggies? One fruit? Ha. It's a joke. I may have mowed down a 1000 calorie sandwich with yummy cheese and white bread, but I could have spent those calories elsewhere.

Anonymous said...

I have no idea how to track my food intake that way. I keep a food journal, but all I record is calories. I lost 35lbs last year and never had an issue with my weight loss stalling for a reason I couldn't immediately pinpoint (like a week of unhealthy eating or drinking, lack of exercise, etc), so I guess it was never necessary. I'm assuming that as I start to lose more weight, this may become necessary, but I have no idea how to start. I generally lose about 3lbs a week so I think I'll just keep doing what I'm doing until it doesn't work anymore. I love your blog by the way! I'm a new reader and I really look forward to every time you post! :)

Anonymous said...

LOL! I can't help it. LOL! Not only can I see myself doing what you did, but as a mom of two 30-something sons, I can see them doing that to me. Oh, my. lol. groan. chuckle. LOL.

I'm going to enjoy this blog, I can tell!

Deb