Do you pay attention to food labels and do you keep a food journal?

[zoebartlett]

I have a specific question about something on food labels, and I''ll get to that in a minute, but I wondered if you keep a food journal. I find that I do my best when I write down everything I eat and drink. My husband developed a nutrition database (he develops databases for a living), and we enter everything we eat for each meal (well, I just got back into the habit). We enter the nutritional information from the labels on things in the pantry, fridge, etc.

I''ve noticed that some labels have "Other carbohydrates" listed under carbs. For example, a 1 cup serving of Kellogg''s raisin bran has 45 g of carbs, 7 g of fiber, 19 g of sugar, AND 19 g of "other carbohydrates." When entering raisin bran into our database, I entered everything but the "other carbs" number because I don''t know what it is/what it means. Do you know?

 

[BeachRunner]

From Post''s website:
"What is the difference between simple carbs vs. complex carbs?
Carbohydrate comes in two forms, simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are the sugars in foods such as sucrose (table sugar). The simple carbohydrate content of Post® Cereals is listed as Sugars on the Nutrition Facts panel. Simple carbohydrates (or sugars) in foods can be added, naturally occurring or both. An example of a naturally occurring sugar is the lactose in dairy products or fructose in fruits. Examples of added sugars are sucrose (table sugar) or corn syrup. Complex carbohydrate includes both the starch and dietary fiber in foods. The starch content of a product may or may not appear on the label. If starch content is listed it is called other carbohydrate. Other carbohydrate is not required by government labeling regulations. Dietary fiber in Post® Cereals is listed on the Nutrition Facts panel."

 

[zoebartlett]

Thank Beach Runner! I never thought to look on Kellogg''s website. I appreciate your help!

 

[BeachRunner]

no problem

Sounds like you should be entering the full 45g of carb onto your tracking though, right?

 

[dragonfly411]

Zoe - I''m glad you asked that question b/c I also didn''t know.

I just started keeping a food journal and I list everything that the nutrition label states. I watch calories (I am aiming 1800 ish a day up to 2000) fat intake, sodium, carbs (I try for high fiber and low sugar) and then I try for high numbers of protein (50-60g a day since I''m doing weights and added more cardio). It is definitely helping me to realize where I need to cut. Little niblets of bad stuff here and there add up! So I''m working on that, and it seems to be benefiting. I am adding a protein shake once a day to my regimen as well so we shall see!

 

[zoebartlett]

Date: 4/7/2010 2:00:35 PM
Author: BeachRunner
no problem

Sounds like you should be entering the full 45g of carb onto your tracking though, right?

Yes, and that''s what I''ve been doing. For some reason, I was thinking that I should have written down 45 g PLUS 19g, which would have been really high and wrong to do. I think I just got confused for a minute.

 

[zoebartlett]

Date: 4/7/2010 2:00:35 PM
Author: BeachRunner
no problem

Sounds like you should be entering the full 45g of carb onto your tracking though, right?

Yes, and that''s what I''ve been doing. For some reason, I was thinking that I should have written down 45 g PLUS 19g, which would have been really high and wrong to do. I think I just got confused for a minute.

 

[zoebartlett]

What do you put in your protein shake, Dragonfly? Do you use a protein powder or something else? My dad makes really good banana shakes with chocolate protein powder. I was thinking of getting some but it''s expensive and I don''t want to buy a container and then not like it.

 

[dragonfly411]

We use a vanilla protein powder from GNC. It mixes well, tastes great and keeps me full for forever. It also blends fast and slow burning proteins for long term muscle building

 

[PumpkinPie]

I dont pay super close attention - uusually just to get an idea of calories and fat and sugar.. I have started posting my daily eats on the healthy lifestyle thread for the week - its working so far and keeping me accountable!

 

[pinki]

I keep a spreadsheet that I have daily tracking entered and I have a separate tab that I entered all the nutritional info from the foods that I eat, which links up to my daily tracking. I also have a graph that tracks my weight...I know, Über dork.

It''s a big reality check!

 

[I Love My Sailor]

I use to be very conscious about what I ate and I would always look at the food label and if I didn''t like what I saw, I did not eat it. I went a whole year without eating fast food. I would turn away a milk shake or a candy bar not just because I maybe wasn''t in the mood for it, I was!! and I turned it away because I wanted to stay thin. I tell you... I was 25 pounds lighter than I am now!! But it has to become a habit for you. Not at first but once you work hard to slim down, you realize how much one piece of desert can put you in the hole and make you feel terrible that you unwound your whole day and it naturally becomes not worth it. Makes me think about how much I eat now. ha ha good luck

 

[LovelyHearts]

I started keeping track of what I eat a few weeks back. I signed up on sparkpeople and it is GREAT. I do pay attention to the food labels now because I''m focusing on how much calories/fat/carbs/sodium/sugar I should be taking in. Most of the items on the grocery store shelves are already calculated on sparkpeople and as long as I measure/weigh everything, I am pretty confidient the nutritional info it spits out is correct.

 

[alli_esq]

I go through periods where I use fitday.com (I tried sparkpeople for a minute--but am I missing something, or do they not track dietary fiber intake? that''s a big one for me...), and it helps me to plan out my day. I''ve been okay this past week, but before that, oof.

Also, on the subject of shakes, I drink a nutritional shake almost every weekday (Yuuummy shake)--it''s very low calorie and serves more as a snack or a very light breakfast, but it keeps me satiated for about an hour and a half or so, and it has a lot of nutrients. I put in about 2 oz of milk, 6 oz of water, and 1/2 a banana, and it is really delicious (the coffee flavor is the one I''d recommend the most). A chef friend of mine turned me onto them...and on hsn.com, they periodically have sales where shipping is free.

 

[marcy]

Zoe, I used to but generally keep track of the calories in my head. I think keeping a journal really helps though. I pay attention to food labels but only the caloric content.

 

[sillyberry]

I joined SparkPeople at the beginning of the year, and it has been super helpful for losing weight and feeling healthier. I''m pretty good about tracking online, although I''m often left to make do with guessing the foods when eating out.

If anyone wants to be spark friends with me, I have the same username both places.

 

[Haven]

I always look at food labels, but honestly we don't eat much food that comes with a label. We eat mostly whole foods, so they aren't labeled at all. (It would be funny if they were! Ingredients: Tomato. Ha.) Anyway, when I do buy food that's been processed, I definitely check the label. I also care about *where* my food comes from, and how it's been grown and raised. We buy all of our poultry from a local organic farm, for example.

I've never counted calories or kept a food journal. I am naturally a very slow eater, and I pay close attention to how full I feel as I'm eating, so I think that has always kept me from overeating. I'm really sensitive to changes in how I feel *after* eating, too, so I notice when certain foods have a bad effect, such as feeling tired after eating junk food, and then I stay away because I really don't want to feel like that anymore.

I think the big thing that keeps me eating well is that I focus on how I'll feel after I eat things, and not whether I want to eat something right now. Does that make sense? Sometimes I really crave an ice cold Coca Cola from McDonalds (has anyone else ever noticed that they have the best soda?!) but I know that I'm going to feel full of air and really sleepy if I get it, so that deters my cravings.

On the flip side, cooking with great ingredients that are healthy and come from a good place (mind clean, you could say!) makes me feel really good.

I think this sort of thing boils down to personality. Some people are into the details, and some aren't. I am so not a details person, so tracking calories and listing foods just does not do it for me.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

I absolutely do read food labels and am concerned about the amounts of sodium, trans fats, carbs/sugar in food. My son and I discuss it all the time (he is very knowledgable!) But I have no reason to keep a food log...

cheers--Sharon

 

[lknvrb4]

I used to use caloriecountabout and lost about 12 lbs just counting calories. I got tired of logging everything and counting calories. I decided to make a lifestyle change and cut out the sugar and processed junk and quit counting calories. I lost a few more pounds and I have been maintaining my weight for months. I do look at labels for sugar and fiber content only.