Some Popular Diets Can Ruin Your Health

I have written about this in post articles, but everyone can not lose weight on the same diet. Everyone is different and we all have medical condition that prevent us from losing weight normally. In other words, your body will control your weight if you eat properly and have a normal amount of physical activity. So when your increasing body fat or gaining weight as an adult, your body is trying to tell you that you have a problem. It's up to you to fix the problem. Your body is merely giving you the warning signs. The following post is from http://WebMD.com and will explain how some well-known diets can cause you more problems than just your weight.

Your friend lost weight on the Paleo diet. Your mom slimmed down on the Military Diet. Your sister is reaching her weight loss goals with the Wheat Belly and 13-day diet. Now it's your turn to get trim. Should you follow in the footsteps of your friends and family? No, not necessarily. Those popular programs could be turn out to be a diet disaster for you.

Why Some Popular Diets Fail

Just because a weight loss plan is popular doesn't mean that it will work for every dieter all the time.

In fact, most diets fail eventually. Up to 80 percent of dieters regain the weight that they lose. Many dieters return to their previous eating habits and the pounds come back. In some cases, they put on more than they lost.

Given this fact, it is essential that you choose an eating plan that fits your personal needs and lifestyle over the long haul. You need to be realistic about your eating habits and about what you can and cannot give up before you invest any time or money into a weight loss program. For example, here are some popular diets and the reasons why they may not work for you.

Popular Diets That May Not Work

The Wheat Belly Diet. Millions of copies of this book have been sold. Dieters swear by the recommendations of author William Davis, M.D. He encourages his followers to eliminate wheat in order to improve overall health and slim down. But is it right for you? If your favorite food is bread, then the answer is no. But maybe you can buy a better bread. White flour is a processed flour that is probably just as bad for your diet as eating pure sugar. Wheat belly is not a pipe dream, it's real and bread and other bakery goods can cause your waistline to grow larger. 

The reason "gluten free diets" are popular is because the diet eliminates wheat products from your diet but unless you are allergic to wheat that's probably not necessary. It's enriched or processed wheat flour that causes weight problems. Read the labels and avoid harmful foods.

The Paleo Diet. This diet also called the caveman diet, is popular among heavy exercisers, especially those who participate in popular CrossFit programs. According to the website, dieters on the Paleo plan eat grass-fed meats, certain types of seafood that contain healthy fats, fresh produce, eggs, nuts, and seeds. Dieters avoid a wide range of foods including anything processed, dairy products, cereal grains, potatoes, and salt. While the foods allowed on the diet are decent healthy foods, some dieters who are constantly on the go may struggle to maintain this fairly restrictive plan. It's not really a bad diet, but it's hard to stick to.

The Military Diet. Dieters who want to lose weight fast often go on The Military Diet. This popular 3-day program (that has no connection to the military) advertises that you can lose 10 pounds in the first week and 30 pounds in the first month as long as you follow the program exactly. But you'll be eating primarily saltines, tuna, hot dogs, and grapefruit. On your four "off" days you need to restrict your intake to 1,200-1,500 calories of lean protein, fruits, and veggies. The plan is simply not reasonable for most people for the long term.

Gluten-Free Diet. People with gluten sensitivity or celiac disease follow a gluten-free diet for better health. But many others are choosing a gluten-free diet for weight loss. Can it work for you if you're trying to lose weight? Probably not, especially if you love the many foods that contain gluten.
Going cold turkey on cereal, bread products, crackers, and other gluten-containing products may not be realistic for people who have made those foods a regular part of their everyday diets. In addition, whole grains, like wheat can be an important part of a healthy diet. Of course, many companies are now making gluten-free varieties of popular snacks and treats. But many of them are full of sugar, starch, and calories – not necessarily healthy replacements for gluten.

Juicing/Smoothies/Liquid Diets. Eliminating whole food altogether sounds like such a simple idea, which is why juicing, smoothies, and other liquid meal replacements are appealing to many dieters. But even though these weight loss plans are simple, there are significant downsides to juicing and so-called "healthy" smoothies aren't good for your diet in some situations. If you are a person who really enjoys food – cooking it, tasting it and eating it, then liquid diets may not be the best solution for you.

Packaged Food Diets. Programs that offer packaged foods like Jenny Craig and Nutrisystem are popular among people who need a convenient eating program. But some of the meals on these programs are high in sodium, making them poor choices for dieters with high blood pressure. Portion sizes also tend to be very small. If you like to eat a lot of food or if you have special health concerns you might want to chat with a registered dietitian or your doctor before investing in one of these plans.

Why Some Popular Diets Work

So why do these diets work for some people? In some cases, the programs align with the dieter's health needs and lifestyle. But in many cases, the plans are just creative ways to restrict calories. Weight loss can only occur if you change your energy balance. For example, a new gluten free dieter might lose 5 pounds because she ate less food overall, not necessarily because she ate less gluten.

In addition, when someone chooses to go on a diet, the simple act of focusing on their daily food intake often causes them to eat less. The success of the program has less to do with the specific program and more to do with a choice to make healthy eating a priority.

If you have made the decision to lose weight, invest some time into researching the best diet for you. That way, you'll only diet once and then enjoy a lifetime with a slimmer, trimmer body. Get it right the first time and save yourself a lifetime of aggravation.

You can tweet me at #ray0369

I write several blogs and e-books, check out some of my other sites.
gettingtoahealthyweight.blog
idropped40pounds.wordpress.com
howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight.blogspot.com
blogonweight.blogspot.com

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books.
There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.
My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. I’ll give you a discount coupon you can use at checkout. (PJ42H) not case-sensitive the price is $1.99 w/coupon

The Dangers Of Processed Foods

This post is a great example of the dangers of processed foods that I preach about constantly.

A Closer Look at Processed Foods

Editor’s note: This post is part of our WebMD Special Report: What’s In Your Food?

By Brenda Goodman
WebMD Health News

Melanie Warner is the author of Pandora’s Lunchbox: How Processed Foods Took Over the American Diet. A former reporter for The New York Times, she spent a year and a half investigating the modern system of food manufacturing in the U.S. to conclude that “much of what we now eat is not so much as cooked as it is engineered into finely-tuned, nutrient-deficient creations of science.”

Warner says she began to wonder what manufacturers were adding to foods after she started what she calls her “food museum”—a collection of products like cookies, crackers, and even guacamole from a grocery store deli that she discovered could sit on the shelf of her pantry or refrigerator for months or years past their expiration dates without spoiling.

Since her book came out in 2013, the FDA has told food manufacturers that trans fats are no longer safe to use in processed foods, and many major companies, including Kraft, General Mills, and Nestle have pledged to get artificial colors and flavors out of their products—a practice called “clean labeling.”

WebMD asked her what she thought of these developments, and whether companies have really committed to making healthier products.

Q: I’m sure you’ve noticed this recent spate of public announcements from Kraft and General Mills and Nestle that they’re going to get artificial ingredients out of their foods. Do you think companies are feeling more consumer pressure to talk more about how they make their food?

A: Companies, I think, are only going as far as people push them, and by people I mean consumers—the people that are eating their products. They’re doing it because they’re being pushed in that direction by consumers.

They get all this input coming from social media and focus groups and all this market data gathering that they usually do. What they’re hearing is that people are concerned about this, and they’re worried about sales. They feel like if they don’t do this there’s going to be an impact on sales, and they’re probably right.

But they aren’t doing it to be better companies. They’re not trying to truly open up the doors. They’re not truly trying to reform their foods to make them healthier. They’re simply reacting to what consumers are telling them. I know that sounds cynical. That’s just my observation of how food companies think and how they operate. Or any consumer-facing company, really.

Q: After telling us so many revealing details about how processed foods are made, you say in your book that food companies aren’t going to fix this. Since they’re making the food to begin with, why shouldn’t they be the ones to reform it?

A: I’ve had this debate and argument with some people in the food movement who think that we need to be putting pressure on companies. We need to look at regulation and force companies to do things. That’s great if it happens, but companies are so good at getting around regulations. They find every loophole they can. And it’s also really hard to get any regulation passed.

So I think it’s really about pushing forward with a new consciousness about food and educating people and opening people’s eyes up. I’ve been really amazed and heartened by how much has happened on that front within the last 10 years. There have been books written, articles, documentaries. People are looking at all this much more with a much greater awareness about what’s healthy for us to eat and caring about our health. Not everyone — there’s still a huge ways to go.

I think that’s where the momentum needs to continue. We need to keep focusing on opening up people’s eyes to what happens inside the food industry. And if they decide ‘Oh, it’s fine. No big deal,’ then let people decide for themselves. But most people when they see what happens inside the food industry, whether it’s on the farms or in factories decide, ‘Oh, that’s kind of gross. I think I’m going to find other options.’

Q: Where is the FDA in all this?

A: I think people have gotten so used to the FDA not doing anything that it’s hard to summon anyone’s outrage about it. They say, ‘Well, the agency doesn’t have a big enough budget to really police our food supply.’ But they’ll never get enough money if people don’t get angry about it and insist on greater regulation.

It is a Herculean job to try either initiate or try to stay on top of the scientific research on so many different food additives. Let me just say that. It is a really big deal. But there’s just clear examples of how the FDA is just not being rigorous at all in ways that it definitely could.

Trans fat is just the most recent and glaring example. We’ve known for at least 10 years, probably more, that trans fats are one of the most harmful things in the food supply and it’s just now that FDA has taken away the GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status of partially hydrogenated oils. So, just the fact that they sat on it for that long and didn’t want to press the food industry, and from what I can tell, the reason they didn’t take action was that the food industry said ‘No, wait, it’s not that bad. We’ll just reduce the amount, and we’ll still have half a gram, you need to give us time.’ So they kind of go in line with the schedule that the food industry requests.

There are other examples like BHT, which is the preservative that’s used so that oils don’t go rancid in foods, and you find it in a number of processed foods as well as in packaging. That’s a probable carcinogen, according to the Health and Human Services department, so clearly that could be something that’s banned and not allowed in food. So those are just small examples of where the FDA could take simple action without going through tons of scientific studies. The data is already there.

Six months ago, there was a study that popped up on a couple of emulsifiers that are pretty widely used. Polysorbate 80 was one of them. It’s a whole area where there has been hardly any research done because it’s relatively new, our knowledge of the gut microbiome. We have no idea what all these additives are doing to our gut bacteria. That’s just another example of how there is a need for more research.

I’m not going to be the one screaming, ‘Don’t eat any food additives, they’re all horrible.’ I think in a limited amount, your body can handle (them) and has a system for detoxifying. Because everyone eats some processed food. We’re all exposed to food additives. It’s just a question of quantity. If people are consuming a diet heavy in processed food, then they’re getting an abundance of all these different kinds of food addititves. And I think the FDA needs to be a lot more aware of that, the accumulation of many, many food additives coming into our bodies day after day for people who are eating these diets heavy in processed food.

Q: What do you think is the next trans fat?

A: Certainly the most dangerous things in our food now are sugar and refined grains. They’re in abundance in processed food and their effect on the body in excess is well documented.

Refined grains get turned into glucose in the body very quickly. If you’re eating a whole grain product, like oatmeal, there’s some fiber that helps to slow down the absorption in the body, but if you take out that fiber, there’s nothing to prevent it from being readily converted into glucose and functioning very similar to the way sugar does in terms of rapidly going into the bloodstream and causing these rapid spikes in blood sugar, and your pancreas produces a lot of insulin to compensate, and you have that whole cycle that can lead to metabolic syndrome and diabetes if left unchecked.

Q: Do you think when you take artificial colors and flavors out of a processed food, that makes it a better product? Is clean labeling really going to make our food healthier?

A: That’s a tough one, I think. Some days I think, ‘OK, that’s kinda good. It’s making something less bad.’ It’s good to have those options as a better alternative when you do want the chips, cookies, frozen stuff and cereals. But on the other hand, the concern is that it gives those foods a health halo and confuses people. And then people think, ‘Well I can eat more … or (it’s) a healthy product.’ … I think people have to be sophisticated about it and think ‘Well, there are none of these seemingly horrible additives, but what are the other ingredients in them?’ If there’s a lot of sugar and refined grains, then I think you have to look at those ingredients and make an assessment.

(Some companies) are taking out artificial colors and flavors without really addressing the other stuff. Like BHT and methylcellulose and all these other ingredients and preservatives.

Q: How natural are “natural flavors”?

A: All the natural flavors are still highly processed. Special strawberry flavor doesn’t come from a strawberry. They’re coming from a natural source. It could start with corn, or soybeans, or yeast. It starts with a natural source, but the way you get to it is highly processed, similar to the way you would for an artificial flavoring. The process is very similar. It’s just what you start with that’s different, that makes it natural. People can decide whether that’s better. I don’t necessarily think it’s better.

Q: We looked into problems of adulteration with processed foods like parmesan cheese.  When I asked a cheese expert if he wanted the FDA to do something about it, he said no. He said the agency has to stay focused on preventing foodborne illness caused by contamination with E. coli and Listeria and things like that.  He said these additives aren’t really a health issue. What do you say to that?

A: If you have to choose one or the other, you’re going to go with prevent E. coli and Listeria, obviously. But why do we have to choose?

It’s ironic that the FDA was inspired by Harvey Wiley, MD, who wanted an agency to oversee food, specifically because there was so much adulterated food and no one was overseeing this. That was the original inspiration for the FDA in the first place. So you didn’t have sawdust in your coffee and things like that. Now it’s cellulose in the parmesan cheese. Maybe that’s why all those shakers of parmesan cheese, when you buy them, have no taste. There’s no flavor. You have to put so much on to get a little bit of taste.

I write several blogs and e-books, check out some of my other sites.

gettingtoahealthyweight.blog
idropped40pounds.wordpress.com
howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight.blogspot.com
blogonweight.blogspot.com

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. I’ll give you a discount coupon you can use at checkout. (PJ42H) not case-sensitive the price is $1.99 w/coupon

Is Your Diet Aging Your Mind and Body?

Do you know that by eating foods with trans fats, over time you will slow down the blood flow to your brain and cause dementia. Maybe you think that's "crazy talk". 

"Can you look older because you're eating crap? Absolutely."

I like this post from WebMD.com. It tells you the truth about what bad food choices can do to your health. 

“For example, eating too much sugar and processed carbohydrates (like some pasta, bread, and baked goods made with enriched flour) can lead to damage in your skin's collagen, which keeps your skin springy and resists wrinkles”, says Andrea Giancoli, MPH, RD. 

“What's more, these foods put your overall health at risk. They are tied to diseases like heart disease and diabetes”, she says.

Did you know that Obesity can cause heart damage without any symptoms. Other foods, like fruits and vegetables, are good for your body and your overall appearance. When you look good, you feel good and your body is working the way it was built to.

A person can be considered middle-age even past 65 or even 70 by the condition of their body. Your body doesn’t know what the calendar is. Your body only knows that your not fully grown or that your are fully grown or that your getting close to “end of life”. And your body can determine this by the condition of your body. This is what is call your “biological age”. 

Aging is really not about how old you are in chronological years, aging is about how old you are in biological years. A study done in a university in New Zealand recently showed that out of the 1000 people in a study of people in the late 30’s, some had a biological age as high as 60, some of them have actually stopped aging and some had a biological age less then their chronological age.




You can’t reverse aging but the study shows that in some cases people have actually stopped aging. Yes, some of this may be caused by the genes you were born with, but most of these people have stopped aging because of their diet and activity levels.




Everyone is born with a different set of genes and some genes maybe better then others, for instance we know that your genes depend a lot on the condition of your parents at the time you were conceived. As an adult goes through life his or her genes age along with the biological age. 




So genes your born with do play a factor in your biological age and that maybe why some people in the study were found to have a biological age 20 years older then their actual age. But most of the aging process can be controlled by your diet and exercise.

Science doesn't know how long man can live. It only has history to go by. Science and a team from Google are doing research now to try and determine if man can live to age 500. Other scientists believe we can live to age 1000 in theory but I don't think any research is being done yet. No one really knows how long man can live. 

Medicine may have it all wrong. Today Doctor's are treating the medical problems the patient has, but now they think that they need to be preventing the diseases and illnesses that people could get. Prevention is the next step for medicine. So in theory, if we never get a disease or illness then how long could we live?




You don’t have to age, it’s mostly up to you. You can slow down or even stop the aging process if you want. You won’t stop aging forever but in the study some of the adults did have a biological age younger then their chronological age. When your biological age is younger, your body stopped aging several years ago because of your lifestyle. If your interested, you can calculate your biological age by looking on the Internet and finding the formula. Just do a search Biological Age and you'll find several websites to help you. 

You can stop the aging process at any age if you take control of your diet and exercise. Losing body fat will make a big difference in your health. I have a friend about my age with a weight problem and his Doctor warned him he was pre-diabetic and would have to start taking insulin if he couldn't lose weight. My friend could remember when his father had to take insulin and he knew that wasn't for him. In 6 months he lost the weight and was off his medications. At the age of 60, he was one happy guy. 

I write several blogs and e-books, check out some of my other sites.

gettingtoahealthyweight.blog
idropped40pounds.wordpress.com
howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight.blogspot.com
blogonweight.blogspot.com

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the Internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books.
My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. I’ll give you a discount coupon you can use at checkout. (PJ42H) not case-sensitive the price is $1.99 w/coupon
There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

10,000 Steps a Day Recommended for Weight Loss

How many steps per day are enough? You may wonder whether 10,000 steps per day is the right number to set as the daily target on your fitness tracker. Where did that number come from and is it a good goal for most people? Does it really indicate that you are getting enough exercise for fitness, to reduce health risks, and support weight loss?

Is 10,000 Steps a Magic Number?

A goal of 10,000 steps per day was created as a promotion by a pedometer company in Japan in the 1960s and it became popular as it was adopted by walking clubs. 10,000 steps a day is the number that has been widely accepted as the number of steps needed per day to lose weight. And some trainers say you need to walk this much every day. This is the type of exercise we can all do and if we can't now we have to keep trying and improving every day until we can.

It wasn't based on research, it just sounded good.

Once the goal of 10,000 steps per day was established, researchers played catch-up and found it was a good indicator you were getting somewhere near the recommended amount of physical activity during that day to reduce health risks. Now many activity monitors and pedometer apps use it as a standard goal. It's been accepted as the standard all over the world, so don't think it's just a fad number and your 30-minute workout on the treadmill is good enough. Pedometers are a low-cost item and everyone that is trying to lose weight should have one. You need to know how active you are.

But Are 10,000 Steps Enough or Too Much?

Many of the more sophisticated trackers also measure whether the steps you take are brisk enough to meet the standard of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity. They include a daily goal of 30 minutes of this enhanced level of activity, as recommended to reduce health risks. If 3000 of the steps you take each day are at a pace of 100 per minute for at least 10 minutes, you will meet this goal.

Even a small increase in steps per day above being inactive can make a difference in health. Numbers as low as 6,000 steps per day were shown to correlate with a lower death rate in men.

Experts view 10,000 steps per day as too few for children. But 10,000 steps can be too challenging for people who are elderly, sedentary, or who have chronic diseases.

How Active Are You Based on How Many Steps per Day You Walk?

Dr. Catrine Tudor-Locke has been studying pedometer walking for many years.

Tudor-Locke's research established these categories for healthy adults based on the steps per day they logged.

1. Sedentary Lifestyle Index: Under 5000 steps per day is an indicator of being inactive and sitting too much, which raises health risks.
2. Low Active: 5,000 to 7,499 steps per day is typical of daily activity excluding sports and exercise and might be considered low active. The average American walks 5,900 to 6,900 steps per day, putting the majority in the low active category.
3. Somewhat Active: 7,500 to 9,999 steps per day likely includes some exercise or walking (and/or a job that requires more walking) and might be considered somewhat active.
4. Active: 10,000 steps per day indicates the point that should be used to classify individuals as active. This makes it a good daily goal for healthy people who want a quick indicator they are getting in their daily exercise.
5. Highly Active: Individuals who take more than 12,500 steps/day are likely to be classified as highly active.

Increasing Your Daily Steps to Add the Equivalent of 30 Minutes of Walking

Instead of using a blanket 10,000 steps per day as a goal, some suggest your personal goal should be based on your usual baseline plus incremental steps.

Adding 2,000 to 4,000 steps to your daily count is a good indicator you are getting the recommended amount of daily activity or increasing activity to burn more calories.

Let's look at the example of Sara, who puts on a pedometer in the morning and wears it as she goes about her usual daily activities and only takes it off before bedtime. She does this for a few days and notes that she logs around 4,000 steps per day. Her goal should be adding an equivalent of a half hour of walking to her day. The number of steps she would log in 30 minutes is from 2000 to 4000, depending on whether you walk slower or faster.

That's between one and two miles of walking. See how many steps are in a mile depending on your height and stride length.

What Should Your Step Count Goal Be?

While Tudor-Locke advises a goal of 10,000 steps per day as a good baseline, she offers other tips in order to match physical activity recommendations for heart health. Increase your daily steps by 3,000-4,000 steps spent in 10-minute or longer bouts at moderate to vigorous intensity, which is a pace of brisk walking to jogging. Achieve a goal of 8,900 to 9,900 steps at least five days per week with at least 3,000 steps of moderate to vigorous intensity bouts of 10 minutes or more.

Alternatively, set a goal of 9,150 to 10,150 steps at least three days per week with at least 3,250 steps of vigorous intensity bouts of 10 minutes or more.

A three-day a week training routine may be good for maintaining your weight, but probably not good for losing weight. I would try the walk routine 5 or 6 days a week. Especially if that's all you're doing. I like to alternate walking with other types of exercise but that doesn't work for everyone. You have to do what's right for you and if your losing weight with your program stick to it, if not change it. Losing weight is a trial and error system. If what you're doing isn't work, try something different, but never give up. Excess body fat will cause you many problems as you age, so never stop trying to lose that fat.

You can tweet me with questions at #ray0369

I write several blogs and e-books, check out some of my other sites.

gettingtoahealthyweight.blog
idropped40pounds.wordpress.com
howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight.blogspot.com
blogonweight.blogspot.com

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books.

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. I’ll give you a discount coupon you can use at checkout. (PJ42H) not case-sensitive the price is $1.99 w/coupon

How Accurate Are The Calorie Count On Food Labels?

Good Question, this is definitely a frequently asked question. Can we trust these food labels? I have read that Food Labels have turned into a selling tool. Manufacturers have to disclose certain things, it's required by law, but can they disguise some things or eliminate some things? Yes, they can eliminate something that are added in small amounts. And they commonly use technical terms or code words to describe things like sugar of salt hoping you don't really find out what's in their food or drink.

How Accurate Are Calorie Counts on Food Labels?

By Malia Frey - Reviewed by a board-certified physician.

Updated February 09, 2017

Calorie counting is one of the most common ways that people lose weight. Devoted dieters spend careful moments listing meal items in their food diaries or inputting food choices into their smartphone apps. But how do they know if the numbers they are inputting are really accurate?

According to several sources, calorie count accuracy may not be all it's cracked up to be. Several studies and media reports have compared the advertised calorie counts with laboratory tested numbers to find that there is quite a bit of variation when it comes to the real number of calories in the food we eat.

Are Nutrition Label Calorie Counts Accurate?

According to the policies of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), some variation in the stated calorie count on Nutrition Facts labels is allowed. “The calories in a packaged food product can differ from what is stated on the Nutrition Facts label and you may be getting more calories than you bargained for,” says Catherine Lee, Ph.D., a food scientist at Proctor and Gamble. Dr. Lee explains that “according to the FDA, food products can contain as much as 20 percent more calories than what is printed on the label. For example, a snack bar labeled as having 200 calories could potentially be 240 calories, and still be within the government labeling guidelines.”

Of course, this doesn’t mean that all calorie counts should be ignored. A study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that commercially prepared foods had some variation in stated calorie counts but overall the variations were statistically insignificant.

But then again, what matters in the lab and what matters on the scale are two different things.

For example, Lean Cuisine Shrimp and Angel Hair Pasta stated a count of 250 calories, but the researchers found that it actually contained 319 calories, a difference of 28 percent. On the other hand, South Beach Living Roasted Turkey had a lower calorie value than stated, 222 calories versus 212 actual measured calories.

So, does this mean that you should buy South Beach rather than Lean Cuisine? No. There were positive and negative variations in all brands tested. But over time, small variations in calorie counts can add up to pounds on the scale, so you should take the stated calorie count of any packaged food with a grain of salt.

Are Restaurant Calorie Counts Accurate?

If you eat out often, the advertised calorie count of your favorite restaurant food might be more of a concern if you are trying to lose weight. Several media stories and research studies have confirmed that what’s listed on the menu is not always the same as what lands on your plate.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that many restaurants understate the calorie count of your food. According to their research, “19 percent of individually tested foods contained energy contents of at least 100 calories more than the stated energy contents, an amount that could cause 5 to 7 kilograms of weight gain per year if consumed daily.” Unfortunately, underreporting of calories happened more often in foods that were labeled as low-calorie or diet-friendly.

Should I Stop Counting Calories?

So, if advertised calorie counts aren’t accurate, should you dump your food diary and give up?

No. If calorie counting is helping you to limit the overall amount of food you eat and you are successfully losing weight, then don’t ditch your plan. But if calorie counting has not worked, this may be one of the reasons why.

If you haven’t been able to lose weight, don’t rely on the exact number of calories you consume. Instead, think about limiting your portions. Most restaurant portions are too big. And in our homes, there are quite a few foods that most of us overeat out of habit. Learn to check for the recommended serving size on your food and eat only the portion that is suggested. You’re likely to lose weight with common sense and a healthy dose of consumer savvy.

The way I stopped counting calories was simply to stop buy food or drinks with a label. Stick to fresh foods in the produce department and fresh seafood and fresh chickens, eggs and don't forget the water. You might not know this but 20 years ago very few people drink bottled water. Today bottled water out-sells every other drink on the shelf. Yes, it's good for weight loss, but we have learned that water will flush out the toxins that are in the food that we eat. Water is one of those things we can consume that will keep us healthy.

You can tweet me with questions at #ray0369

I write several blogs and e-books, check out some of my other sites.

gettingtoahealthyweight.blog
idropped40pounds.wordpress.com
howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight.blogspot.com
blogonweight.blogspot.com

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. I’ll give you a discount coupon you can use at checkout. (PJ42H) not case-sensitive the price is $1.99 w/coupon

Diet mistakes we all make

I think we all start out the same way. We are driven to succeed so we stick to the program and it generally works and you lose your first 10 pounds or so and then you stop losing or the losing slows down to a crawl and you get discouraged and quick.
Everything you're going through is normal; it happens to everyone, we just don’t talk about it. When you go on a fad diet like the grapefruit diet or the cabbage soup diet all you’re really doing is purging your body of all the pend up food in your system. Most people don’t realize that your digestive system holds about three days worth of food. Everything you ate for the past three days is still in your digestive track being digested; it really does take that long.
When you feel sluggish it’s because your digestive system is backing up because you may have eaten too much or you may have eaten the wrong thing and you slowed down the digestive process so now you have more than three days worth of food in your system.
When you go on a fad diet you’re just cleaning out your system or, in some cases you’re drastically cutting your calories and starving yourself. That will generally lead to malnutrition from the lack of necessary vitamins and minerals. These starvation diets are popular. They try and tell you that all you need to do is cut you calories and exercise. That will only work for a short period of time. And why is that?   It only works for a couple of weeks or maybe about a 10-pound loss because your body will think you are starving and cut your calorie burn by reducing your energy. It slows down the amount of energy it creates for you. That’s one of the reasons that dieters lose the energy to exercise. All this will happen over several weeks, but no matter what fad diet you choose, you will generally only lose about 10 pounds before you start to cheat on the diet or get so weak that you start to binge on whatever food you can find.
Another classic mistake is to cut calories by skipping breakfast. I know it might sound crazy but you can’t skip meals and lose weight, it doesn’t work.  The best way to cut calories is to eat fresh, natural foods that are naturally low in calories. Fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein like poultry and fish, low-fat dairy and snack on nuts and seeds. Don’t eat beef, especially hamburger. When I was dieting to lose weight, I was eating 6 small meals a day and drinking lots of water.  I kept my meals under 300 calories and stopped eating after 6 pm. I’m here as living proof that it works, I was never hungry and I do the same thing today to maintain my weight. You can’t go back to the old way you were eating; if you do the weight will come back and come back fast.
Stop eating fating snacks like chips or everything fried. Don’t eat any pastries, no cake, no muffins, no donuts or bagels and only eat a small amount of whole-grain bread each day. But not snacking at all will only cause you to binge when you get a chance. Nuts, seeds, and fruit are good snack food. But nuts and fruit do have calories so only a handful between meals. When I was on the six-meal a day plan, I didn’t have to snack; I was eating every three hours. I’d eat about 300 calories at every meal and that would hold me for 3 more hours.  The trick is not to skip any meals; you have to eat every three hours but only 300 calories.
Don’t drink your calories. This is another classic mistake. We all do this, we got the meal plan down and we are sticking to it and then we think we can reward ourselves with a Latte or something else just as sinful and we blow 300 or more calories on a few minutes of pleasure. Not Good!! Losing weight is a battle and you can’t win the battle if you think it’s o.k. to cheat.

Next mistake the beginners always make is eating low-fat foods. They think that eating low-fat meals of just low-fat foods or snack won’t hurt weight loss but manufactured food will hurt your weight loss effort. It might be low in fat but they have to put some taste back in the food so they add more sugar or some other sweetener. Low-fat doesn’t mean low-calorie. You can find low-calorie, very nutrius prepared fresh meals in a supermarket. The store by me carries a good selection of small meals, some salads and some sandwiches with salads and some hot meals, all ready to eat. These meals are made fresh every day and great for a dieter.

Drinking lots of water is essential for a dieter. Your body will retain water if you’re not drink enough. Just like hoarding food calories, your body will retain fluid if it thinks you can’t find water. Your body’s one single most important function is to preserve life. So your body has the power to regulate the amount of energy it provides for you by restricting calorie burn and by retaining fluids to keep your system working until you find more water.
Another mistake is to cut out dairy because of the fat content. Yes, dairy has fat, but it also has calcium and the body needs calcium so you want to eat low-fat plain yogurt or cottage cheese. I’d lay off the milk. If you want milk, I’d buy low-fat Almond milk, it has all the essentials you need.
One more thing,  don’t go thru the window at the fast food restaurant. Anything you order will put weight on you.  Stick to the food in the supermarket. You can find more healthy choices.

I write several blogs and e-books, check out some of my other sites.

gettingtoahealthyweight.blog
idropped40pounds.wordpress.com
howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight.blogspot.com
blogonweight.blogspot.com

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. I’ll give you a discount coupon you can use at checkout. (PJ42H) not case-sensitive the price is $1.99 w/coupon

The Mediterranean Diet, Still Number One

A total diet and lifestyle approach continues to be one of the best prescriptions for a long, healthy life.

The Promise

Delicious food that's stood the test of time and helps keep you healthy for years to come. That's at the heart of the traditional Mediterranean diet.

There’s no single Mediterranean diet plan, but in general, you'd be eating lots of fruits and vegetables, beans and nuts, healthy grains, fish, olive oil, small amounts of meat and dairy, and red wine. 

This lifestyle also encourages daily exercise, sharing meals with others, and enjoying it all. 

Does It Work?

This diet scores big for heart health. Studies suggest it can make you less likely to get heart disease, lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, and may also help you avoid certain cancers and chronic diseases.

For weight loss, you’ll have better results if you stick with it more than six months, get regular exercise, and cut back on how much you eat. Studies show it may be better for weight loss than a low-fat diet.

What You Can Eat and What You Can't

You’ll eat mostly plant-based foods, including fruits and vegetables, potatoes, whole-grain bread, beans, nuts, and seeds.

You can have yogurt, cheese, poultry, and eggs in small portions. You should eat fish and seafood at least twice a week. "Good" fats get a stamp of approval: Think olives, extra-virgin olive oil, nuts, sunflower seeds, and avocados instead of butter or margarine. You’ll use olive oil a lot while cooking. Reach for herbs and spices to add flavor.

Red wine gets a thumbs-up, in moderation (one glass for women, one to two for men). But water is your go-to drink.

Dessert is usually fruit. Sweets and red meats are OK occasionally.

This pyramid shows you all the foods available to you on this diet Some foods you can eat daily some only once a week and some only once a month. Always drink all the water. When I was trying to lose weight I did drink coffee and tea but only black. You can eat all you want as long as you stay on the pyramid. If it's not on the pyramid don't eat it. You don't have to count calories. At first you won't lose a lot of weight but after your body gets used to eating healthy, you'll feel better and start to lose weight. Naturally, the more active you are the calories you'll burn and faster you'll lose weight. Try to walk an extra 2 or 3 miles a day.