One of the most difficult things for me to learn as I started my weight loss journey was what a single portion of food looked like. To me, if it came in a single can or a single box, it was meant for a single person to enjoy it. The truth is far from that.
Truth #1: It is on the label.
One of the best things that our government has done for those of us watching our weight is to require labels on all prepackaged food. The key is knowing what to look for. I have mentioned calories before, but another good thing to study is the portion size. If one package screams “Only 120 calories a serving!” you may get excited, but when you notice that there are four servings in the package, reality sets in. Read the label, but don’t get overwhelmed by the details. Start with the two essentials: calories per serving and the number of servings.
Truth #2: Easy can still be healthy.
A lot of the diet plans now come with prepackaged, mail-order foods that come right to your door. This is great as far as convenience, but  I have a family of five, and I cannot spend half of my grocery budget on little meals for myself. That is when I thought about all those little “healthy” meals in my grocer’s freezer. For the first 8 weeks, I pretty well lived there. Frozen foods gave me a variety of flavors at a reasonable price AND it taught me portion control. I just added a salad to the frozen entree and I was good to go. If you go this route, make sure you are actually learning about how much you are eating. Your eyes start learning what a portion looks like, and that will be a far better long-term solution than carrying your kitchen scale and measuring cups when you venture outside the house.
Truth #3: All frozen food is not created equally.
Even in that healthy frozen foods section, you still have to read the labels. There are some HUGE meals that will make your mouth water, until you read the label and see that there are 2.5 servings inside. And from brand to brand, some meals just taste better than others. For me, Lean Cuisine blew away the competition. Their calorie counts were the same as some of the other brands, but the flavor was much, much better. And at $2-$3 per meal, it is way cheaper than most alternatives.
Got a question?
I have tons of more tips and tricks share, but I am most interested in writing about what you actually want to read.
Shoot me a message at jamiearichardson at hotmail dot com, or comment below. I â„¢m not a medical professional, but I can share what I â„¢ve learned through my own journey.
One of the most difficult things for me to learn as I started my weight loss journey was what a single portion of food looked like. To me, if it came in a single can or a single box, it was meant for a single person to enjoy it. The truth is far from that.
Truth #1: It is on the label.
One of the best things that our government has done for those of us watching our weight is to require labels on all prepackaged food. The key is knowing what to look for. I have mentioned calories before, but another good thing to study is the portion size. If one package screams “Only 120 calories a serving!” you may get excited, but when you notice that there are four servings in the package, reality sets in. Read the label, but don’t get overwhelmed by the details. Start with the two essentials: calories per serving and the number of servings.
Truth #2: Easy can still be healthy.
A lot of the diet plans now come with prepackaged, mail-order foods that come right to your door. This is great as far as convenience, but  I have a family of five, and I cannot spend half of my grocery budget on little meals for myself. That is when I thought about all those little “healthy” meals in my grocer’s freezer. For the first 8 weeks, I pretty well lived there. Frozen foods gave me a variety of flavors at a reasonable price AND it taught me portion control. I just added a salad to the frozen entree and I was good to go. If you go this route, make sure you are actually learning about how much you are eating. Your eyes start learning what a portion looks like, and that will be a far better long-term solution than carrying your kitchen scale and measuring cups when you venture outside the house.
Truth #3: All frozen food is not created equally.
Even in that healthy frozen foods section, you still have to read the labels. There are some HUGE meals that will make your mouth water, until you read the label and see that there are 2.5 servings inside. And from brand to brand, some meals just taste better than others. For me, Lean Cuisine blew away the competition. Their calorie counts were the same as some of the other brands, but the flavor was much, much better. And at $2-$3 per meal, it is way cheaper than most alternatives.
Got a question?
I have tons of more tips and tricks share, but I am most interested in writing about what you actually want to read.
Shoot me a message at jamiearichardson at hotmail dot com, or comment below. I â„¢m not a medical professional, but I can share what I â„¢ve learned through my own journey.
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