Reading and Comprehension 101

So I posted last week that it felt like I had stalled a bit (only dropped a pound rather than the three plus I had been losing) so i focused on fat and found that no, overall my fat intake was lower than the recommended daily allowance. So what gives?

I discovered that I have SRS, selective reading syndrome and yes I just made that up, which caused my ability to accurately count calories (from recipes I hadn't customized or created myself) to be off. Not hugely far off, but off none the less.

One of the web sites I have been referencing for recipes has been The Full Plate Diet, they have a great set of starter recipes and that portion of the site (I discovered) is driven by another site called Eating Well (also great). I noticed that although the two sites displayed the exact same recipes, TFPD's format and layout had subtly changed a part that was important. I had been reading this part that said "Servings" and beneath it there would be a number (vertical), but at Eating Well that same listing said (in line) "Carbohydrate Servings XX". I was missing the the word Carbohydrate above the servings listing at TFPD's site. It was there I had just selectively ignored it.

I drilled down on the recipe part because I really felt something was off, I had been adjusting my servings down from what I "thought" was correct because it just seemed like way to much food. It was. There was another part of the recipe that did have the serving size listed correctly but I had been ignoring it. I did all the detective work because I had been reading every box I picked up, going to calorie counting sites to get the data on the foods I was eating and I knew that I was missing something.

So I'm back on track and I've adjusted my recipes to do two things:

1. Make smaller batches. I was following the recipe verbatim before and they were designed to feed 6+ people sometimes (so I had tons of left overs)
2. Accurately measure out exactly 2 to 3 servings worth (so I have some left over but not tons)

By making smaller batches I have found I can be very accurate in how many calories I am getting. Breaking it down into a number of servings (rather than a listing of what makes a serving size) I can visually break what I have prepared up into exact portions.

So I dropped two and a half pounds last week because I had begun my sleuthing at the beginning of the week and had adjusted my diet appropriately by mid week. I am happy as a clam, and exercising my noggin when it comes to food prep. If something seems to good to be true or is off, it probably is.

Menu * for today:

Breakfast - Kashi GoLean is the king. 1 cup of Kashi. 1 cup of mixed berries and 1/2 cup of 2% milk. Calories 345, Fiber 7g

Snack - Multi grain Chips and Hummus. 1 oz (about 10 chips) of Food Should Taste Good Multi grain chips and 2 tbs of plain Hummus. Calories 194, Fiber 4g

Lunch - A combo of Mediterranean Roasted Broccoli and Tomato's with a serving of Barilla Whole Grain Penne . Calories 274, Fiber 9g

Snack - Carrot Sticks and Hummus. 1 cup of carrots and 2tbs of Hummus. Calories 110, Fiber 4.8g

Dinner - Pocket Veggie Sandwich - 1 whole Oroweat Pocket Thin (a pita bread) with a serving of Cucumber & Black Eye Pea Salad stuffed inside. Calories 361, Fiber 13g

Total
Calories = 1284
Fiber = 37.8

* I was adding fat grams to my menu listing but now that I know fat was not the culprit and it is obvious that my fat intake is right where it should be to encourage healthy weight loss, I won't be adding it to the mix any longer.

They say time is the fire in which we burn

The last two days have been busy, really busy, incredibly busy. OK you get the point. Lots to do and no time to get it done.

In the past when I was under a time crunch I'd shut down, go into machine mode and "crunch" until I was done. That normally included eating poorly and mindlessly. Now though, I made time and slowed it down so I could bring focus to what is important. I made the time to fix healthy meals and gave myself time to focus on my body and stop eating when I was full. Wolfing down food and diving back into work typically results in overeating.

What I didn't have time for yesterday, and really not today either, was to blog about the day. Priorities. Setting the important ones means getting healthy :) and gives me back some time.

So I spent the last two days eating left overs for lunch, which works fine, so long as I focus on portion control and what I'm eating.

I made pasta for dinner last night, two separate pots of pasta, my whole wheat pasta from Barilla (higher in fiber) and the family had a pot of Rigatoni (also from Barilla) but not whole wheat. They had a traditional meat sauce while I roasted veggies in the oven with a bit of olive oil. I'm trying to get my family to taste what I make and see if I can win them over. In the meantime, since I am the family cook, I am going to keep finding ways to refine, reduce and make healthier what I make them to eat. Last night that effort involved quite simply not making as much for them, in the past I would dump a whole box of pasta in the water, a whole jar of sauce and Bobs your uncle we had a dinner. Instead I read the serving size on the side of the box/jar reduced it down to the number of people eating (wife, son and daughter = 3) and made only that amount. No going back for seconds, everyone had to portion out an equal amount (divvied into three shares) and they all had three servings of garlic bread as well. I was hoping to encourage them to add some of my roasted veggies :).

Next time I'll cook only my Barilla whole wheat pasta (in my opinion it tastes just as good) I am looking at making a homemade sauce with fresh and roasted tomato's so i can at least deliver a healthier sauce for them. I think if I just don't make the bread (which I partook of) or have some veggie alternative (a salad or side dish) I may eventually get them going down my path, giving me more time :) since I'll only be cooking one meal :)

I wouldn't have done this before, I've always known "how" to read labels I just never did. Now it seems like all I am doing. Hopefully I know this will lead down a path that is better for me and my family.

Menu for the last two days.
Thursday:

Breakfast - Good old Kashi GoLean a banana and half a cup of milk. Calories 345, Fiber 7g, Fat 2.5

Snack - Orange Calories 62, Fiber 4g

Lunch - Sesame Noodle Salad with 1/2 cup of broccoli Calories 368, Fiber 13.8g, Fat 9g

Snack - Zesty Bean and Chips Calories 210, Fiber 4g, Fat 8g

Dinner - A combo of Mediterranean Roasted Broccoli and Tomato's with a serving of Barilla Whole Grain Penne and yes a single serving of garlic bread. Calories 392, Fiber 12g, Fat 9.8

Total: Calories 1379. Fiber 40.8g, Fat 29.3

Friday:

Breakfast - Good old Kashi GoLean a banana and half a cup of milk. Calories 345, Fiber 7g, Fat 2.5

Snack - Orange Calories 62, Fiber 4g

Lunch - Sesame Noodle Salad with 1/2 cup of broccoli and a Cup of Treetop Organic no sugar added Applesauce Calories 468, Fiber 16.8g, Fat 9g

Snack - Zesty Bean and Chips Calories 210, Fiber 4g, Fat 8g

Dinner - Pocket Veggie Sandwich - 1 serving Oroweat Pocket Thin (1/2 a pita bread with 5g fiber and 100 calories so like a slice of bread) with a serving of Cucumber & Black Eye Pea Salad stuffed inside. Calories 261, Fiber 8g, Fat 11.5g

Total: Calories 1348, Fiber 39.8, Fat 31g

Not bad for a day of repeats :)