You can lose weight without eating a single “low-calorie” food or “100-calorie” pack. Not all calories are created equal. Know how to assess the quality of your calories. Calories are not the only thing a dieter should be concerned about when looking at nutrition labels. In order to make your calories count, you have to choose filling foods that have nutritional value.
The ultimate truth of dieting is that to lose weight you have to consume fewer calories than you burn. While it is important to be calorie conscious, it is detrimental to become calorie obsessed. If you have an encyclopedic knowledge of the calorie contents of nearly every food, you need to relax.
Food is about more than calories. When you look at a food label, do your eyes stop searching after scanning the calorie content? If you are only concerned with calories, you can easily rob your body of the nutrients it needs. Low-calorie foods often lack substance, so you may always feel hungry (which can lead to overeating and sabotage your dieting efforts). You can feel full while dieting, but you have to retrain your mind to look beyond the caloric value on food labels.
Yes, you should be mindful of calories. But there are other numbers on the nutrition label that are just as important. Every nutrient has value, but we aren’t all nutritionists. To keep it simple, there are four items on every food label you should assess: serving size, calories, fiber and protein.
Serving Sizes are Deceiving
Snacks can be sneaky. You may read that a serving of your favorite variety of chips has 130 calories – not bad, right? But when you take into consideration that the manufacturer defines “one serving” to be approximately nine chips, that 130 calories no longer seems so great. Portion control is a key aspect to a successful diet, so make sure you know what is considered to be one serving.
Consider Calories, but Don't Obsess
Look at calories, but don’t obsess over them. The average female should consume between 1,200 and 1,800 calories per day, and the average male 1,400 to 2,000. Stay within your daily limit by eating foods that deliver nutritional value and satiety.
Fiber the Key to Satiety
Fiber has two key benefits that make it a dieter’s dream: it speeds up digestion and keeps you feeling fuller, longer. Dieters cut calories to lose weight, so it’s important to use calorie allowances on foods that are filling. Many 100-calorie packs are not high fiber. These snacks are good to satisfy cravings, but not much more. Instead, try a piece of fruit or a handful of nuts – equal in caloric value but provide more satiety. Aim to eat at least 25 to 35 grams of fiber each day.
Protein Gives Energy and Builds Muscle
Like fiber, protein also makes you feel full. Protein is also vital to any diet because it gives you energy and builds muscle. If you are incorporating exercise in your weight-loss plan, protein will help give you extra oomph in the gym and help repair muscles you’ve worked to get that lean, toned look. About 15 percent of your calories should be from protein (usually between 50 and 200 grams).
After looking at serving size, calories, fiber and protein on a food label, you can assess whether the food is going to satisfy you two hours from now or just two minutes from now. You should work to make your calories count by eating foods that are high in fiber and protein, and allow you to eat enough volume to satisfy your need to munch. Successful diets should not leave you feeling underfed, so make your calories count.
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