Journey to a Healthier Me

Last week I talked a little bit about portion control, and in order to understand portions we need to dig deeper than the label.  Enter my favorite snack…potato chips!! As I glance to the back of the bag to read the label, I see serving size: 1 ounce, 32 servings per container.  Great, I either need to dump out the bag or get a scale.  A brief trip to the neighbors house to get a scale and I’m back in business.  So as I’m filling up the scale I quickly notice that my normal, eat the chips from the bag, routine will need to stop.  Now that the scale is overflowing with a 1 ounce portion of chips, I can take some photos…okay it’s not really overflowing, and there is a scared look on my face when I see how few chips the label thinks is a serving.  This is a 1 ounce portion of chips, and is approximately 150 calories with 80 of those calories coming from fat.  Not horrible, but considering I would eat at least 3 of these so called servings things need to change!

So there you go! Grab a snack, and arm yourself with the knowledge to make better choices.

As always feel free to leave a comment or emil me at zakschwank [at] gmail dot com if you have any questions or want me to hear your thoughts. I am also actively looking for guest bloggers to tell your story. If you or anyone you know is interested please send them my way. I would really like to make this a place where we can all share and learn.

Thanks Zak!

I often get asked “How did you do it?” And while there are many different reasons, one no more important than the another, I think one of the biggest things I did was to really limit the amount of food I ate. Have you seen the portions that are considered normal these days? It is excessive! And when you consider that if you eat slightly less than 700 more calories a week than you burn, you will gain 10 pounds in one year and 50 in 5 years. That’s exactly what happened to me. I didn’t gain 50 pounds overnight and I didn’t lose it overnight either.  For reference 3,500 calories equals about one pound.  Now that you know this, grab your favorite snack and check the label.  That’s what I did!  When I first started this journey I didn’t know anything about anything, but with the help of friends, the internet, and health related classes I feel I have gained a greater understanding of what is going on in my body.  Granted everyone is different, and like Julie pointed out in the comments section of my last post, genetics must play a key role in all of this.  I know for myself that my genetic makeup is set and no amount of exercise will ever change that, but I do know that I can control what and how much I eat.  So for this 3 day weekend I want to challenge you to really dig into the label on the packages in your pantry and refrigerator.  How many calories are in a serving and how much makes up a serving? Get out measuring cups figure it out! Let me know in the comments how your favorite snack stack up. Would love to hear it.  Also feel free to email me at zakschwank [at] gmail dot com.  I also found this article from the New York Times that I thought was worth the attention.  Enjoy and have a safe and healthy weekend.

Zak