This post is written as part of a journey inspired by the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s My Healthy Weight Action Plan, an online tool geared towards helping you live a healthier life. Feel free to get caught up on previous posts: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12, Week 13, Week 14
Here are the stats to show my progress in my “Get Healthy Challenge”:
| Start Weight: 190 pounds | Starting BMI: 28.9 |
|---|---|
| End of Week 1: 185 pounds | End of Week 1 BMI: 28.1 |
| End of Week 4: 179 pounds | End of Week 4 BMI: 27.2 |
| End of Week 8: 175 pounds | End of Week 8 BMI: 26.6 |
| End of Week 11: 175 pounds | End of Week 11 BMI: 26.6 |
| End of Week 13: 180 pounds | End of Week 13 BMI: 27.4 |
| End of Week 14: 175 pounds | End of Week 14 BMI: 26.6 |
My goal is to reach a normal BMI which would be 24.9 (the top of what is considered a “normal” BMI) at 164 pounds and from there, I plan to reassess.
Have you ever paid attention to the Nutrition Labels on the sides of food before you purchase them at the grocery store? I have recently been paying more attention to these labels as they are jam packed full of important information.
There are two ways to read the label:
- Look at the grams of items such as calories, fat, sugar, fibre, protein etc.
- Look at the % Daily value of various nutrients.
Recently, I have been introduced to the % Daily Value at an online Webinar that I attended thanks to Did You Know Canada. There is a great place to read up on this on the Healthy Canadians website.
There, it is explained that 5% is a little and 15% is a lot.
If you are looking at something like FAT, less than 5% would be considered good and more than 15% is considered bad.
If you are looking at something like FIBRE then it is the opposite, less than 5% is considered not great and more than 15% is considered good.
You can use the % Daily Value to compare different products in order to make a good choice for you and your family when selecting food on the shelves at the grocery store. You can also use the % Daily Value when you are in search for foods with a high source of Fibre of a low source of Fat etc.
As I pour my morning coffee and I add my Almond Milk, I read the label:
I am happy to see that the Fat is at 5%, the Saturated Fat is at 2%, the Sodium is at 4% and unfortunately the Fibre is at 0%, but that is to be expected considering it is “milk”.
Protein and Sugar are two ingredients that I tend to watch as well, but they do not have a % Daily Value so I must look at the grams in that circumstance.
As described on the Healthy Canadians website, Nutrients that you want less of are the Fat, Saturated Fat, Trans Fat and Sodium and Nutrients that you might want more of are Fibre, Calcium (which my almond milk has 30%!), Iron, Calcium, Vitamin A and Vitamin C.
If you want to learn more about how to read the Nutrition Facts found on packaged food at the grocery store, I highly recommend you check out this Using the Nutrition Facts table: % Daily Value (Fact Sheet)! It breaks down exactly how to read a label and how to make good food choices accordingly.
Watch for another post talking more about the % Daily Value along with a giveaway for some coupons from companies that support the % Daily Value campaign!
Since the beginning of my Getting Healthy Together Challenge, I have started to pay more attention to the Nutrition Facts on the foods that I am choosing to put into my body. I am also trying to pay attention to the servings sizes that I put on my plate. Of course, what I am eating plays an important role as well so many choices that I make don’t have Nutrition Facts on the side of the package, because I am trying to eat my fair share of fruits and vegetables (less of the fruits and more of the vegetables).
By using the Online Tracking Tool available FREE by the Heart and Stroke Foundation, I am able to easily track (by hand or online) the foods that I eat, the times that I eat and the breakdown of how items from each category I consume in a meal or day. The My Healthy Weight Action Plan Tool has helped to motivate me and guide me to becoming a healthier individual.
Last week, I shared my set back with you and this week, I am proud to say that I have gotten back on track. This road to healthy living is a long and challenging one, but I have committed myself to it and I am in it for the long haul! I understand that there will be highs and lows, challenges and successes, but the end result will be feeling and living well!
Here are some Blog Hops if you are interested in checking them out:
- Adventures in Miscellany
- Canadian Coupon Mom
- City Mom
- Kat’s Confessions
- Little Miss Kate
- My Little Review Corner
- Pampered Patty
- Sober Julie
- Whispered Inspirations
Ok, your turn. Tell me what one of your “staying healthy” challenges was this week!
Opinions expressed belong to Multi-Testing Mommy and are NOT influenced in any way. See MTM’s Disclosure for more details.
Thank you so much for the great tips!
yay back on track! I am so confused when i read labels! lol
Good for you! I’m working on the same thing, and we’re in about the same spot! I hope we both continue to lose.
I am an AVID label reader. I check the sodium, calories, fat, carb and fiber percentages. I also read for harmful ingredients. I was also organizing my cupboards last night and realized that everything is organic. I finally successfully converted the house (my husband) haha! ION 5.4 lbs down! So happy! 🙂 I’m glad you’re doing AMAZING!!!
Great tips, I’ve learned that reading the labels and comparing properly (check the serving size!) are so important.
Great post! I never really looked at the daily percentage. And, I read labels!
I have to admit that I keep reading the sodium content of things. Not that I’m really watching sodium (aware I guess) but holy crap!!!!
Congrats on getting back on track 🙂
I have started reading labels in recent months….especially sodium.
Great job this week!
Im really bad at bothering to read labels. I do know I need more protein so I have been trying to drink a high protien ‘Ensure’ drink after my long workout days. I tend to not eat enough during the day – so thats my goal – spread out nutrition more.
So happy that you are back on track, and you didn’t let last week derail you! YAY and YIPPEEEEEEEEE for 5 lbs lost this week!
You’re back on track girl! Yay! You must be so proud of your progress this week!
Thanks so much for sharing the tips!
Wow, I had no idea about the 5% / 15% rule… thanks for enlightening me!
You are doing a great job loosing weight in healthy fashion. On behalf of the team that manages the Healthy Weight Action Plan, I would like to congratulate you and thank you for your honest review. It took a lot of effort to put it together and you are doing a great job reviewing it.
I read ALL the labels (do I have to mention it takes me forever to do the groceries! lol) Sadly I find it pretty difficult to get “natural” foods. The amount of sodium in many product is horrible and I’m always looking out for artificial flavour and color – the amount of crap in daily products is just incredible!
I’m from Denmark where organic products are super easy to find in any super market and at very reasonable prizes. Some super markets are purely organic. I really miss that. Where I live in Quebec, the organic choice is next to nothing and the quality is not very good.
Very glad to see you’re back on track 🙂 You’re doing a great job!!
SASS – http://www.littlecooltoys.com/blog/earth-day-eco-friendly-craft-ideas-and-activities-for-kids/
I really need to get back to reading labels. It made a huge difference in my weight and my son’s ADHD. Now that he is older, it’s more challenging. -sass
Great tips, and that’s a good rule of thumb. Sometimes, I find the nutritional labels require a bit too much thinking, so this is a great way to make shopping quicker.
Congrats on getting back on track!
Forgot to add – I’m visiting from SASS
I do look at the nutritional values once in a while, though as you say sometimes it’s confusing. Thanks for the 5 and 15 tip – I’ll have to remember that. 🙂 ~SASS
This is smart advice. Thanks. I am a bif lable reader. For my kids. For me too. But mostly because I read with an eye for preservatives and hidden preservatives linked to ADHD. Not buying anything with that in it.
Paula
From SASS
http://www.thriftymommastips.com/
@inkscrblr
I am a label reader when I am being “good” When I am not I an sure to NOT look anywhere near that part of the box. SASS
already commented – but stopping by from SASS
I do often compare labels, but I find them bewildering. This post just helped so much for me towards understanding those numbers. Thanks! ~SASS
I’ve been really getting in to reading labels, this was a great post. Sorry I’ve been so behind in commenting, I’ll get back into it, haha. See you soooon, I hope, since I’m in town!
This was a tough week for me (in the “making healthy choices” department), because work has been super-busy and I haven’t been feeling well. Just trying to make sure we take in relatively balanced and wholesome meals and snacks. Sneaking home-cooked, frozen portions from the freezer is awesome on weeks like this!
All in all I’ve definitely been reading food labels pretty religiously these days. Not just the % daily values but the ingredients themselves. There’s some scary stuff in many (if not most) mainstream products out there! Side note re: fat – this is a very complex one, and many fats (even some saturated fats, like in virgin coconut oil) are actually good for you in relatively moderate doses.
I have a review & giveaway post live right now that you might be interested in checking out – it’s on a new book called “Fit Moms for Life” and a big part of it is on nutrition:
http://www.manager-to-mom.com/2012/04/fit-moms-for-life-book-by-dustin-maher.html
Forgot to mention – stopping by from SASS! Thanks for (co-)hosting!
Good for you! I need to start doing this too. – SASS 🙂
November 24-Let’s get healthy together-Week 15–Hurrah! You are right back on track. Good for you. My challenge has been not to snack. The journal entries really help curb this tendency. I am doing better with drinking water and am trying the protein bars as I tend not to eat enough protein. My scales will tell the tale on Monday. I try to weigh only once a week. Elva Roberts
November 24-Let’s get healthy together-Week 15–Hurrah! You are right back on track. Good for you. My challenge has been not to snack. The journal entries really help curb this tendency. I am doing better with drinking water and am trying the protein bars as I tend not to eat enough protein. My scales will tell the tale on Monday. I try to weigh only once a week. Elva Roberts