Reading the Box

I've found I need to stop just looking at the calories on labels and look at the portion size too. (And here you chime in with, "Duh!") Why I wasn't doing this before, I'm not sure. Take Pasta Roni (one of Mr. Picky Pants favorite side dishes) it has over 300 calories for any of the flavors per serving. So I haven't been making it. I happened to have checked out the portion and that's for a cup of noodles. A cup is a huge amount of food when coupled with a small cut of meat and a veggie. So something I thought was off limits -- thinking that a half cup was over 300 calories and ridiculously high -- I've found is not so bad.

Scalloped Potatoes vs. Potatoes Au Gratin. Just glancing at the box's calories Scalloped says it has a little less. Looking at the portion you get 3/4 cup of Au Gratin instead of the 1/2 cup Scalloped. I actually only eat a half cup of potatoes ever -- anything more is too much. If I'd have chosen the Au Gratin by actually READING the entire box label I could've had my 1/2 cup potatoes for significantly less calories than the 1/2 cup I ended up eating.

Portions on some foods are ridiculously high and why I've started not only reading calories but how much they consider a portion and then adjust accordingly to my needs. Don't ask why I wasn't doing this before. This shouldn't be such a mind boggling epiphany -- something so easy and that I should've been doing the whole time.

Well, I've learned my lesson.

--Previous Day Tracking --

Exercise - 35 minutes on the Wii Fit doing Strength Training and Yoga -- burning 189 calories. Drank 12 glasses of water. Day 12 of no soda.

Meals:
Breakfast - Cream of Wheat and sliced strawberries
Lunch - tuna salad, 2 dill pickle spears, and Ritz Reduced Fat Crackers
Mid-Afternoon Snack - 1/2 turkey sandwich, pretzels, and a frozen banana
Dinner - Teriyaki Chicken, brown rice, and broccoli
Evening Snack - 1 Skinny Cow Mint and Chocolate Ice Cream Cone

total calories = 1344
total days = 18
total pounds lost = 8.1