Friday, September 17, 2010

ALWAYS double check Nutrition Facts!!!

September 17, 2010.....Teaching the teacher!
I am currently on day 5 of Step 1.  The plan is to complete 4 weeks of Step 1, followed by 4 weeks of Step 2 before returning to Step 3 ; maintenance.  I decided to "clean house" and have a clean slate before Thanksgiving.  I am pleased to report that I feel great, in fact I feel really great! Nice mental clarity, calm, peaceful, energized.  Blood sugar is perfecto! 

So....at dinner-time last evening, I was making a "big salad" (Seinfeld, anyone?).  I used several types of lettuce, some homegrown Jersey tomatoes, diced green and red peppers, added egg whites  and a little shredded 2% cheddar.  I was just about ready to add some "Sea Legs" that were made from Alaskan Pollock. 

My daughter was sitting at the kitchen table as I made the salad.  When she saw me take the package of "Sea Legs" out of the refrigerator she yelled....STOP!!!  She reported that the brand of "imitation crab" that was in the refrigerator contained 12 grams of total carb and 0 grams of fiber/3 ounces!!!!
What????? Carbohydrates like that in a serving of sea legs? I turned the package around, looked at Nutrition Facts, and gasped.

I share this because the brands I bought in the past were always made of pollock and had insignificant carb grams/serving.
The moral of the story:  Always double check Nutrition Facts! It might look like protein, be made from protein, but if  I used this brand as a neutral food on Step1,  the "error" would have set my program back 3 days!   Diane

5 comments:

  1. I suppose that I could consider myself on "maintenance" since June. After dropping nearly 45 pounds since January and having my blood test numbers for glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides go to normal levels for the first time in 3 years, I no longer feared going "off program" for a meal or so. I'm not saying I now have complete control of my metabolism, only that I know Metabolism Miracle has changed my life style when it comes to eating and exercise.

    It came about slowly. I had no trouble with Step 1, 2 or 3. The meals were and still are fun to plan and shop for. Portion control came naturally as my stomach was always satisfied with the healthy snacking and reasonable meal portions. I didn't go and join a gym, but used resources close at hand like walking up and down 3 floors of steps at work instead of using the elevator. I started jogging up and down the stairwells doing between 15 and 20 trips up and down to build up my stamina and control my breathing. Walking, then jogging - not marathon running...just a nice easy pace - because I wasn't huffing and puffing like before MM. I can eat foods occasionally that are high in carbs because I limit how much, and go right back to eating low-carb meals again. I can eat out, enjoy a nice meal, snack or desert because I know I can no longer "over indulge" without feeling bloated and uncomfortable. Maintenance to me is simply following a different lifestyle than before MM where there are no real sacrifices. Healthy eating habits and moderate exercise and I am holding at 186 pounds (I started out close to 230 in January). I can eat the foods that used to pile on the pounds now because I limit how much and how often, and always follow the MM program of reading the Nutrition Labels and portion control.

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  2. I am inspired by both blogs...I plan on picking up the book again! I need help!

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  3. G.R.A.C.I.A.S

    http://laura-sinazucar.blogspot.com/

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  4. I am on week 6 of Step 1, but I am having to extend Step 1 a few weeks because I recently discovered some mistakes I was making (wrong peanut butter, wrong whipped cream!) and want to be sure I truly rest everything before moving on to step 2. I am assuming that is the right move to make, yes??

    Also, I came across a recipe for an 'enhanced' water and was curious about the nutritional facts. Basically, you slice an apple, and put it in your pitcher of water along with a cinnamon stick. The recipe said it had 0 calories and 0 carbs, but I'm curious about that since I know the apple contains carbs, and apples are a no-go in step 1. Would this be a good option, or should I simply stick with water and other approved drinks?

    By the way, I was feeling a bit discouraged, wondering if my efforts were paying off, so I measured after the 4 week mark...so far, after 4 weeks even with some of the mistakes I didn't know I was making, I am down 16 1/4 inches!! 4 of those inches are from my waist alone! WOOHOO!!

    I am feeling SO encouraged and HOPEFUL for the first time in a long time! THANK YOU!!!

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  5. I have a question. I am type 2. I have modified my diet in the hopes of kissing metformin goodbye forever. However, a nurse friend of mine told me that I would never be free of metformin without progressing to dialysis. She states when the pancreas goes, it goes. I have lost nearly 30 pounds by modifying my diet and my glucose numbers have gone from 250 and above to the mid 90's resting about 123-25 after meals (not always that high). I don't see my doctor for about two weeks but she states doctors don't tell you that if you go off the meds you will be headed for dialysis. I walk six days a week and have started strength training three. Please tell me she is misinformed. I have been diagnosed diabetic less than six months. Thanks.

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