Take Action To Inact Food Labels at Restaurants

As I’m on a restaurant diet (not spending money at restaurants) from January 3 to January 31, I have not had a chance to ask.  Yet, one of the things I want to know is how many calories, fat, protein, and carbs I am putting into my body.  I have stopped asking restaurants.  They just don’t know or don’t want to tell me.  It drives me crazy.  How can they not know?

Sure, I have heard that restaurants and chefs want the creative license to change their menus based upon what food items are in season.  I’m all for that.  I think variety and creativity in a menu should be lauded.  Yet, with tools such as simpleweight and other online web based nutrition calculators, it is very easy for someone to enter a recipe and receive the nutrition value of a particular dish.

Why is it that we require canned and prepared food at grocery stores to have informative labels, but we do not require restaurants.

Let’s look at our food habits:  Take a look at these great photos from Time Magazine titled:  What the World Eats.  See any contrast between Americans diets and other countries?  Look at all the packaged and processed foods versus the green fresh vegetables and fruits of other diets.  It’s not just that, according to the National Restaurant Association magazine circa 2000, “An average of one out of five meals consumed by Americans — 4.2 meals per week — is prepared in a commercial setting, according to Meal Consumption Behavior — 2000,* a new National Restaurant Association report.”

I’m sure that number has gone up dramatically in the past ten years. (Its late, and I’m not in the mood to find more research on it.) We can tell just by the growth in the number of restaurants nearby.  Now, let me ask you, are restaurants and food manufacturers nonprofit companies?  Of course the answer is no.  They are out for a profit.  They want to maximize their income while minimizing their expenses.  The goal is not provide you with the most nutritious meal.  That’s just an after thought.  If they can, that’s great.  If not, oh well.

So, we’re not eating at home where the number of calories are more well-known.  We’re eating out at profit-centered restaurants.  Is it any wonder that Americans are becoming more unhealthy in their diet habits?  I’m all for more profits.  Restaurants are only going to make money if people show up, and people show up if they like the food.  Yet, there is a good way and a bad way to make the same thing.  They both can taste good yet have dramatically different nutritional values.

My feelings are that all restaurants no matter the size must publicly post on their menus the nutritional information.

Now, I know some of you may be thinking.  Wait a minute, Isn’t this just big government?  Won’t this just put restaurants out of business due to the added expense?  How can a chef be creative?

My thoughts are that a new restaurant economy will grow.  New nutritional consultants will grow to help chefs and restaurants shape their menus.  In fact, it is already happening.  New services and devices will be invented to help a restaurant dynamically adjust the calorie items on the menu.  It will happen if it was required.  Now, the question is does it help?

In other words,  if the calories are on the menu, will you eat less caloric dense food? Again the studies are mixed.  At a minimum, it does not hurt the consumer nor does it cause you to eat more food.

Here’s what NPR new article stated recently:

Whether disclosing calories on a menu will change consumer behavior remains the subject of contentious debate, but a new study supports the idea that it can: An analysis of 100 million transactions over 14 months at Starbucks by researchers at Stanford University showed that when calories were posted prominently, the average number of calories per transaction fell by 6 percent.

So, what can we do?  I suggest you write your Governor, your Senator, your local politicians, and your restaurant owners.  Implore them to add better nutritional labeling to their menus.
Here’s an example letter I found a while back at cspinet.org.

Subject: Please Support Menu Labeling

Dear [ Decision Maker ] (insert politician name here),

As your constituent, I urge you to establish regulations or support legislation to require all restaurants to list calories, saturated plus trans fat, carbohydrates, sodium, and protein on printed menus, and just calories on menu boards (where space is limited).

Although Americans eat out more than ever before, few restaurants provide nutrition information. As a result, we often are getting more calories, fat, and salt than we realize. This can be particularly problematic for people who watch what they eat to manage health conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure.

Restaurant labeling regulations would give the citizens of our state an important new tool to help us eat well and maintain a healthy weight. It would provide information that would allow people to take responsibility for their own health and make more informed decisions for a significant and growing part of our diet. And limiting the requirement to chain restaurants would not burden independent restaurants.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Your Name.

You can help yourself eat better, by making better informed decisions. In order to do so, we need the information.  Please help in attaining the information.

Some links you might enjoy:

Become a fan of Menu Labeling at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Menu-Labeling/29002084021

http://www.cspinet.org/menulabeling/

http://takeaction.cspinet.org/CSPI/alert-description.html?alert_id=10171593

http://www.diet-blog.com/archives/2009/01/21/united_kingdom_to_post_calories_on_menus_too.php

http://www.diet-blog.com/archives/2008/11/21/calories_on_fast_food_menus_should_it_become_law.php

2010: Year of ACTION. Do not tell me your goal, and you will succeed.

Why so quiet at Simpleweight?  Where are the blog posts that I love?  Where is the updates to the system?

Some answers to follow.

First off, Its January 18.  How are you doing on your 2010 resolutions & goals?  Have you given up hope?  I hope not.

If we think about the root word of resolution.  One who is resolute will be characterized by firmness and determination. If I look in the the simpleweight archives, back in 2007, I described Dalai Lama’s 7 steps to positive lifestyle change: Learning, Conviction, Determination, Action, Effort, Habit, and Eliminate Negativity.

Behavior and lifestyle changes require self-motivation, self-discipline, and Determination!  We must persevere through the difficult times in order to enjoy the fun and easy times.

For myself, I’ve labeled 2010:  the year of Action. I am going to “DO” in 2010!  If you think about it, in order for anyone to achieve their fitness goals,  They must ACT.  You must do!  You must move! Weight-loss or weight-gain will not happen on their own.  You have to act on your goals rather than just talk about your goals. So, what have I done?

I put a plan in place for exercise. Everything else must fit in around it. Weight Lifting (alternating muscle groups) six days a week in the morning prior to the kids get up in the morning.  Cardio (walking, running, and elliptical) six days a week in the evening after the kids go to bed.  Swimming when I can get to the pool which will likely be once a week for now. For the past two weeks, I have implemented that plan, and I have exercised more days than I have not.  It feels good.

If you have been following Simpleweight at all, you know that Food In = Food out.  I have increased my Food Out part of the equation.  That’s what I wanted to focus on first.  One Step at a time.  For the Food In part of the equation, I have tracked my food most of the days.  Although, I have yet to make a major change in my eating habits.

Why have I told you what I did rather than what I am going to do?  Mid to late December, I ran across Derek Sivers blog post titled:  Shut up! Announcing your plans makes you less motivated to accomplish them. This blog post contradicts what I hear from most self-help experts.  They say:  Tell everyone publicly what you are going to do.  It motivates you and makes you more committed.  Yet, when I read this article, a red brick hit me in the face. I recommend you go read it, but here’s a quick quote for those of you who don’t want to click through.

Tests done since 1933 show that people who talk about their intentions are less likely to make them happen.

Announcing your plans to others satisfies your self-identity just enough that you’re less motivated to do the hard work needed.

Wow.

Here’s the abstract of the recent study  “When Intentions Go Public: Does Social Reality Widen the Intention-Behavior Gap?”

ABSTRACT—Based on Lewinian goal theory in general and self-completion theory in particular, four experiments examined the implications of other people taking notice of one’s identity-related behavioral intentions (e.g., the intention to read law periodicals regularly to reach the identity goal of becoming a lawyer). Identity-related behavioral intentions that had been noticed by other people were translated into action less intensively than those that had been ignored (Studies 1–3). This effect was evident in the field (persistent striving over 1 week’s time; Study 1) and in the laboratory (jumping on opportunities to act; Studies 2 and 3), and it held among participants with strong but not weak commitment to the identity goal (Study 3). Study 4 showed, in addition, that when other people take notice of an individual’s identity-related behavioral intention, this gives the individual a premature sense of possessing the aspired-to identity.

Now, that is powerful stuff. It contradicts everything I have thought of when it comes to the power of intention.

Let’s break it down in plain english.  You tell your friend you are going on a diet, and plan on losing weight.  You now feel satisfied, because you’ve done step one.  You’ve made your goal public like many experts state.  However, just because you have taken a step and made it public, you start to feel like you are already attaining your goal.  So, since you feel like you are already losing weight, you actually don’t work as hard to attain your fitness goal.

So, what can we do?  Well, if you are going to make your goals public, don’t state them as if you achieved anything.  Like, I joined a gym or I weighed myself today.  Make it more where the person you are sharing said goal with will actually motivate you.  For example, if I share with my wife that I want to eat less, I can say:  at dinner, please ask me if I am really hungry before I get up for a second serving of dinner.  Use it more in an active motivating process rather than a congratulatory process.

Currently, I am self-experimenting with this theory this month and beyond.  Instead of telling people, what I am going to do.  I just do it, and then tell them what I did.  I ACT.

Now, you know why I have been silent here on the blog. I wanted to do something first and then talk about it afterwards.  2010 – Year of Action.

I know that our simpleweight tools and the menu bar across the top has been intermittently working. I have nothing to announce right now.  Let’s just say, keep telling us about it, and tell us what we can do to help you achieve your fitness goals?

Remember:  Food In = Food Out.  Take Action to change that equation, and you will achieve your goal.

Use Am I Hungry to Lose Weight

Am I the only one that talks to themselves while eating?

Normally, I am thinking,

“mmm, this is good.  I want more of this.  Oh, wow, mmm.  Can I have some more?  This is some of the best food I have had in a while (since lunch).  mmm.  I have to keep eating this.  Good Cook!”

You know what, I normally do keep eating it.  I eat and eat until one of two things:  either there is no more food or I am entirely stuffed and full.

Obviously, this self-talk is sabotaging my goal of weight loss and weight management especially in my current semi-sedentary lifestyle. So, if I am to be serious about weight loss, One of my early goals must be to change my dining self-talk.

The best way for me to do this mentally is to constantly remind myself to eat until not hungry.  I have to ask myself after every bite of food.  Am I still hungry? If I answer yes, I keep eating.  If I answer no.  I stop. It’s a simple question, and if we’re honest with ourselves,  You will stop eating.  For me, I just don’t ask.  I just don’t think about stopping, because I am too busy stuffing my face and enjoying the food and drink.

Why is this eating such an important topic?

A Recent study that stated  reducing the amount of food you eat is more important than your exercise, and

“The message of our work is really simple,” although not agreeable to hear, Melanson said. “It all comes down to energy balance,” or, as you might have guessed, calories in and calories out.
Source: Edward Melanson, Ph.D., an associate professor in the division of endocrinology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver, quote from: New York Times

The energy balance is what we’ve been stating here on Simpleweight since our inception.  If you read the study in more detail, you’ll realize there is no “afterburn” of exercise. This is great news for those of us who find indoor fall/winter exercise boring. The challenge then is decreasing the quantity of food you eat.  Now, don’t get me wrong.  Exercise is still required in the equation, but its not the first item that needs to be tackled in your weight management and weight loss endeavors.

Now in my most recent post, I asked are you serious about weight loss?

I said “I know what I need to do.  I need to move, I need to eat less, and I need to measure my progress.  Will I do it?  stay tuned.”

In my post about the slow weigh, I talked about the way to weight loss.  The first item on the list is measure your progress. That’s what I did this week. I wasn’t perfect, but I didn’t need to be.  I just needed to measure my progress.  I did that.  I weighed myself everyday, and I tracked my food three of the past six days.  When we’re starting lifestyle change such as a diet and exercise regiment, it is more a mental battle than a physical battle.  We often times beat ourselves up if we miss.  The key, I have found, is to getting right back up and re-establishing the good habits you want as soon as possible.  So, failure is expected.  We won’t be perfect, but if we can get started and stay started, inertia will take over.

My goal for the next week is to continue to measure my progress, but I’m going to add one more to it.

Consciously try to change my dining self-talk from: Am I full/Is this good to Am I hungry?

I will fail.  I am not perfect.  The key is What do you do when you fail?  How do you handle it?  How soon do you pick yourself up and start again?

If there is anything we at simpleweight can do to help your weight management, please let us know.

Are you serious about your physical fitness? Six questions to ask yourself now.

Inside a recent simpleweight conversation.

“When are you going to get serious about your weight loss?”, asked my wife

I was kind of surprised by the question.  I mean, I measure my activity, my biometrics, and some of my food everyday. I talk about weight loss and overall fitness often.  I think about it, read about it, and sometimes even pray or meditate about weight loss.

My response was, ” I am serious.”

My wife then asked,  ”Are you?”

I have let this stew for weeks.  In fact, I don’t remember the date of the conversation.  It could have been months ago, but it feels more recent than months.  So, I put weeks.  The fact that I don’t remember the date, but vividly remember the conversation details is telling. Turning that question over and over in my head.

Am I serious about my physical fitness?

I’ve watched a few other bloggers struggle recently with this same question.  It often times is when we go dark.  What I mean by dark is when we’re not posting details, when we’re not measuring, when we’re not checking in publicly.  There is value in that.  Still, it reminds me of a conversation that I read about Knowing vs Doing and personal finance.  What I mean by that.  There is a difference of reading and learning about fitness and weight loss and actually doing it.  Knowing doesn’t make you lose weight.  Knowing doesn’t get you physically fit.  Knowing is just that.  You know.  Doing, now that is the difficult part.  Anyone can know what to do.  Doing takes disciplined action.

So, I thought to myself.  So, my wife doesn’t think I’m serious.  Well, Am I serious about physical fitness?  I’ve been formulating this over and over again.  My first thought then is.

What does it mean to be serious about physical fitness?

1. Move Everyday! I’m not talking about getting up, walking the few steps to the shower, then the few steps to kitchen to eat breakfast, then the few steps to the car, and then the few steps to the office, etc.  I’m talking about actual moving. Measurable Physical Activity.  Do I make it a priority in my every day routine to be active?  I have to say No.
2. Eat less food by eating only enough food until I’m not hungry. I do not do this at all. This is probably the biggest challenge for me. I always eat until I am full. I love food too much. I think, oh I have to have more of this.  its so good.  So, No.
3. Measure my progress to track trends. I weigh myself everyday.  I weigh some of my food everyday.  I don’t do enough physical activity to measure. Although, I measure items, recently, for the first time in a long time, I have not actually tracked the data except for the mental head check.  So, No, I don’t track the trends.
4. Control emotional eating by keeping a food journal. Nope, don’t do that.
5. (optionally) Eat healthy food. Eat Mostly plants (fruits, vegetables).  Stay away from sugary items, and get plenty of protein and fiber.  For the most part i do this.  I mean, I often eat Turkey based Chili, Tacos, Pasta Sauces.  I often eat vegetables at every dinner and lunch.  I often have fruits at lunch.  I eat whole grain breads, whole wheat pastas, and brown rice.  I try to eat poultry for protein with the occasional beef product thrown in there.  We use mostly olive oil based items rather than butter.  My snacks are rarely candy, although sometimes I splurge.  The issue for me is two fold:  I eat too much (see number 2) and sometimes I eat an over abundance proportionally of carbohydrates.  So, I’ll say yes.  I eat healthy food.
6. (optionally) Get enough sleep. Studies dictate that sleep helps with everything.  It helps keep the mind fresh which in turn helps keep you mentally sharp to deal with the day to day psychological struggles over eating. For the most part, I do sleep fine. Although there are times where work dictates fewer hours of sleep.

I have to say; it’s not looking good on my part.  Am I serious about my physical fitness?  The facts may dictate that I Know what to do, but my actions dictate that NO, I am not serious about my personal physical fitness.  You might have different criteria for being serious, but whatever they are.  I’d say if I look objectively at my situation, then No, I am not serious.  My actions speak louder than my words right now.

My next thought to myself, that I’ve been struggling with is:

Why am I not serious about physical fitness?

I mean, I have a fitness website.  I encourage everyone around me everyday to be active, to eat healthy, and to measure progress.  Begin with the end in mind, as Stephen Covey wrote.  Why?  What’s off in my motivations?  I finally came to the conclusion, that I don’t know.  I know it seems like a cop out.  It is.  Yet.  I have to be honest with myself first.  If I am not ready for it, then move on.  Am I ready to make the conscious effort that is necessary to change many years of bad fitness habits.  why now?  Why ever?  Good question.

So.  I know what I need to do.  I need to move, I need to eat less, and I need to measure my progress.  Will I do it?  stay tuned.

Are you Serious about Weight loss?  Ask yourself:

1. Do I move everyday?
2. Do I eat less food?
3. Do I measure my progress?
4. Do I control my emotional eating?
5. Do I eat healthy food?
6. Do I get enough sleep?

Let us know how we can help you get serious about your physical fitness.

System is Faster and better than ever

Hey Everyone.

We’ve done some maintenance on Simpleweight.  It is now faster and better than ever.

Please let us know if you find any issues, and as always, let us know how we can help you make weight management simple.