Can you use the information on a food label to help you lose weight? Absolutely.


While it may take a little extra time to check out the Nutrition Facts Panel, it can provide you with valuable information.


To lose weight, you need to reduce the total number of calories that you consume daily and/or increase the amount of calories your body expends through physical activity. Food labels can provide you with the calorie values of food.


So the first thing to do is to look at the serving size on the label. All of the information that follows is for that specific quantity only. If the serving size for a pint of ice cream is a 1/2 cup, the calorie listing is for that amount only.


On the next line, it will tell you how many servings are in the container. In the pint of ice cream, there are four servings per container, because a pint contains 2 cups.


Few people will consume a 1/2-cup portion of ice cream. That's the equivalent of small individual Dixie cups given out at kids' birthday parties. The calorie value per serving will generally need to be doubled or tripled to equal a bowl of ice cream.

Follow up:

If the pint of premium ice cream lists 260 calories per serving, a bowl of ice cream that contains 1 1/2 cups provides 780 calories. That's a hefty serving of calories for an ending to a meal.


If you know a particular food has a lot of calories, you can use that knowledge to cut the serving size. For example, if you usually consume a 1 1/2-cup serving and reduce that to 1 cup, you will save 260 calories.


The concept of saving calories is important. Your body is accustomed to receiving a certain amount of calories daily. Attempts to save calories throughout the day results in a smaller intake at day's end.


When your body takes in fewer calories than it needs, it will rely on body fat (stored calories) for energy.


A savings of 250 calories per day results in a 1/2-pound weight loss per week. That equates to a weight loss of more than 25 pounds in a year.


In addition to judging portion sizes, you also can use the information listed on the label to comparison shop. You can compare the calorie content per serving of snacks, beverages, cereal and desserts -- everything that has a food label.


Using the ice cream example, you can compare ice cream with alternatives such as sherbet and frozen yogurt. On average, a 1/2-cup serving of frozen yogurt contains 120 calories.


Because this is lower in calories (almost by half), substituting frozen yogurt (1 1/2 cups = 360 calories) for your usual 1 1/2-cup serving of ice cream (780 calories) will result in a savings of more than 400 calories.


Reading food labels allows you to control portions and comparison shop for lower calorie foods. The resulting weight loss will be worth the effort.


Source: Delaware Online


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