Originally Posted by kaplods:
Last night I was reading the labels on the Kung Pao and Fried rice Birdseye mealstarters and I found that the serving sizes listed were a little off. The fried rice dish listed 2 servings, but when I did the math it came to 2.53 servings. The kung pao claimed 2.5 servings but came out to 2.89.

This amounted to approximately an extra 100 calories per bag.

This is pretty typical for prepackaged items that have more than one seving, especially those that list the serving information as "about ____", but even when there is no "about" or "approximatly" in the serving info, the math can be off.

I'm ok with imprecise calorie counts, but it still annoys me when I find it.

And another thing the package doesn't make clear (unless I missed the info on the bag) is that the calorie count does not include the meat.

Ugh - that is annoying. That's pretty much why I'm sticking with single-serving pre-packaged foods for a bit - I don't want to do the math on multiple serving packages to make sure they're correct. ;)

Originally Posted by :
On another note, I did have to laugh at a friend's recent comment that frozen dinners did not teach anything about portion size or how to cook and eat "real food," after I revealed that I had been relying on frozen dinners more often as my arthritis and fibro has sapped more of my energy and interest in cooking.

I laughed and reminded her that I had lost 100 lbs cooking mostly from scratch and I had been dieting and studying weight loss and nutrition for more than 40 years. I knew how to eat, cook, and portion control and that eating frozen dinners was not going to make me forget everything I already knew.

I get tickled - and sometimes annoyed as well - when friends hear about what I'm doing and get all "teachy" about it, as if their way is far better and like they think I know nothing about diet and nutrition, having studied the science for upwards of 20 years.

I have on friend who is vegetarian and gluten free and is struggling with re-gain, another who is gluten free and has lost a lot, but spends half her life working out. And yet another who thinks that low carb is the only way to go (It was for me, too, for a few years, but just stopped working for me).
-----------------------
Yesterday evening, I had a planned "cheat" and ate a McRib - I know, they're disgusting and horrid and mystery-meaty and terribly unhealthy. But I crave them and about once a year I have to remind myself how terrible they are. I did just get the sandwich - no fries, no drink, but that's still:
500 Calories (not as terrible as I'd expected, but still not great)
22g Protein (this is okay)
26g Fat
44g Carbs
980mg Sodium (EEP!)
I'm satisfied for another year, and won't need to be doing THAT anytime soon. ;)

Today, I'm back on my plan. I'm currently enjoying my coffee with half&half, and will be having a progresso soup for lunch - probably something that feels hearty - can't get enough soup this time of year. I'll make roasted chicken breasts with rosemary and thyme for dinner, and maybe roast some brussels sprouts to go with them.

Even on one serving packages you need to make sure the serving size weight listed on the nutrition labelis identical to the package weight listed on the front of the package. Discrepancies are less common, but they're not exactly rare, either.

I think the nutrition labels should give data for the entire package as well as for the serving size and per 100g (which is the practice in many countries and allows one to more easily compare one food with another). I also believe that the package weight should be evenly divisible by the number of servings, with no fractions of a serving unaccounted for.

Have you tried Amy's frozen meals? They are pricier for sure, but really delicious, esp if you like Indian food! I liked to combine them with other frozen veggies to bulk up the meal.

I second Amy's frozen meals. I eat alot of Amy's stuff, love it, it is a life saver for me since I intensely dislike cooking.

Originally Posted by pixelllate:
Have you tried Amy's frozen meals? They are pricier for sure, but really delicious, esp if you like Indian food! I liked to combine them with other frozen veggies to bulk up the meal.

I have tried Amy's meals, and they are really delicious. Unfortunately, except when I can find coupons, they are a bit above my price range for everyday use. I especially like the Indian dishes. :)

Kaplods - agreed!

----------------------------

I was feeling crappy yesterday (sinus headache and constant nasal drainage), and made a lot of excuses as to why I was over-eating the comfort foods (example - Hormel chili and saltines - lots of calories there). The scale showed it this morning. I made my coffee and headed out into the biting cold today to run a few errands and stopped by Trader Joe's. Much of their pre-packaged food is too high in calories for portion size. But they do have a really great frozen veggies/shrimp stir-fry bag that is only 175 calories for the whole bag (lots of broccoli, snap peas, and water chestnuts). For you low carbers, it's also an excellent choice. It made a delicious lunch.

testing ticker
 

I'm not seeing the ticker I put in my signature from tickerfactory - just testing.

re:
 

While I understand that there are better nutritional choices than prepackaged foods, I am one of those that lost my weight almost exclusively on them. They did teach me portion sizes for those times when I eat something not already portioned out. I know too that some people's weight will not respond to the sodium/carbs in those meals.

I'm not a cook, and despite my efforts will likely never be. I hate cooking. Even something as easy as making spaghetti with jar sauce is not my thing.

Whatever works for you in your weight loss plan, do it.

Originally Posted by Vex:
While I understand that there are better nutritional choices than prepackaged foods, I am one of those that lost my weight almost exclusively on them. They did teach me portion sizes for those times when I eat something not already portioned out. I know too that some people's weight will not respond to the sodium/carbs in those meals.

I'm not a cook, and despite my efforts will likely never be. I hate cooking. Even something as easy as making spaghetti with jar sauce is not my thing.

Whatever works for you in your weight loss plan, do it.

I agree, Vex. I have the opposite problem - I'm a foodie and I love to cook - but I also love to eat what I've cooked, so I'm trying not to cook except for special occasions and just simple, low cal dinners. Otherwise, I'm sticking with single serving pre-packaged foods - they're still tasty, and I'm not tempted to eat my experiments if I'm not creating them. :D

Congrats on your weight loss! You give me inspiration :)

Well, after 1 week (Saturday to Saturday) and two "out of control eating" days, I maintained a loss of 4 lbs. I'm okay with that. Going to keep working on the portion control stuff, AND the snacking between meals stuff. I've noticed that when I eat a meal that doesn't have enough protein, I'm hungry quickly, so I'm adding that to my criteria - to make sure I'm getting enough protein.

I did this a few years ago, and I found it really helpful. Good luck!

I did it primarily as a way to get my stomach used to proper portions. That happened after only a month or two, so I didn't eat like this for that long. Like you, I also made a point of eating fresh produce every day too.

Crispin - I'm doing it for the same reasons - to get my stomach used to proper portions again. Today, I have a slow cooker of mixed beans with cajun spices going, and will add a little andouille sausage to that later - however, I already have the small bowl I will use to control my portion size, rather than eating out of a trough. ;)

Originally Posted by Arctic Mama:
And if you're struggling to maintain on very low carb, a plan reduced in calories and the same or higher in carbs is likely only going to exacerbate your issues :(

Why would this be? I didn't see where she said she was insulin resistant, carb sensative or otherwise. I see someone who says they temporarily are going to use pre-packaged foods to get a handle on portion control.

I'm not a fan of pre-packaged food as a means to lose weight long term but based on the circumstances it seems like a reasonable temporary plan to me.

John - I think, sometimes, if someone has found success with one particular way of eating, a bit of tunnel vision may happen, and they forget that every person is different chemically, and what works for one person may not work for everyone. I lost 120 lbs, and was mostly doing very high protein/low carb, as well as portion control. But, my body chemistry is changing in my mid-forties, and low carb just isn't working for me anymore.

But, the solution from someone who has had success with that? "Low carb isn't working for you? Then the other stuff won't - you should go low carb." ;)

Sometimes, I think it's a lot like a "religious" belief - that of, "if your prayers aren't being answered, it must be your fault. Pray harder." I think people can get the same with diet. "If the diet that works so well for me isn't working for you, then you must be doing something wrong. Try harder."

It's amazing to me how few people (even medical professionals) don't understand that every person is different. That's why some anti-depressants work for some folks but not for others - because each person is chemically different. Nutritionists and medical professionals haven't yet caught up with that where diet is concerned. One person may do very well on a diet high in grains/carbs, while another one can't metabolize them at all and needs low carb, while another one seems to only do well with low calorie. As body chemistry changes, the things that work for us might also change.

The good thing is, most of us who have struggled with weight have learned so much we should BE nutritionists. ;) But we also struggle with being shamed by fellow dieters who think their way is the only way that works, and we should all follow it, or we ourselves want to preach what is working for us. We need to learn to find what works for us - even if it isn't all that popular with purists (did you see that alliteration there? :D ), and just go about doing it.

I am the biggest supporter of bulk cooking and freezing, but I hear you that it's not for everybody.

I don't pull out a homemade frozen meal every day, but during the week I sometimes make super simple dinners that are in the 300-400 calorie range and take about 10 or 15 minutes. They aren't really "recipes" just some additional ideas when you're not going the frozen route - they are single serving, so there is isn't a temptation for eating leftovers.

One of my favorite easy meals to throw together is a pan seared piece of frozen fish over the frozen Asian vegetables mixed with a good squirt of sriracha and a bit of oyster sauce or stir fry sauce. I like to top the whole thing with chopped scallions and pepitas.

Another really easy one is any variety of frozen vegetables and 2% cheese corn tortilla quesadillas.

Fish tacos (frozen fish, bagged slaw, and a bit of mayo mixed with chopped pickles for tartar sauce)

Loaded microwave "baked" potatoes filled with any and everything.

Tortilla or flatbread pizzas topped with whatever toppings of choice

Breakfast for dinner

1-2 oz of pasta cooked and mixed with frozen vegetables in sauce (there are so many out there)

Frozen veggies mixed with canned beans and 2% cheese rolled into a burrito and pan seared for a crispy crust

Sometimes we all have to find our own way to reign in ourselves. Good luck! :)