Melanie's Corner

The new year is here, and it’s certainly not too late to make a resolution. Perhaps you’ve made one already, but is it realistic? Dieting and weight loss seem to be among the most popular year after year. What exactly do they entail though? Sometimes, our resolutions are so broad and tough that we make it difficult for ourselves to stick to them. It’s no wonder most of us barely make it through February before we crack.

Make it easier on yourself this year, and focus on small things at a time. Take portion control for instance. Instead of telling yourself you’re going to cut out certain foods all together, how about “enjoy your food, but eat less?”

That just so happens to be the message of the second phase of the USDA MyPlate campaign. The best part about it is that it’s realistic. Portion sizes have become out of control. Everywhere we turn, we’re presented with value packs, super sized meals, and over-sized portions. We’re inadvertently consuming more than we should, because it’s right there in front of us.

So,  let’s step back a bit. The dieting and weight loss resolutions will fall under this one if we do it right. Here are some helpful tips when it comes to portion control:

• When eating out, ask for a “to-go” box for half of your meal. Most entrees served at restaurants are more than one person should consume in a single sitting.
• Try to drink a glass of water before your meal.
• Eat healthy snacks in between meals to appease your appetite.
• Try eating on a smaller plate. Sometimes, the visual is all it takes.
• Avoid eating directly from packages. We tend to eat more than we realize when we’re eating straight from the boxes or bags. (This is especially true with snack foods)
• Pre-portion tempting treats. When we’re presented with larger portions of delicious treats, it’s harder to resist. If you divvy them up in to “single-serving” snack bags, you prevent over indulging.
• Enjoy a salad before your meal.
• Avoid eating with distractions. The TV is the best example. If you’re munching while watching the latest episode of your favorite show, you’ll undoubtedly eat more.

Learning ZoneXpress has a wide array of portion control products with helpful reminders. Let’s start this year off right and be mindful of our portion control. We all know a little bit can go a long way. So, here’s to 2012! Enjoy your food, but eat less.

If you have any tips you would like to add, please comment below. We’d love to hear from you.

Yesterday, the winners of the ChooseMyPlate Fruits & Veggies Video Challenge were announced! This contest started at the end of  September and encouraged participants to create a short 30 second video about how they add fruits and veggies to their diets without spending an excessive amount of money.

There were three categories for submissions:

• Tips for kids
• Tips when eating at home
• Tips when eating away from home

The goal of this video challenge was to emphasize the USDA’s MyPlate dietary guidelines, specifically focusing on making half your plate fruits and vegetables. They received a total of 142 submissions, and if you a few minutes to browse through the video galleries, we really recommend it. Some of them are so creative. What a great way to spread such a positive message?

Alright, without further ado…here are the winners!

‘Tips for Kids’ Winner

‘Tips When Eating at Home’ Winner

‘Tips When Eating Away From Home’ Winner

Toni is a new member of the LZX team as of October, 2011. The following is her experience with the USDA’s new SuperTracker.

I’m 23 years old, and I could not be more excited to work for a company that focuses on nutrition education. It’s something I’m passionate about, but that I, like many others, need to be more conscious of. I don’t always eat right. Some of my absolute favorite foods are those I should be eating in moderation, but sometimes my taste buds just can’t help it.

Working here has really opened to my eyes to nutrition, and I certainly look at “MyPlate” differently. I recently went to the Doctor for a checkup and found out I have borderline high cholesterol! At 23, are you kidding me? Part of it is hereditary, but it opened my eyes to ways I might be contributing to the problem.

So, I was pretty excited to try out the USDA’s new SuperTracker online tool. It allows you to enter every meal you eat in a day and all of its contents. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks. It also allows you to enter your physical activity for the week. From it, the SuperTracker figures out your energy balance. It tells you how many minutes you need to be active in a day to maintain your current weight.

At first, I was skeptical to start my tracker over Christmas, but it was a great thing. My family and I added a healthy spin on our treats this year, and I actually didn’t do too badly!

The Super Tracker is super easy to use, and they have a wide variety of foods, so your meal plan can be very specific. It’s more accurate than I imagined, which really makes it easier to follow. It’s honest, and sometimes we need someone (something) to be honest with us in order for us to change our habits.

Once you begin using the tracker, you can create reports to see how well you’re doing. I printed mine today, and was quite surprised. Based on your weight, height, and age that you enter when you sign up, SuperTracker creates reports for you with your weekly averages and targets. Most of my nutrients were deemed ‘OK’ by the USDA’s SuperTracker, but one thing I did take note of is that my sodium intake is far greater than the target.

This really put things into perspective to me. I lost both my grandpa and my uncle this year due to heart related problems, and that’s the reason I went to the doctor in the first place. We have to take care of ourselves. If we don’t, who’s going to? Luckily, my parents instilled some healthy eating habits at a young age, but I need to be conscious of the decisions I make for myself as an adult.

For those of you wanting to do the same, this tool is a great way to start. It’s difficult to document every single food you eat unless you take good notes. It’s likely that you aren’t at a computer every time you consumer a food or beverage, so keep a little notebook with you. I jot down my entire intake for the day at work, and then enter my foods and activities for the day in the evening when I get home.

It’s only been a week, but it’s a perfect starting point. I suggest when you first use it, eat as you normally would and enter all of the truthful information into the SuperTracker. Print out the results for the first week, and use it as a base from which you can establish goals for yourself.

I have mine on my fridge, and I will track my progress each week I go on. I don’t expect myself to drastically cut out large parts of my diet, but I am making small changes at a time, and I know it will make a big difference in the long run.

I already notice a change in my instincts, and I’ve been reading nutrition labels more than I ever have. The Nutrients Report is so great, because it shows you what to look for! According to my report, I need less sodium and more fiber and potassium! So, those are the key things I look for when I go grocery shopping. I thought I’d start with those three and see how they go!

Visit the website to get started or to learn more about the USDA’s SuperTracker.