Losing weight is as much about what you eat as it is about exercising.  The most significant step you can take towards a healthy lifestyle change is to educate yourself about the foods you eat and what you feed your family.

We are fortunate enough to live in a country where every food manufacturer is required to disclose the ingredients and nutritional information of their products to us, the general public.  This very fact gives us power! As long as we know what to look for, we can steer clear of toxic ingredients and feed our bodies real, nutritious food.  To start, begin looking at the nutrition facts of the foods you buy – paying special attention to the items listed below.  You’ll be a nutrition expert in no time!

Total Calories: Take note of exactly how many calories you are consuming because when you’re trying to lose weight, every calorie counts!

Total Fat: Don’t be scared of this number!  You should consume fat in your diet; in fact, you need it! The important thing is to choose the right types of fat.  You will usually find these broken down underneath Total Fat on the label.  Here is what you should look at:

Saturated Fat: You want as little of this as possible!  Look for 5g or less on packaged foods.  Also, compare this number to Total Fat.  If the numbers are close in value, then the food item contains mostly saturated fat and you should put it back on the shelf!

Trans Fat: Trans fats are toxic to the body – even worse than saturated fats!  This value should be zero in ALL cases.

Unsaturated Fats: These are the healthiest fats, so don’t worry about the amounts.  They provide many essential fatty acids to our diets.

Total Carbohydrates: The carbohydrate group includes both sugars and fiber, which are always broken down underneath Carbohydrates on the nutrition label.  You should pay special attention to each of these, but for different reasons…

Fiber: The daily recommendation for fiber is 25g (for everyone!), yet most of us barely make it to 10g each day.  Fiber helps maintain a healthy digestive tract while slowing down the digestive process.  That means you’ll stay fuller for longer!  You want this number to be as high as possible – anything over 5g per serving would be admirable.

Sugar: Your worst enemy. Period! Eating foods high in sugar will not only put you on the fast track to diabetes, but you will have a significantly harder time losing weight and keeping it off.  With this in mind, keep your sugar content as low as possible.  On packaged goods, aim for 10g or less.

Total Protein: Protein is just as important to your diet as carbohydrates and fat, yet it often gets overlooked.  Protein consumption is a vital component of a regular exercise program because it helps rebuild muscles after a grueling workout.  This means that as you lose weight, you can be sure you are losing 100% body fat – not lean muscle. Look for items that contain at least 7g protein per serving; or combine a low-protein food with a high-protein item such as low-fat cheese, chicken, turkey, or eggs.