Do You Know How Much You Are Eating?

Hint: It may be more than you think!

If you know how much you really eat every day, then you’re probably in the minority. (“Did I have two slices of turkey on my sandwich today or three?”) Researchers tried to get a handle on the matter, and found that adults with diabetes often say they eat less than they actually do – a lot less. And previous research suggests people with diabetes aren’t the only ones misjudging.

“Keeping track of how much you eat is especially important when you have diabetes. You don’t want to gain extra pounds or miscalculate your carbohydrate intake,” says diabetes educator Yi-Wen Ding, R.D., of Helwig Health and Diabetes Center. Excess weight and too many carbohydrates can worsen blood sugar control and increase your risk of heart disease, stroke and other complications.

Because many people enjoy the pleasure of eating, try this strategy. “Pick a food you enjoy and eat in a healthy way,” Ding says. “The best bite is the first one. So instead of ordering a whole dessert for yourself, split it with friends.”

Here are some tools to help you keep track of what (and how much) you eat each day:

1. Keep a Food Diary
2. Read “Nutrition Facts” Labels
3. Measure Your Portions
4. Use the Plate Method

1. Keep a Food Diary

To maintain good blood sugar control, you’ll want to eat a consistent number of carbohydrates throughout the day. A food diary can help keep you on track.

Your food diary should list, as specifically as possible:

• What you eat: List everything you eat every day, no matter how trivial it may seem. Examples: whole wheat bread, smoked turkey, lettuce, tomato.
• Portion size: For “whole wheat bread” list the number of slices; for smoked turkey, how many slices or ounces. If you have a container of yogurt, list “1 8-ounce carton of yogurt” not “1 yogurt.”
• Carbohydrates: Generally, most women should eat approximately 30 to 45 grams per meal and a 15-gram snack each day; most men should eat approximately 45 to 60 grams per meal and a 15- to 30-gram snack per day. (Ask your physician or diabetes educator for more specific recommendations.)
• Calories: “Keep track of calories, too, so you have a general idea of how much you’re eating,” Ding says. For a weight-loss diet, women should eat approximately 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day; men about 1,800 calories a day.

2. Read “Nutrition Facts” labels

The “Nutrition Facts” label offers a wealth of information about what you’re eating. Here are some tips to effectively read the label:

• Start with the serving size, this is what all the other numbers are based on.
• Check out the number of servings, and determine how much of the container you are eating.
• Read the total grams of carbs per serving.
• Read the grams of fiber per serving. If the serving has more than 5 grams of fiber, you can subtract that number from the total carbs. (The more fiber you eat, the more carbs you can eat.) For example, if a food contains 32 grams of carbs and 9 grams of fiber per serving, you can subtract the grams of fiber (9) from the grams of carbs (32), and end up with a total of 23 grams in that serving.
• Finally, look at the grams of fat per serving. A food is defined as “low fat” when it contains 3 or fewer grams of fat per 100 calories or per ounce.

3. Measure Your Portions

Just 20 years ago, dinner plates were 10 inches in diameter. Now, they’re 12 inches across. And serving sizes in restaurants are beyond big: One bowl of spaghetti at an Italian restaurant chain contains a whole pound of pasta!

“You need to eat reasonable portion sizes if you want to manage your weight and control your carb intake,” Ding says. Here’s a portion-size “cheat sheet” to make measuring as easy as 1-2-3!

4. Use the Plate Method

When dining out or enjoying dinner at a friend’s house, try using the “Plate Method” to figure portion sizes without using a measuring cup. On a nine-inch dinner plate, you should have half of your plate covered with non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, green beans or cabbage. A quarter of your plate can have starchy foods like bread, grains or potatoes, and the other quarter can have your choice of meat or protein source. You also can have a serving of fruit and milk (picture this alongside your plate). By using this method, you can control carbohydrate intake to no more than 45 grams per meal.

Need help keeping and analyzing your food diary? Call 610-402-CARE.

ARTICLE TOOLS: