Calorie Counters Beware!
You May Be Consuming More Than You Think.
by Shin Ohtake creator of Max Workouts

If you've been diligently counting calories in hopes of cutting down your caloric intake so you can lose weight...you may be in for a rude awakening! Apparently all is not what it seems as indicated on the labels of packaged or canned foods.

According to a new study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, prepared foods may contain an average of 8% more calories than what's stated on their package labels and restaurant meals may contain a whopping 18% more calories than they claim.

And as far as the FDA is concerned, it's completely fine.

So let's say you're on a 1200 calories per day diet. 8% is only about 100 calories a day. But add that up and you're looking an additional 3000 calories a month and 36000 calories a year. Remember, there's 3500 calories in 1 lb of fat. At an extra 36000 calories per year...that's about 10 extra pounds of fat!

If you can't trust the information on the label, what are you supposed to do?

The federal government is super stringent when it comes to regulating the net weight of packaged foods...I mean think about the added cost of shipping! But when it comes to regulating the total calories in the package...they could careless. In fact, the inaccuracy of the calories may be far worse than the study suggests.

And if you're on a calorie restricted diet, you might as well forget about restaurants. When it comes to regulating calorie claims in restaurants, the FDA has no hand in it. Each state is responsible for their own work. Well, you can just imagine the results of that situation. Let's just say that 20% is probably on the low side of inaccuracy.

That being said, majority of people that eat out aren't overly concerned about caloric intake, so the lack of regulation isn't a surprise. And if you're really trying to watch what you eat, you'll either have to avoid going to restaurants or make sure that everything you order is plain, raw or broiled with sauce or dressing on the side. It's the cooking oils and sauces that really bump up the calories.

Lack of accurate calorie information in restaurant foods is forgivable, but inaccuracy in packaged food is definitely not. And I don't mean just for dieters...it's the principle of the matter. If you're going to have labels on packages, you want it to be factual so you know what it is that your buying.

However, truth be told, if you're reading the labels and checking for total calories...you're going down the all too commonly failed path of yo-yo dieters.

Calorie counting is not the way to lose weight.

I know what you're thinking...it's ultimately calories in vs. calories out right? Actually...NO. And before you start getting all worked up about it, let me explain.

Not all calories are created equal. The fact is, science is still uncovering new information on how your body truly metabolizes all the calories. Research is finding that the affect food has on your body is much more powerful than ever imagined.

Food isn't just calories...it's much more than that. Foods actually communicate with your cells and controls the vast network of biochemical processes that's responsible for your metabolism.

Bottom line is...you need to be more concerned about what you eat more than how much you eat.

The secret to losing weight is to eat the foods that your body was meant to eat, not what the food industry pushes you to eat. This means eliminating all processed, refined and genetically altered foods - which is great, since it completely eliminates the hassles of having to read any labels...ever again!

Does this mean absolutely no processed foods, no fast foods, no junk foods...at all?

I always say, everything in moderation...but ask yourself this question every time you have a junk food craving. If you owned an Aston Martin, could you ever imagine putting into your beloved car, anything less than the best mechanical fluids there is to put into it? Would you ever contemplate putting in regular gas and regular engine oil?

I didn't think so. So why would you treat your body any differently?

Anyway, to makes things a little easier...I've listed the worst types of foods that you should immediately and permanently avoid:

• White flour products: breads, white rice, pasta, baked goods (pastries, muffins, cookies etc.)



• All refined sugars (List of different names)


• High fructose corn syrup / corn syrup



• sucrose



• glucose



• maltose



• dextrose



• lactose



• fructose



• fruit concentrate



• honey



• maple syrup



• natural cane sugar



• brown sugar



• dehydrated cane juice,



• turbinado sugar etc.




• All genetically modified foods (GMO) ie. soy lecithin (an active ingredient in chocolate bars), corn starch, canola oil



• All Polyunsaturated oils: soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil and vegetable oil (This means, anything fried - donuts, fries, fried chicken, chicken wings, meatballs etc.)



• Hydrogenated oils (trans fat - ie. hydrogenate soybean oil) - Anything that's got preservatives in it, which is pretty much all packaged foods like crackers, biscuits, chips, even most cereals

So here's the deal...you don't need to know any of the above mentioned items if you stick to eating unrefined natural whole foods. It's quite simple really, and it gets even simpler. When you're grocery shopping, you don't have to go up and down aisles looking for products anymore. Avoid the inner aisles all together and just stick to the outer areas, where all the natural whole foods are located.

If you're unsure about what to buy and eat, here's a quick break down.

All whole foods can be broken down into three simple (macronutrients) categories: Protein, Carbohydrates and Fats. The best way to eat is to try and have a little from each category.

This usually means some (lean) protein, a decent amount of carbs (complex - fruits and veggies) and some (healthy) fats. The ratio of macronutrients will vary according to each individual and although there are plenty of diets and nutritional experts out there, that claim a certain ratio is better than others, it's really not the case.

The truth is everyone is different and so each one of us has a ratio that works best for us, and that's something that you'll have to figure out yourself.
Just keep in mind to include some foods from each category every time you eat and make sure that the foods are all unrefined whole foods.

To help you out a little, here's an abbreviated list of recommended foods categorized by macronutrients:

• Lean protein: fish (wild salmon, tilapia, halibut, mackerel), shellfish (shrimps, scallops, clams, mussels), poultry** (free range chicken and turkey), red meat** (grass fed beef) ** all poultry and meat should be free of hormones and antibiotics



• Fruits: All type and varieties. (Try and purchase organic when possible to minimize herbicides and pesticides exposure on the produce)



• Vegetables: All types and varieties. (Limit your intake of starchy veggies such as peas, parsnip, corn, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, turnips)



• Unrefined Whole Grains: brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, millet (Be careful with gluten, since many people are allergic to it. If you're gluten sensitive, stick to gluten free whole grains)



• Beans: black beans, kidney beans, lentil beans, navy beans, pinto beans, (organic) soy beans (Make sure all beans are cooked thoroughly to neutralize all harmful anti-nutrients)



• Nuts and seeds: Almonds, walnuts, Brazilian nuts, hazelnuts, pecan, cashew (It's best if you can get raw nuts. It's recommended that raw nuts be soaked for 24 hrs first and then dried to neutralize all harmful anti-nutrients)



• Fats and oils: Olive oil (extra virgin), coconut oil (extra virgin), grapeseed oil, almond oil, flaxseed oil, walnut oil (**A good dietary supplements are EFA's ie. fish oils)

Stick to eating balanced meals and snacks comprised of unrefined natural whole foods and you'll never have to worry about counting calories ever again!

Eat for your health, not for your weight, and amazingly your body will respond by naturally sloughing off stubborn unwanted fat.

Shin Ohtake is the author of the world-famous fitness program, MAX Workouts. To learn more about how you can get ultra lean and toned with shorter workouts, visit http://www.MaxWorkouts.com

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