Important: Make sure you have officially signed up for 21DHL before you proceed.

This is Day 2 of Live a Healthier Life in 21 Days Challenge, Jan 2012 run. Subscribe to the free newsletter for lifetime access of personal development articles and future challenge announcements like this one.

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE! It's Day 2 of 21DHL - How are all of you doing?! Hope all of you are doing GREAT!



Important: Signing Up

I noticed quite a few of you running around and posting in the forums as a 21DHL participant even though you have not signed up for 21DHL yet! o_O If your name doesn't appear in the participants list, you are not a part of 21DHL... YET.

Please sign up first by posting a reply to the sign up thread. The reason why I require all of you to do this is because I'd like to have an official member count for the challenge (as with all challenges) and also to officialize your participation.

Sharing Your Journals With Others

As you can see, there are Tweet and Facebook share buttons on the top right corner of every 21DHL journal, beside the red "New Reply" button. This lets you easily share your journal with anyone you think may be interested! You can also use the same tweet/facebook buttons on the 21DHL official daily tasks and share them with others.

Let's spread the message of healthy eating with others!

So yesterday was Day 1, and it was about drinking the right amount of water (about 8-10 glasses for most people). How was it? Did you drink enough water? Did you have a challenge remembering to drink?

Some of you mentioned that drinking water is part of your healthy living plan, and that's fantastic. Remember, water is life and it's important to drink enough of it if you want to be healthy and even lose weight. Track this habit for the rest of the 20 days as we move ahead.

Today is Day 2, and we'll be moving on to.......

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Day 2 - Create a Calorie List

Today's task is to create a calorie list. What's a calorie list, you may ask? It's a term I use to refer to a list of food items that we commonly eat, along with their respective calorie and nutritional information.



Why is it important to have a calorie list? It's not intended for us to count calories of every single thing we eat in an obsessed fashion. Not at all. I've tried counting calories of every single thing I ate for an extended period of time before (1 year actually) and it was quite tiring. I felt I was on some kind of leash when it came to eating.

On the other hand, I gained very important knowledge in the process. The process made me more aware of the calorie and nutritional level of the foods that I was eating. I realized some of my favorite foods that I'd eat a lot of, were not only high in calories, but extremely low in nutritional level. I also realized that there are many healthy food sources which are low(er) in calories and power packed with nutrition (vegetables for one, salads, fruits, sprouts). I also realized the extremely low caloric count of most vegetables, which meant that even if they may be voluminous and make me feel full after eating, they are not enough for my daily caloric needs, and it is important for me to eat more to meet my energy needs for the day.

It's important to have a calorie list because it helps you to be aware of the calorie and nutrition level of what you consume. It helps you to be conscious of what you're putting inside your body. Do you prefer to consume high calorie, low nutritional level food or healthy foods with high nutrition? Surprisingly, a lot of the foods we eat actually are much higher/lower in calories and nutrition than we realize. And it is through creating a calorie list that we can get clarity on that.

Hence for today, we'll be creating our own calorie list!

Step 1: Write down a list of foods you commonly eat (5 min)

First, start an excel spreadsheet or create a table in word document. Think about all the foods that you typically eat and write them down. Be exhaustive. Your list should include:

1. Foods you've been eating in the past week
2. Foods you want to keep out of your diet but end up eating anyway
3. Any food that you have an interest in eating

Be specific with your items. If you eat fruits, don't just list "Fruits" since there are many different kinds of fruits and each have a different nutritional information. A good, specific list will be like the one below:

1. Oranges
2. Apples
3. Walnut
4. Green peas
5. Brown rice
6. Instant noodles
7. Pasta (Penne)
8. Dressing (Thousand Island)

Step 2: Record the calorie and fat content of the items (15 min)

Create 2 new columns beside the food items to record the (a) Calorie count (Cal - 1 cal = 4.18 KJ) (b) Fat content (g). We're recording calories because it's the overall measurement of energy. On the other hand, we're recording fat because we're in a society today where most of us have extremely high fat content in our diets without even knowing it (average American consumes nearly 50% of fat in their diet!!). High fat diets are slow contributors to many heart diseases and illnesses and it's important to be conscious of the fat levels in our diets. On the other side of the spectrum, we may have people who may be eating little, but their fat intake may be way high! That's extremely unhealthy as well. Calorie is merely one part of the equation in living a healthy life.

If you buy your food from the supermart, they usually have nutritional labels, so get the information directly from there. If you don't have the labels - it's okay! There are extremely useful calorie counters online that you can use!

1. The Calorie Counter
2. Calorie Count
3. New Calorie Counter
4. Live Strong (for common Singapore food items)
5. Nutrition @ SG (for common Singapore food items)
6. Spark People (You've to sign up to get access to their counter - sign-up is free)
7. Fitness Pal (Thanks participant clarkindee for the recommendation! You've to sign up to get access to their counter - sign-up is free)

Remember to record down the unit of the food for the respective calorie/fat (lbs, oz, pieces, slice, etc). Otherwise the numbers wouldn't mean much by themselves!

If you'd like to record other information in your list (such as protein, carbs), feel free to do so! Just ensure that you record the calorie and fat.

Step 3: Track your food intake today

Now, as you progress through the day, record everything you eat and the unit sizes. Go about it as a usual day without intentionally trying to restrict yourself just because you're tracking calories. The intent of this exercise is become aware of the amount of calories we take in every day with our typical eating habits.

Are we overeating or under-eating every day? We'll find out soon enough! In tomorrow (Day 3)'s task, we will be calculating our TDEE, which will help us identify our energy needs and how much we should consume each day to meet this figure.

By the way, since your calorie list is supposed to be a comprehensive list, it should include the foods you're eating today. If not, add on to the list!

Day 2 of Your 21-Day Healthy Living Plan

What are your tasks listed for today? Do them with excellence and report them in your 21DHL Journal.

Also, read your group mates' 21DHL journals and cheer them along! Pick a few members' journals and make it a point to post meaningful replies there.

Update Your 21DHL Journals

Once you are done for the day, update your 21DHL Journal. You are also welcome to update your 21DHL Journal multiple times throughout the day. Post all your results for today's task and your 21-Day Healthy Living Plan directly in your journal.

If you have any questions specific to today's task, post them here.

"If you want to get something you have never gotten before, you've to do something you've never done before."
Personal Excellence - For people passionate about achieving excellence in life

This is a great idea. Being obsessed with calorie counting is a great way to hate food and create guilt. But understanding the basics of what you eat can really help put your intake into perspective. If you know that 'snack' is actually worth about a third of your daily calorie intake, you can make much better choices - either choose not to have it, have less, or eat less calorie dense foods for the rest of the day.
Great task

I was wondering, I struggle with finding the correct amount of calories I should have in each day because each counter is so unique, and the answers are usually way off.
Do you have a suggestion for a good site that is decently correct?

Hi Cele! I think I may have some useful sites for this challenge. I've done something similar in my health class last year where I had to keep track of all the foods I ate in one week. Back then, I noticed I only eat about an average of 1500 calorie per day! I hope this year will be better and I hope these links may help you out.

Calorie control
Nutrition data
boohee (for people that can read Chinese)
Calorie King
Diet facts, very helpful for people who eat out at restaurants a lot!
Calorie lab

(01-02-2012 09:24 AM)k365 Wrote:  I was wondering, I struggle with finding the correct amount of calories I should have in each day because each counter is so unique, and the answers are usually way off.
Do you have a suggestion for a good site that is decently correct?

Hey k365, do you have an example of a food item you feel is off? All the sites listed are pretty decent in their own right (and hence why they have been recommended). Nowadays, it's getting easier and easier to get the calorie figures since they are listed on the packaging most of the time. The online calorie counters are good in instances where there is no nutritional information available.

"If you want to get something you have never gotten before, you've to do something you've never done before."
Personal Excellence - For people passionate about achieving excellence in life

Hi Cele! I'm very happy to see your blog last year and follow your 30DLBL. For 21DHL, I can't wait to start, because I'm trying my best to lose my weight. Here is a tip for Chinese(if there are) to track their calorie, cause I'm a Chinese student.
http://www.boohee.com/
which is a fair good website for chinese to create an own daily calorie list. Free to sign up.

What is a healthy number for fat intake per day?
I have been working on making a chart for calories and total fat but it's just a whole bunch of numbers to me. I don't really understand what a good and bad number for fat intake is.
Also do you know any good locations that teach you and explain how to read a label and what it means?

(01-03-2012 05:15 PM)Tanya Wrote:  What is a healthy number for fat intake per day?

I'm wondering about the same thing...

(01-03-2012 05:15 PM)Tanya Wrote:  Also do you know any good locations that teach you and explain how to read a label and what it means?

Do you have an adult education enter in your city or nearby? Maybe they have classes on this issue. I once (3 or 4 years ago) visited such a class, it was very informative. The 'teacher' went shopping with us at a large supermarket and showed us how to read the labels and what they mean.

(01-03-2012 09:28 AM)Celes Wrote:  

(01-02-2012 09:24 AM)k365 Wrote:  I was wondering, I struggle with finding the correct amount of calories I should have in each day because each counter is so unique, and the answers are usually way off.
Do you have a suggestion for a good site that is decently correct?

Hey k365, do you have an example of a food item you feel is off? All the sites listed are pretty decent in their own right (and hence why they have been recommended). Nowadays, it's getting easier and easier to get the calorie figures since they are listed on the packaging most of the time. The online calorie counters are good in instances where there is no nutritional information available.

I meant calorie expenditure (didn't word that very well), but it works great, cause the next day that was our challenge! Somehow you just know!

(01-03-2012 10:20 PM)k365 Wrote:  I meant calorie expenditure (didn't word that very well), but it works great, cause the next day that was our challenge! Somehow you just know!

Ah I see! Actually I did state that TDEE is our next task at the bottom of Day 2 (refer to the task above). I try to mention the task for the next day where possible so everyone can have a mental preparation ahead. Hope you find the tasks helpful for you!

"If you want to get something you have never gotten before, you've to do something you've never done before."
Personal Excellence - For people passionate about achieving excellence in life

Hello there
If you read french, here's a great site : http://www.les-calories.com

Enjoy, and thank again for all, Celes !

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.
-Henry Ford

@Celes: What is a healthy number for fat intake per day?

@bfhpierce: Thanks for the advice. However, I don't have that kind of class near buy but I'm going to try to look into it.

I have been following a food plan where I eat every 2 1/2 to 3 hours, and the food choices are given in food groups (like "protein" "carbs" "fruit" veggies"), and the amounts are specified (weighed and measured,) according to one's body type, so calorie counting has not been necessary for this approach to work for me.

I am being mindful and learning all the time what are more nutritional foods than others, and choose the more powerful foods. This food plan is virtually "no fat," but I realize that some healthy fat is essential for the brain and the body to run efficiently and smoothly, so I have up to 2 tablespoons of highest lignan flaxseed oil every day.

The carbs I eat are sweet potato, yuca, white potato, brown rice, steel-cut oats, mainly. They are limited to 1/2 cup for each breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Protein is 2 oz. for each breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and I eat mainly fish, seafood, poultry, occasionally tofu.

I do not have sugars, sweeteners (occasional stevia) or any refined carbs or processed foods in my food plan, ever. No caffeine, no alcohol. I focus on whole foods, organic when possible, and all food is prepared at home. With rare exception, I do not eat out.

I would estimate my caloric intake at about 1100 calories. I have averaged dropping about 3 pounds a week up to this point. I am hoping on being able to maintain that kind of weight loss as I step up my physical activity/exercise.

I have read studies on how important it is to get enough sleep, so I need to focus in on that, because I tend to stay up very late sometimes, and just keep going (reading, writing, internet). I want to burn fat as efficiently as possible, and yet stay balanced, on an even keel, on all levels.

I find that eliminating the foods that cause the cravings (for me, sugar and flour and fat-based foods), eliminates the cravings and the mental obsession with foods. Halleluia!

I find having whole, natural foods truly nourishes me, and I am satisfied with smaller amounts. That is a VERY big statement coming from me, since I had always been a volume eater. I am much more calm and peaceful and accepting with learning what foods are healthful and balancing to my body. To be free from the mental obsession and compulsion to overeat gives me a life that is my own, not one under the oppressive and life-robbing heel of addiction. I recall thinking I was doing what i wanted to do when I was "satisfying" a craving(for me there never was such a thing as "satisfying a craving"...the craving and me only got bigger and bigger.) But I wasn't in control at all. I was obsessed, possessed, and addicted. I really was living to eat.

Now I choose to LIVE, and that is by eating healthily to live my best life. It's been a lifetime of ups and downs, and I have definitely had plenty of sobering consequences along the way. Not being able to stand tall and leaning on a cane is not my image of myself at all, and I am super-motivated to shed excess pounds so I can have knee replacement surgery if necessary and/or anything else it takes to stand tall, be active, and feel comfortable in my own skin.

So be it!
Bette

(01-03-2012 06:57 PM)bfhpierce Wrote:  

(01-03-2012 05:15 PM)Tanya Wrote:  What is a healthy number for fat intake per day?

I'm wondering about the same thing...

It depends on who you are asking this question to. The general established standard in the health authorities is that no more than 33% of our calories should come from fat (9 calories = 1 g of fat). (Take note though, that this standard, is set in a society where many have yet to reach a consensus on what's the healthiest, highest form of diet for man.) Many weight loss plans would suggest less than 33% of fat. Low-fat diets probably recommend 20% or less calories from fat. My personal ideal diet is the low fat raw vegan diet, which recommends only 10% of calories consumed should come from fat.

I recommend you to experiment with different fat intakes for a period of time and see how it works out for you. I've experimented with multiple diets before, which helped me to conclude LFRV diet as my ideal diet of choice (for the time being, anyway).

(01-03-2012 05:15 PM)Tanya Wrote:  Also do you know any good locations that teach you and explain how to read a label and what it means?

Try doing a search on google, and I'm sure you will find a lot of useful sites on reading nutritional labels. For example, searching "how to read nutritional labels" on Google bring me these sites:

Nutrition Facts: An interactive guide to food labels
How to Read Nutrition Facts Labels
Reading Food Nutrition Labels

It's easy to get lost in the sea of information though. I suggest you identify what are the key things that matter to you, then look out for them in labels. For example, I'm vegan, so my priority when reading labels is to ensure there is no dairy in the list of ingredients. I also consume food to match my energy and nutritional needs, so I'll always keep a lookout on the (a) calorie content (b) fat content © vitamins/minerals. I'm also averse towards food with additives and high salt content, so I make sure the food I buy has low levels of sodium and artificial flavorings/preservatives.

"If you want to get something you have never gotten before, you've to do something you've never done before."
Personal Excellence - For people passionate about achieving excellence in life

I love the calorie count website http://www.caloriecount.com Do you have any recommendations for website(s) that offer calorie/nutrition information on restaurant menu items in Canada? Thanks!

(01-05-2012 12:59 AM)Marjorie Wrote:  I love the calorie count website http://www.caloriecount.com Do you have any recommendations for website(s) that offer calorie/nutrition information on restaurant menu items in Canada? Thanks!

Not that I know of. I'll recommend that you check google - it'll probably bring up a lot of useful sites. Hope that helps!

"If you want to get something you have never gotten before, you've to do something you've never done before."
Personal Excellence - For people passionate about achieving excellence in life

(01-05-2012 12:59 AM)Marjorie Wrote:  I love the calorie count website http://www.caloriecount.com Do you have any recommendations for website(s) that offer calorie/nutrition information on restaurant menu items in Canada? Thanks!

Marjorie, if you're talking about major chain restaurants, these often have nutritional information posted on their own websites, for example, subway.com. This is especially the case for fast food places.