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General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Rubystars on December 12, 2011, 05:45:20 AM
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I recently found out there are no sugar added versions of pie fillings in the baking sections of stores. I've been eating them right out of the can (very tasty) and have been losing weight while I'm doing it. One whole can of the Great Value No Sugar Added Cherry pie filling is 245 calories, and you could always split it into servings. There are 7 servings in a can at 35 calories each. I imagine if you wanted to, you could even top that off with a crumbled up graham cracker and a small amount of light whipped topping and you'd have a healthier pie option. It's Orthodox Union approved (It has the OU symbol on it) so I know it's kosher too for those who keep kosher. I know this time of year lots of people due to the cold weather want to have tasty rich foods. This is one way to have them without hurting your waistline.
I've seen no sugar added cherry and apple pie filling so far in different brands. Usually the apple is a little bit fewer calories than the cherry and both are good. I wish they'd come up with some other sugar free or no sugar added pie filling flavors.
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Does it have artificial sweetener ?
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How about just eating plain fruit?
Or better yet, baking a cake or pie yourself that only uses whole wheat, walnuts (if not allergic), Bananas (which are really sweet on their own), and olive or vegetable oil instead of butter or margarine? I can try and ask my mom for the ingredients of how she makes pie and banana bread...so healthy and filling.
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How about just eating plain fruit?
I do that too.
Or better yet, baking a cake or pie yourself that only uses whole wheat, walnuts (if not allergic), Bananas (which are really sweet on their own), and olive or vegetable oil instead of butter or margarine? I can try and ask my mom for the ingredients of how she makes pie and banana bread...so healthy and filling.
Why not just eat kale and call it a day then? This is about an alternative to high sugar, fattening pie filling. People have to eat more than spinach you know.
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Does it have artificial sweetener ?
Of course it does, it's a wonder of modern technology that there can be desserts that don't cause weight gain. Losing weight is the best way to improve health if someone is overweight and I'm sure the benefit of losing excess weight or maintaining a healthy weight is more than whatever small toxic effect an artificial sweetener (FDA approved and on the market for many years) would cause.
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I don't agree. This stuff is poison.
I also don't agree with government-set weight recommendations so far as women are concerned.
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I don't agree. This stuff is poison.
I also don't agree with government-set weight recommendations so far as women are concerned.
It's an individual choice what people choose to do but for me I feel much better after having lost 80 lbs since last summer and I don't think I could have done it as easily without artificial sweeteners.
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I'll say something about those nut allergies, why was it when I went to school I never knew of anybody who had one or heard of this problem but now so many of the yuppie kids supposedly have nut allergies? I don't doubt they're real for some people but it seems like a lot of people are faking it. PB&J was always standard kid food when I was growing up, nothing dangerous about it.
There are a lot of toxins in 'healthy foods' anyway. Carcinogens in celery, Goitrogens in cruciferous vegetables, oxalates in greens, cyanide in small doses in lima beans, etc. and I'm not going to cut out all those foods from my diet either because the benefits in general outweigh the risks. This is what I find ironic about people considering sweeteners to be bad.
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I'll say something about those nut allergies, why was it when I went to school I never knew of anybody who had one or heard of this problem but now so many of the yuppie kids supposedly have nut allergies? I don't doubt they're real for some people but it seems like a lot of people are faking it. PB&J was always standard kid food when I was growing up, nothing dangerous about it.
There are a lot of toxins in 'healthy foods' anyway. Carcinogens in celery, Goitrogens in cruciferous vegetables, oxalates in greens, cyanide in small doses in lima beans, etc. and I'm not going to cut out all those foods from my diet either because the benefits in general outweigh the risks. This is what I find ironic about people considering sweeteners to be bad.
There is a higher risk of having problems with food created by "man" than food that Gd created...same goes with religion.
Everything should be in moderation.
As far as eating spinach instead of pie made with artificial sweetners, of course spinach should be preferred, but I understand that sometimes its ok to indulge in cake in pie (once in awhile) and shouldn't be a substitution for foods that are in actuality healthy for us.. So don't get me wrong, Rubystars.
I can understand somebody making a choice to turn their health around and they are morbidly obese or have major diabetes issues and they need to substitute sugar for an artificial sweetner...like someone who has high blood pressure and needs to take medicine (which can also be considered poison..but it saves lives better than not taking medicine).
Rubystars, if you have it in your will power, better not to eat fruits from a can with artificial sweetners..or even using fruit from a can to make a healthier pie or cake. There are healthy organic ingredients that can be used to make delicious pie. Substitute white sugar with brown sugar. Instead of regular wheat, whole wheat flower. Instead of butter, use grapeseed oil. If you like the taste of bananas, you can use less sugar to make something yummy and sweet. Nuts are optional.
As far as nut allergies...it has always been quite common and the allergies can be deadly. I don't think it has anything to do with yuppies making up allergies. The same is true with shellfish and even certain other foods, like mango allergies.
But as far as a healthy well balanced diet and for weight loss, avoid the diet soda...it does more harm than good. Drink water, seltzer, or if you have to have soda, go 50/50 on the seltzer and soda...half the calories...and the more you get used to having less salty and less sweet tasting items, you will not only get used to it, but won't like the taste of the original saltiness and sweetness you used to have.
Btw, a great salad dressing: forget the non fat ranch/italian crap. Olive oil, lemon or balsamic vinegar, a touch of salt and pepper.
Or better yet, add to your salad greens like arugula and watercress...both flavorable greens that allow you to reduce the amount of salad dressing.
Another great dressing you can use yougurt, water it down and add dill or horseradish/wasabi with small pieces of cucumber. Very yummy.
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I make sweet things with bananas too. I had some banana and pumpkin smoothies last fall that were good and I also like banana + avocado. If bananas are ripe enough they can provide enough sweetness on their own for a lot of recipes.
I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and healthy stuff. I've eaten more cabbage and broccoli and carrots and cauliflower than I ever thought was possible and for the most part I enjoyed it. Just sometimes artificial sweeteners do provide a healthier option than sugars and allow people to eat things they otherwise couldn't eat.
I know if I eat a normal slice of pie then it will likely contain a crazy amount of calories (which is ok every once in a while, but not nearly as often as I would crave such a thing), even with the healthy subsititutions you mentioned. Canola/grapeseed oil is still pure fat.. Brown sugar is a little better for you than white sugar but is still sugar, still causes a bigger insulin response than many artificial options, and brown sugar tastes totally different than white sugar.
I don't think that artificial sweeteners are necessarily healthy, but I do believe that they are healthier than regular white sugar.
I usually don't use salad dressing at all because I like the taste of vegetables on their own. I don't eat raw spinach because I don't want to get that e-coli infection and raw spinach is frequently recalled for it.
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I prefer a big bowl of cherries, but that is just me. ;D
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I prefer a big bowl of cherries, but that is just me. ;D
Last summer my hands got stained red from making a big plate of cherries and other fruits every morning. ;D They really are good. What I do is get a butter knife and cut the cherry in half around the pit then twist it apart and then dig the pit out of whatever half its still stuck to. I really like the Ranier cherries too but they don't seem to have a very long season.
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I make sweet things with bananas too. I had some banana and pumpkin smoothies last fall that were good and I also like banana + avocado. If bananas are ripe enough they can provide enough sweetness on their own for a lot of recipes.
I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and healthy stuff. I've eaten more cabbage and broccoli and carrots and cauliflower than I ever thought was possible and for the most part I enjoyed it. Just sometimes artificial sweeteners do provide a healthier option than sugars and allow people to eat things they otherwise couldn't eat.
I know if I eat a normal slice of pie then it will likely contain a crazy amount of calories (which is ok every once in a while, but not nearly as often as I would crave such a thing), even with the healthy subsititutions you mentioned. Canola/grapeseed oil is still pure fat.. Brown sugar is a little better for you than white sugar but is still sugar, still causes a bigger insulin response than many artificial options, and brown sugar tastes totally different than white sugar.
I don't think that artificial sweeteners are necessarily healthy, but I do believe that they are healthier than regular white sugar.
I usually don't use salad dressing at all because I like the taste of vegetables on their own. I don't eat raw spinach because I don't want to get that e-coli infection and raw spinach is frequently recalled for it.
I'm glad that you are making changes and an attempt to cut calories. Just remember that it's not the fat or the calories that are the big deal...it's what you put in you. The fat that is in grapeseed or canola is better for you than butter and especially margarine which is the worst. A small amount of these oils in making cakes is all that is needed. I do understand that it changes the taste of that cookie or cake, but is a better alternative. I know that white sugar tastes different than brown sugar..and i should clarify that when I said brown sugar, i meant granulated brown sugar. You need more granulated brown sugar to get an equivalent sweetness with regular sugar..but still less is better than normal and cutting down more and more gradually is much better than an artificial sweetner that is much sweeter than white sugar. You think you can fool your body with sweeter fake sugar, but your body will work harder in making you crave to eat more pie and other sorts of foods that aren't good to eat regularly. Better to cut down on the sweetness of your foods when it isn't natural and needs to be added than to use artificial man made sweetners.
As far as raw lettuce/spinach etc...i completely hear you. My recommendation is to wash your vegetable 3 times and add white vinegar when you wash your greens. I believe there are certain anti-bacterial sprays that can be used. If you can eat your vegetables raw such as spinach, you will get more nutrients out of it.
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I don't really eat that many sweet things, most of the time my sweet cravings are satisified if I eat fruit or something, but you know Dr. Dan sometimes, especially around holidays, you want something more. I didn't really want to mention Christmas but you know around this time of year people eat a lot of baked goods or make a lot of them and then eat them and this can really cause someone to gain a lot of weight. I mentioned the pie filling as an alternative to all of that, not something someone should eat on an every day, regular basis. Of course you don't want to push out other, more nutrient dense foods from your diet on a regular basis.
I don't eat a lot of raw vegetables (I do eat some, like celery, but I prefer to cook most of my vegetables) because I've heard of too many people getting sick from them. If Spinach is contaminated with e-coli, then you can wash it as well as humanly possible and you'll still get sick because the contamination is inside the plant and can't be washed away. I like the taste of raw spinach with strawberries but I doubt I'll ever eat it again unless I grow it myself. It's just been recalled too many times.
I really like raw cauliflower too but it's better to cook it to get rid of more of the goitrogens in it.
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It's an individual choice what people choose to do but for me I feel much better after having lost 80 lbs since last summer and I don't think I could have done it as easily without artificial sweeteners.
There are other ways to lose weight. That is one of the worst actually. I am not getting on your case for the sake of doing so, I just care about you.
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There are other ways to lose weight. That is one of the worst actually. I am not getting on your case for the sake of doing so, I just care about you.
I know and I appreciate the fact that you and other JTFers care. Believe me I'm doing things much healthier than I was before and I feel so much better. I'm not gorging on artificial things just eating them sometimes, if that helps lessen your concern.
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I hate "lecturing" people but it really seems like you are trading one evil for another. I have not seen any pics of you so I can't judge what your weight was like but in general I think it's odd that society, including the medical establishment, judges women much more severely for being overweight than men (even though biologically speaking women were designed to have a higher ratio of fat to muscle than men for procreative purposes, and very often to be heavier than men of the same height). Even a very slender woman is going to have a lot less muscle and a lot more fat than a very slender man of the same weight. As much as I detest Martin Luther I do think he was absolutely spot-on in his description of the "proper" build of female and the purpose for it.
Obviously I don't believe that women are meant for nothing but to crank out kids, or that all women are supposed to have kids (yes I know Judaism differs on the second point, but neither of us are Jewish), but you can't deny that physiologically, G-d would want women to be able to not only have the energy reserves to sustain a pregnancy and survive doing so, but to be able to nurse for quite a while afterwards (prior to modern nutrition children commonly nursed well into the toddler years), and to have the cushioning/padding to be able to withstand long periods of being sedentary in this process.
Back to you specifically--I have no idea as to whether you were truly in a crisis state of obesity. It depends a lot on what your overall fitness level is/was and where your body fat was distributed. If most of your weight was around your midsection then yes, that is extremely unhealthy and it increases your chances of diabetes and a whole lot of other health problems. A woman can be only fifteen pounds overweight but life-threateningly so if all of that is on her abdomen and she can't lose it. If your weight was evenly distributed throughout your body then I have a hard time calling it a medical problem. I know women that have been 50, 75, 100 pounds "overweight" (depending on height) that look/ed great at that weight because it was primarily centered on their hips, thighs, buttocks, chest, and breasts, and that were far less attractive when they assumed a "normal" weight, and felt much more poorly too. You can't really control where your fat tends to accumulate but nonetheless, that is the main thing to consider when judging whether you have an actual medical problem that must be addressed.
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I had three different medical professionals at different times tell me I was at a dangerous weight. One even offered to put me on medication to help me but I told her I'd rather lose it more naturally with calorie restriction.
It caused health problems for me like a sore back, being short of breath, having sore knees and feet, and just plain being tired and worn out. I had and still have a physical job so I think having that muscle and exercise helped me from getting any diseases from it but my blood pressure has been borderline for years. Losing 80 lbs came off mostly through eating between 1200 and 1800 calories every day and I'm still losing. I'm aiming for 130, and I'm 5'5". I think that will be a good range for me. I found a web site which I can't post here (due to what would be considered immodest pictures, but not porn) which shows what women look like with different body shapes and at different weights and heights and those that are that height with that weight with a similar shape to me look slim but not too skinny as to be unhealthy, just perfect for what I'm looking for.
The more I lose the better I feel so far.
I agree with you that women in childbearing years should probably have some layer of fat, not to be obese but to have some to remain healthy. I'm not interested in doing that at the moment but I get what you're talking about there. High blood pressure during pregnancy or gestational diabetes are also big risks though so I don't think women should be fat when they're pregnant. I think it can cause other complications too, not sure what they all are.
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What about Apple pie? It is my favorite?
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What about Apple pie? It is my favorite?
The no added sugar pie filling also includes apple flavor. I have a can of it here so I'll post the nutrition facts. It has an OU symbol on it so you can eat it if you want to as far as kosher goes.
This is the Wal-Mart brand (Great Value) but Comstock and a couple of other companies also make similar, almost identical products:
Ingredients: Apples, Water, Food starch-modified (corn), spices, sucralose (a non-nutritive sweetener)
Serving size 1/3 cup (85 grams)
Servings per container (about 7)
Calories per serving: 30
Note: This means per can it's about 210 calories, not that bad!
Total Fat: 0
Cholesterol: 0
Sodium: 10 mg
Potassium 40 mg
Total Carbohydrate 7g
Dietary Fiber 1g
Sugars 6g
Protein 0
It says for comparison that regular apple pie filling is 90 calories per serving as compared to this which is only 30 calories per serving.
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Rubystars I want to commend you on the weight loss. It sounds like in your situation, the sweetners are the exception to the rule.
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Rubystars I want to commend you on the weight loss. It sounds like in your situation, the sweetners are the exception to the rule.
Thanks Dr. Dan. I don't think people should eat too many artificial sweeteners either, but I think like so many things, in moderation they're fine. Personally I'm more concerned about the pesticides on the produce I'm eating because I can't always afford organic options but I do my best to wash everything really well and just hope that helps.
I'm glad you and Axl and others here have been so caring and supportive.
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Rubystars, I also want to commend you on your weight loss. I'm very proud of you.
I wish I could lose 20 lbs. But I seem to stink at dieting. My weakness is salty fatty foods. I never really had a sweet tooth. But I could eat a whole bag of nacho cheese Doritos or cheese doodles (which is why I never buy them). In fact, I can't stand many fruits unless they're sour. The sweet taste really bothers me.
Now regarding a butter substitute, I've read that flax meal can be used instead. Flaxseed oil is very healthy, as it has omega 3 fats. Check out these links on cooking with flax meal:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/508286-how-to-use-the-ratios-for-using-flaxseed-meal-instead-of-butter/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/266709-how-to-bake-with-flaxseed-meal/
http://freshflaxseeds.com/catalog/flaxrecipes.php
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Thanks Lisa! That sounds interesting. Another substitute you can use for fats in addition to what Dr. Dan mentioned and what you mentioned is avocado. What's neat about that is that it actually suppresses the insulin response. I lose more weight when I have avocado than when I don't eat it. It's like a miracle food for me. It doesn't really have that many calories either if you only eat one of them a day. You can put salt and pepper on it.
I've also lamented the fact that unlike sweet things, there aren't always a lot of options for savory tasting foods.
If you like spicy food then it's easier. Sriracha or tabasco sauce makes most things taste good. Some people try to say that Sriracha has a lot of sodium, but an entire teaspoon only has 100 mg of sodium and I would never use that much! A very tiny amount is enough to flavor an entire pot of soup.
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This thread reminded me of a video I saw on youtube, forget the address to it right now, but it made me laugh. There was this woman talking about her healthy alternative to ice cream, and she said "and this is completely unprocessed" as she's blending stuff in the blender. :::D I felt like asking her if she wanted a dictionary but I was good and didn't comment. ;D
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Oh and Lisa I don't want to start another controversy over this but have you tried vegetarian options in the health food sections? Quorn is a pretty good meat substitute and its chicken patties and turkey burgers are fairly low calorie. It's made from a type of fungus but it looks and tastes almost like the real thing, a lot better than soy substitutes. Some people don't like it but it's worth a try anyway as an occasional substitute for a higher calorie meat. I would buy it more often but it's kind of expensive.
Amy's brand is also a pretty good brand for vegetarian meals. They have a low calorie tamale pie and shepherd's pie.
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I've never heard of Quorn, and same with that siricha (sp?) Just out of curiosity, what kind of diet are you following?
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I've never heard of Quorn, and same with that siricha (sp?) Just out of curiosity, what kind of diet are you following?
My diet is to eat mostly healthy foods and stay between 1200 and 1800 calories a day.
I log what I eat every day to keep track of calories. I have a food scale for things like produce or oatmeal or crackers so I get the right serving size in ounces or grams entered in.
Sriracha is in the Asian section and has a rooster on the bottle. It tastes really good but is also really hot so just a little tiny bit makes things taste good without being overpowering with heat. And by a little tiny bit, I really mean a little tiny bit.
I try to get at least 5 servings of vegetables and/or fruits every day and it helps me stay less hungry by being able to eat more.
I use lower calorie bread like Sara Lee 45 calorie bread for sandwiches.
I don't think Quorn is kosher but Amy's says it is. It has a regional kosher organization doing oversight on it so it doesn't have an OU symbol and I think its status is in dispute, just for those who try to follow those things. I think there are other brands that do have an OU symbol on them though and I tend to try a lot of vegetarian foods, I ate them even before I started trying to eat really healthy because I like to try new things.
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1200 calories a day is dangerously low. 2000 is the benchmark norm. 1800 sounds better both healthwise and so you don't run the risk of burning out and crashing.
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Just make sure you also count sodium and sugar intake. Have a lot of protein and try to take supplements so that you dont miss anything.
Counting calories and keeping a log is awesome.
Are you under the care of a nutritionist?
When possible, try to add some exercise and log that also (eg brisk walk 1mile for 30 minutes, 10cm sit ups)
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Just make sure you also count sodium and sugar intake. Have a lot of protein and try to take supplements so that you dont miss anything.
Counting calories and keeping a log is awesome.
Are you under the care of a nutritionist?
When possible, try to add some exercise and log that also (eg brisk walk 1mile for 30 minutes, 10cm sit ups)
My dad went to a nutritionist once and she told him a lot of stuff that I remember because I was there (I was a lot younger then but I remember a lot of what she said), it was all basic common sense stuff. She told him to limit meat at one meal to the size of a deck of cards and he made a face and she said "Ok for you, two decks of cards" LOL Then she told him to make vegetable soup. She also told him not to eat fruit as a between-meal snack without protein because it causes a sugar spike and insulin response. She also told him frosted mini wheats weren't the best breakfast option.
Of course he ignored a lot of that stuff she said and probably shouldn't have even gone because for him it was a waste of time if he wasn't going to actually take the advice.
I've also read a lot about nutrition myself so I know in basic terms what's healthy and what's not. I don't know what they know of course but I don't really want to pay to go to one as long as I'm making progress.
I have a really physical job at night putting up freight (including steel toe boots), climbing ladders, walking around fast pushing a cart full of stuff, pulling around pallets on pallet jacks, etc. So I get a lot of exercise from that. Sometimes I'm really tired when I get home especially if it was a lot of freight. I try to save my energy for that although on weekends or when I was on vacation for a week I will do some other exercise like walking.
I buy supplements but I don't always remember to take them.
1200 calories a day is dangerously low. 2000 is the benchmark norm. 1800 sounds better both healthwise and so you don't run the risk of burning out and crashing.
Usually I average out about 1500-1600. I go to 1800 on some days and some days closer to 1200, it depends on how I feel that day. One reason I started eating avocados is that I would find myself at the end of the day last summer having eaten a lot of fruits and vegetables all day and then finding myself around 1000 calories and realizing that wasn't healthy and I needed more. So sometimes even if I'm not all that hungry I'll eat just to get into a good range so I'll have enough energy for work. I think 1200 average over several weeks probably would be unhealthy but a day or two now and then isn't too bad. I do always try to stay above that number though there were individual days where I didn't and then individual days when I went over 1800 a little bit.
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Sugar can definitely put on the pounds, once people get used to using less, they don't need it, their taste buds adapt to the fresh fruits which have their own natural sugars...I would say this to be true with the one exception... Rhubarb.
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Sugar can definitely put on the pounds, once people get used to using less, they don't need it, their taste buds adapt to the fresh fruits which have their own natural sugars...I would say this to be true with the one exception... Rhubarb.
I think when people eat a lot of sugar it can actually cause cravings for more sugar.
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Hahahahaa there ain't no substitute to a real fat creamy cheese cake!! Yummie!
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Hahahahaa there ain't no substitute to a real fat creamy cheese cake!! Yummie!
Well cheesecake is pretty good, but I imagine there are ways to make it a little better. There are lower fat cream cheeses I think it's called Neufchatel or something like that, you can use to make it with. It would still be pretty high calorie but it would be a little better.
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I remember reading somewhere a while back about using low fat ricotta cheese instead of cream cheese.
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I remember reading somewhere a while back about using low fat ricotta cheese instead of cream cheese.
That stuff is so gritty though
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Or how about that thick Greek style yogurt?
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Or how about that thick Greek style yogurt?
That tastes just like sour cream so would probably work well as the basis of a chip dip but I don't know about sweet things. You'd have to add a lot of sweetener to it to make it sweet, which is probably why so many of the "Greek Yogurt" things in the store are big calorie bombs. I've had the plain greek yogurt though and it's pretty good as far as calories go.
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Is it possible that the low fat ricotta cheese would be less gritty if you put it in a blender and mixed it with the other ingredients (besides crust)?
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Is it possible that the low fat ricotta cheese would be less gritty if you put it in a blender and mixed it with the other ingredients (besides crust)?
That might make it ok actually. I tried mixing it with sugar and strawberries a couple of years ago and the taste was ok but I didn't like the texture. A blender might fix that.
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Rubystars, I really think you need to seek the consultation of a professional dietician or nutritionist. I really don't think that these eating choices and caloric intake are healthy. No legitimate medical professional is going to tell you artificial sweeteners are a sound way to lose weight. (That being said, pies generally are not healthy anyway, but not because of sugar, but because the crusts are typically loaded with trans fat.)
A severely limited calorie diet is very unhealthy in the long run--not just because no human has the willpower to stick to it, but because you are (a) likely robbing yourself of some vital nutrients and (b) you are going to be setting your metabolism to starvation mode, which will maximize your body's retention and deposition of fat. Once your metabolism enters starvation mode, it can take years upon years to break it.
May I ask why you aren't incorporating more exercise into your weight-loss program?
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Rubystars, I really think you need to seek the consultation of a professional dietician or nutritionist. I really don't think that these eating choices and caloric intake are healthy. No legitimate medical professional is going to tell you artificial sweeteners are a sound way to lose weight. (That being said, pies generally are not healthy anyway, but not because of sugar, but because the crusts are typically loaded with trans fat.)
I wasn't eating the crusts, and not eating the other stuff on a daily basis either. Also many doctors say it's just fine to use no-calorie or low calorie sweetener substitutes because eating too much sugar can cause diabetes and sweeteners won't. On top of that the only sweetener I've ever heard of anyone having a problem with is Nutra Sweet, but most people aren't harmed by it.
A severely limited calorie diet is very unhealthy in the long run--not just because no human has the willpower to stick to it, but because you are (a) likely robbing yourself of some vital nutrients and (b) you are going to be setting your metabolism to starvation mode, which will maximize your body's retention and deposition of fat. Once your metabolism enters starvation mode, it can take years upon years to break it.
People with excess fat don't go into starvation mode. Well they can starve... but I mean people have fasted for a month or so with no ill effects on health so I really don't think there's much to worry about here in my case.
And I'm not 'severely limiting' my intake.
I'm in a calorie deficit but that's absolutely necessary to lose.
As far as sticking to it, it's been since June with only a very few days going over (like Thanksgiving).
Most of the time I'm not hungry.
May I ask why you aren't incorporating more exercise into your weight-loss program?
I have physical activity for 8 hours a night most days, then end up going to the store or run some other errand for more activity on a lot of days, then sleep the rest of the day until it's time to go to work again.
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It doesn't matter what your weight is, if your body is suddenly deprived of a normal daily amount of calories it is going to instinctively go into "power save mode". Any weight-loss expert will tell you this and this is why drastic weight-loss diets never are effective. Your body doesn't know that you will be able to eat more if you need to--it is doing what is designed to do, digging in for a famine that could stretch four or five years. Once you leave that "famine", your body will pack away every calorie you eat because it doesn't know how long this food supply will last. This adaptation is what has enabled the human race to survive to the present; it's only within the past sixty years or so that humanity (at least in the developed world) can count on a plenty of food at all times.
As for the exercise, you need more than your job. In fact, if you have a stressful job, it could be causing you to produce cortisol and other hormones that increase fat retention. Have you thought of taking up hiking or something like that?
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It doesn't matter what your weight is, if your body is suddenly deprived of a normal daily amount of calories it is going to instinctively go into "power save mode". Any weight-loss expert will tell you this and this is why drastic weight-loss diets never are effective. Your body doesn't know that you will be able to eat more if you need to--it is doing what is designed to do, digging in for a famine that could stretch four or five years. Once you leave that "famine", your body will pack away every calorie you eat because it doesn't know how long this food supply will last. This adaptation is what has enabled the human race to survive to the present; it's only within the past sixty years or so that humanity (at least in the developed world) can count on a plenty of food at all times.
It's not drastic. I'm losing weight slowly. It's been 80 lbs since June, and bigger people lose it faster so now that I lost all that it may slow down a bit now too. I intend to keep pretty much the same calorie level forever. When I look up the maintenance level for my goal, it's about 1800 calories. So if I'm staying around 1500-1800 then I may hit my goal or go a little lower (giving me a few pounds of leeway to still look normal if I do something like eat more on a vacation or something).
I made the mistake of doing the yoyo thing once and I decided I wasn't going to do that again. As a young adult I had lost all the excess weight but wasn't eating enough and ended up gaining it all back plus some so I didn't go on another diet again for years and years and years, deciding it wouldn't work or wasn't worth it. One day last June I went to the doctor's office and found out I was a good 30 lbs. heavier than I expected to be plus I knew it was affecting my health and that I was at high risk for all kinds of other problems so I decided this time to try to do it the right way and it's been working out for me great.
As for the exercise, you need more than your job. In fact, if you have a stressful job, it could be causing you to produce cortisol and other hormones that increase fat retention. Have you thought of taking up hiking or something like that?
When I'm smaller I'll probably have more energy left over, but being in a calorie deficit right now plus doing all the physical work at my job at night I don't have a lot left over when I get home. I have more energy than I used to, by a long shot, but I'm pretty worn out when I get home. I also think you have NO IDEA how much physical work I do.
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"Physical work" does not equal massive amounts of weight loss. In fact like I said, it is possible that it could contribute to weight gain if your body is manufacturing lots of cortisol in response to stress. Look around at manual laborers such as landscapers, road crews, and construction workers--they tend to be on the pudgy side more often than not, and they certainly work their butts off. In fact they are usually more overweight than upper-income workers whose jobs are not physical in the least. I'm not saying that you don't work hard, not at all, but to lose weight consistently through exertion it has to be something cardiovascular, something that causes you to get out of breath some. Very few jobs consist of sustained cardiovascular exercise and therefore you need to incorporate it into your life some other way.
The reason you feel like crap all the time is because living at a severe calorie deficit for long stretches just is not healthy in any way. Just because the human system is able to do it doesn't mean that it's good for it to do it on a daily basis. Your body does not have the energy to take care of its daily needs and having lost 80 pounds in five months is extreme. Your body is likely already in starvation mode, thinking you might not eat well for another three years, and is in maximum calorie conservation, and you are more vulnerable to all kinds of illnesses (not to mention deficiencies) because your immune system doesn't have the building blocks it requires. Most professionals would want that amount of weight loss spread over three years. Also, another thing to consider is that rapid weight loss frequently involves quite a bit of dehydration because a lot of it is fluid loss, and puts you at a high risk for developing gallstones which is an emergency. That's terrible for your kidneys. From everything that you are writing, I'm starting to become concerned that you are developing an eating disorder and that's very bad, as all of us know.
I think you need some professional consultation and input but here is my advice for a healthier way to lose weight in order of what I think is best:
1: Cardiovascular exercise--something sufficient to make you huff and puff to some degree for a minimum of a half hour a day. This could be:
a--running
b--vigorous walking or hiking, especially if uphill
c--treadmill
d--dance
e--martial arts
2: Healthier food items, particularly removing trans fat completely from your diet as well as excessive added salt and sugar. Only whole-wheat carbohydrate sources. This does not include artificial sweeteners, or cutting out all animal fats.
3: Having a big, filling meal when you eat and no snacking during the day
4: SENSIBLE caloric reduction, meaning 1800 calories a day, not 1200
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"Physical work" does not equal massive amounts of weight loss. In fact like I said, it is possible that it could contribute to weight gain if your body is manufacturing lots of cortisol in response to stress.
I've already had massive amounts of weight loss. I've lost 80 lbs since June, even with occasional plateaus, and by next year I think it'll be at least that much again.
Look around at manual laborers such as landscapers, road crews, and construction workers--they tend to be on the pudgy side more often than not, and they certainly work their butts off.
They also go and eat lunch at taco stands or eat big subway sandwiches or stop into McDonalds for lunch. No matter how many calories you're burning if you're eating more, you won't lose weight.
In fact they are usually more overweight than upper-income workers whose jobs are not physical in the least. I'm not saying that you don't work hard, not at all, but to lose weight consistently through exertion it has to be something cardiovascular, something that causes you to get out of breath some. Very few jobs consist of sustained cardiovascular exercise and therefore you need to incorporate it into your life some other way.
There are times during the night when the motion is really constant for a sustained amount of time. How would you like to take 50 steel toe boots up a ladder with nobody to hand them up to you (necessitating climbing up and down and putting about 4-5 boots on the rungs, then as I climb up lifting the boots progressively higher)? Would you feel like you had a workout? Well I do that then some other aisles immediately after.
I used to get very out of breath from this, it was probably putting a strain on my heart. Now I still feel like I'm working hard but I'm not gasping for air.
The reason you feel like crap all the time is because living at a severe calorie deficit for long stretches just is not healthy in any way.
I don't feel like crap. I feel much better now. I am tired after work, that's normal.
I'm curious what you would define as a severe calorie deficit. If I eat 2000+ calories I will never make my goal, I'll end up being chubby. I'm a petite woman I don't need that many calories. 1800 is a good level for women my height according to every calculator I've ever used. Plus take into account the fact that at least half my family comes from farming/ranching stock and tends toward being overweight (I don't really know why that correlates, but many people have noticed this correlation in their families). The other half also tends the same way, probably for the same reasons if you go back far enough.
Just because the human system is able to do it doesn't mean that it's good for it to do it on a daily basis. Your body does not have the energy to take care of its daily needs and having lost 80 pounds in five months is extreme.
People who are really obese lose weight faster than people who are slimmer.
Your body is likely already in starvation mode, thinking you might not eat well for another three years, and is in maximum calorie conservation, and you are more vulnerable to all kinds of illnesses (not to mention deficiencies) because your immune system doesn't have the building blocks it requires. Most professionals would want that amount of weight loss spread over three years. Also, another thing to consider is that rapid weight loss frequently involves quite a bit of dehydration because a lot of it is fluid loss, and puts you at a high risk for developing gallstones which is an emergency. That's terrible for your kidneys. From everything that you are writing, I'm starting to become concerned that you are developing an eating disorder and that's very bad, as all of us know.
When I went to the doctor he was really happy and said I was doing a great job.
I think you need some professional consultation and input but here is my advice for a healthier way to lose weight in order of what I think is best:
1: Cardiovascular exercise--something sufficient to make you huff and puff to some degree for a minimum of a half hour a day. This could be:
a--running
b--vigorous walking or hiking, especially if uphill
c--treadmill
d--dance
e--martial arts
2: Healthier food items, particularly removing trans fat completely from your diet as well as excessive added salt and sugar. Only whole-wheat carbohydrate sources. This does not include artificial sweeteners, or cutting out all animal fats.
3: Having a big, filling meal when you eat and no snacking during the day
4: SENSIBLE caloric reduction, meaning 1800 calories a day, not 1200
It's hard to hit 1800 if you're eating as many vegetables as I am. They fill me up. You're also assuming a lot of stuff about what I do and don't eat that's not accurate. Besides, Obese people should NOT run, my joints have been abused enough. I enjoy walking especially when I don't have to work.
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I've already had massive amounts of weight loss. I've lost 80 lbs since June, even with occasional plateaus, and by next year I think it'll be at least that much again.
It wouldn't matter if you'd weighed 1000 pounds. 80 pounds in five months is extreme. Nobody would support that. That is unsustainable and it is setting your body up for a big backlash.
They also go and eat lunch at taco stands or eat big subway sandwiches or stop into McDonalds for lunch. No matter how many calories you're burning if you're eating more, you won't lose weight.
Part of this is true but a lot of better-educated people with better jobs who are thinner don't eat much healthier. It's the stress factor and if your body is constantly doing something unpleasant it will go into maximum stress mode.
There are times during the night when the motion is really constant for a sustained amount of time. How would you like to take 50 steel toe boots up a ladder with nobody to hand them up to you (necessitating climbing up and down and putting about 4-5 boots on the rungs, then as I climb up lifting the boots progressively higher)? Would you feel like you had a workout? Well I do that then some other aisles immediately after.
I used to get very out of breath from this, it was probably putting a strain on my heart. Now I still feel like I'm working hard but I'm not gasping for air.
There are other ways to get fit than eating only vegetables and consuming toxic chemicals.
I don't feel like crap. I feel much better now. I am tired after work, that's normal.
You've said you are much more tired than you used to be. How does that count as feeling better?
I'm curious what you would define as a severe calorie deficit. If I eat 2000+ calories I will never make my goal, I'll end up being chubby. I'm a petite woman I don't need that many calories. 1800 is a good level for women my height according to every calculator I've ever used. Plus take into account the fact that at least half my family comes from farming/ranching stock and tends toward being overweight (I don't really know why that correlates, but many people have noticed this correlation in their families). The other half also tends the same way, probably for the same reasons if you go back far enough.
It sounds like you are probably genetically programmed to be of a certain body type. Honestly I think people should learn to accept this sort of thing and try to be the healthiest they can for the body type they are supposed to be. Some people are naturally thin and others, especially females, are naturally heavier. I don't see what is wrong with that unless they are grossly obese or have unhealthy fat concentrations like on the abdomen.
People who are really obese lose weight faster than people who are slimmer.
See above. Losing that much weight that fast is never, ever healthy. A pound and a half a week should be anybody's tops: http://www.iliveslim.com/weight-loss-rate.html
When I went to the doctor he was really happy and said I was doing a great job.
If that's really true then your doctor's not doing a great job.
It's hard to hit 1800 if you're eating as many vegetables as I am. They fill me up. You're also assuming a lot of stuff about what I do and don't eat that's not accurate. Besides, Obese people should NOT run, my joints have been abused enough. I enjoy walking especially when I don't have to work.
Are there any places where you can walk uphill, or go hiking so your legs have the added exertion of having to navigate rough ground?
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Rubystars, when you say you lost 80 pounds since June, do you mean June 2011? Or June 2010? If it's June 2011, then it comes out to 16 pounds a month and 4 pounds a week.
Axl, it's true that very heavy people lose weight more quickly at first, and then plateau when they get closer to their goal weight. So four pounds a week for her is OK. If she lost 80 pounds as of June 2010, then she's going very slowly and being extra careful. I've read that 1-3 pounds of weight loss per week is the norm.
Also Axl, I don't think you or I know Ruby's medical condition and other issues. If that extra weight was stressing her joints, that's very bad for a young person. Furthermore, carrying all that extra weight would put her at risk for type 2 diabetes, which can do all sorts of bad things to her body.
Anyway Rubystars, I'm very proud of you. It looks like you found a way of eating you can stick with and make into a way of life, which is really what it's all about.
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Rubystars, when you say you lost 80 pounds since June, do you mean June 2011? Or June 2010? If it's June 2011, then it comes out to 16 pounds a month and 4 pounds a week.
It was June 2011.
Axl, it's true that very heavy people lose weight more quickly at first, and then plateau when they get closer to their goal weight. So four pounds a week for her is OK. If she lost 80 pounds as of June 2010, then she's going very slowly and being extra careful. I've read that 1-3 pounds of weight loss per week is the norm.
Thanks Lisa. I think Axl really cares about me and wants me to be healthy and I do appreciate that. I think he might be concerned that I'm not getting enough food, but I'm charting my nutrition on a web site where I enter all my food in and it says I'm doing ok on most nutrients most of the time, which I'm sure is way better than whatever I was doing before.
Also Axl, I don't think you or I know Ruby's medical condition and other issues. If that extra weight was stressing her joints, that's very bad for a young person. Furthermore, carrying all that extra weight would put her at risk for type 2 diabetes, which can do all sorts of bad things to her body.
My knees and hip joints were sore from climbing ladders and being really overweight and I was afraid I was going to have a heart attack which I'm not quite as worried about now. I had this sort of daymare where I thought about what it would be like to have a stroke and have half of my face and body frozen and not be able to talk and/or end up mentally disabled and I realized I had to do something before that or something else bad happened. My aunt died of breast cancer and my grandmother died of diabetes, I really didn't want that to be me.
Anyway Rubystars, I'm very proud of you. It looks like you found a way of eating you can stick with and make into a way of life, which is really what it's all about.
Thank you Lisa and thank you too Axl for you both caring so much.
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It wouldn't matter if you'd weighed 1000 pounds. 80 pounds in five months is extreme. Nobody would support that. That is unsustainable and it is setting your body up for a big backlash.
I didn't really choose the rate of loss, it just came off when I stopped eating too big of portions and chose lower calorie things. I eat whenever I'm hungry and sometimes when I'm not, if I don't think I had enough calories for the day.
Part of this is true but a lot of better-educated people with better jobs who are thinner don't eat much healthier. It's the stress factor and if your body is constantly doing something unpleasant it will go into maximum stress mode.
I actually enjoy the work (especially since it's easier to do now), it's just sometimes the people I've had to work with haven't been very pleasant. I was under a lot of stress for several months (but still managed to lose) when there was this one girl causing a lot of trouble for me there, but she moved to another state now so things have actually been pretty calm up there now.
There are other ways to get fit than eating only vegetables and consuming toxic chemicals.
You can't eat anything without consuming toxic chemicals just like you can't really avoid insect parts in foods. Celery and some other vegetables have known carcinogens in them, and yet no doctor recommends not eating celery. Garlic and onions have toxins too but are some of the healthiest foods you can eat. Lots of vegetables (even the most healthy) have poisons in them, and I mean natural poisons in addition to whatever pesticide residue is left over. Even low mercury fish have some mercury, etc.
It's all part of eating a varied diet, you should eat different things so that no one food is dominating your diet and causing too much of one kind of toxin.
I'm not eating only vegetables, just a lot of them. I'm also eating meat (including fish and poultry) and grains like oatmeal, bread, cereal, crackers, etc. and I'm eating fruit and yogurt and low fat cheese, etc.
You've said you are much more tired than you used to be. How does that count as feeling better?
I'm less tired than I used to be. I used to be a lot more tired. I might have typoed somewhere. Sorry if I did.
I feel a lot better now. I have a lot more energy. I don't have unlimited energy and I try not to set myself up for failure at work by doing too much during the day but I have a lot more than I did 80 lbs. ago.
It sounds like you are probably genetically programmed to be of a certain body type. Honestly I think people should learn to accept this sort of thing and try to be the healthiest they can for the body type they are supposed to be.
Just because you have a genetic tendency toward being heavy doesn't mean you can't do anything to change it. My sister was skinny most of her life but then started gaining weight recently and she was able to stop it before it went too far. I would hate to see her go through what I did physically because even though I never developed any actual diseases from being really heavy (only by G-d's grace), I could not have been described accurately as being healthy.
The healthy range for me would be around 130, or a little less or a little more. I would be happy with that. I'm not looking to weigh 90 lbs or some other ridiculously low number.
Some people are naturally thin and others, especially females, are naturally heavier. I don't see what is wrong with that unless they are grossly obese or have unhealthy fat concentrations like on the abdomen.
Well I would have fallen into the 'morbidly obese' category at the time, being more than 100 lbs over ideal weight, and experiencing some health issues from it. So I do think something needed to change.
See above. Losing that much weight that fast is never, ever healthy. A pound and a half a week should be anybody's tops: http://www.iliveslim.com/weight-loss-rate.html
Well as Lisa pointed out, people who are very heavy lose weight faster. I didn't choose the rate of weight loss, it just came off that way.
If that's really true then your doctor's not doing a great job.
I agree with him that the very best thing I could have done for my health was to lose excess weight. I was blessed that The blood tests I took while still very heavy came back with normal cholesterol levels and blood sugar and I consider that to be a miracle considering family history and the high level of weight I was carrying.
Are there any places where you can walk uphill, or go hiking so your legs have the added exertion of having to navigate rough ground?
Yes I love walking around my neighborhood on days I'm not going to work that night. I have to be careful not to do any kind of exercise that would injure myself because if I injure myself I won't be able to do my job.