The Confusion Over Sugar in Yogurt!

Posted on April 1, 2018 by therapysoup

I met someone who is upset that their child eats candy. However, this same person thinks that Yoplait yogurt is a healthier choice. The food industry has certainly fooled and convinced a lot of people that the items that they buy are healthy, when in fact, they are not. People have no idea how to read labels. Now, I am not a perfect label reader and yes, I am guilty of using sugar substitutes, which are NOT healthy. HOWEVER, this blog is about weight loss and keeping weight off and not health. But, I will try to cover both a little here.

So, let’s look at it.

Yoplait Mixed Berry: This has about 4-5 tablespoons of sugar in it (not much protein either)

yoplait

Calories	150	Sodium	95 mg
Total Fat	2 g	Potassium	230 mg
Saturated	1 g	Total Carbs	25 g
Polyunsaturated	0 g	Dietary Fiber	0 g
Monounsaturated	0 g	Sugars	18 g
Trans	0 g	Protein	6 g
Cholesterol	10 mg
Vitamin A	15%	Calcium	20%
Vitamin C	2%	Iron	4%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

A Kit Kat bar: This has about 5-6 tablespoons of sugar in it

Servings:
1 bar/4 fingers

Calories	230	Sodium	35 mg
Total Fat	12 g	Potassium	0 mg
Saturated	7 g	Total Carbs	29 g
Polyunsaturated	0 g	Dietary Fiber	1 g
Monounsaturated	0 g	Sugars	22 g
Trans	0 g	Protein	3 g
Cholesterol	5 mg
Vitamin A	2%	Calcium	6%
Vitamin C	0%	Iron	8%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily

Servings: 1 bar/4 fingers

So, is saying no to the candy bar in favor of a yogurt really necessary if the sugar is about the same? Maybe you should just eat the damn Kit Kat if you are going to eat that much sugar…..but if you want ot watch sugar in your diet, you have to read labels!!

If you want to give yogurt to your child, it would be better to find one low in sugar and possibly has the probiotics in it. The plain ones have the least amount of sugar, but not everyone can eat the plain one.

List of yogurts who have probiotics:

Here are some common brands that have lactobacillus acidophilus:

Chobani.
Dannon.
Yoplait.
Fage.
Stonyfield.
Siggi.

List of yogurts, which have low sugar:

This is a link to a list of yogurts to eat instead of what you have been eating:

Better yogurt choices

I have also written that the best tasting low sugar yogurt is this one:

Low sugar, high protein: (mostly the same for all flavors)

SO, the point is to read the labels and get to know what you are eating! Sugar can be disguised in healthy looking packages!

Food Companies are Sneaky and Making Us Fat and We Didn’t Even See It Coming!

Posted on September 19, 2015 by therapysoup

A big problem for many people who have to lose weight or want to gain control over their diet, is that they are addicted to sugar and many don’t even know it! Sugar is hidden in many foods. It is in your cereal, fruit drinks, almond milk, protein bars and drinks, yogurt and other items that you thought were “healthy.” Unless you read labels and look at the grams of sugar in EVERY serving in every item, you may have no idea about what you are eating in sugar! You just eat and you get sucked into the sugar roller coaster.

There are also a lot of different names for sugar, so you might think you aren’t eating it, but you are!

You need to start looking at labels.

If you eat something and it says that there are two servings in it, but you ate the WHOLE thing, then the nutrient content on the label is DOUBLED because you ate the two servings, but it looked like one serving when you ate it. Labels can be designed to mislead you into buying the product–as you THINK it is healthy, but it actually wasn’t.

How can you get over sugar cravings so you won’t keep wanting to eat it? Your brain is going to tell you to eat it because it liked the effect that the first use had on it. Sugar is very addictive. So, go out and get things to munch on that have no to low sugar, and munch on them when you get the cravings:

almonds and other nuts or seeds
whole fruits (small serving)
gluten-free crackers and cheese (watch the number of crackers–high in carbs)
low-sugar protein bars (Try a brand like Quest which contains minimal natural sweeteners)
Carb-Smart ice cream bar
low-sugar yogurt (Greek is good!)
low-sugar chocolate (even Trader Joe’s has some at the check out line)
nice hot cup of coffee or tea
low sugar hot chocolate
go exercise or call a friend

10 FOODS AND DRINKS TO AVOID IF YOU ARE ON A DIET, DESPITE THEIR SO-CALLED HEALTHINESS

Posted on April 26, 2015 by therapysoup

Today’s blog subject is dedicated to one of my friends in Pilates class. She brought up a subject that is important to discuss in my blog because it comes up all of the time when people ask me how I keep the weight off.

Eating healthy doesn’t mean eating large amounts of sugar and carbs! I do eat very well. Salads twice a day. Four servings of veggies a day (small ones), 2 small fruits a day, 6 protein-based foods per day, water, etc. But, keep in mind that I want to keep my carbs between 50g to 100g per day. Also keep in mind that it takes about 4g of sugar/carbs per 1 sugar cube.

We get conned into eating and drinking things based on their nutritional qualities, but in fact, they are LOADED in “unhealthy” amounts of sugar and carbs. Trust me, I know. I gained over 40 pounds at one time just eating “healthy foods”, without knowing the secrets behind their fat-causing carbs!

If you want to lose weight, you want to eat six protein-based “small” meals per day. Here are 10 items to stay away from, but I mention how to do it with low-carb or replacements for them. I am letting you in on my found-out secrets!

10 FOODS AND DRINKS TO AVOID IF YOU ARE ON A DIET, DESPITE THEIR SO-CALLED HEALTHINESS

1. SMOOTHIES or JUICE:

If you have a smoothie, it has to be more vegetables than fruits (fruits have a lot of sugar and carbs) and the size you drink has to be small. Depending on what you put in your smoothie, perhaps about 4-6 ounces is enough. Are your smoothies bigger than that and has a combination of high carb/sugar fruits in them? A few berries, citrus–that is ok….but loaded in apple, banana–you are looking at a lot of carbs. Some of the smoothies at a regular juice place, like Jamba Juice, have 67g of carbs (This is over 20 sugar cubes–would you eat 20 sugar cubes?) in a basic 16 ounce smoothie. If you are only supposed to have between 50-100g of carbs per day to stay thin, that is a lot for one drink. There goes the rest of the carbs for the day! Instead, I personally recommend eating real veggies and two small fruits a day. Smoothies are really for people who can’t stand eating veggies and it is the only way to get it into your diet. Don’t drink orange juice–eat an orange.

2. ACAI BOWLS/ MUFFINS/CEREAL:

Loaded up with granola (NOT A HEALTH FOOD–way too much sugar. Use plain nuts instead). I never eat granola. A lot of people see it as a health food. NOT! It has 38g of carbs in just half of a cup! An Acai Bowl has about 125g of carbs between the granola and the banana, etc. These are not diet foods. WATCH OUT FOR NUTS: 20g or so in carbs per cup. Limit them or measure and bag them in advance when used for a snack. My snacks usually consist of a few nuts and cheese (little to no carbs in cheese). Western Bagel has a low carb bagel called the Perfect Ten, that is usually a special breakfast item for me out of my usual eggs.

Stay away from cereal. Mostly carbs, sugar and chemicals. Try oatmeal instead, but keep it to a small serving because it is high in carbs. Read the labels.

Also, muffins have grains. Grains are higher in carbs. I don’t care if it is a bran muffin or a blueberry muffin–it is still a muffin. It wiIll add to a muffin top, if you know what I mean.

3. DRIED FRUIT:

Has a lot of sugar and carbs. Instead, eat fruit. 2 small amounts of fruit per day. If you eat a banana, one serving is HALF of a large banana.

4. RICE:

High carb, little nutritional quality–even the brown stuff. Quinoa is better, but it is also high carb, so limit it to a few spoons worth in a serving. A cup of Quinoa is over 100g of carbs. As high as rice. Also, rice has arsenic in it. Yuck! ALSO RICE CAKES ARE HIGH IN CARBS TOO!

5. WRAPS:

Bread products of all kinds are high in carbs. I don’t eat sandwiches either. A slice of bread can be around 30g of carbs. Some of the lower carb breads like Ezekiel, is about 10g EACH slice. But, a medium sized wrap is about 22g of carbs. I eat salads with meat and other proteins on them or a sandwich or burger that is wrapped in lettuce and not a bun or wrap. Watch out for tortillas too, unless they are the specific low-carb ones, which you can see at any store, even Trader Joes. A regular tortilla can be over 30g of carbs, but a low carb one can be about 5g net carbs, once you factor in the fiber.

Watch out for JUICE. It is just liquid sugar.

6. PROTEIN DRINKS/SPORTS DRINKS?PROTEIN BARS

All laden with high carbs. Only get ones that are low carb. Less than 20g of carbs is best. Or you can factor in fiber. Look at the total carbs and subtract the fiber and you have net carbs.

7. VEGGIE BURGERS/FROZEN FOODS:

Very high in carbs if you pick the wrong one. Buyer beware. Some of them are only 10g of carbs. So choose wisely and look at the nutritional labels.

Most of the low-cal frozen foods are high carb and will put weight on you. Just look at the labels. They are also loaded in sodium (as is canned soup) and are not good for your heart.

8. YOGURT/FROZEN YOGURT:

Some of them are so high in sugar and carbs, it should be illegal. You could be looking at 20-30g of carbs per cup. Greek yogurt has better options and if you choose the ones that are unflavored, there are hardly any carbs. There are a few products like Danon Lite and Fit Greek Yogurt flavored, with only about 10g or less of carbs per cup.

Frozen yogurt is laden in sugar, carbs and a lot of really nasty chemicals. There is nothing “yogurty” about it. You are better off having a no-sugar added scoop of Dreyers or Breyers ice cream. Breyers Carbsmart ice cream bars are delish and low in carbs. I get them at Ralphs, Smart and Final, and Wal-Mart.

9. BEANS:

Yes, they are good for you–in small amounts. A tablespoon is about 8g of carbs. A cup of them is about 120g of carbs. So, your burrito with the high carb shell, high carb beans and high carb rice will easily top you over 100g of carbs for your one very healthy organic Chipotle burrito. I always do a salad version, limit the beans, no rice.

10. AGAVE!

Syrup

One of the more popular “natural” sweeteners is Agave nectar, also called agave syrup.You will find this sweetener in all sorts of “health foods,” often with attractive claims on the packaging.

The problem with Agave is that it is no better than sugar. In fact, it is much, much worse…

One of the main problems with sugar is that it has excessive amounts of fructose, which can cause severe metabolic problems when consumed in excess.

Whereas sugar is about 50% fructose and High Fructose Corn Syrup about 55%, Agave contains even more… up to 70-90%.

Try Stevia or just use natural sugar, in moderation, because sugar is not good for losing weight. And if you are putting fruit in your smoothie (and I don’t recommend smoothies and I don’t do them anymore), then you have enough fructose sugar from the fruit, so why add more? Stop being a sugar junkie!

Life is Short: Don’t Wait, Lose Weight!

Posted on January 22, 2015 by therapysoup

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to make excuses for your not losing weight or keeping it off? Days come, days go and you are still waiting for the magic right moment. Or you gained a few and you are waiting to work those few off.

I certainly have had my own excuses. Here is the deal. If you want to lose weight, you have to get your butt in gear and stop the excuses. Ask yourself what you are doing to stop yourself from losing and find a way around it.

Examples:

1. “I just can’t do it.” (But, yes you can!)

2. “My body is holding onto fat and won’t lose weight.” (Go see your doctor and find out if there is a problem, not just assume it!”

3. “I don’t have time right now.” (Cut something out that you don’t have to do to find the time.)

4. “I am too stressed.” (Exercise will help your stress, and you will lose weight, so that is just an excuse because there will always be a reason to wait!)

10 Things You Can and Should Do to Lose Weight:

(Rules that skinny people follow)

1. Figure out what protein snacks you need to bring with you during the day so that you are eating small protein foods every 3-4 hours. If you let your body go without food for too long, then it goes into starvation mode and holds onto the weight longer. I bring small individual bags of nuts or low-carb protein bars.

2. Eat a breakfast every morning. In a hurry, I grab a hard-boiled egg that I buy pre-done from Costco or Trader Joes. Not in a hurry, I make some eggs with cheese in the AM. Doesn’t take long and it is filling.

3. Bring non sugary fluids with you and fill up on fluids all day long.

4. Prepare earlier the night before or on weekends to have breakfast, lunch and dinner foods and bring them with you for lunch or to work or after if you don’t have the money to eat out somewhere where you CHOOSE healthy proteins, salads and vegetables for a meal–and it has to be the right proportion of food (4 ounces of meat), handful of veggies. You can also have two small servings of fruit per day, but keep in mind that some fruits are higher in carbs (bananas) and some are lower in carbs (berries/citrus’).

5. Eat 6 small proteins per day. Eat two small servings of fruits per day and 4 small servings of vegetables per day.

6. Avoid sugar and high carbs and keep carbs down (between 50 to 100g of carbs per day).

7. Read labels of things before you eat them.

8. Exercise! Get in at least 30 minutes, 3 times per week and more if you can do it.

9. If stressed, don’t eat food, go for a walk, have a drink with no sugar/carbs. Or talk to someone.

10. Put yourself first for half an hour per day. Learn to cut down on something each day to get in the exercise. I have put off folding laundry to get in some time on the elliptical. The laundry can wait, but not your weight!

No more excuses: MOTIVATE and start now. Anytime is a great time to start!

Sugar Does Not Reduce Stress: There are Better Ways to De-Stress

Posted on September 14, 2014 by therapysoup

I have a friend in my Sunday Pilates class. She is pretty awesome. She works hard, works out like crazy and has lost a ton of weight. She is in excellent shape, but she desperately wants to lose a bit more weight. Yet, she is under a lot of anxiety and stress and tends to run to sugar for her comfort. I am writing this article in her honor!

Things that are BAD for anxiety:

Going to sugar and carbs is a way for many people to deal with their anxiety. However, it actually is counter-productive. It is actually the worst choice for anxiety. Sweets (including sugar, honey and corn syrup) makes us temporarily feel better.,Here’s why: Sugar is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream. The absorption causes an initial high or surge of energy. But that surge wears off as the body increases its insulin production to remove the sugar from your bloodstream. The result: You’re left feeling tired and low. It also makes you continue in a vicious cycle of SUGAR and STRESS!

Going to coffee isn’t going to help. Instead, drink water because if you drink coffee, you are actually dehydrating. Some people drink coffee and other beverages that contain caffeine (tea, cola, and hot chocolate) to help boost their energy levels. The problem is that caffeine has been shown to inhibit levels of serotonin in the brain, and, when serotonin levels are suppressed, you can become depressed and feel irritable. Even mild dehydration can cause depression. Caffeine also can keep you awake, leading to stress and anxiety. Remember that you need to sleep well to be in a positive mood.

Going to alcohol is not good either. Some people drink alcohol because it seems like a good way to ease anxiety and stress. Unfortunately, the good mood is only temporary. In the long run, alcohol is a depressant. Like caffeine, alcohol is a diuretic, and it’s important to stay hydrated for a number of reasons, including mood. If you do drink, drink in moderation.

Processed foods, such as hot dogs, sausage, pie, cookies, and cakes cause anxiety or other mental health issues?There have been studies, people who mainly ate fried food, processed meat, high-fat dairy products, and sweetened deserts had a 58 percent higher risk of depression than those who ate “whole” foods such as fish and vegetables. So skip the processed foods and have fresh foods!

Here are foods that are GOOD for anxiety:

1. Foods with L-tryptophan. Tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin (a neurotransmitter, which helps you feel calm). Foods with it include:

turkey, chicken, bananas, milk, oats, cheese, soy, nuts, peanut butter, and sesame seeds. You can also take it by pill form in 5 HTTP, available in health food stores.

2. Foods with Vitamin B. Vitamin B (including thiamin or Vitamin B1, helps with mood. A deficiency in B Vitamins (such as folic acid and B12) can trigger depression in some people. You can also take it in pill form in a good B Complex formula. Foods with Vitamin B include:

beef, pork, chicken, leafy greens, legumes, oranges and other citrus fruits, rice, nuts and eggs.

3. Foods with carbohydrates will increase the production of serotonin in the brain. However, you want to watch how many you get in order to not gain weight (50g to 100g a day to lose weight is recommended). The rights carbs to choose:

Whole grains (whole wheat bread, brown rice, etc) and not processed choices like sugar, candy, white bread or white rice.

Whole grains take longer for the body to break down, and release sugar into the bloodstream slowly. Processed carbs may give you an initial surge of energy, but that can be followed by an insulin rush, which rapidly drops blood sugar levels, ultimately leaving you feeling lethargic.

4. Foods with omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA), help improve mood and reduce risk of heart disease. Foods with Omega 3s are found in:

salmon, tuna, lake trout, herring, mackerel, anchovies, and sardines.

Walnuts, chia seeds, flax-seed and basil.

5. Greek Yogurt and Other High-Protein Foods: Proteins helps stimulate the production of the brain chemicals norepinephrine and dopamine, which, like serotonin, are neurotransmitters and carry impulses between nerve cells. Higher levels of norepinephrine and dopamine have been shown to improve mood, alertness, mental energy, and reaction time. Good sources of protein include:

Greek yogurt, fish, meats, cheese, eggs, nuts, beans, soy, and lentils.

And don’t forget that eating fresh fruits and vegetables, taking some “me” time, getting enough sleep, exercising and getting in foods with natural spices to reduce cravings (like cinnamon, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, cloves, or cardamom.) will all help reduce anxiety.

Another trick is taking 200 mg of L-Theanine to reduce anxiety. It really works! http://altmedicine.about.com/od/greentea/a/Theanine.htm It is available at any health food store and it is amazing.

Follow these tips and you will feel better and lose weight too.

Ice Cream On A Diet

Posted on April 22, 2014 by therapysoup

How can you have ice cream on a diet or as part of weight maintenance? This is actually simple. You have to pick one that is low in sugar and carbs.

Let’s look at some examples of my favorite brand:

Breyer’s Vanilla: There are four vanillas. Two have 28g carbs and 28g of sugar per cup. All of these ice creams have the same sugar grams and carb grams.

(The label says 14g per 1/2 cup. Pay attention to tricky labels. So, a cup is 28g. It is more likely that if you eat a scoop, that it will be the size of a measuring cup.)

This is a cup of ice cream: Learn the measurement: Portion control is key.

Breyers Homemade Vanilla has 32g of carbs per cup and the Extra Creamy has 36g of carbs per cup.

There is no fiber or sugar alcohols to subtract from the numbers to get a net carb. So, those are the carbs. Those are really high, so if you want to keep your carb grams between 50 to 100g a day to lose weight, that really messes up your count for the day.

BETTER CHOICES:

HOWEVER: Breyers No Sugar Added Vanilla has 26 g of carbs per cup and 8g of sugar. That is a lot less sugar and honestly, it tastes creamy and really good! You won’t really notice a difference from the majorly sugary one. There is 8g of fiber and 8g of sugar alcohols. So, per cup, the net carb is 10g of carbs.

Breyers CarbSmart vanilla. Only has 4 grams of net carbs per serving! 13g total carbohydrate, subtract 5g of sugar alcohols and 4g of fiber.

Breyers has chocolate CarbSmart, but not all stores carry it and you should ask your store to order it. They also have bars.

Other companies have better no sugar added choices. Read the labels. You can have a treat that won’t ruin your diet, if you do the work and read the labels and make proper choices.

Leptin Resistance and Obesity…is this the problem in losing weight? What can we do about it?

Posted on March 24, 2014 by therapysoup

There was a study that came out recently. In a nutshell: Research subjects were then given diets intended to maintain their weight loss. A year after the subjects had lost the weight, the researchers repeated their measurements. The subjects were gaining the weight back despite the maintenance diet — on average, gaining back half of what they had lost — and the hormone levels offered a possible explanation. Their hormones were working against them!

One hormone, leptin, which tells the brain how much body fat is present, fell by two-thirds immediately after the subjects lost weight. When leptin falls, appetite increases and metabolism slows. A year after the weight loss diet, leptin levels were still one-third lower than they were at the start of the study, and leptin levels increased as subjects regained their weight.

Other hormones that stimulate hunger, in particular ghrelin, whose levels increased, and peptide YY, whose levels decreased, were also changed a year later in a way that made the subjects’ appetites stronger than at the start of the study.

It was determined that the dieters are putting their bodies into a circumstance that it will resist.

A solution might be to restore hormones to normal levels by giving drugs after dieters lose weight. But, researchers just do not know enough about obesity to prescribe solutions. GREAT!??!

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/27/health/biological-changes-thwart-weight-loss-efforts-study-finds.html?_r=0

SO, what do we do?

Dr. Mercola (well-known writer/doctor) writes about Leptin resistance. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/10/29/leptin-resistance.aspx

Dr. Mercola’s Leptin Resistance Summary

Insulin and leptin resistance are core factors in obesity, which in turn is a risk factor for cancer and may boost tumor growth. But the answer lies not in a pill. To reverse insulin and leptin resistance:

Avoid, sugar, fructose, grains, and processed foods

Eat a healthful diet of whole foods, ideally organic, and replace the grain carbs with:

No-to-low sugar and grain carbs

Low-to-moderate amount of protein

As much highly quality healthful fat as you want (saturated and monosaturated). Most people need upwards of 50-70 percent fats in their diet for optimal health. Good sources include coconut and coconut oil, avocados, butter, nuts, and animal fats. Also take a high-quality source of animal-based omega-3 fat, such as krill oil

Similarly, while researchers investigate the pharmaceutical avenues to convert white fat cells to brown in an effort to reduce the potential for cancer growth, other research has already shown that this can likely be achieved through exercise.

80 percent of the health benefits you reap from a healthy lifestyle comes from your diet, and the remaining 20 percent from exercise – but it’s a very important 20 percent, as it acts in tandem with and boosts the benefits derived from a proper diet. For maximum benefits, you’ll want to make sure to include high-intensity interval training.

Can you take leptin or supplements to stimulate leptin to help? There is no proof of it helping, except in very rare cases. The suggestions are rather than taking supplements that haven’t been fully proven to help, overweight people have other options to aid leptin functioning. So therefore, you have to reduce resistance to insulin (a hormone that controls blood sugar) and to bring down high levels of triglycerides (a blood lipid).

Insulin resistance generates leptin resistance. The practical advice is: Get your insulin down by cutting the sugar down, and your insulin resistance would improve and that would help with the weight loss.

So, we are back to sugar again as the enemy. CUT OUT SUGAR AND cut down on UNHEALTHY carbs. Stick with only natural healthy carbs! And watch the amount of fruit you eat. Fruit has fructose (sugar).

My Weight Loss Rules That Made Me Skinny and Kept me Skinny, and I EAT!

Posted on March 18, 2014 by therapysoup

So, if you want to lose weight, you have to choose to eat better. You have to make a difference, makes some sacrifices and make a lifestyle change because you have allowed food addiction to rule you and take over your body.

If you choose to lose, here are my rules. I am still a size 2 (down from a 10 or 12), two and a half years after I changed my ways, and you can be a lower size too. You are allowed 50-100 carbs a day. So, you have to count and you will get used to it.

Basically what I do: 6 meals a day, every two to three hours. You eat every 3-4 hours because you will get hungry and when you eat, then your metabolism will not slow down and burn off slowly. Believe it or not, eating this way makes your body BURN! You might even feel hot.

1. I basically have a meat and veg salad two times a day, lunch and dinner

2. I have two small fruit servings a day

3. I have an egg, and try to have it different most days and I might make an omelette and throw a piece of low fat cheese in it.

4. Spinach helps lower food cravings.

5. If you are hungry, drink something or have a small protein to tide you over, like low-fat baby bell cheese or some kind of low fat cheese or meat.

6. I eat three protein snacks a day and I vary it between something from Lindora.com, or a protein bar or shake.

7. Also, you can have nuts and seeds as a protein. You are better off with unsalted and you need to measure it out. For example, a measured cup of mixed nuts can be 30g of carbs. If you want to lose weight, that is like a third of your day’s carbs. So, have half a cup and a piece of cheese, but you are better off not eating an entire cup. Sunflower and sunflower seeds has a similar carb count at 28g for a full cup. (sugar is low, so you that is good)

1. Breakfast:

PROTEIN NUMBER ONE. I do an egg. If it makes you happy, have an egg with some bacon or turkey sausage by Jenny-O.

Have a piece of Fruit. You are better off with berries or citrus. So have half a grapefruit or some strawberries. Go ahead, spray whipped cream on it–no carbs or sugar.

Look at the portion size of fruit in the paperwork. I do half a banana, but I stick to the lowest in carbs–berries and citrus. Some fruits like Apples and Bananas are high in carbs/sugar.

2. Snack:

PROTEIN NUMBER TWO: A protein of your choice.

PROTEIN CHOICES: Eggs, cheese, turkey, chicken, sausage, hot dog, etc. You can do a yogurt, but you should try Greek Yogurt, tastes SO much better than regular yogurt and healthier too. Dannon lite and fit makes a GREEK YOGURT that is really good and low in carbs and sugar. Get the cherry or raspberry one. They use beatles for color in their strawberry and blueberry one and that makes me want to puke. There is low-fat Cottage Cheese too.

Another kind of protein you can do is a protein bar….pick one from the choices and the right size. Power Crunch bar, the chocolate one and the peanut butter one are two very good flavors. These taste like delicious wafer bars. There are more at Smart and Final, but these two are the best and Trader Joes prices are slightly better. The Trader Joe’s protein shakes in a can are really low in carbs (taste better cold). These are not the thickest shakes, so if you mix in some almond milk, that would be better.

You should try UNSWEETENED vanilla almond milk. LOW in sugar and carbs and really not bad at all. Healthier for you and better for a diet. It is in the refrigerated section near the milk in Trader Joes.

3. Lunch:

PROTEIN NUMBER THREE:

I have a protein, but I throw the protein in a salad and make it a big salad. You have to have salad twice a day.

There is a choice of two veggies (check portion size) to put in the salad if you want.

2 cups lettuce in that salad. I just do a good salad and I throw in

You can have a fruit serving. Check size.

4. Snack:

PROTEIN NUMBER FOUR:

A protein again. (see above)

5. Dinner:

PROTEIN NUMBER FIVE:

just like lunch. (see lunch)

6. Snack: A protein again.

PROTEIN NUMBER SIX:

I do a small Carbolite (now only at a few places like the yogurt store next to Ralphs on Ventura and Topanga and a few out-of-the-way places) or low sugar ice cream like Breyer’s has or Dreyers (usually says no sugar added). Just a cup of it. Measure and look at the serving size and carbs on the label. But, you have to look at how many carbs have added up to pick. Most proteins have no carbs. You can have another power crunch bar too.

Miscellaneous:

You can drink Splenda type soda, but get in 80 ounces of fluid a day!

Coffee: Non fat dairy creamer can be used and Splenda type sweetener

Non Fat salad dressing on salad, I use Trader Joe’s Ginger Soy Non fat and it is so good. Look at labels. Balsamic vinaigrette is good and low fat Ranch is usually good.

Take Potassium Glutonate and a multi vitamin daily.

Consider a multi B vitamin to keep your energy up! I get two B shots a week and weight often. You should weigh daily and see how it is going!

You can do a grain or bread instead of a protein, but only 3 times a week and look at the size. Instead of a protein, for example, you can do a slice of wheat toast. Oatmeal is only half a cup. Get bread that is low carb and high fiber. Dave’s Killer Bread at Pavillions and other places…you can look online. It is good and high in protein and a lot of fiber. Ezekiel bread at Trader Joes is one of the best. But, only two slices a week!! There are low-carb tortillas available at Trader Joes and Costco. There is a huge difference between a regular carb tortilla and low-carb tortilla. One is almost 40 carbs and one is under 10. Also, Western Bagel has low carb (10g) Perfect 10 bagels. They are tasty and such a great carb count! And they have protein too.

Restricted diet!!! But, it works and if you are eating about every 2-3 hours, you won’t die!

Girl Scout Cookie Time–Oh No!

Posted on January 20, 2014 by therapysoup

Starting this week, Girl Scout Cookies will be out! You will see the troops out in force, selling their cookies all through February. Yes, it is for a good cause, but basically, Girl Scout cookies are not good for you. They are made primarily from a combination of refined white flour, sweeteners, and oil, they offer little nutritional goodness. No preservatives are used in any Girl Scout cookies. But high-fructose corn syrup is in some of the recipes.

For years, the Girl Scouts has raised money for itself largely through cookie sales. Over the years, as waistlines have expanded and obesity rates have risen, the Girl Scouts have required its bakers to keep one healthier cookie in the lineup.

This year they have added Mango Cremes to the lineup. The vanilla and coconut sandwich cookies have a mango creme-flavored filling. But, they are still fattening.

All of the Girl Scout cookies are trans-fat-free per serving, in accordance with FDA guidelines, and many are 100% trans-fat-free. (trans fats are deadly enough that even the FDA said that it needs to be outlawed.

And, zero trans fat does not necessarily mean no trans fat. The FDA allows products to say they have “zero trans fat” if they have less than half a gram of trans fat per serving. Only when a box claims it is 100% trans-fat free does it mean there is really no trans fat in the cookies.

If you eat four Girl Scout cookies that contain trans fats, you could exceed the 2010 Dietary Guideline limit of 1 gram per day.

They are about 5g of carbs per cookie. If you could just eat one or two and then give away the rest, that would be ok…but many people order them and eat the whole box. Girl Scout Cookies are NOT good for the waistline or your health. I would rather have something that has less sugar and still tastes good.

MY SOLUTION:

Power Crunch (Smart and Final, Trader Joes or online at places like Vitacost.com) make delish low-carb, high protein wafer bars that taste like good cookies. There are Quest bars too. They are tasty, filling and won’t make you fat if eaten as part of your 6 protein meals a day.

There are also places online that sell other types of low-carb bars, like http://www.dietdirect.com/protidiet-pro-amino-products-103.html

So, here are the Girl Scout cookie flavors, with nutritional info. Thanks to WebMD for the information.

Keep in mind two things.

1. You need to eat 6 protein meals a day and you need to keep your carbs between 50 to 100g per day to lose weight. And there is little to no protein in these cookies.

2. Sugar grams are about 4 grams per sugar cube. So if two cookies is 11g of sugar, that is about 3 sugar cubes that you are eating!

Thank You Berry Munch

Serving size: 2 cookies (7 servings per box)
Calories: 120
Fat: 5 grams
Saturated fat: 2 grams
Trans fat: 0 grams
Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
Sodium: 75 milligrams
Carb: 17 grams
Fiber: 0 grams
Sugars: 7 grams
Protein: 1 gram
First three ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, vegetable oil

Thin Mints

Serving size: 4 cookies (7-8 servings per box)
Calories: 160
Fat: 7-8 grams
Saturated fat: 5-6 grams
Trans fat: 0 grams
Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
Sodium: 110-125 milligrams
Carb: 22 grams
Fiber: Less than 1 gram
Sugars: 10-11 grams
Protein: 1-2 grams
First three ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, vegetable shortening

Samoas/Caramel deLites

Serving size: 2 cookies (7-8 servings per box)
Calories: 150/130
Fat: 8/6 grams
Saturated fat: 6/5 grams
Trans fat: 0 grams
Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
Sodium: 60/55 milligrams
Carb: 18/19 grams
Fiber: Less than 1 gram/1 gram
Sugars: 11/12 grams
Protein: less than 1 gram/1 gram
First three ingredients: sugar, vegetable oil, enriched flour; (Samoas), sugar, enriched flour, corn syrup, vegetable shortening (Caramel deLites)

Do-Si-Dos/Peanut Butter Sandwich

Serving size: 3 cookies (6/7 servings per box)
Calories: 160
Fat: 7/6 grams
Saturated fat: 2/2.5 grams
Trans fat: 0 grams
Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
Sodium: 100/135 milligrams
Carb: 22/26 grams
Fiber: 1 gram/less than 1 gram
Sugars: 11/8 grams
Protein: 3/2 grams
First three ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, whole grain oats, oil (Do-Si-Dos); enriched flour, sugar, peanuts, (Peanut Butter Sandwich)

Trefoils/Shortbread

Serving size: 4/5 cookies (8/10 servings per box)
Calories: 160/120
Fat: 7/4.5 grams
Saturated fat: 2.5/2 grams
Trans fat: 0 grams
Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
Sodium: 95/100 milligrams
Carb: 22/19 grams
Fiber: 0/less than 1 gram
Sugars: 7/4 grams
Protein: 2/1 grams
First three ingredients: enriched flour, soybean and palm oil, sugar (Trefoils); enriched flour, sugar, palm oil (Shortbread)

Tagalongs/Peanut Butter Patties

Serving size: 2 cookies (7 servings per box)
Calories: 140/130
Fat: 9/7 grams
Saturated fat: 5/4 grams
Trans fat: 0 grams
Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
Sodium: 95/100 milligrams
Carb: 13/15 grams
Fiber: Less than 1 gram/1 gram
Sugars: 8 grams
Protein: 2 grams
First three ingredients: peanuts, sugar, vegetable oil (Tagalongs); sugar, enriched flour, peanuts, (Peanut Butter Patties

Thanks-A-Lot

Serving size: 2 cookies (8 servings per box)
Calories: 150
Fat: 6 grams
Saturated fat: 4.5 grams
Trans fat: 0 grams
Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
Sodium: 110 milligrams
Carb: 22 grams
Fiber: 0 grams
Sugars: 11 grams
Protein: 1 gram
First three ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, vegetable shortening

Dulce de Leche

Serving size: 4 cookies (5 servings per box)
Calories: 160
Fat: 8 grams
Saturated fat: 3.5 grams
Trans fat: 0 grams
Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
Sodium: 70 milligrams
Carb: 20 grams
Fiber: 0 grams
Sugars: 9 grams
Protein: 1 gram
First three ingredients: enriched flour, soybean and palm oil, dulce de leche flavored drops

Lemonades

Serving size: 2 cookies (8 servings per box)
Calories: 150
Fat: 7 grams
Saturated fat: 4 grams
Trans fat: 0 grams
Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
Sodium: 80 milligrams
Carb: 22 grams
Fiber: 0 grams
Sugars: 9 grams
Protein: 1 gram
First three ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, vegetable shortening

Savannah Smiles

Serving size: 5 cookies (5 servings per box)
Calories: 140 calories
Fat: 5 grams
Saturated fat: 1.5 grams
Trans fat: 0 grams
Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
Sodium: 125 milligrams
Carb: 23 grams
Fiber: 0 grams
Sugars: 10 grams
Protein: 1 gram
First three ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, vegetable oil

Mango Cremes

Serving size: 3 cookies (7 servings per box)
Calories: 180
Fat: 8 grams
Saturated fat: 4 grams
Trans fat: 0 grams
Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
Sodium: 100 milligrams
Carb: 25 grams
Fiber: 1 gram
Sugars: 11 grams
Protein: 1 gram
First three ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, palm oil

If you want to support the Girl Scouts, order their cookie shirts instead or one of their products.

http://www.girlscoutshop.com/

Once You Achieve Weight Loss Success, You Can Have A Cheat!

Posted on December 26, 2013 by therapysoup

I have been so good. I have not had any cake, cupcakes, etc. for two years. Everything I have had that is chocolate related or sugar related, has been low-carb and controlled.

The renown Sprinkles cupcakes have come to my area and on my bucket list was to try their well-known cupcakes. So, today, as a treat for weight stabilization, I went there with my husband and we bought one “black and white” (chocolate cake with white frosting). It was ridiculously good, but I am so glad I split it with him. It is 62g of carbs for an entire cupcake. I ate about 30g of carbs. I felt stoned. My eyes glazed over and I was all shaky and hyper feeling. I knew I would crash and it has been about 3 hours and I am really tired. The sugar roller coaster sucks, which is why I have gone white flour and sugar-free for so long. No wonder America is in such a mess eating this stuff every day.

Here is what it looked like:

So, I got it out of my system and now I have to work out to help burn those carbs out and I am eating few carbs today to make up for the higher carb desert.

My point is that I haven’t done this in a long time and I don’t recommend it until you have hit a point in your eating style that it will not throw you off of the wagon. I have eaten well so long now, I have no trouble getting back to my fruits, veggies, proteins and salads. The danger of doing this early on in your diet, is you might feel guilty and it could send you in a downward spiral of cheating. I know that I can do it, I did it! SO, I had my cheat and now–back to my normally scheduled program.

My recommendations for you!

You should set a goal. That you will lose a certain amount of weight and then you can get your treat. Maybe you need the motivation!

In the meantime, I am perfectly happy with my low-carb cookies from Lindora, Netrition.com and Carbessentials.net. I also like Breyers Carb Smart ice cream and Dreyers no sugar added ice cream. Those don’t leave me with feeling overly sugared and then exhausted from the sugar low later.

Skinny-Rules

Tag Archives: sugar

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Leptin Resistance and Obesity…is this the problem in losing weight? What can we do about it?

Dr. Mercola’s Leptin Resistance Summary

My Weight Loss Rules That Made Me Skinny and Kept me Skinny, and I EAT!

Girl Scout Cookie Time–Oh No!

Once You Achieve Weight Loss Success, You Can Have A Cheat!

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Dr. Mercola’s Leptin Resistance Summary

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