Diet Soda ?

What could be wrong with diet soda?
Answer: It's fine in moderation. We say about one or two cans a day max, but it's replacing empty calories. If you're diabetic, we actually recommend diet soda because it doesn't raise your blood sugar like regular soda. The negatives are that it might promote weight gain, and some people don't respond well to the sugar substitutes. If you're drinking more the one or two cans a day, you should be replacing the extra drinks with water.

— Beth McChesney, registered licensed dietician at St. John's Mercy Medical Center

Sorry for the lack of updates...the diet is still going well happy with my weight but never that happy....watch this space

Sugar Facts

1. When your body has all of the energy that it needs from sugar, it converts the excess into fat and stores it. That is one of the reasons why people gain weight.

2.Since sugar doesn't provide anything but energy it is often referred to as having "empty calories." It does not contain any vitamins or minerals that your body requires.

3.Even though it is recommended that a female not consume more than 54 grams of sugar in one day, just one can of cola can have more than 35 grams of sugar.

4.The average American consumes about 40 pounds of sugar a year.

5.Even though they might taste sour, lemons actually contain more sugar content than strawberries

Grocery Shopping

French Dip With Swiss

Have you tried Arby's french dip? Only two grams of sugar including the au-jus...you could serve it in a good restaurant and no one would question it....yes its really that good.
I am on a plateau I am eating too many snacks here and there but I am not gaining which is a good thing as I had a stressful weekend ...I did not cheat but drank a few more beers than I should!!
Good Luck go get yourself a french dip with swiss as a reward for just being you...special and fabulous

What Not To Eat

Panera Or St Louis Bread Co What to have

I have checked out what you can order at Panera if you are Chucking Sugar...I normally go for the 'pick two'

Zero sugars on Soups
Broccoli cheddar
New England Clam

One Gram
Baked potato
low fat chicken tortilla

two grams
chicken noodle soup (full size)


It surprises me again that my old fave onion is 7g

Sandwiches
Asiago Roast Beef (half) 2g Full size 3g
Chicken ceasar on three cheese (half) 3g

Panini
Frontega chicken on focaccia (half)3g
Half smokehouse turkey on three cheese 4g (MY FAVE)

Salads
Half chopped chicken cobb 1gram
Half grilled chicken caesar 1 gram
Half caesar 1 gram

Tonight I might go for the half asiago roast beef and the baked potato soup

Sugar Free Fudge

Sugar-Free Fudge.

1/4 cup margarine
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
24 packets of Equal sweetener
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup chopped nuts


Melt margarine over low heat. Add chocolate and stir just until melted. Remove from
heat and stir in sweetener and vanilla. Combine chocolate mixture with cream cheese
and beat until smooth. Stir in the nuts and spread mixture in a lightly greased 8-inch
square pan.Refrigerate until firm. Cut into 1-inch squares. Store in refrigerator.

I have not tried this so let me know if you make it....I might try it on the weekend

Question of the Day

Could you have fit in the capsule being used to rescue the miners?? If your answer is no change it to yes they all lost on average 22 pounds...such wonderful inspiring news for a change.
I am up a pound getting back in focus today....dont get me wrong I havent been eating sugar but snacking too much...but its ok...fresh focus today...its allowed....Good Luck!!

Cheese Toasties

Cheese is sugar free which is a good thing as this weekend Chuck who is my diet partner and the Chuck in Chucking made me as he calls 'grilled cheese' I call it cheese toasties.We bought a fresh uncut loaf of cheese bread which was under 1gram of sugar for an eighth of aloaf (wal-mart bakery) added a variety of cheeses and grilled it in tbe frying pan...it was so good I could actually eat it now ...tasted like a panini.It was the weekend so not 100% sugar free but almost!!! Feeling tired and low on energy grab a few salted peanuts again virtually sugar free and a good source of fiber.
Do not use what I call 'plastic cheese' i.e american...use pepper,cheddar or swiss for maximum 'awesomeness'

Lose It

Theres a great iphone app called 'Lose it' if you havent got an iphone you can also track it online www.loseit.com .It allows you to put in your weight,height,age etc and what you are tracking whether it be sugar,fat or carbs.You input how much you want to lose in total,weekly and what date you should achieve it by.
Thank you to my twitter friend Meryl for telling me about it.

A Day In The Life of

When people know I am on this diet they always want to know what I eat in a day so heres Tuesdays habits

1.Mini shredded wheat with almond milk,unsweetened vanilla flavor
2.A 'Think Thin Bar'
3.Quakers rice cakes...cheddar cheese whole grain flavor
4. Salad
Romaine lettuce,peppers,clelery,grated cheese,blue cheese crumbles,croutons,garbonza beans (aka chickpeas)balsamic vinegar dressing.
5.Sourdough bread and butter
6. Two foccacia pizza bread slices

My servings were generous especially on the bread and salad

Baby Its Cold Outside...Wanna Go Eat?

Temperature
The colder the temperature, the more people tend to eat, which is why restaurants often keep thermostats low. "Your metabolism drops when it's time to eat, and eating warms you up," says David Ludwig, professor of pediatrics at Harvard. "Heat is a satiety signal."
Click to read more

A Sweet Equation

Look at how many grams of sugar are in what you're eating (on the nutritional label). Now divide that number by 4. That's how many teaspoons of pure sugar you're consuming. Kinda scary, huh? Sugar makes you fat and fat-free food isn't really free of fat.

Nine,Neuf,Neuve,Naw

I have lost nine pounds in three weeks,not bad as I attended a birthday party Saturday night which included Whole Foods chocolate birthday cake....yes it was delicious like you even needed to ask.
When I weighed yesterday I was up a pound which is very annoying but you just got to take it in your stride and carry on.This morning I lost the pound I gained plus an additional pound.
I am going to give myself a target of one pound for next week which will make the grand total of ten.If I lose a pound a week until Thanksgiving that will be another seven pounds.
Tip
Give yourself small targets weight does not come off quickly ....weeks fly by....this has been my favorite diet I have done in a long time.
Good luck to us all I know your struggle

Ever Have These Kinda Days?

Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart. ~Kahlil Gibran

Think Thin

Discovered Think Thin bars at Trader Joes...no sugar...chocolate toffee bars 100 calories great for a snack!! Box of 5 $3.79 I know I will be back there sometime this week buying more.Had a party last night ate a few things I should not have but its ok...right back on it today...life is good...if you are in a situation where you are being rude by not having a piece of birthday cake or meal someone has prepared...just eat it...dont have second helpings and as soon as you leave go back on your diet...DO NOT THINK WELL I HAVE BLOWN IT TONIGHT SO I WONT GET BACK ON IT TIL MONDAY...BIGGEST MISTAKE ONE CAN MAKE!! TRUST ME I AM A SEASONED DIETER!!

Oh Yeah & Dont Eat Honey

French Fries

You cant eat french fries on this diet as they are made of white potato....however I went to McDonald's website to see how much sugar and it stated Zero....many rumors online state that they are sprayed with sugar water at the plant and then frozen.Heres a link to it Click here ...its interesting

These Are Real Signs In A New York Eatery

Goal!!!

Weighed this morning....lost two pounds!!! Thats 8 pounds in two weeks....I will go for another two this week.
After years of dieting on and off I have discovered its best to give yourself realistic goals.
Lets say for example you have 50 pounds to lose....dont look at it as 50....give yourself 10 pounds for the first month and obviously anything else is a bonus.Once you are down 10 pounds give yourself 5 for the next two weeks and before you can say 'I'm starving' you are half way to your goal buying a smaller wardrobe and have men falling at your feet!!!!
My weightwatchers teacher once said if yu lose just one pound a week in a year thats 52 pounds.
Good luck to you all....I know your struggle

Honey Mustard Salad Dressing Fat Free & Fat Full

Heres a shocker on salad dressings which proves how in our minds going for what we think is the healthier option....isn't.

Example Chick-fil-a Honey mustard dressing 22grams of sugar...

Fat free honey mustard salad dressing 9-11grams...which is fine if you are on a fat free diet but if you are watching sugar you are in trouble.

Thousand Island only has 2 grams of sugar ,I personally thought that would be more sugar loaded!!!

Low Carb No Sugar Wraps

I have been a fan of Tortilla Factoty low carb wraps since I started low carbing years ago.These wraps are full of fiber and no sugar they are actually also great on weight watchers.
No sugar...fill with anything I had two today both with chicken.....they help a great deal with certain 'booty' movements as you know dieting can throw off...high fiber helps you know what I'm saying.
For a while I was actually addicted to these with low sugar peanut butter....havent weighed in a few days due to a monthly issue but will let you know any loss in the next day or two!! I have managed to stick to it really well...Walgreens are selling sugar free marshmallows for Halloween I think Russell Stover makes them....need I say more apart from 'We Love you Russell' no sugar but sugar alcohol which is allowed.

Oatmeal

Most oatmeal is zero in sugar...its full of fiber and is very filling I sometimes take it for lunch when I am being really good. Ate at Outback last night had the chicken on the barbie and rather than a baked potato had broccoli...it was delicious....low sugar too.
p.s skip the flavored oatmeal it usually has sugar added...and thats a terrible thing

Snack Time

I love Quaker Rice cakes when I have followed Weightwatchers they were low in points.My favourite flavour are the barbeque which I have not been able to find recently.The cheddar cheese flavor are good too you can eat nine for 1gram of sugar and they are fairly big.The ranch flavor whole grain taste wonderful too the best part is you can eat 17 yes double that of the cheddar cheese for 1 gram as they are made with whole grains.Perfect for an in-between meals snack.They actually keep me sane and thats no easy job.

Congrats

If you have started looking at the sugar content but still ate it...congrats you've started being aware...and if you are wondering there's 12 grams of sugar in a traditional krispy kreme...the flavoured ones go up to 27 grams...

Thomas English Muffins

I love Thomas Muffins on this diet less than one gram of sugar...I have been eating one for lunch filled with chicken...virtually sugar free.If desired you could have one for breakfast with sugar free jelly/marmalade and butter...Betty Divine!! Who is Betty?? It was an expression a friend of mine always use to say when she liked something 'Thats Betty Divine'....6 grams of fiber too!!

How Much Sugar Is In Ketchup

I only eat ketchup on fries and on a burger....I mean you can not eat either without it....however....heres the sugar content...TOMATO KETCHUP

One tablespoonful contains 1 teaspoon of sugar..........Yikes!! Its like half sugar....and to put it in true perspective you know the little packets of ketchup you get at fast food places on take out....well 8 grams of sugar....crikey moses!!

Weekly Review

So its been a week since 'sugar left the building' just like Elvis and I lost a grand total of five pounds.I can not complain.For the upcoming week I am going to keep realistic and say two pounds anything more and I will throw a party on the driveway.I only drank one night instead of the usual three nights so I am pretty proud of that in itself.
Good luck to us all whatever change of eating you are doing....dont let the weighing scales define who you are its just a number...you are beautiful regardless!!

Sugar Free Bread

My dieting partner returned from the store with Healthy Life sugar free bread....good golly this diet just gets better....they use splenda (the dieters best friend).Heres the facts and did I tell you it tastes great!!

40 Calories per Slice
7 Net Carbs
Low Fat
98% Fat Free
No Trans Fat
No Saturated Fat
No Cholesterol
Good Source of Fiber
Sugar Free
No High Fructose Corn Syrup
21 grams of Whole Grain per Serving

Wasting Away Again In Margaritaville...How Much Sugar??

I love margaritas in particular mango however do you know on average there's 17 grams of sugar in your standard margarita....think I will stick to Bud-Light

How Much Sugar Is In Beer?

Where does the sugar come from in beer? It comes from the grains, Barley and Hops. You can make good choices however and keep your beer to a minimum. Look at the difference between Guinness and Michelob Ultra for example. Be sure to add your counts into your daily total.

Beverage Net Carbs Sugar
Accel 2.4g ¾ tsp sugar
Amstel Light 5g 1 ¼ tsp sugar
Aspen Edge 2.6g ¾ tsp sugar
Bud Light 6.6g 1 ½ tsp sugar
Bud Select 3.1g ¾ tsp sugar
Busch Light 6.6g 1 ¼ sugar
Costal Light 3.9g 1 sugar
Coors Light 5g 1 ¼ tsp sugar
Corona light 5g 1 ¼ tsp sugar
Guinness 17.6g 4 ½ tsp sugar
Heineken Light 6.8g 1 ½ tsp sugar
Labatt Light 8g 2 tsp sugar
Labatt Sterling 2.5g ¾ tsp sugar
Michelob Light 11.7g 3 tsp sugar
Michelob Ultra 2.6g ¾ tsp sugar
Michelob Ultra Amber 3.7g 1tsp sugar
Mikes Light Lemonade 11.2 oz 6g 1 ½ tsp sugar
Miller Lite 3.2g ¾ tsp sugar
Milwaukee’s Best Light 3.5g ¾ tsp sugar
Natural Light 3.2g ¾ tsp sugar
Sam Adams Light 9.7g 1 ¾ tsp sugar

By looking at this chart I am now switching to Bud-Light

What Not To Eat

I have done alot of research on the cutting of sugar I decided I wouldnt look too deeply into it as it can get confusing.My diet right or wrong is just purely the cutting of sugar.Theres also a list of food which on several sites is a total no no.
Foods to avoid dont ask me why
1.Ripe bananas
2.White potatoes but apparently sweet are ok I have decided to steer clear of both and in all honesty I am not a big fan of the sweet potato unless they are made into chips.
3.White bread...wheat is ok however I must add theres little to no sugar in many sourdough breads.Sweet Tomatoes has a sourdough and on their site it states zero sugar.I bought a loaf at the bakery last night from Wal-Mart that showed zero sugar.The lowest amount of sugars I could find on wheat bread was 1g per slice which isnt bad.
4.Beer and alcohol if you must drink red wine only is acceptable.I checked out beers being a bit of a boozer and the lowest amount I could find was Bud-Light surprisingly not Mic Ultra.I will blog the list its quite interesting.
5.Raisins
6.Carrots
7.Yogurt....is loaded with sugar plenty of fat free but not sugar free
8.Beetroot
9.White rice
10.Corn

So far its easier than what I thought.Check salad dressing they can be heavy on sugar too .My fave is balsamic which is about 1 gram I think 1000 Island is 2-3 the best dressing would probably be an oil.
Didnt lose any today but thats ok it will be one week on Tuesday I think with most diets you have to give it a month to see the true effect.
My diet partner who is following it loosely has lost three pounds and he still eating a little sugar.
At Wal-Mart last night they had a garlic butter spread no sugar so when we got home I toasted some zero sourdough and put some on ...it was pretty awesome.
Didn't have my usual two or three beers last night but probably will tonight its my only vice the weekend boozing.
I actually have no sugar cravings currently I researched sugar free candy that contains sugar alcohol and apparently thats fine if need be.
I think my biggest shock has been milk at 11grams ,tomato soup at 11 and onion soup at 8.The soups are all based on Sweet Tomatoes salad bar it just shows dont assume which is my favourite thing to do...check!

Milk It

Wayne Dyer said two words 'almond milk' yuk I thought...I always think yuk first if I havent tried something.Little did I know 'normal' milk contains 11 gramms of sugar....I had no idea....I am not a milk drinker but like everyone else love it on cereal.Mr Dyer said that it tasted the same...uh huh I didnt fall for that one I mean almond milk that sounds dreadful.Apparently the only easy to find cereal with no sugar is shredded wheat.
After our wonderful weekend in Chi-town I headed to the store in the meantime my mind was working overtime as I stuffed down cookies in skillets,bagels and anything else that came into my path.
On our return I picked up some almond milk (no sugar only two carbs) and some bite size shredded wheat by Post.
I was nervous about trying the milk thats just the way I am but finally plucked up the courage.It has a very creamy look to it as it pours and the color is an off white however Wayne was right it tastes almost the same but creamier (we normally drink 1%)I was so pleasantly surprised.So that has now become my sugar free breakfast.
I am not looking at calories or fat however I would describe the diet as low carb with benefits....cereal being one of many.
I wont say what I weigh I am not obviously overweight but heavier than what I have been in a while.I hate being defined by a number put it this way I dont want to be wearing spanx and *extra buttons* as seen on tv the rest of my life.
The first day was Tuesday jumped on the scales preparing for the worst and expecting the worst and it was pretty much what I expected.
The following day I lost two pounds so that was Wednesday,Thursday I was down another,today being Friday I was down two so in a few days I lost five pounds...thank you Jesus!!!

Sugar Oh Honey Honey

On a recent trip to Chicago we listened to self help guru Wayne Dyer who happened to comment he cut out sugar and lost 29 pounds in a month 'without even trying' thats the moment well actually three days later I converted to sugar free.