Jello One More Way

Every afternoon the sweet tooth hits.  Today I was craving marshmallows...the big fluffy ones.  But in my pantry I only had the minis.  I knew better than to start eating them.  It's way too easy to consume a lot of calories and never begin to feel it in your stomach..they are like eating air.

I had those sugar free gelatin cups in the fridge from last week.  Remember the post about jello cubed on ice cream as a substitute for gummy bears on ice cream?

The brain switched on and I chopped up a jello cup into a bowl, topped it with about 15 mini marshmallows, then a dollop of Cool Whip Lite.  Perfect.  Satisfied my marshmallow craving and my sweet tooth for very few calories and fat. 

Granted it was empty calories, but when you want marshmallows it's better to eat a few than to eat around the craving.  In my experience I just end up eating a ton of stuff before I cave and eat what I crave--better to eat it in the first place.  Use your creativity to feed the craving in a less damaging way.

As a bonus I was able to use one more gelatin cup.  My supply, which started out as 16, is down to 5.

No One Can Eat Just One

That was the line from the Lay's potato chip commercial. And I've found it to be true. In fact I've found it to be true about many foods.

But Jack LaLanne said this:

If one apple is good, you wouldn’t eat 100.

That got me to thinking. I've had some delicious apples in my time. Same with other fruit. At most I might eat a second one, but never more that that. I certainly wouldn't eat 100 apples.

But I sure could eat a 100 chips, or nuts, or pieces of chocolate.

Jack gave me something to think about. Every time I'm tempted to want more of some tasty food I remember what Jack said.

Also--I really do wonder if there are things added to our processed foods to make us want to eat more, which result in having to buy more of it more often (hence the company makes more money off of us). While nuts are natural I'm only tempted to overeat them when they have been processed, as in roasting and salting and added oils. What else might they add to those processed nuts under the heading of spices? Raw nuts just aren't that compelling to overeat are they?

Next time you're pigging out on something think about what Jack said about the apple.

By the way--if you didn't watch the video I posted yesterday you missed out. Don't be mislead by the screen shot. Jack did not advocate eating much meat, and then only broiled, grilled or baked. If you watched you'll know it was skim milk for breakfast, no butter on your toast, and a big raw salad at lunch and supper. And guess what oil he said to use on that salad?..uh huh...olive oil.  Pretty much what he said to do back in the 1950's is what we are hearing today from the experts.

Back in the day Jack was considered a nut (Did you know he was a doctor of chiropractic? I didn't until I read his website.) But Jack knew what he was talking about. I bet he felt like a fish swimming upstream in his prime. Thanks Jack. You are the man, and a lovely one to boot.

Healthier Big Cookie

I have a sweet tooth. While I try to satisfy it with fruit, there are times when you just want chocolate. And while eating chocolate has some benefits, it’s not very filling and can be quite addictive. Try this instead and save the real chocolate, the good stuff, for special days.

In a deep cereal bowl with a fairly wide bottom measure 20 grams--which is a half serving-- of quick oats. Next add an egg white, and beat it into the oats. Then add a splash of milk. I don’t measure so I can’t be specific--it was probably two tablespoons--think loose brownie batter. Follow with some cocoa powder--about 2 heaping teaspoons, a dash of salt, a splash of vanilla, a packet of Splenda/ 2 teaspoons sugar/equivalent in your preferred sweetener and a big pinch of coconut. Stir well to combine.

Nuke this for one minute at 100% power and check it. If it still has a large wet area on top, put it back in for one minute at 50% power. Let stand to finish cooking. Eat. Enjoy.

The desired result is a dry--but not dried up/tough/leathery-- edible cookie that you can pick up out of the bowl and eat out of hand.

View from the side--it's pretty thick.

From a distance.

I found this to be very tasty, lots of chew factor and filling. It satisfied my chocolate craving but didn’t keep it going. Being a blend of whole grain, protein and the small amount of fat in the milk and coconut, it is a better choice than most processed foods. It is quick and inexpensive as well. And it requires no special foods--no protein powder or specialty ingredients. You probably have all you need to make this in your larder.

And f you don’t like coconut, replace it with a few nuts or some raisins. The coconut adds a lot of chew and also contains coconut oil which supposedly helps with weight loss.

The fat in coconut is a medium chain fatty acid with a profile similar to the fat in olive oil. It is oft maligned because of its saturated fat content, but I don't think the concern is warranted.

Update: Down Two Pounds

Since I began tracking my animal sourced protein intake as well as my calories and making a point to eat at least 60 grams of animal sourced protein daily I've dropped 2 pounds.

I've also noted as well as not needing a night time snack, I'm less hungry throughout the day. My calorie intake is at 1600 or below daily. It doesn't take as much willpower to resist food when you're not hungry. And I find eating less carbs overall means I don't crave them either.

Yesterday I had to grab a bite out for lunch, so I took a string cheese and individual low fat cottage cheese with me to have on hand should I need it.

When lunch rolled around I was next to McD's...so being the cheapie that I am I popped in to order off the dollar menu. They have a double cheeseburger for a buck, but I prefer a plain hamburger. And the fries were tempting. But I ordered 2 plain hamburgers...less fat than the hamburger and fries--and 24 grams of protein. Each burger is 12 grams of protein whereas a small order of fries is 2. And I opted for a low fat milk instead of diet soda because artificial sweeteners cause me to crave sweets so I believe they do cause an insulin surge in my body. That gave me 8 more grams of protein for a grand total of 30-ish grams of animal sourced protein. On top of breakfast--which was a 1/2 cup of low fat cottage cheese which I scarfed down in a rush, a string cheese, half a banana that was sitting in a clear container on the counter, and a partially eaten piece of whole wheat toast spread with a teaspoon of real butter I was in good protein wise.

By the time supper rolled around I was not hungry. Since I had to pick hubby up at work we decided to grab a bite at our favorite Greek fast food place. He ordered a plate meal and got an extra plate for me. I had a few bites of his salad, rice, meat and pita and I was full...so full that had I eaten more I'd have been miserable.

I'm not trying to eliminate or avoid carbs...but in making the animal protein the priority, the carbs get limited because I'm counting calories too. For health reasons I'm making it a point to eat healthy carbs.

For some reason I've been craving, of all things, celery. I'm not a big celery fan unless it's filled with peanut butter or cream cheese. But plain celery beckons my palate these days.

So if you find you're having trouble staying in your range due to hunger and cravings, check out your animal protein intake. (I find that the veg sourced protein doesn't have the same good effect on my appetite so I don't count it toward my goal.)

While it's a pain to have to eat more animal food than I'd like, if it's what my body needs to shed excess fat I guess I need to take heed.

Protein Helps

Just a quick update to let you know that eating more protein during the day has eliminated my need to snack at night. I feel proud, but it really has nothing to do with will power or me resisting temptation. I'm less hungry when I get adequate protein which also results in me eating less of the insulin raising foods that increase the appetite. I've been checking the scale and my weight is moving down. Also my clothes fit more loosely--the bloat is gone.

I want to interject to those of you who do Weight Watchers--who tells you that there are no forbidden foods--the reason many of the foods are no points or very low points is because they want to lead you to eating the foods that are lower glycemic, lower fat, lower calorie and higher in protein because those foods don't increase the appetite. They also promote fat burning (fat becomes the energy source) in your body.

So, you see, there is a method to their 'madness' of using points instead of calories. The points system along with the healthy eating habits they teach lead you to eating foods that will help you be most successful. Still though I prefer to follow my own plan and believe in the long term I will have more success.

It has been hard though for me to eat--as in chew-- enough animal sourced protein. I have to work hard to get in 60 grams--which seems to be the ideal minimum number for me, though according to other sources I should be getting more.

I've had to supplement my food with some protein shakes (whey based--I'm not supposed to use soy--oncologist orders) to reach that 60 gram goal. To stay in my calorie range I keep it plain.

To a cup of cold water and a couple of ice cubes I add the protein powder, some vanilla, and some sweetener. I can add some instant decaf coffee and some unsweetened cocoa powder too for a mocha shake, but it does require using more sweetener..and even calorie free sweeteners set off my sweet tooth.

Now--the trick is for me to not get slack and quit tracking my protein intake. After a few days it's too easy to slip back into the old ways, thinking I've got things under control, ignoring the knowledge I have and not using it to my aid.

I Binge

Of late I’ve realized I’m a food binger. I’d always thought those who binged ate huge volumes of food. Like a whole pizza and a whole 2 liter Coke followed by a half dozen donuts--all in one sitting .

But a binge can consist of smaller volumes of food. It’s the compulsion to eat and the inability to stop eating, even though your head and heart desire that you do so. You just can’t..you are compelled to continue…and when you finally do stop you are unable to eat any more at that point. And you don’t know why you arrived at the stopping point, or why it came so late, only that it did. Why couldn’t it come sooner, when you wanted it to?

What drives that compulsion? Something is driving it. Why does it have power over me? Do I give it the power? Perhaps indirectly. But on purpose--no way. In my conscious thinking I’m fighting it, begging it to stop---to release me. Beating myself up for being weak..trying to analyze what is going on with me. Is there something wrong with me that I can’t quit after 2 cookies?

When I do stop at 2 and put them away and walk away--they call my name. They taunt me until I go back to them and indulge in more eating. Followed by regret and guilt and self loathing. (Remember the commercial “no one can eat just one!”--the seed has been planted that we are incapable and we accept it.)

If I am truly a weak willed person, why doesn’t it show up in other areas of my life? My house is spotless. I’m always on time; I always do what I say I’ll do unless providentially hindered. I work hard. I’m honest. I never waste money…I can keep to a budget with no problem. I’m not tempted to purchase on impulse.

But when it comes to food--something is amiss. Why didn’t I realize this sooner? Because I didn’t recognize the problem. I thought my weight was the problem. But it wasn’t. My weight is a symptom of the problem. Food and my relationship with food is the problem. Whether I’m overeating 500 calories a day or 5,000---overeating is overeating.

Are You a Normal Eater?

Take this quiz , copied from Normal Eating, to determine if you are a "normal" eater. Choose one answer in each section.
*******************

HUNGER
1. I often eat when I'm not hungry, but just want to stuff something into my mouth.

2. I try to deny my hunger and hope it goes away.

3. I usually eat whenever I'm moderately hungry.

CHOOSING FOODS

1. I go for high-calorie, high-fat, high-carb, "bad" foods.

2. I eat only low-calorie, low-fat, low-carb, "good" foods.

3. I eat a combination of foods based on my hunger level and what I enjoy.


ENJOYING EATING

1. I eat so fast, feel so guilty, or am so tuned out when I eat that I rarely enjoy food.

2. I don't think about food as enjoyable or nourishing, only how it will affect my weight.

3. I generally find eating a pleasurable experience.

FULLNESS AND SATISFACTION

1. I often eat way past full and/or satisfied and end up eating too much.

2. I eat as little as possible and rarely feel satisfied after eating.

3. I usually stop eating when I am pleasantly full or satisfied.
_________________________

Evaluate Your Answers:

If you most often checked off the first box in each section, it's likely that you're an emotional, compulsive overeater.

If you most often checked off the second box in each section, it's likely that you're a chronic dieter or restrictive under-eater.

If you most often checked off the third box in each section, it's likely that you're a "normal" eater.

If you checked off a mixture of first and second boxes, it's likely that you yo-yo between dieting and binge-eating.
*************************
For more information check out the Normal Eating website.

Maria's Last Diet Blog

Pasted here for you is a blog post from Maria's Last Diet:
********************************
Your Weight Loss Challenge is Mostly Mental

by Maria's Last Diet

Are you at a weight you hate?

Want to build your dieting muscle?

Exercise the power of thinking.

In order to lose weight, don't lose your mind.

Think! Use your head!

Think about:

--when you overeat
--why you overeat
--how you're feeling before you overeat
--how you're feeling after you overeat
--what you might do instead of overeating
--how you would feel if you lose the weight
--how you would feel if you don't

It's mind/body, always. The connection is undeniable.

*******************************

There is a lot of helpful information at the Maria's Last Diet website. I'll be posting some more of it here in the future. Check out the website if you have time.

Bingeing

Of late I’ve realized I’m a food binger. I’d always thought those who binged ate huge volumes of food. Like a whole pizza washed down with a 2 liter Coke followed by a half dozen donuts--all in one sitting .

But a binge can consist of smaller volumes of food. It’s the compulsion to eat and the inability to stop eating, even though your head and heart desire that you do so. You just can’t..you are compelled to continue…and when you finally do stop you are unable to eat any more at that point. And you don’t know why you arrived at the stopping point, or why it came so late, only that it did. Why couldn’t it come sooner, when you wanted it to?

What drives that compulsion? Something is driving it. Why does it have power over me? Do I give it the power? Perhaps indirectly. But on purpose--no way. In my conscious thinking I’m fighting it, begging it to stop---to release me. Beating myself up for being weak..trying to analyze what is going on with me. Is there something wrong with me that I can’t quit after 2 cookies? When I do stop at 2 and put them away, then walk away--they call my name. They taunt me until I go back to them and indulge in more eating. Followed by regret and guilt and self loathing.

If I am truly a weak willed person, why doesn’t it show up in other areas of my life? My house is spotless. I’m always on time; always do what I say I’ll do. I work hard. I’m honest. I never waste money…I can keep to a budget with no problem. I’m not tempted to purchase on impulse.

But when it comes to food--something is amiss. Why didn’t I realize this sooner? Because I didn’t recognize the problem. I thought my weight was the problem. But it wasn’t. My weight is a symptom of the problem. Food and my relationship with food is the problem. Whether I’m overeating 500 calories a day or 5,000---overeating is overeating.

********************************************

Since I've adopted the Intuitive Eating method the compulsion to binge is mostly not there. Why would it be if I've truly given myself permission to eat what I want? Just the thought of a food being limited or restricted is enough to make one desire that food all the more and kick start the bingeing behavior--as is believing your trigger foods are evil. The guilt that encompasses your desire to eat "bad" food is counterproductive.

If you haven't checked out IE I encourage you to do so.

Intuitive Eating

I'm currently reading the book Intuitive Eating. I decided to do so because much of what it teaches concurs with many of the changes I made beginning in January 2007 in order to transform my relationship with food. Here I'm sharing an excerpt that I think covers an issue we all, who "diet", deal with.

"We have become a nation riddled with guilt about how we eat. Even non dieters experience eating angst."

"The thought of stealing or lying would instill a sense of guilt in most people. Yet, most dieters are able to create an equivalent level of guilt when they've eaten french fries or a hot fudge sundae. The quantity of any of these "bad" foods has almost nothing to do with the level of despair that is felt when they are eaten. The first bite often evokes a sense of having failed or being bad. Wanting a "bad" or "illegal" food then becomes a morality issue. The subsequent guilt that builds is enough to initiate a period of overeating that can destroy any previous successful weight loss." Copied : page 93-94 of Intuitive Eating

The authors explain that the act of rebelling against a personal belief, as in "cookies are bad" or "I shouldn't eat that" can make us feel like we are out of control. (That's when the panic, at least for me, sets in!) Once the (food) rebellion is unleashed its intensity reinforces feelings of lack of control and the belief: you don't possess willpower! You drown in a sea of self-doubt and shame. In other words, rebellious eating equals "forget you eating" (implying "I'll do as I darn well please and the consequences be @##X*@".

I've found this to be true in my own life and self defeating. That is why I finally understood that I must change the way I "thought" about food. (A person's way of thinking/believing leads to his way of acting/behavior. The ancient writings contained in the Bible teach us that "as a man/woman thinketh, in his heart so is he." )

What to do? How can I...how can we end this destructive cycle? Is is possible to end it? I believe it is because I've been doing it for over a year now and it has made a huge difference in me being able to slowly accomplish my goal of losing 20 pounds.

My suggestion is that you run, don't walk, to the nearest book store or library and obtain a copy of this book. In the meantime you can do what I did on January 1, 2007 for my New Year's resolution: give yourself permission to eat any food you like. Rid yourself of the "banished" food list. You may find as I, that initially you'll be eating those foods that have been forbidden---possibly quite often .... and you'll have to tell the "voices" (not literal) in your head to "shut up" when they declare you "bad, bad, bad!"..... but in time it will get easier and the dynamic will change: those foods will not be nearly as desirable as they were when forbidden.

Getting free from the bondage of food do's and dont's is the first step to putting yourself on the path of eating normally, possibly for the first time since you were a baby: eating when you were hungry, stopping when you had eaten the amount of food your body needed for sustenance.

The book: Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole, M.S., R.D and Elyse Resch, M.S., R.d, F.A.D.A.
***********************************
I "speak" as one who has lost 50 pounds twice, and regained it twice. For years I considered myself fat (even when I was not fat) and suffered food angst every time I ate...every morsel of food I put into my mouth became "bad" in some way: too much fat, saturated fat, too many calories, not enough nutrients, cancer causing preservatives, too many carbs, the wrong omega balance, not enough protein, not enough fiber, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Eventually I got to the point where I could not budge the weight off. And I was fed up, disgusted and assumed I'd be "fat" the rest of my life (for now I truly was "fat"). But I tried one more time, and discovered a better way. Believe me---losing 20 pounds slowly is no easy feat. But I am convinced I will keep this weight off forever. And that's the goal... isn't it?

Dealing With The Hunger Obstacle

I weighed today and discovered I've lost another .9 pounds. That puts my total loss since the end of September 2007 at 13 pounds. Yay!! Slow going, I know, but better than not losing at all, or worse, gaining.

In my previous post I wrote about two of my big diet obstacles that hindered me losing. The hunger issue is always a biggie and usually a deal breaker for a lot of people.

The biggest mistake I made, and I believe many make, is going too low calorie wise. A good diet plan will tell you to keep track of what you normally eat for several days, take an average of your calorie intake, then reduce that amount by 500 calories per day to lose a pound a week on average. And most caution you to never go below 1200 calories.

So what did I do? Skipped that step and went right to the 1200 calories thinking I'd get my losing done pronto and then go back to eating "normally". Whoa...normal meant gaining weight up to a set point that was way higher than I wanted to be and probably should be. (Note: On Weight Watchers my weight slotted me in the lowest points range--on which I was starving all the time.)

After years of repeating this same failure and, as would be expected, getting the same result, I decided eating a little more would be better---I could last longer...endure---stay the course.

I settled on 1600 calories a day. Mind you, I'm just 5"3" and only get light activity routinely. But guess what? I've been slowly but surely losing weight.

That being said I must tell you that the foods that comprise the 1600 calories can hugely impact hunger. Foods that satiate vary from person to person, so you'll need to figure out what "fills" and satisfies you.

But here's what I've found works best for me. At each meal I have a small amount of protein, a small amount of healthy fat, and the rest is carbs...lots of the high fiber, slow to digest ones.

That fiber stays in my stomach longer and as a result, the hormone that signals hunger is not released. This explanation is pretty simplistic and you may want to Google it and get a more detailed explanation of how your body works when it comes to food and hunger.

A great side benefit of eating high fiber complex carbs is that besides being very filling they are generally low in fat and calories.

It took me awhile to figure out the combination that worked best to stave off my hunger. Initially I thought eating lots of protein was the key. Then I upped my fat intake to around 40% which meant I had to lower my carb intake to stay in my 1600 calorie range.

The point is---keep tweaking what you are eating until you find the combination of macro nutrients that help you keep from being hungry.

Eliminate Cravings?

I came across this video. Next time I get a craving, which happens several times a day, I plan to try the video technique. If the video fails to work from this post click here for a direct link to You-tube. The video is by hypnojim. Note: click the play symbol a second time if the video fails to begin....for some reason one click won't do it.