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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 26 June 2006 08:36 am |
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Sunday
Deviations from ETL: small freebies (small bits of cake, brie cheese, cheddar cheese, spring roll, pasta, full-fat cracker with pate etc.), Small amounts of dried fruit (less than 100 calories). 3 egg whites (40 calories), 100g cottage cheese (69 calories), 600g yogurt (252 calories). Obviously I'm also not obeying the six-week plan rule about having 3 square meals and no snacks.
All night long I had to get up every hour or so to pee. The curse of the liquid-rich fruits and vegetables! 
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CapeCoddess
New Member
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Posted: 26 June 2006 03:51 pm |
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I was cursing about getting up to pee all nite, too! Even tho I'm not doing the 6 week plan and went straight to the life plan, alot of those veggies are diuretics so I can see how alot of the original weight pours off.
Nir, on this diet I'm concerned about not eating after exercising. I always like to have a recovery type snack or beverage after exercise, do you? But I see that since I've already had breakfast, and I'm going to exercise in an hour, I won't be having lunch for another 3 hours. Hence, no recovery snack.
Do you think that's oK?
CC
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 26 June 2006 05:31 pm |
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I think the no-snacking rule only applies to the six-week plan - which means you can snack after exercise.
I don't have a record of what times I've eaten my fruits and vegetables today (more or less all the way throughout the day) but my protein sources were so far consumed at 610,658,815,1010,1120,1310,1510,1520. So I'm not a great believer in 3-square-meals :)
I'm not saying that I am following the six-week plan. After all, it calls for total compliance. I'm just measuring how far away from it I am. Actually, the other way I'm not complying is that my starchy vegetables are more than 250g. I think my starchy vegetables box this morning was around 450g. I'm working on different objectives though (the celeriac, swede and 'seasonal mix' all have to be eaten before they go off!...)
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 26 June 2006 10:32 pm |
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Monday
Skipped gym to attend a monthly Parish Council meeting (as a member of the public). Their next meeting is July 31st (my last day of employment). The girl who stood for councilor last time had in fact become one - she brought assorted wrapped chocolates (from her native Poland, apparently). I had a couple (probably 50 calories each). I would have had more if I could have got away with it. In a way I'm glad I'm not a councilor. I got bored after one hour and 40 minutes and left the still-running meeting! Ate a huge mango at home (my last one and surely more calories than the two chocolates). Dr Fuhrman says fruit are unlimited though, so I need not feel guilty about the Mango. I love the idea that this plan has unlimited fruit  - but that's not the whole story. II think it is only unlimited if you first fill up on raw salad and cooked vegetables (so you don't have too much room for the fruit). I could be going slightly wrong there.
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wm
Senior Member
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Posted: 26 June 2006 10:45 pm |
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Nir wrote: //www.second-opinions.co.uk/taubes.html [Mainstream nutritional science has demonized dietary fat, yet 50 years and hundreds of millions of dollars of research have failed to prove that eating a low-fat diet will help you live longer]
Dr Fuhrman's refutation of Atkins is quite effective, but it does specifically address the Atkins Induction phase (90% of calories from animal products: 30% protein 60% fat, and very low in carbs). This article is on a slightly different subject. If you have the time, perhaps you could read it and then be in a better position to say where a good refutation of it is available.
Taubes's article appears to have caused quite a frenzy, on both sides of the issue. However as one commenter noted, "It was almost more about the politics of diet than the science."
Perhaps the most #%@&!ing comment was leveled by Stanford University cardiologist John Farquhar, who said, "I think he’s a dangerous man. I’m sorry I ever talked to him" in this refutation by Michael Fumento http: //www.reason.com/0303/fe.mf.big.shtml. There is a link at the end of the article to Taubes's lengthy rebuttal (longer even than his original piece), and re-rebuttal by Fumento at the end of that.
This is a complex issue, and it's not entirely clear what the real question is: dietary fat in relation to longevity, in relation to cholesterol (and by association coronary heart disease), in relation to weight loss, or simply to overall health? Everyone seems to have their own take on the issue (and Taubes's article), depending on their area of interest.
This guy's (http: //www.enotalone.com/article/3243.html) angle is to promote his low-carb diet for diabetics. He favors Taubes's argument on the assumption that reducing dietary fat means increasing dietary carbs. He doesn't discuss in this article the possibility that person might reduce both as part of an overall reduction in calories, the role of different types of fats, nor the significant metabolic differences between simple and complex carbs. Dr. Fuhrman has achieved spectacular results in treating adult-onset diabetes with ETL, which is nothing if not high carb!
Finally, this article (http: //www.yourhealthbase.com/fat_heart.htm), though nominally written in the context of coronary heart disease, goes a long way toward explaining why the issue is so complex and dispelling some of the confusion:
The history of the anti-fat movement will be reviewed first, followed by an examination of what modern nutritional epidemiology and nutritional science has revealed about the merits and risks of dietary fat, especially in the context of coronary heart disease. Then we will discuss low-fat and high-fat diets with these results in mind.
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 27 June 2006 11:01 am |
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wm, it will take me a bit to read your links. In the meantime I notice the first link is criticizing a DIFFERENT article by the same author. So I shall clarify:
- "Soft Science of Dietary Fat", (March 2001, Science) Summary: research has failed to prove that eating a low-fat diet will help you live longer.
- "What if It's All Been a Big Fat Lie?" (July 2002, New York Times) Summary: Atkins "works" - is effective at weight loss.
I do not think the two articles are the same!
Dr Fuhrman has good anti-Atkins materials (as I already agreed above!) which deal with the 2nd article.
What I am interested in is a 'response' to the suggestion in the first article, i.e. finding 'holes' in his claim that "research has failed to prove that eating a low-fat diet helps you live longer".
To re-iterate, I am not trying to link this to a low-carb high-fat diet (whether it has the name "Atkins" or another name). Rather, I am trying to contrast the article with Dr Fuhrman's "conventional" position on dietary fat.
I'll put it (yet) another way. I don't think that somebody who is not on a low-fat diet is necessarily on Atkins. They might just have a bit more fat in their diet without it being their main source of calories.
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 27 June 2006 11:46 pm |
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Be A Cow wrote: Eating a cookie in the sauna must be an experience :)
My gym doesn't allow food anywhere--it seems strange that yours does.
I finally met the new General Manager of the gym today, though it wasn't under best of conditions. She took me aside to tick me off about eating in the Sauna and Steam Room. That cookie (back in May) was eaten in secret, but the ETL raw salad, cooked veggies (and frozen yogurt) were not - and evidently somebody complained about me.
This unsettled me a bit. I don't like being told off - even if (as clearly is the case here) I'm in the wrong. Luckily, 10 minutes later I was gritting my teeth while squating under a load of 32.5kg, so started thinking about other things. Exercise is great for that.
At the supermarket I bought the celery, but side-stepped the gourmet soup (it was 300 calories which I thought was a bit steep - and had cream and butter amongst its ingredients). At the bakery, the reduced cake was overpriced so I wasn't even tempted.
Yesterday I was going out of my mind looking for this tin of kidney beans that I know I have. I still can't find it - so I got some more of those. Haricot beans ("baked beans" in tomato sauce) and Kidney beans (in water) are about a third of the price of all other tins of beans.
Got home to discover mum had left me more broad beans she grew at her allotment - so I'm shelling them now while reading cph.
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nevd
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 28 June 2006 02:34 pm |
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Hi Nir -
Long time no read. Glad to see you're still telling the awful truth about what you get up to.
Sorry about the run-in with the gym manager, although:
Luckily, 10 minutes later I was gritting my teeth while squating under a load of 32.5kg, ...
He or she evidently doesn't weigh that much. I think you'd have won a slug-fest.
Keep posting,
Nev 
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 29 June 2006 12:18 am |
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nevd wrote: Long time no read
Just what have you been up to for the last 6 weeks?
Wednesday
Another holiday (feels special - mind you if I don't get a job, every day will be like this in August so the novelty might wear off!). Lazed around then rushed to the gym for Body Pump at 9.30am. They were auditioning a guy who wants to be gym studio co-ordinator - he was teaching the class as part of his job application process. Sampled some cheese and went home where I cooked and prepared vegetables (munching as I go along). In the afternoon mum took me to her allotment and showed me how to pick raspberries. From bush to hand to mouth. It takes enough energy to pick them that it is "negative calories". I lasted about an hour before I've had enough! Returned to the gym for another toning class. This was with instructor Kelly who is growing on me. I arrived 10 minutes early and waved at her the printout from the body fat % machine (I'm 59.4 kg, by the way - that's a lot more than the 55kg at the end of May! at least the machine was kind enough to suggest my body fat was 10.4%. I know that this isn't accurate and it could easily be 12%, but I'll take what I can get) so she got excited and had a go herself - coming back to report that she's not happy being measured as obese (I'm guessing she's at the overweight/obese crosspoint) and with hypertension (there's a blood presure thing in that booth as well). At the supermarket I picked up a kilo of bananas as well as salmon steak and some mini fish cakes, clementines, carrots, broccoli.
Deviations: well, I was planning to be vegeterian for a while in order to eat all my eggs, cottage cheese and yogurt before they waste - and sure enough I had some eggs and cottage cheese as protein sources today (as well as broad beans). However, in the afternoon I left home unprepared and I helped myself to an 'emergency ration' of golden pork crunch. Only half an hour later though I decided to treat myself to the mini fish cakes (22% of calories from protein: 222 calories 12.4g protein - and a processed, refined food. An indulgence (20p)). Finally, I had too cook the salmon as they otherwise wouldn't fit in the freezer [This isn't funny. I'll have to start eating some frozen vegetables soon to make room!] and helped myself to bits here and there while dividing it into 10g-of-protein portions. I'm allowed unlimited fruit on ETL, but it still feels wrong to eat a kilo of bananas (weighed with skin) - I'm sure he didn't think I'll take him at his word! (at least I can't binge on dried fruit as I finished it all in a 400-calorie-mini-binge last night. That was about 3000 calories from raisins, dates and apricots in 7 days!).
I'm almost sticking to the plan. kind-of.
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CapeCoddess
New Member
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Posted: 29 June 2006 01:40 am |
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I think YOU should apply for a job at the gym, Nir. Lord knows you're in good enough shape and spend enough time there. May as well get paid for it and get free membership taboot! 
Tell them you can start mid-August so you can have a little vacation first.
CC
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 29 June 2006 10:31 am |
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CapeCoddess wrote: I think YOU should apply for a job at the gym, Nir.
I have ocassionally toyed with the idea of getting qualified as a fitness instructor, to teach classes. It costs at least £1000. There is an Exercise To Music qualification and then add-on modules like Body Pump, Body Combat etc. Who knows, I might do that course one day.
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 30 June 2006 01:20 am |
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Having just spent a week working my way through 3000 calories of dried fruit that I wasn't supposed to have, and the following day munching through a kilo of bananas, what do I do today? That's right, I spot some dried bananas ("chewy banana", 327 calories per 100g bag (reduced to 20p), 4 bags = 1300 calories). I divided them into 50-calorie portions. Not that this will make much difference...
Similarly, have to be weary of the Brazil Nuts.
Bought 6 packs of wholemeal rolls. Each pack has 6 rolls. Each roll is 160 calories. I mainly bought them because they altogether cost me -54p (in other words, I got paid to take them away). Gave 5 packs to my work-out buddy. Took one pack home, halved each roll, toasted one under the grill and froze the rest. My freezer is really full - I need to start eating frozen stuff!!
Room for mistakes: I've guestimated my vegetable intake and my high-calorie protein intake (beans, dairy, eggs etc) at around 1200 calories, so that still leaves plenty of calories for extra fruit and "mistakes" (which of course I'm already making). So I think I'm vaguely on track calorie-wise.
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 30 June 2006 02:28 pm |
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My collegue placed a Belgian Bun on my desk. 400 empty calories, what a waste. After the event I tried to reason with her that 400 calories would "go further" in other foods, say fruit. Or even as far as empty calories go, I can imagine having more pleasure eating 400 calories in other ways. I failed to convince her. I really cannot believe I am so weak - the only reason I ate that cake (if you want to call it that - it isn't nice enough to merit that term) was because it was free.
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trimB
Moderator
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Posted: 30 June 2006 09:43 pm |
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Sadly, I can very much relate to your struggles. Every day I trim the edges or the tops off cakes or have a bit of some little tartlet or mini pastry left over. Throwing them away seems so wasteful, so I end up nibbling all day long. Even though logically I KNOW that I would be better off eating veggies & fruits & whole grains.
Here's a deal... If you stop going to the grocery store, then I'll quit my job... ;)
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 30 June 2006 11:56 pm |
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trimblebe wrote: Here's a deal... If you stop going to the grocery store, then I'll quit my job... ;)
Rather than quitting the bargain hunts, I need to remain more focused. (I remember how focused I was on avoiding carbs back in my Atkins days. No exceptions. It would be nice to regain that kind of discipline - so long, of course, as I don't experience a 'backlash' as a result.) That's why, having finished reading ETL, I've started reading it again from the beginning (around page 20). I picked up a couple of mini cabbages and a couple of large cauliflowers. Passed on the breaded deep-fried fish and buttered scallops and, as I'd like the option to try being vegan at some point in July, also passed on the large quantity of less-than-half-price eggs I could have had today.
Would you like a free drink? (yes - I did have the glass of white wine). They've just reopened what used to be an Indian restaurant (next door to my gym) as a world quisine buffet. I went up to have a look. Plenty of healthy-looking stuff but plenty of stuff that looks fried, oily, or boasting plenty of refined carbs. Plenty of cakes and chocolates for dessert, too. The door price (£19, around $35) will keep me away for a while. I don't think I'll be restricting myself if I ever go there - I'll want to try everything!
For now, I'll just avoid the place (and for that matter I should avoid initiating dining-out social situations, as I'm sure plenty will come my way in the normal course of events). Don't forget I have that catered London event in 2 weeks' time!
On the subject of all-you-can-eat: that is my favourite thing about ETL.
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Peter
Founder, caloriesperhour.com
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Posted: 1 July 2006 08:41 am |
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Nir wrote: On the subject of all-you-can-eat: that is my favourite thing about ETL.
It is somewhat odd that I create this website that's all about counting calories, then I promote ETL which doesn't require counting calories at all.
Well, not so odd when you consider the tutorial topic I wrote long before I discovered ETL:
The Need to Count Calories
Hopefully you will always be interested in the nutritional value of the food you eat, and perhaps from time to time you will be curious about the calories burned by an activity you perform or are considering making a part of your routine. But counting the calories you eat and the calories you burn on a daily basis is quite a different matter.
This website was not created with the intention that you visit it daily for the rest of your life, but rather to help you learn to make healthy choices about the foods you eat and the activities in which you participate.
Today you may need to count calories in order to better understand your eating and exercise habits and make improvements. Or perhaps you find counting calories necessary to help keep things under control. But our lives are always changing, and your needs in this area will change too.
The greater value of counting calories today is what you will learn from the experience. As you learn to eat highly nutritious, low calorie foods and exercise on a regular basis, you will likely find that counting calories is not necessary at all.
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 2 July 2006 11:08 pm |
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I agree with much in there. In fact, a bit like going around in circles, as I got "tired of counting calories" around May 2004 and when I first started to pay close attention to my eating (Jaunary 2006) I was doing my best to resist counting, eventually starting in March and lasting to the end of May (3 months). Looking at it as a means of keeping things under control - I feel it's still necessary though currently only counting protein (and keeping my system simple). I'm still hoping for my weight (and reported body fat%) to stabalise, but I'm still not worried.
Saturday
20p got me 120g of steamed salmon fillet. 236 calories, 24.1g protein (around 40% of calories from protein - acceptable). Again, lots of half-priced eggs, which I passed on.
Sunday
Nando does a lovely mix of peanuts, almonds and cashew nuts. Eva, who is the gym's member services manager was hanging around the gym (and indeed hanging around this town) as she couldn't drive back home on account of still being under the influence of alcohol after 2pm (from previous night's drinking - I've never drunk enough to be this affected the following afternoon). Anyhow she left quite a lot of those nuts behind. From the volume I would estimate 100-200g. (ETL suggests 50g of nuts.) No, I wasn't hungry but I didn't want to stop eating them until they were gone.
Actually, I don't feel this weekend was a disaster. Both Saturday and Sunday I purchased LOTS of fruit and vegetables. For exercise, on Saturday I did one weight-training workout and three cardio workouts (total: 3 hours 45 minutes), Sunday I did two weight-training workouts and two cardio workouts (total: 3 hours 30 minutes) as part of the BTS (Body Training Systems) launch weekend at the gym. I also attended a "His & Hers" seminar about nutrition and exercise. I came out of it once more swayed towards a higher protein intake: 1.5 to 2.0 per kilo of bodyweight seems like the consensus. I've decided not to go below 1.5 (which is 90g at my current weight, which is in the 58.5-60.0 kg range this week). Also decided that, where not inconvenient, I shall keep count of every serving of protein that's more than a certain amount (say 3g). That means ocassionally weighing vegetables (if I intend to eat a substantial amount of Cauliflower or Broccoli, might as well give them the protein credit they desserve). I'm approximating those mixed nuts at 30g protein.
The treat at the gym wasn't just the extra workouts layed on (although I did 8 workouts, there were a total of 10 on offer throughout the weekend) but the guest instructors we had:
- cycling workouts with Hannah (who works at another gym in this town): she's a cute little ball of energy and suitably enough we discovered she was celebrating her 23rd birthdsay today.
- Body Attack and Body Combat with Jay: he's the class coordinator in a gym that's part of the same chain but in another town. He's energising and very much a pro. I've never done "Body Attack" so didn't know what to expect (thought it would be another fight-themed cardio workout. I was wrong, the "attack" is on your body. No fight theme at all, but a very high-impact high-energy workout. Simple choreography. Competitive (I did my best to be more energetic than my mate)). I liked the classes and the instruction style.
- Body Pump with Fiona: I joined the gym when it first opened its doors in January 2005, and Fiona was the class coordinator and taught most of the classes for the first 5 months (until she left). I hadn't seen her for over a year so it was a treat to have her instruct again. I had forgotten how good she is (very professional, lots of pointers on correct technique, motivation energy and entertainment). She really shines as an instructor, I can't believe that she's allowed herself to do a different job for the last year!
After workouts and food shopping, there was the music festival - just 5 minutes' walk from the gym - on both Saturday and Sunday. My friend was there soaking the atmosphere and the beer. I passed on the drinking opportunity but enjoyed the sun (it was actually sunny and warm at 7pm).
Date-wise, about 5-7 more days and my refrigerated supplies will run out (or go off) and I can contemplate a trial vegan lifestyle. Going vegan with 90g of protein will require emphasis on high-protein veg (got plenty of frozen spinach and broccoli etc.), legumes (I'm stocked up, e.g. chick peas) and TVP (which it turns out Dr Fuhrman isn't against - in fact they're included in several of his recipes!). Even NevD's cookie dough (my 40% protein take on his protein bar) is a possibility, so long as I don't use more than 43g of oats per day.
Last edited on 2 July 2006 11:36 pm by Nir
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 2 July 2006 11:26 pm |
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worse than a stall?
Before I started eating "mostly in the ETL style", I was hovering at 57.5-58.5. Now I'm at 58.5-60.0. That's right, numbers I was seeing back in January! Obviously I don't think I've gained a kilo or more, as I don't think I've over-eaten by 7700 calories during this period. So what could it be?
I think it could be water, or even just the weight of the food in my full stomach (90% of which is water...). Another possibility is that previously my glycogen stores were rarely full and now they are (full glycogen stores can be up to 500g carbs + 1500g water for a typical person). Don't think it is sodium as I don't think I've increased sodium intake relative to how I was previously eating. Yet another possibility is increased muscle mass. What I'd like to see, first of all, as I keep this way of eating going, is for my weight to stop climbing and ideally even start falling slowly (0.5 a kilo a week, or even 0.25 a kilo a week would be welcome signs). I'd also like the repoted body fat% to drop from its current level (10-11%) to a lower level. I'm not in a hurry for good news, but I'd be annoyed if I see further weight increases, because I'm sceptical about the 'muscle' explanation, and I can't think of any other good reason why my weight should be increasing further at this point!
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 4 July 2006 12:27 am |
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3 eggs and 9 yogurt pots (450g each) to go - until I can go vegan.
My protein sources tonight include some dubious fish-cakes (12.4g protein from 222 calories; £0.20) and some rather more dubious chocolate eclairs (5.2g from 436 calories; £0.25). I didn't feel too guilty about the extra 650 calories - and I still do not. I could have had several packets of cream cakes, or a larger packet - but I kept it reasonable.
All change at the gym. Various things have been moved around in the studio (where the classes happen). I think Arren (from last Wednesday) got the job of studio co-ordinator, as he was there (and covered for the teacher of the 6pm class, who got stuck in traffic). When I asked him if he got the job, he was non-commital - he's probably on trial/probation. He's keeping it low-key for now.
The bikes - for the cycling workout classes - have been 'stationed' (instead of picking a bike and moving it to your desired location, you now select a bike based on its position - it stays there). Went for a short break to refill my bottle and all but 2 bikes were already taken (the remaining 2 were in prominent spots - I went for centre of first-row). I got a spot and so did the next person and then all bikes were in use - quite rare!
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CapeCoddess
New Member
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Posted: 4 July 2006 05:17 pm |
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I'm still struggling a bit with the money conversion, but if I have this right, then food is a lot cheaper there than in the U.S.
Are you saying that you bought multiple chocolate eclaires for around 45 cents (U.S.)?
If so, I'm moving!;)
CC
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 4 July 2006 05:33 pm |
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CapeCoddess wrote: if I have this right, then food is a lot cheaper there than in the U.S.
Are you saying that you bought multiple chocolate eclaires for around 45 cents?
Well, Yes and No. Yes, I did buy my eclairs for £0.25 * 1.81 = $0.45. No, that's not the regular price. I think they normally sell for around £1.00 ($1.81). Remember, I like bargains. They reduced the price by so much because they had to be sold that day or be discarded, it was around 8.30pm and the store was closing in 30 minutes, and they got stuck with quite a few items. I bought the eclairs because, if I was ever going to get them, it made sense to get them while they are cheap.
[However, a high price is not enough to keep me on a healthy path, because some unhealthy foods are very cheap at their normal prices. For example, a 100g of 'basic' chocolate can always be had for £0.25 ($0.45) - I assume this is also the case at your locality...]
I have a fridge and a freezer, so I don't need to go shopping every day. The reason why I do is not to buy the staples, whose price rarely changes, but to benefiit from the supermarkets' policy of over-buying perishable goods. It means I can sometimes pick up produce for 10% of its normal price. It actually varies my diet - yesterday I got over a kilo of string beans for very little. It has been a few months since I had those. Last week it was sharon fruit.
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CapeCoddess
New Member
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Posted: 4 July 2006 09:16 pm |
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I totally understand your bargain shopping because I do the same thing. I LOVE that game. It's the ONLY way to shop...unless you can get a great bargain using my favorite mantra, "On sale with coupon".
Our grocery store has a dented cans section and a day old baked goods section. I cruise these sections a few times a week and when I find a good deal, like last weeks 20 dented cans of beans for 25 cents each, I buy them ALL and store them in the basement.
Fortunately, at the beginning of this year, they increased the day old baked goods from $1 for everything up to 50% of the original price, and that put the brakes on for me. I know what a bargain I could get before, so now I feel cheated and won't buy the stuff. I'm greatful for that change though, as I had gained 20 lbs with the old pricing.
We USE to have a "Not the best but still good" produce section, but they recently under went construction to increase the size and elegance of the store and seemed to have done away with that section, much to my demise. So now I just wait until produce goes on sale and buy it in bulk, blanch it and freeze it.
Time for lunch!
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 5 July 2006 12:32 am |
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CapeCoddess wrote: a day old baked goods section.
oh no! you've just reminded me that there is a cake shop  near my workplace (still there till the end of July) where all day-old cakes are £0.10. At least I can't go there tomorrow as I'll be on holiday. Hopefully I'll forget all about that shop by Thursday, otherwise I'll be taking a 400-500 calorie hit!
The various supermarkets keep changing their policies. A few months ago I picked up boxes of 6 eggs for £0.05 - now they have a policy of not reducing anything in that section below £0.20; the in-store bakery has the 50% rule (like yours) apparently their accounts look messed up if they price it any lower (and yet throwing the goods, unsold, looks better on their balance sheet???); A newly-opened ASDA supermarket in my town had ridiculously favourable reductions every Sunday for a while - but the honeymoon is now over and it isn't worth going there (so we don't). The supermarket I go to every day is right by my gym - but in a year or so it is moving and will be over a mile away so I'll be shopping less often...
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CapeCoddess
New Member
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Posted: 5 July 2006 01:31 am |
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QUICK...delete these last 2 entries!!!
Out of sight, out of mind....
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 5 July 2006 02:37 pm |
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Early gym workout was a disappointment. At last night's Body Pump class, Kelly was telling us about her first day at work in her new job for the college. It would be nice if she also told the gym staff (or if she did - it would be nice if they took note!). She told me Aharon would be teaching Wednesday morning (as she now has a day job). He wasn't there (staff told me he was down for an afternoon shift, he's not supposed to be teaching any classes this week anyhow, and they thought Kelly was the one teaching the class). This isn't the first time a mix-up happened at this gym. The last one was not long ago!
The Krispy Kreme shop finally opened yesterday. I headed there to have a look. A bit pricey - £0.90 for one glazed doughnut or £1.10 for any other type ($1.63 and $1.99), yet looking like a customer having a look around at prices and you get offered a complimentary doughnut (say 250-300 calories) This worked out much better than getting another DOZEN as the damage is limited. (A dozen go for £6.95.)
Then M&S - for a change they had plenty of cake fragments - and no-one was looking after them. The member of staff who would normally be there had no reason to be there, as all their refrigerators are temporarily out of order today (power cut?). That could also be why they're giving so much cake away - presumably they'll have to throw it away at the end of the day anyhow (and to pacify disappointed customers who have turned up only to discover there are no refrigerated goods to buy). Additionally in the front of the store I was presented with a voucher for a free 'small' Cappuccino (I went for a skinny with artificial sweetener). I had to stop myself from gorging on the cake as I could literally have had way too much!
I plan to be sensible for the rest of the day. Again, I am struck by how I am not feeling guilt/shame at all - I think that the damage (probably 600-1000 calories in all) is not much if I switch to eating healthy for the rest of the day.
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Peter
Founder, caloriesperhour.com
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Posted: 5 July 2006 07:20 pm |
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Krispy Kremes are about 100% marketing and 100% sugar. (The rest is white flour and fat.) And yes, that adds up to 200%.
Peter
P.S.
No comment on whether or not they are good. ;)
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 5 July 2006 08:47 pm |
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You're making me think about how, to make a low-fat version of a product, it needs to become higher-carb. Usually they say that extra sugar is added to make up for the shortfall - but I guess if they add less fat (or skim it away) then by definition the fat% will be less so the carb/protein will be higher. They don't need to add sugar for this to be the case. It is just maths. [I sent my mum there but she wasn't offeed one, shame! I wonder if I'll get another doughnut if I go there dressed differently and not be recognised :)]
Trying to fix something rather minor on my laptop I ended up uninstalling all my drivers (tip: if you ever uninstall a driver for an 'Unknown' device, anything could happen!) so it was broken big time. Then I couldn't find the original CDs that came with it and spent hours looking for them (doing a fair bit of tidying up in the process - I can see more of the floor). Eventually it turned out the box they were in was practically in my face the whole time. The computer is now working again, which is handy. So many of my holiday hours got wasted. I didn't get hungry while I was busy. I did stop a couple of hours ago to top-up my protein and I'll do it again soon. Er, I didn't have time to prepare or eat veggies, so it isn't exactly an ETL day either. I have a large pile of rubbish things that need to be taken downstairs. Then maybe I'll go for a light workout and/or shopping. What a day. I really need to organise this place though. Some things haven't been unpacked since I moved 31 months ago!
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 6 July 2006 08:11 am |
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Wednesday (continued)
By contrast, I'm not at all happy with my afternoon shopping trip - am feeling negative about it. Bought some healthy stuff (lettuce and tomatos) then went back for 3 sandwiches and mushroom pate. (items totalled 1287 calories; I did throw away majority of 4 slices of bread and 2 halves of bread roll, so somewhat less, but still a disaster). What made it worse: I created the situation (by asking staff if the sandwiches will be reduced), I £ paid £ for it, one item wouldn't have been a problem but I picked 4 items, I ate everything too quickly. Might not have happened if I was stuffed with vegetables, but I was too busy to eat for most of that day. I'm wondering whether it would have been better to just buy one doughnut (300 calories) rather than four things that look healthier but have more calories.
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nevd
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 6 July 2006 01:57 pm |
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Just what have you been up to for the last 6 weeks?
Wife moved to Portugal to take possession of new home. 8 weeks later, she still wasn't in, and returned to UK.
Meantime, I'd started a new job with different hours. My PC was in storage, awaiting delivery to Portugal, and I couldn't get to a library often enough to do more than update the wife's website occasionally - hence no time for caloriesperhour.com (shame!).
Now my PC's in Portugal, and I'm still in UK, with a little bit of access to the Net at lunchtime.
As I mentioned, good to see you're still posting (and still sinning)...
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Skipperdox
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 6 July 2006 05:01 pm |
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One glazed Krispy Kreme is 5 points on Weight Watchers. I think it's worth it! Fortunately the two local Krispy Kremes are not on my way to work. I would have to drive out of my way to get them.
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 7 July 2006 01:19 am |
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I did pick a chocolate toothpaste cake for 10p just before 8pm (actually I got two when the woman serving me decided that the cake I selected was broken) but it tasted as if I was biting into margarine and I threw about 75% of it away. 12 hours later I picked a packet of 4 custard tarts for 30p. As far as desserts go this isn't too bad, 20g of protein and only 100 calories per 100g (if you just eat the custard and discard the pastry case, which is exactly what I did).
Otherwise, generally followed ETL, exceptions being a 14g serving of Golden Pork Crunch, 900g of low-fat yogurt and 3 egg whites.
Vegan Watch: I now have just 900g of low-fat yogurt (45g protein) that needs finishing before I can begin my vegan experiment without having to throw anything away.
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 7 July 2006 10:50 am |
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My lunchboxes  today are over 5 pounds / 2 kilos, and contain:
(cooked) Kale, (cooked) Broccoli, Tomato, Cherry tomato, Aubergine, (cooked) Celeriac, Leek, (cooked) String Beans, Apple, Red Pepper, Celery, (cooked+raw) Cabbage, Cucumber, Lettuce, Carrot, Nectarine.
It turns out I don't like the taste of Kale. Luckily it's almost gone.
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nevd
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 7 July 2006 01:53 pm |
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Vegan Watch: I now have just 900g of low-fat yogurt (45g protein) that needs finishing before I can begin my vegan experiment without having to throw anything away.
Isn't it rather cruel to experiment on a vegan? Which one have you chosen?
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 7 July 2006 05:00 pm |
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nevd wrote: Isn't it rather cruel to experiment on a vegan? Which one have you chosen?
For my first trick, I'll be putting Dr Fuhrman (I think he's vegan) on Dr Atkins' Induction Phase for a couple of weeks
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suenos
Moderator
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Posted: 7 July 2006 05:50 pm |
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I didn't know kale was actually something you ate - I've only seen it used as a decoritive item in the produce department and on salad bars. What does it taste like and what do you do with it?
(you've now inserted this picture in my head of various diet docs forced to consume each other's diets:D)
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 7 July 2006 06:14 pm |
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suenos wrote: What does it taste like and what do you do with it?
Curly-leaf Kale: I just microwaved it. Works with most veggies. Usully (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower etc.) veggies taste quite nice once microwaved. Kale has this unforutnate after-taste that I can't describe. Tastes a bit like cabbage but a lot worse. This isn't the first time I've not liked Kale. Last time I was avoiding the Kale (having cooked it) until it was time to think it had gone off and throw it away. Also (last time) I tried flavouring it (sweetening it) in the hope of covering that after-taste. Didn't work. I got the Kale last night because (1) it was down from 99p to 15p (2) it gets good reviews from Dr Fuhrman and Dr Atkins (yes, they do agree on some things :)) - as far as I'm concerned they can keep it. Unless it tastes great in a stir-fry or something else I hadn't thought of. Normally it is too expensive for me to worry about anyhow.
I'm also growing tired of Celeriac. At the moment I'm dipping it in English Mustard (if you don't know what that is: if you eat half a tea-spoon at once your eyes will be watering. It is yellow, but it isn't the same stuff Americans put on hot dogs) so that I focus on the mustard instead. I'm now running out of mustard.
I'm happy enough with the other veggies in my lunch. Today I made some packet vegetable cup-a-soup - 65 calories for a bit of powder; number one and two ingredients are cornstarch and potato starch (refined grain - nutrient density 2) also boasting sodium and everyone's favourite, hydrogenated vegetable oil (incidentally, trans-fats are another thing that Fuhrman and Atkins agreed on). I placed some of my veggies in the vegetable soup (which is otherwise basically thickened salted water).
On my commute to work initially thought about stopping at that cake shop again to see what cakes they would have today. Talked myself out of that (because it involves some unnecessary time-wasting and walking) and then thought about stopping at the supermarket instead and spending a similiar amount (11p) on a fresh doughnut. I've been aware of those doughnuts for a couple of weeks but still haven't got one. So far, every time I think "yes, I'll have one" they happen to be out of them. Talked myeslf out of that and continued eating the disgusting kale (which took an hour to eat on account of how much I liked it). Based on my eating on Wednesday and Thursday, and the thoughts I had this morning, I'm probably at a bit of a dangerous place right now.
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CapeCoddess
New Member
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Posted: 7 July 2006 10:57 pm |
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AAAACCCKKKKKK!!!  Hydrogenated POISON!!! DON'T DO IT, NIR!!! DROP IT, DOWN, PUT IT DOWN, DIRTY, BAD, Don't touch, bad, nasty, ick! Oh lordy....
That being said (and I wouldn't want to sway anybody to MY way of thinking), I like my kale raw and finely chopped in my salad. Sans the garden worms, thank you very much.
CC
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 7 July 2006 11:24 pm |
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If I ever eat Kale again I'll be sure to try it raw.
Was going for that 11p doughnut - which they've ran out of again. But a packet of 3 Peanut Buter Flapjacks. 20p (down from 99p). Everything else in the bakery was 1/2 price as per their usual policy, so I grabbed the flapjacks. Ingredient 1 is oats (nutrient density 22) but ingredient 2 was margarine (nutrient density 1, at least it is specifically non-hydrogenated). Each flapjack was 45g. The UK labelling laws make ingredient lists mandatory, but nutritional information is optional. I'll estimate 500 calories per 100g, so total damage is 675 kcal (actually thought it would be higher). Yes, I ate them as slowly as I could but couldn't convince myself to save any  .
Having eaten the last of my apples and nectarines, I was out of all fruits except the chewy banana (dried fruit 327 calories per 100g) and some satsumas. However I got lucky at the produce department and now I have all sorts :)
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 9 July 2006 12:17 am |
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This afternoon, after workout (1pm): the 300 calorie, 11p raspberry-jam doughnut was finally purchased and consumed. It wasn't worth the calories. Not even compared with yesterday's flapjacks. I ate half of it. But half an hour later I came back to finish the rest.
Evening trip to supermarket (7pm). I was plotting to buy a 'basic' chocolate swiss roll, 120 grams, 400 calories and 15p (that is the normal price). Looking at the amount that represents 100 calories: it was pityful. Only looked like 'value' when compared to the doughnut from noon. There were some WHITE bread rolls (4 packets, 6 rolls per packet) which would cost me -36p to purchase. What could I use that discount on? The bakery section had the following to offer: 4 doghnuts with chocolate topping for 46p - I had them weighed by bakery staff (250g, 1000 calories); or 4 rather heavy chocolate-chip cookies (at least 300g, at least 1500 calories by my estimates; 65p); or two Apple Turnovers with fresh cream (probably 600 calories, also 65p). Which one should I go for? At that time I found myself thinking in terms of "value-per-calorie" rather than "value-per-£". So I walked away. I ended up getting 3 tins of Baked Beans. 15p each make 45p. Got my 36p discount and paid just 9p. Left the 4 packets of bread rolls on a bench by the supermarket in case someone else wanted them - opened one packet to retrieve one bread roll. Took a couple of small bites and threw it in the bin. I'd like to see myself move away from cakes. It would be progress.
I'm still resisting going Vegan. Had strawberries this morning with mock "cream" (sweetened low-fat yogurt). But at noon I did buy more dairy (low-fat soft cheese, mock philadelphia, 23g of protein) and actually had some Tuna Steak from the freezer (yesterday had some Herring Roe from the freezer). Made myself my version of NevD's oat bars (using Soy Protein Isolate and no milk, so it is vegan). I still don't know where I'm heading with this...
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trimB
Moderator
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Posted: 9 July 2006 03:06 am |
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Nir wrote: I'd like to see myself move away from cakes. It would be progress.
Too funny! I feel your struggle all too well.
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 9 July 2006 03:56 pm |
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| Workout: cycling and a toning class. Freebies: bits of ham, cheese-flavour cashew nuts and a glazed Krispy Kreme. Last edited on 9 July 2006 03:58 pm by Nir
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 9 July 2006 06:47 pm |
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I could have had a blueberry muffin for 10p, a chocolate-covered shortbread for 15p or a fruit flapjack for 15p. Or indeed all three. I went for the flapjack (down from £1.10; 310 calories). I enjoyed it, I enjoyed that it was a quality item that I normally wouldn't treat myself to, that I took advantage of the opportunity. Within 5 minutes I regretted the waste of 290 calories though (20 of the calories were just perfect, as it did contain 5g of protein).
My friend suggests I'd have problems if I worked at his workplace, as they have free chocolates year-around, and every afternoon there are leftovers from catering for clients, and it is all nice. He can't have just a little bit, so his rule is to have nothing at all. Just don't tempt me!
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CapeCoddess
New Member
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Posted: 9 July 2006 09:14 pm |
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I don't get this flapjack thing...except it's making me want to eat pancakes from reading about it. Isn't a flapjack a pancake? So, you just buy A pancake...and then eat it? With you hands? No fork or syrup? Does it come on a plate... or in paper?
I'm thinking I wouldn't BUY and eat *A* pancake. I need a whole stack. :chew: Preferrable with butter, strawberry syrup and whipped cream, but I'd settle for plain ol' buckwheat rite about now.
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 9 July 2006 11:41 pm |
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CapeCoddess wrote: Isn't a flapjack a pancake?
It is solid, about 1/2 an inch thick. It is a traybake, and the heaviest ingredient is Oats (so in those senses, like NevD's protein bar). But that's where the similiarity ends. The second ingredient by weight but first ingredient by calories is butter or margarine.
Check out a recipe with pictures at ukstudentlife.com/Britain/Food/Cooking/Flapjack.htm
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suenos
Moderator
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