The Evil Skinny Cow, and other "Light" Lies and Untruths

Athena53

I just cleansed my kitchen of all the low fat, non fat, reduced calories crap I had. My kitchen is now a nutrient rich, chemical free oasis! I started eating real butter a few weeks back. When I want something sweet a small square of dark chocolate. All in moderation and all within my daily calories. I have found it reduces my craving for more and is that much tastier! real food not real science is my new eating motto!

I avoid most of the "Lite", "Skinny", etc. stuff. Sometimes I think you eat more of it because your body is craving the real stuff that just isn't there. I'd rather have small quantities of the real thing instead.

Warchortle

Personal Problem =/= My Problem

ahviendha

i came to this conclusion at some point last year. light stuff gives me a headache, i think because of the fake sugar, and doesn't fill me up since they take the fat out.

i just go for the real deal, and have slowly honed my discipline and restraint. it's F*ing hard though.

TxFemme

Amen and well said. I see "light" and think "chemical ****-storm"!!!

Abells

Did someone say Skinny cow??

Brb heading over to the freezer.
As you will see in my diary I have an Ice cream sandwich almost every single night.

Edit: Good thing I'm not on a diet.

hahaha Hellll yeah -- ice cream sammies are the tits

---

everyone's always on a diet though we just use the word as much as possible to pertain to the "deliberate selection of food" rather than what it original was which is the consumption of everything you eat no matter what it is

I eat cause I like it

neandermagnon

Yep, stick with the real stuff

^^^ this

The discount ice creams on sticks at my local supermarket are 98 cals for vanilla and 101 cals for chocolate, they're just regular ice cream with a layer of chocolate around the outside. Not the biggest ice cream snacks in the world but they taste great and they're also just the right size for the kids, so they too can enjoy ice cream without going OTT with the portion sizes. They taste great as well. Half these light versions of snacks are just the same as regular ones just in smaller portions, but you pay the same price as the larger portions, because you're paying for a "light" version, not a "mini" or "discount" version, which you'd pay less for, because there's less of it. The light ones are really good marketing (or a total con, depending on how your point of view), because they can basically sell you a smaller snack for the same money, or perhaps even more, than what the regular version costs.

Dori_Gaga

For everyone talking about moderation, self-control, forbidden foods, etc, please remember that everyone is DIFFERENT.

Everyone who is trying to lose weight gained it for different reasons and in different ways.

Willpower is like a muscle, and some people's willpower isn't as strong as others. That doesn't mean there is something wrong with them, it just means that they have to practice behaviour modification to keep themselves out of the situation where their willpower will fail them. So if someone is triggered by having Skinny Cow products in the house, that doesn't mean they are weak or lack self-control, it means they are wise to not keep that product in the house.

Clearly the people talking about self-restraint have no idea what an addictive personality means. It's more than just a matter of willpower, it's a matter of you literally can't control yourself around your triggers. I grew up with an alcoholic father who came from an alcoholic family, and I inherited that addictive personality. I don't keep alcohol in my house, and when I do drink (which is very, very rare, at most twice a year), it has to be planned out, I have to know what I'm going to drink, and how much, and make sure I have no more money than that, and don't take my bank card with me to get more. It sucks, and I see everyone else around me drink so freely, and have a few and stop, and I can't do it.

Since I don't drink or do drugs like my father, my addictions manifested in other ways: food and shopping. I had to go to a counsellor to get control of my spending addiction, and I learned that cash is a trigger for me. I can spend cash like it's nothing, whereas most people are the other way, they recommend having cash instead of your debit card to control your spending. What works for most people doesn't work for me. I cannot keep cash in my wallet. What I learned from that, I was able to apply to my weight loss effort. I had to identify what my triggers were and keep them away from me. I would love to just be able to say no, but I can't.

Recently my mom went away to her hometown and they have a chocolate factory that sells these chocolate covered pretzels that I love, and she asked if I wanted her to buy me some, and I said no. Well, she bought them anyway and I was so upset. I put them in my freezer because I thought "out of sight, out of mind"... didn't work... I ate the whole bag by the next day. I was really disappointed in myself and I really was beating myself up over it, but I learned from that, that I can't keep those in my house because it's a trigger and I can't stop eating them. Even while I was eating them, I was telling myself to stop and I couldn't. Now I understand why it is so hard for my dad to stop drinking, he doesn't do it because he wants to, he does it because he can't stop (and that is after going to AA, doing the whole 12 steps, everything).

I know this is way off topic from the original post, but the point is, don't be so quick to call someone out on their lack of self-restraint. If you can exhibit perfect willpower all the time, then good for you, but don't make people feel bad if they can't, because most people can't.

LuckyLeprechaun

I don't think the OP's point was that she needs to have a forbidden foods list...what I got from it was that certain diet foods are set up so that we naturally want more, if not by the fact that they are labeled "light", then by the additives, chemicals and fake sugars which make our bodies crave more.

No, OP said quite specifically that she HAS to have a forbidden list. That she is utterly unable to own these items and not overeat them. Then she justified that claim by attacking the food items, as though its the fault of the ice cream sandwich makers that she eats the whole box.

It's balony, of course, she IS perfectly capable of exercising self control. I know this is true, because she is an adult, and if she wanted, right this moment she could go jump in the car and purchase ALL the ice cream in the store. But she does not. Because just like all of us, she is perfectly capable of deciding when to say yes to her urges and when to say no.

However, she has deluded herself into believing that she CANNOT. That's safer than taking personal responsibility.

If we decide that it's the Skinny Cow's fault, then it won't be OUR OWN FAULT if we fail. Adults realize that this thinking is false, but it is a seductive line of thinking nonetheless. There's a reason it's super common among those making weight loss efforts.

The claim that anyone has to have a "forbidden list" is false. Food alleriges are the only exception to this. Otherwise, you CAN incorporate Skinny Cow, or any other food into your intake, without letting it ruin you. I am, and my amazing successful friends are all proof of that.

MightyDomo

Glad I indulge on skinny cow ice cream sandwiches for the flavor haha.

I tend to eat the real stuff because what is the point of eating it if it doesn't taste like something from heaven?

I love Dairy Queen, Marble Slab, Breyers and Ben & Jerry's. They are ridiculous calorie and macro wise but are well worth it.

OMGSugarOHNOS

why do skinny cows leave you still hungry and craving more?

......

because they only have 150 cals!

panthera_leo48

I cut out bad things, but have a piece or two of a Hershey bar every blue moon or so. I started not having a forbidden list but keeping in mind what and what is not good for me. I soon lost temptation to potato chips.
There are some Pomegranate Popsicles with *70* calories in them. They're made from real fruit and they are delicious. Blue bell also makes no sugar added ice cream. It doesn't taste ANY Different than other ice creams. But keep in mind moderation. Take everything in moderation.

I also allow myself to Have a Cup of noodles every night. (Yeah it's bad, but i'm not giving it up) So keep ONE thing that you love and allow calories for it.

BlueDreamer727

Here is an interesting article link which talks about what you are saying plus more.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2009/09/23/snacks-you-lie.html

cicisiam

Love this. I felt like you read my mind and put it such well written form. Forbidden list..yes..I have to have one as well. Just no way around it. Thanks for the lovely read and smile :flowerforyou:

Oh, how happy all of us "dieters" were the day Skinny Cow candy bars became available! We can have chocolate! Peanut butter! Caramel! Gooey caramel and chocolate in one little bag! And not feel guilty! Yum! I have realized I cannot have them in my house. Why? They're a sensible treat, at only 110 calories (give or take depending the delicious flavor you finally decide upon). It is the completely sabotaging comfort of "SKINNY". Oh yes, you can have one. Enjoy one! Fondle it in it's pretty wrapper and delight in the first crunch. But I cannot stop at one. That is the same eating behavior that got me to 240 pounds in the first place. If one is good, two is better. Hell, three is 3x better! And guess what, it is guilt free because it is SKINNY!

Don't get me wrong, 110 calories is a lot better than the 245 or 300 or 500 of a regular candy bar or chocolate fix. But I get so wrapped up in "ALLOWED" because they're lower in calories, they are no longer on the forbidden list. I need my forbidden list. It keeps me safe, and hopefully thinner.

And "light" products are doing the same damage. Light chips - heck yes! I'll have more please. In reality, I would never even think a chip is ok while I'm working so hard, but hey, they're LIGHT! Safe, OK, Allowed, please indulge. Don’t even get me started on the sodium "Light" yogurt is the worst offender, in my opinion. Yummy, creamy, dessert flavored yogurt - healthy! Sweet and almost like pudding! And yogurt is healthy right? Oh not so fast...

Many have HFCS, which for me, makes me crave more sugar. I think nothing of snarfing down a carton of yogurt as a "healthy" snack, because it is "light", "healthy" and yummy. In reality I just ate a bunch of ingredients I can't pronounce, and I'm not really satisfied. In fact, if there is aspartame in it, I’m probably going to crave more sugar in about 8 minutes. There I am, sabotaged by “light”.

Yes, I admit I have eating issues (most of us do or we wouldn't be in this battle) and I have a hard time saying no. But it is a whole lot easier to say no when it isn't available, and no matter the "light" label, if it looks like a (chocolate) duck and quacks like a (chocolate) duck, it's a chocolate duck.

So I'm cleaning out my cupboards and fridge, at least for now. Out go the "light" chips, granola bars, cookies and yes, the Skinny Cows. Into the trash with the "light" yogurt and mayonnaise and salad dressing. If it isn't naturally low in fat, sugar and calories, I'm not interested. At least for now.

Apples, baby carrots, whole wheat crackers with fewer than 25 ingredients that look like a piece of the periodic table. Salad dressing made from olive oil and vinegar. Beautiful berries and oranges when I'm really craving something sweet.

Because I personally cannot be trusted. And I'm not going to buy into anything "Skinny" unless is a new pair of skinny jeans that finally fit.

Docmahi

yeah I love skinny cow - and my ticker shows you can basically eat it everyday and still crush weight

*shrug*

skinnylynnie74

Apples, baby carrots, whole wheat crackers with fewer than 25 ingredients that look like a piece of the periodic table.

Alpha-Linolenic-Acid, Asparagine, D-Categin, Isoqurctrin, Hyperoside, Ferulic-Acid, Farnesene, Neoxathin, Phosphatidyl-Choline, Reynoutrin, Sinapic-Acid, Caffeic-Acid, Chlorogenic-Acid, P-Hydroxy-Benzoic-Acid, P-Coumaric-Acid, Avicularin, Lutein, Quercitin, Rutin, Ursolic-Acid, Protocatechuic-Acid, Silver, Tryptophan, Threonine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lycine, Methionine, Cystine, Phenylalanine, Tyrosine, Valine, Argenine, Histidine, Alanine, Aspartic Acid, Glutamic Acid, Glycine, Proline, and Serine.

Exactly! Over 500 identified substances in an apple, alone! Including arsenic and lead! (Naturally occurring, NOT from pesticides, etc.)

Actually, this is a great post, OP!

Thriceshy

I eat three Healthy Choice Fudge Bars a day. I also eat a carefully measured "dose" of dark chocolate a day (at least 70% cacao, no added processed sugar or oils).

I seem to be doing okay. I think it depends on who you are and how your mind works. My mind can handle limiting portions of sweets. Some folks can't, and that's okay, too. I do better when I incorporate things I want into my day instead of flat out banning a product/category or allowing "cheat days." Both of those things screw me up pretty majorly.

Kris

bill323

I love me my Skinny Cow ice cream sammiches. It's just enough to fill in a calorie gap and satiate me all for a paltry 150 calories.

Sometimes I eat two if I am hungry but even that isn't all that bad IMO.

squiggyflop

Hmmm am I the only one who prefers those 100 calorie no sugar added Klondike bars to skinny cow? I also love those 40 calorie fudgsicles. Skinny cow is expensive. I refuse to pay 6 buck for ice cream unless its filled with girl scout cookies. Sometimes when I hit 1000 calories I like to eat 5 Klondike bars for the rest of my calories. Whats wrong with eating 5? They fit my calories. As for light yogurt, yogurt is icky unless its in a smoothie. It tastes like rotten milk.