OK.........So now I'm sad after researching this...................

Just don't over do it. I think there's more a worry about how it affects gut flora.
You're about to hear from lots of people how they lost fat while eating AS. I'm one of them!
A calorie deficit will cause weight loss. Done moderately it will cause mostly fat loss.

Butter every time. But 5g. There's plenty of ways to fit these delicious foods in.

I only have butter as a splurge. If I'm going out for steak, I'll have butter. (My husband is pre-diabetic and has to watch his carbs, so I rarely make them at home, but when I do, I either use nonfat sour cream or a bit of the Trader Joe's Lemon Olive Oil with some feta cheese.

Sandytoes71 wrote: »

Well, it's like when I have a baked potato or something that butter goes on. Do u use butter?

I now eat my baked potatoes without anything on them. If I am having a bowl of soup, depending on the type of soup I will pour it over my cubed baked potato. It's a hearty meal and fills you up without adding fat or sacrificing flavor.

Sandytoes71 wrote: »

Springfield1970 wrote: »

Butter every time. But 5g. There's plenty of ways to fit these delicious foods in.

What's the best butter to use. I usually would use country crock margarine, but I don't think that's good for me either.

Real butter. Unsalted if you can stand it.

Look at the ingredients - the ingredients should really only be sweet cream and salt. And no, I'm not always the most healthy eater. I eat many things that don't fit the guidelines above. Those are just general rules and rules (of dieting) are meant to be broken. A lifestyle change should not be about strict, rigid rules. It should be taking the rules and bending them to fit your specific needs. I once overloaded on carbs I thought were healthy (Rice, Special K cereal, Bottled coffee drinks with Splenda, 100 Calorie Jello/Pudding, etc) until I didn't see weight loss, started gaining weight that I could not lose despite cutting calories, and developed a severe thyroid issue. I've felt that my body personally feels better when I eat Earth based foods. Lean meats, dairy, eggs, some fruit, and lots of vegetables have changed my sense of wellbeing very drastically. People say it's nearly impossible to lose weight with a thyroid issue...but in my case I met with a medical nutritionist and after making the changes I've told you about...I've seen weight loss after 2 years of battling my weight uphill with no results.

I used to use nothing but artificial sweeteners, "no fat" oil substitutes, non-fat cheese substitutes, "diet" sodas, etc. and I was gaining weight and size (pant and shirt) slowly but consistently, even with fairly small portion sizes - and I was catching colds very often - about once a month or so. Then about 2 and a half years ago I went to the doctor for an unrelated issue, he told me I was borderline diabetic and I might need to be put on Metformin. As far as I could tell I was not consuming any sugars, "real" sugars at least. Since I knew I was not consuming sugar it did not make any sense how I could be borderline diabetic, so I started reading about proper nutrition and I found out about how all the bad things that we are consuming build-up in our system and cause problems in our body, so I decided to try a radical change and start eating "real" fats and "real" sugars (e.g. eggs, butter, milk, cheese, local honey, real sugar sweeteners, etc.). I cut out all sweetened (real and artificially sweetened) beverages and honestly it took about 3 months of drinking water and freshly brewed unsweetened teas (not the instant/fake kind) not to miss the soda and/or sweetened beverages.

After a while I actually noticed my clothes fitting looser! When I went back to the doctor he told me I was well within normal blood sugar range and I had lost 10 pounds! About a month later I read a book called "Nourishing Traditions" - a bit hippy-dippy, but still interesting, informative, and loaded with great recipes. Then my best friend introduced me to "Kefir" (also mentioned in the book) made from milk and kefir "grains" - not the pasteurized yogurt stuff they sell in health food stores - and I started drinking that in the morning. Honestly, the first time I drank it, I thought I had screwed up and it had gone bad - definitely not a particularly pleasant flavor, straight. I asked her if I had done something wrong and was assured that it was fine, but I should use it for smoothies instead of drinking it straight. I still don't much like the flavor of it plain - more tart than plain yogurt, but I now blend it together with it and whole frozen strawberries and whole frozen blueberries and it's actually surprisingly tasty! Now no more colds, more energy, and overall I just feel better. I started losing weight and started wearing clothes that I had not worn in over a year. Then over this past Christmas break my cousin introduced me to MyFitnessPal and I have been able to better track my caloric intake from my phone. I concentrate on balancing my Macro-nutrients (50% Carbs; 30% Fats; 20% Proteins), try to eat whole grains, and try to avoid as many chemical food products as possible.

Now I cook with real butter or coconut oil, have eggs and real bacon way more often than I used to, fry with light (not virgin or extra virgin) olive oil - yes I still consume fried foods in moderation, bake with coconut oil (and am about to try avocado as a butter substitute in baking - but don't expect to like the flavor), use E.V. olive oil in anything else that asks for oil, I use brown sugar for baking, make my own ice-cream sweetened with fruits and very little sugar, and I eat whole grains much more often. And when I need the "burn" of a soda I make my own using 3 parts seltzer water and 1 part "100% juice" juice* (*still high in sugar so be careful with this one) and it satisfies my craving for something fizzy. Also, save up and invest in a Vitamix or a Blendtec blender they are fantastic for making all kinds of healthy beverages, foods, soups, and flours - the most expensive, best investment I ever made in my kitchen!

Honestly it was hard at first to stay away from the sweet stuff (partly from habit and partly from cravings - sometimes INTENSE cravings), but the longer I did it, the easier it got. Now I don't even like most of the foods I used to eat regularly (e.g. Molly McButter vs real butter, Nacho Mom's fat-free queso vs real cheddar/mozzarella cheese, white rice vs brown/basmati rice, white bread vs health nut bread, etc.). And as for diet sodas and artificially sweetened beverages, I now notice a very obvious unpleasant chemically aftertaste that I was completely oblivious of before - and I hate it. I now feel that chemical "foods" are really just poisons best left out of my body. To date I have lost over 60 pounds and still have about 30 left.

Sorry for the long reply, it's just that your post resonated with me, so I thought I would share my experiences. Best of luck.

I fully agree with the Nicole and linguisticat. I try to stick with whole foods as close to natural form as possible. I succeed **most** of the time! Occasionally I really crave a Coke or a cake and I'll have it, enjoy it, log it and not feel bad about it!
I use butter and oil, whole eggs, nuts etc but in moderation. I would prefer to have less of a real, delicious food than lots of something fake. If you base your meals on lots of salad and vegetables then add in protein and seasonings you'll have delicious filing meals with no need for the fake extras.

Sandytoes71 wrote: »

Actually, I'm doubly sad bc this is the third time i've tried to type this lol. Anyway, I have done alittle reading on artificial sweeteners, specifically Splenda. There are several bad things it can possibly do to our bodies, but the two I'm upset about is reading that it can spike insulin levels and cause fat storage. I've read that foreign chemicals like sucralose (sp?) can do this. I thought I was doing great by substituting splenda sweetened tea for diet coke. It seems though, that it's all bad. That leaves..............plain ole water And I don't like lemon/lime in my water either, so I can't even flavor it. Basically, the info i've read is stating that our bodies don't know what to do with foreign chemicals so it stores it.

What are your thoughts on splenda? Have y'all read these things too? And what am I gonna do about my no cal spray butter now? Its foreign chemicals should cause fat storage too? When I use the word, foreign, I'm talking about foreign to our bodies. What butter should I use???

If you. Can do stevia its a natural alternatives to the bad stuff. Best bet is to get from the realth food store.