Mnata Member

White potatoes aren't necessarily bad, but for some people they do cause wide swings in blood sugar. For those people, it's often better to avoid white potatoes. And from what I've heard, sweet potatoes are better in that respect, not giving such large swings in blood sugar.

Also, sugar does a lot of things for baked goods/foods aside from sweetness. It helps food brown, helps with moisture levels, breaks up molecules, helps incorporate air, etc, etc. Other sweeteners don't have the same characteristics, so you can't just substitute without really changing things.

If I'm remembering right, Splenda is supposed to "taste" much sweeter than sugar, so you use less. Have you looked at recipes to see the amount of sugar used vs. Splenda? If you use 1/3 less Splenda, it comes out the same price-wise. (I can't stand the taste, so I don't have personal experience, but this is what I've heard…

Carbs are a nutrient, just like protein or vitamins, so you should be able to eat carbs and still lose weight. Like other things, go for less-processed versions when possible - whole wheat, brown rice, etc. Some people do react more to carbs and have to cut them back more when trying to lose weight. Also, some carbs (such…

I've not seen that product before, but looking on the website it looks like the kebab is 155 calories. However, most kebabs don't have a wrap, so I'm confused where that came from? Just checked the MFP database - looks like to kebab info does not include the wrap.

Great job today! As for snacks, fruits/vegetables are always a good choice. Also, try to mentally keep track of what you're eating/don't mindlessly eat. Instead of holding a handful of grapes or orange slices, for instance, pick up and eat them one at a time. Also, have you tried involving your family? Talk to your wife…

Veggies are good for vitamins, minerals, and fiber, but most of your energy comes from sugars and carbohydrates. Make sure you're eating things like whole grains, and fruits as well. Also, make sure you're eating enough calories (check out the stickied posts if you haven't already).

Coconut water has a good amount of potassium, with not many calories. I've been able to find Vita Coco at Publix stores, and one 17 oz container has over 1000 mg of potassium with 90 calories. It also comes in different flavors if you don't like the taste of plain coconut water.

Both! There are some things (like the above-mentioned Oreos) that I know I can't stay below one serving, so I avoid them all together. Others, like a apple pie from McD's, I've worked into my calories. I think the difference is, things like the pie I only want once every blue moon, while the Oreos I'd eat all the time.

Have you tried taking the initiative and suggesting activities? Don't know about your hobbies, but something like dancing/clubbing where it's physical activity? Or window shopping, plenty of walking to sneak in without anyone the wiser.

I don't think MFP is that specific, I think they mostly focus on calories overall and not specific nutrients. I have heard that exercising can help stabilize your blood sugar some, but definitely talk to your doctor about things like that first.

Sodium is a metal that literally explodes in water. Chlorine is a deadly gas. However, when you combine ions of each, you get salt, which is essential for life. And those old cancer studies were done by feeding rats/mice their own body weight of artificial sweeteners every day for months or years. Hardly something most…

Yeah, there is a lot of conflicting information on artificial sweeteners, and even if they do believe the sweeteners cause an effect they're not sure why (which might make a difference, such as if it's a psychological effect). If you're OK with artificial sweeteners, go ahead and use them. If you'd rather stay towards the…

They mean cup as in the measurement (cup of sugar, etc), not cup as in a container to hold a drink.

Your body needs nutrients from all the food groups in order to work to it's best potential. If you find you are craving carbs, try working carbs into your diet. For instance, maybe put your chicken on whole-grain bread for a lunch sandwich, or have one serving (it's smaller than you think, so watch out) of pasta for dinner…

On your (or her) Goals page there should be a link at the bottom for Change Goals. You can either have MFP automatically change your goals (for example, once you start losing weight) or do Custom Goals. Under Custom, you can put in how many calories or other nutrients you want to aim for.

This is going to sound weird, but quite a few posts with similar issues have had people recommend eating more calories for those around the 1200 calorie mark. If you don't eat enough, your body figures you can't find enough food and starts hoarding calories. If you eat more, your body relaxes and starts letting calories go…

I've always heard one pound a week is a good weight loss goal to aim for. It's not the quickest, but it lends itself towards setting up a healthy lifestyle and not just a quick fix that may rebound once you stop. If you are in the obese weight range, you may be up to two pounds a week, but the longer you lose weight, the…

kittenmitton, I think we're going to have to agree to disagree. I will be the first to admit I am lazy and my willpower isn't the best. Could I probably learn to eat only two Oreos every time? Sure, but it would be frustrating and I feel I could easily backslide. I'd rather use that energy towards resisting temptations and…

Darrknys - I have seen those on commercials, but there's still more fat than I really like. Plus, I think I'm attracted to the fat and unhealthy stuff in the Oreos, so better for me to just avoid them altogether. :)

Not a doctor, but sounds a lot like either your iron levels or blood volume dropped. Iron carries oxygen in your blood and your period can cause a drop in iron levels, which beef, broccoli and spinach can replace. I know fainting and dizziness can be caused by low blood volume (possibly headaches too), and consuming extra…

Good/healthy does not automatically mean low calorie. However, things like nuts have a lot of nutrients in addition to the calories, along with fiber and protein which helps keep you full.

If you can stop at a serving, that's fine. However, I know if I bring Oreos home, I'm going to eat at least five in one sitting, and that's way too many calories, especially if I break down and have them with a glass of milk (healthy, but not low-cal). My solution is just not to get Oreos, and stick to indulgences I can…

Have you tried controlling your portions? Put together 100 calorie (or however much you want to allot) packs of whatever sweet or salty snack you are craving. When you get home, grab a pack, and then leave the kitchen to eat somewhere else. That way, you still get what you're craving, but once you are done you can't…

Does your goal have to be a weight? I put a number on my weight loss when calculating my calorie goals, but I really want to be more in shape so I can do the things I want. I also want to look better in my clothes. I use the scale to make sure I'm going the right way, but other than that I look to other qualifications for…

I agree with you on wanting to minimize artificial sweeteners and oils, but I just go for a good quality chocolate bar instead of a candy bar. Jut today, I had 3 sections of a Dove dark chocolate bar (not the best, but not bad and on hand). Around 100 calories, which fit into my snack allowance for the day, and took care…

All sugars are made up of a combination of two simple sugars, whether they are in fruit or processed sugar (which comes from beets or grasses anyway). As others have said, though, fruit comes with other nutrients and fiber and water, unlike candy bars which pretty much are sugar with little/nothing else to them. That means…

Along with sunlight, milk had Vitamin D added to help nutrient absorption. Not a lot, but if you levels are that low every little bit might help.

5 ounces pan-fried steak with broccoli. Around 400-500 calories, almost as good cold as hot, and you don't feel like you're watching what you eat when you're looking forward to steak.

Probably sounds weird, but dried fruit. I was getting some to put in my oatmeal, looked at the nutrition facts on reflex, and found out there was 100-150 calories per quarter cup! Luckily, I found some freeze-dried fruit with a lot fewer calories. Like you found out, healthy doesn't mean low in calories.