vkahlenberg Member

Above linked article from Discover magazine explains it, FWIW. I don't think I will be worrying too much about it, but it was a very interesting read, I thought.

FWIW, perhaps an interesting read on the subject for the unfamiliar (come to your own conclusion; there's plenty of room for more research): http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/crux/2011/12/08/why-calorie-counts-are-wrong-cooked-food-provides-a-lot-more-energy/#.Vs1yAa2-3n4

I'm with the others who suggested a pinch of salt if your diet allows for it. Not enough to taste salty, but salt increases other flavor sensations such as sweetness. I absolutely love oatmeal, even unsweetened, but never, ever without a little salt.

Chapati is good. Another alternative which is good and readily available here (even at Walmart) is Joseph's pita bread. The oat bran and stone ground wheat pita are only 60 calories each and are a good size. I use them for middle-eastern food, Mediterranean/Greek food, Indian dishes, as well as cutting them in half to make…

I love these oat recipes: http://www.theyummylife.com/Refrigerator_Oatmeal It's like dessert for breakfast! I alter them a little to lower the calories by sweetening with stevia.

Yes, a flat stomach is certainly possible, though I imagine every case is unique. I have the worst skin tone/elasticity ever, and though I've had no c-sections and can't answer that part, I have tremendous stretch mark scarring. I lost weight slowly, and no longer have a saggy pouch, but the wrinkles! :frown: If any of you…

http://www.theyummylife.com/Refrigerator_Oatmeal I do the refrigerator oats, too... love it, but I alter the recipes above to sweeten with stevia. Yum! Now instead of going to bed, I'm going to whip up a batch for tomorrow's breakfast.

Grew up in Central California -- never saw one down where we lived, but occasionally way up in the mountains. Have since lived in Arkansas, Missouri, and Texas, and they can be bad in those places.

Sounds good! I have tried a Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie made from beans (recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie). It was also fabulous. I like to use white beans over garbanzo, as they have a less distinct flavor. Both were great, though, and if you don't tell anyone, they would never guess there were beans in it. I…

My upper arms are one of my stubborn fat zones. At BMI 19.5, I have lost the excess weight, but the arms are still proportionally large. The good news is that they ARE smaller than they used to be! And I am so much happier with my overall size than I used to be. We may not be able to change our body type, but we can make…

This works best in my home^^ I often cook a meat/entree that we all can eat, a side such as rice or potatoes that I can sometimes have in moderation, and a side of veggies that I can eat as much as I want of. One meal, one menu, everybody eats. Occasionally, I will fix the family something they love that I don't eat and…

The only natural way that I know of is to get your body fat percentage down to a fairly "slim" level. My "baby pouch" is finally pretty much gone now that I'm at a BMI of 19.5. The stretch marks are still there but the hangy pouch is gone. It might not seem like there is fat in there, but there is, and it is dead weight on…

If you mean spaghetti squash, it is a vegetable, a squash, and you should be able to find it in your produce aisle. After is is cooked and the seeds are scooped out, the fleshy part of the squash has a stringy, noodly texture so that people actually use it to replace pasta. If you mean something else, I have no clue. :-)

You are right. :-) I started taking my kids out an hour or so before sundown for bike rides & walks & swims.

I've lived here and there, currently in SE TX. I don't necessarily think it is the food that makes the south fat. I think it is more the fact that most of us won't leave our air conditioned caves for the 9 months of summer to get any physical activity. Not everybody, but way too many of us. Our community has a pool, and it…

I've seen plums and apricots used in a Morroccan lamb (or beef) stew before (delicious!), so no, it is not a step too far. :-) I hope someone can help you more than I have, with actual recipes.

I found that during the first couple of weeks, I did feel hungry a lot. If you have been eating too much, your stomach is used to that amount, but it will also get used to smaller amounts after a week or two and you will stop feeling ravenous all the time. Not to say you won't ever get hungry, but it won't be all the time.…

I use a powdered extract, and it only takes a tiny bit. A tiny bit tastes good, but too much is definitely nasty. I recommend you try again with a tiny, tiny bit, and work your way to what tastes right to you. That said, I haven't tried the liquid.