Poison by any other name is still just as sweet

One thing that has been somewhat hard about dieting is making sure not to buy products containing aspartame.  Basically I know that anything sweet, that is marked as being low in calories contains this poison.  However, I still sometimes miss it.

Last week I was at Target and I saw Yoplait Parfaits with only 120 calories.  I did check the label, but not well enough.  I saw the ingredient "sugar" and kind of assumed there was no aspartame.  I also bought the regular (non-diet) jello chocolate pudding packs.

I ate one of the parfaits, not bad, but not really as good as regular jello pudding.  Something started bugging at me - why does a regular jello pudding the same size as the Yoplait parfaits have only 100 calories?  First I checked the jello again, nothing too bad seeming on that label.  Then I checked the parfaits, first noticing fructose.  I don't know a lot about that, but what I do know is that it should probably be avoided when possible.  Then near the end of the ingredient list I see "sucralose."  I was not sure what sucralose was, but I had a strong suspicion that it was aspartame.  It is actually Splenda, which even though it is not exactly aspartame, it is still horribly toxic and does not break down in the body (same as aspartame) and in no way helps anyone to lose weight, actually does the opposite.  Well, that being besides the fact that it is poison.

Also, isn't it somewhat strange that the "diet" product has more calories than regular jello pudding?  None of it adds up to making any sense.  One is making a big point about it's low in calories when it actually has more calories than a similar non-lowcal product.

And how many different names do these poisons go under?  I tried to find a list on the internet and was unsuccessful.  If anyone knows of one - please share!

Bitches and Lesbians

Reading Regan's post over at WOE brought to mind something I had forgotten over the years - the attitude of certain men to rejection.

I remember back when my girlfriends and I would go out to nightclub type places, there were certain men that if you turned them down for a dance or in someway let them know that you just weren't interested - you were automatically a bitch and/or a lesbian.

It doesn't only happen in places like nightclubs either.  I remember back several years ago I was in the video section of Albertsons looking for a movie to rent.  This guy asks me a question, something along the lines of wanting to know if I had seen a movie he was thinking about renting.  I answer him and he asks me a few other things (related to movies) which I answer.  I am not being overly friendly, just answering his questions.  Then he suddenly asks me if I want to go home with him and watch movies.  WTF?  I tell him no, that I have been in a relationship for many years and we live together.  He says, "but your not married."  And yes, that is why on facebook and other places I often check the marriage box because to some men it only counts if you have a paper.  Anyhow, so I make myself more clear in that going to his house is NOT going to happen.  At that point this guys flips out on me, calls me a bitch, lesbian and so on, throws down his movie and stomps out of the store.  I was terrified he would be in the parking lot and try to abduct me or something and I had one of the big guys that work there escort me to my car.

And men like Henry Makow continue to teach men that this attitude is OK.  If a woman doesn't want you then there is obviously something wrong with her and in most cases it is because she is a lesbian/jew/commie.  Well, and with men like that it does make being a lesbian seem much more attractive. :-)

Diet Dreams

I have been having some very strange dreams lately.  Even more strange because I remember most of them which isn't normally the case.

Anyhow, apparently the diet is finally getting to me because last night I dreamed of pizza and McDonalds.  WTF?  McDonalds is never somewhere I go out of choice, only because I am in a hurry and it is cheap - I can get a spicy chicken sandwich and fries for under $2 and quickly.

I feel much hungrier than normal since having that dream.  All day I had to fight my urge to eat bad things.  I finally somewhat gave in and had around 10 potato chips, even if they were the "all natural, sea salt" kind - they were still more calories than I normally let myself waste.  Well, and they are a waste because I could have had something much more filling for that amount of calories.

Boyfriend Dresses Girlfiiend for a Week

Hilarious; and brave. This woman allowed her boyfriend to pick out her clothes for a week. My opinion? Poor dear doesn't have much of a clue. Lots of links in the article to other fashion stuff, like hairstyles, etc.

Day 7 Part One: Um, yeah - Would You EVER Let Your Guy Pick Out Your Clothes? I Did, for a Week! on Shine

Roseanne Barr on the Lack of Change in the TV Industry -- New York Magazine

Wow. Excellent, beautiful, right on!

Roseanne Barr on the Lack of Change in the TV Industry -- New York Magazine

My Fitness Pal

I found a very useful app on iPad today.  You can also use it on any computer by going to myfitnesspal.com.  I think it was especially made for diet dummies like me.  First you answer some questions and it tells you how many calories you can eat per day and how long it will take to lose the amount you want to lose.

You type in your meals, most brand names are in the database so you don't have to check the package for calorie and fat content.  If you make something, like I made my own latte earlier, you can give that a title, fill in calorie content and next time you have the same thing it is easy to find with no need to type it in again.

It also keeps track of your exercise and subtracts calories for it.  For example, we took Pooka for a slow paced 20 minute walk, which according to the site should have burned about 63 calories - I would have never known how many calories that would burn.

Something else I learned - I could have had two glasses of Merlot instead of one Latte.  I would have, if I had any, but since I didn't I settled for the Latte.

According to their calculator I can consume 1200 calories per day and lose two pounds per week.  Though it is only the first day it seems easy enough.  I have eaten less, but I am not hungry.  So far, I have not even eaten half the calories I can have today.  Although, night time is when I tend to "snack" so I will have to watch that carefully.

It will be interesting to see (assuming I can actually stick to it for a week) if I have really lost 2 lbs by the end of my first week.  :-D

Weight Whine

Remember last summer when I was going to lose weight?  I lost a few pounds, gained them back and forgot about my "diet."

I didn't lose any weight over the winter, but I didn't gain any either.  However, I weighed myself the other day and found that somehow over the past few weeks I have gained around 4 lbs!  Staying that same weight was bad enough, but now I am gaining more?

Well, then after thinking about it I realized my eating has been totally out of control lately.  Oh, I blamed it on being busy and so on, but I was eating way more junk food than I normally allow myself.  A couple weeks ago I remember having pizza and a caramel frap (with whipped cream) for lunch.  Not to mention the tons of breakfast burritos and chocolate I have been consuming.  Honestly, I don't know what I was thinking.  There was a time I could eat like that every day and not gain an ounce, but those days have been gone for years now.

Anyhow, I am totally fed up with myself and since that horrible weigh in two days ago I have been eating naturally low fat food that is good for me.  Hopefully I can stick with it this time and throw in some exercise too.

I suppose there is always Weight Watchers.  My niece has lost almost 10 lbs in three weeks with that, but I would like to avoid it if at all possible.

Happy Mom's Day!

Just a few memories of mom, though most of these were taken long before I was born.  The cool thing about my mom is that since she didn't have me until she was nearly 40 years old, her young photos are quite a different era than photos of other people's moms that are my same age.  The thing that amazes me is that she (at least to me) looks totally glamorous in all her photos.