“I Fooled Millions Into Thinking Chocolate Helps Weight Loss”

2 Comments May 29, 2015 Dot2Trot

A pretty tame photo of a woman eating chocolate compared to the stories the press ran on a fake nutrition study (reporting as truth, of course!). Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and photostock.

A pretty tame photo of a woman eating chocolate compared to the stories the press ran on a fake nutrition study (reported as truth, of course!). Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and photostock.

Here’s how easy it is to fool the media: with a fake nutrition study about accelerating weight loss by eating chocolate every day.

You’d think science reporters would ask probing questions about how the study was created (research criteria, how many subjects, diversity of subjects, food tracking, controls in place, etc.). How about interviewing scientist not affiliated with the study for their opinions? Or at least a Google search to confirm that the Institute of Diet & Health actually existed.

Of course not.

This is what “fact-based” journalism looks like, my friends. Just reprint a press release, then add a sensational headline with a dash of erotic photos of women eating chocolate. Heh! I must have missed that class in Journalism School. Read More

Nuts!

1 Comment May 27, 2015 Dot2Trot

I spent part of the morning weighing nuts before bagging them into single portions. Nuts are a great, healthy snack but be careful about overdoing it!

I’m busy coming up with quick, easy snacks for the hubby and me. This morning I spent some quality time weighing and bagging some of my favorite nuts – macadamia, walnuts and almonds.

Nuts are a great, healthy snack loaded with healthy fats and nutrients like Vitamins A, E and magnesium.

However it’s easy (too easy!) to devour large amounts without feeling full. Trust me, I’ve eaten jars of peanuts (not really a nut; it’s actually a legume!) in the past.

Lesson learned. Now I bag the nuts into single serving sizes – 1 ounce each.

I use to keep the nuts in a jar on the counter, easy access for a grab-n’-go snack (way too easy!). Now that little jar sits in my pantry. Yes, I still remember where the nuts are, but I’m more mindful before reaching for them. Read More

Going Primal! 21-Day Challenge Starts May 1

3 Comments April 29, 2015 Dot2Trot

Starting May 1 I’m taking The Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge. Created by Mark Sisson’s of Mark’s Daily Apple (one of my favorite blogs), the challenge is designed to help you make a few foundational changes to how you approach food, exercise and life.

What Can I Eat?
Since I already eat low carb, I’ve got the food part nailed down…for the most part. I’m already eating real food (when it’s on sale!) and avoiding sugar, grains, bad fats, legumes and processed foods.

The Primal Food Pyramid is much different (and healthier!) than the junk pushed by the USDA. Source: MarksDailyApple.com.

I’m starting to menu plan. My normal meals and snacks are pretty much on target. But Mark’s site has plenty of tasty-looking, low carb recipes I plan to try out during the challenge. Read More

Breakfast At Noon

3 Comments April 28, 2015 Dot2Trot

Conventional wisdom says you need to eat 3 square meals a day or 6 smallish snacks a day. Wrong! Image courtesy of phasinphoto and FreeDigitalPhoto.net.

My intermittent fast ended nearly a month ago and I find myself missing it. Since Lent ended, I too easily shifted back to eating 3 meals and 2 snacks a day. Yet, I’m not hungry when I eat. Not good. I’m letting years of bad conventional dieting wisdom (3 square meals, grazing all day, etc.) dictate when I eat. It’s become muscle memory. Ugh!

The fight to eat healthy never ends. Read More

My Fast Is Over; Down 6.2 Lbs.

9 Comments April 23, 2015 Dot2Trot

During Lent’s 46 days I was on an intermittent fast, eating only between Noon and 10:00 p.m. So how did it go? Surprisingly easy with only a few minor bumps in the road. Easy, because I never felt deprived or starved. I fully expected hunger pangs and headaches for the first few days, but neither happened.

Weight Loss – About 1 Lbs. Per Week
During the 46 days, I lost 6.2 pounds. But if some of you worry I lost the weight because I starved myself, let me assure you that’s not the case. While I don’t track calories, my diary app – My Fitness Pal – does. On average, I consume between 1,200-1,800 calories a day. During my intermittent fast, I averaged 1,200 – 1,650 calories. Well within the range I normally eat. Read More

Time For New Running Shoes

1 Comment April 22, 2015 Dot2Trot

Caution: Shoes are much more neon yellow than they appear! Introducing the new Saucony Hurricane ISO, my new running shoe!

After my 5K Saturday morning, the hubby got the running bug. A few years ago he got into running but thanks to work and “the state of The World” (of Warcraft),” he got sidetracked. Well now that he is working out at the gym and mostly sticking to his low carb foods, he wants to take up running again.

Sunday we headed over to Pacers, a local running store, for a proper shoe fitting. Thinking ahead, I wore my running shoes. Was it time for a new pair? Turns out, the answer was a big yes!

Unlike past sneakers, the outer heel wasn’t worn down — a sign I’m an underpronator. I have high arches so my feet are less flexible than most people. Underpronation is a fancy way of saying my feet don’t absorb the impact of running because they don’t roll inward enough. Read More

Preparing For My First 5K

3 Comments April 15, 2015 Dot2Trot

I fly home tomorrow, leaving me one day to prepare for my Saturday morning 5K. I’m planning now so I can stay relaxed before the race.

I’m running in my first 5k on Saturday. Now I’ve run in other 5k races, but this one is special. My goal is to run the entire race, something I haven’t done yet. I fly back home Thursday, yet I don’t feel anxious at all. In fact, I’m pretty relaxed about the race.

Well to keep this moment of zen going, I decided to take some time today to create a checklist of what I need to do the day before the race. I’m keeping it simple.

Dot’s Pre-5K Race Checklist

Pick up Race Bib & Packet – Friday morning I plan to head over to the race HQ and pick up my shirt, bib and race instructions. When I entered my first 5k two years ago, I picked up my packet the morning of the race. Bad move! It was an hour of waiting followed by 5 minutes of pure chaos as race staff tried to find my name. To make the morning perfect, I had to high tail it over to the starting line so as not to miss the start. Yikes! Never again.

This Low Carber No Longer Avoiding Yogurt

4 Comments March 15, 2015 Dot2Trot

Turns out the carb count listed on the nutrition labels of yogurts isn't correct. Plan, full fat Greek yogurt is back in my fridge.

Turns out the carb count listed on yogurt nutrition labels isn’t correct. Plain, full fat Greek yogurt is back in my fridge.

I love yogurt, but the sugar and carb count was too high a price to pay during my weight loss journey. I stay away from foods with a carb count above 10g and sadly yogurt falls into that category. The only exception to this rule is for berries, but I never eat the full serving size (keeping the net carbs under 6g).

Yesterday I got a wonderful surprise while reading 500 Low-Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender. Turns out the nutrition label on yogurt isn’t correct.

How is the content on food labels determined?
The government requires companies to calculate the carbs in food “by difference.” You see, food makers have to measure everything – calories, fats, protein, water and anything else – in food. Once done, the assumption is that everything leftover are carbs.

The carb count on the nutrition label of fermented milk (think yogurt and buttermilk) is wrong because it actually includes the lactic acid that the bacteria produces after it eats most of the lactose.

While it works with most foods, fermented milk acts differently. To make yogurt or buttermilk, bacteria are added and kept warm until the bacteria grows. This is what gives yogurt its thick texture and tangy taste. The bacteria eat up almost all the lactose (milk sugar) and turn it into lactic acid. So the standard nutrition calculation is counting that lactic acid as a carb.

In their book The GO-Diet, doctors Jack Goldberg and Karen O’Mara recommend counting 1 cup of plain yogurt as 4g of net carbs.

Which Yogurt Is Best For Low Carb?
I’m avoiding all nonfat or low fat yogurt. Also any flavored yogurt or with fruit added. Why?

The amount of added sugar. Food companies add a lot of sugar to replace the fat they took out. Otherwise the yogurt would taste like crap.

My new snack – 1/2 cup of plain full fat Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup of mixed berries and a dash of cinnamon. Yummy and only 5g of net carbs.

I’m going with plain full fat Greek yogurt. Full fat provides a more creamy texture and taste. Greek yogurt has the added protein that’s always awesome. Besides, I can add my own flavors — cinnamon, fresh berries or vanilla extract.

Strangely enough, finding a full fat Greek yogurt isn’t that easy. Thanks to our government pushing the unhealthy low-fat diet fad for nearly 60 years, none of the major American food companies make full fat Greek yogurt. If I wanted full fat Greek yogurt, I needed a Greek import.

Unfortunately, Wegmans only has one brand, Fage. Nothing wrong with Fage (it’s delicious), but I’d like the idea of trying different products and finding the best one for me. Sigh…

Oh well, I may have to head over to Whole Foods next weekend to see what they have on tap.

Putting Your Weight Loss Frustrations Into Perspective

Everyday Beauty Tip: The Perfect Bronzer Application

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“I Fooled Millions Into Thinking Chocolate Helps Weight Loss”

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Nuts!

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Going Primal! 21-Day Challenge Starts May 1

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Breakfast At Noon

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My Fast Is Over; Down 6.2 Lbs.

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Time For New Running Shoes

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Preparing For My First 5K

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This Low Carber No Longer Avoiding Yogurt

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Putting Your Weight Loss Frustrations Into Perspective

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Everyday Beauty Tip: The Perfect Bronzer Application

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Tips & Tools

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