The 2011 New Year Diet Resolution Thread

justam

Well, I decided the first things I had to do was keep track of what I was eating and no more wine while I cook dinner. :?

I noticed that I'm not too good about avoiding things like tortilla chips, bagels, cheese... :geek:

But, I'm getting started!

decides2dream

justam wrote:

Well, I decided the first things I had to do was keep track of what I was eating and no more wine while I cook dinner. :?

I noticed that I'm not too good about avoiding things like tortilla chips, bagels, cheese... :geek:

But, I'm getting started!

no need to avoid cheese, at all. cheese can actually aide weight-loss, and of course, great calcium sourse, as well as a decent protein/fat.
just watch portions!


even tortilla chips, in moderation, can be ok. but sure, an occasional indulgence. bagels....mmmmmmmm bagels again, not great, but occasionally, ok especially if you go with whole wheat. i ate a bagel yesterday, whole wheat everything, with grated mozzarella and homemade tomato sauce.


yay for getting started!
:thumbup:

decides2dream

i created an excel spreadsheet for a food log/diary. :oops:

justam

decides2dream wrote:

no need to avoid cheese, at all. cheese can actually aide weight-loss, and of course, great calcium sourse, as well as a decent protein/fat.
just watch portions!


even tortilla chips, in moderation, can be ok. but sure, an occasional indulgence. bagels....mmmmmmmm bagels again, not great, but occasionally, ok especially if you go with whole wheat. i ate a bagel yesterday, whole wheat everything, with grated mozzarella and homemade tomato sauce.


yay for getting started!
:thumbup:

Claireack

LOST 1 POUND 14 OUNCES

Know it's not a vast amount but HOORAY!!

Mon 18/01

Decaff coffee with healthy diet sugar & skimmed milk x 6
Orange juice
Water

Weetabix
Cheese Salad sandwich
2 x wraps with mozarella & tomato
Potato salad
4 small squares dark chocolate

Rushing around rather a lot today so didn't have time to eat much.

decides2dream wrote:

btw claire - stevia...banned?! do you know wtf for?

The woman in the shop said there was concerns that it had some of the negative health effects that artificial sweetners have. I didn't quite understand that really artificial sweetners are freely available. I wasn't sure how to post the link but here is what the Food Standards Agency says;

Stevia and Stevioside
Wednesday 27 March 2002

Stevioside is a high intensity sweetener, 250-300 times sweeter than sucrose.

It is isolated and purified from the leaves of the Stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni), where it is present at levels up to 13%, and has been used for a number of years as a sweetener in South America, Asia, Japan and China.

As a result of the outcome of safety assessments which have been carried out Stevia and stevioside are not permitted for sale as food or food ingredients in the UK or elsewhere within the EU.

Back to top Safety EvaluationsSweeteners and other food additives are tightly regulated within the European Union (EU) and may only be used once their safety has been rigorously assessed.

The EC Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) is an independent committee that advises the European Commission on questions concerning consumer health and food safety, in particular relating to toxicology and food hygiene.

The SCF identified safety problems with stevioside and recently rejected applications to market the plant and its products as sweeteners and as novel foods within the European Union.

Stevioside was first considered by the SCF for approval for use as a sweetener within the EU in 1985 and the review was updated in 1989.

On both occasions the Committee raised several questions of concern and concluded that, based on the submitted documentation, it could not accept its use. Extracts from Stevia rebaudiana leaves were also considered as toxicologically not acceptable.

A further application for approval of stevioside was received by the European Commission in 1998 and again referred to the SCF.

The data considered by the Committee indicated that the extract has the potential to produce adverse effects in the male reproductive system that could affect fertility and that a metabolite produced by the human gut microflora, steviol, is genotoxic (ie. damages DNA).

The Committee concluded that stevioside was not acceptable as a sweetener.

In 1998 a request was made for Stevia (the plants and dried leaves of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) to be marketed as a novel food under the EU novel foods legislation (Regulation 258/97(EC)).

The application was initially evaluated by the Belgian Authorities who recommended that the product should not be approved.

The product was then considered in the UK by the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP) as part of the approval process for novel foods.

The ACNFP agreed with the opinion of the Belgian Authorities and recommended that the product should not be approved due to lack of information supporting its safety, a view that was shared by a number of other Member States. The application was subsequently referred to the SCF.

The SCF concluded in June 1999 that the information submitted on the plant products was insufficient with regard to specification and standardisation of the commercial product and contained no safety studies.

There was no satisfactory data to support the safe use of these products as ingredients in food or as sucrose substitutes.

In December 1999 the Joint MAFF/DH Food Safety and Standards Group wrote to various companies known to be trading in Stevia products, informing them of the SCF's opinion and stating that Stevia should not be offered for sale as a food or food ingredient in the UK.

A copy of the SCF's opinion on Stevia as a sweetener and its opinion on Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni plants and leaves is available at the link below.

Click here to view the letter setting out the ACNFP's views

Alternatively, copies can be obtained by post from the Food Standards Agency at

Food Standards Agency
Chemical Safety and Toxicology Division,
Room 515B,
Aviation House,
125 Kingsway,
London WC2B 6NH

Telephone: 020 7276 8581
Fax: 020 7276 8514
Email: <!-- e --><a href="mailto:foodadditives@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk">foodadditives@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk</a><!-- e -->

Back to top Background to relevant UK legislationIn the UK there are 3 areas of legislation potentially relevant to the sale of stevia and stevioside – these are the general provisions of the Food Safety Act, regulations relating to the sale of novel foods and those relating to the sale of sweeteners.

Novel foods and sweeteners are both harmonised areas within the EU and the controls within the UK implement European legislation.

In the UK all food sold for consumption is subject to the general provisions of The Food Safety Act, 1990.

Whilst this Act makes no specific reference to Stevia or any other vegetable or plant extracts, it makes it an offence to sell or possess for sale food which is injurious to health.

This applies not only to retail sale but throughout the food chain. It would therefore be an offence to use extracts of Stevia or Stevia plants and leaves as food or food ingredients (or to offer them for sale) if it were to render the product injurious to health.

Any food products which were not used for human consumption to a significant degree within the European Community before 15 May 1997 are considered to be novel foods and are therefore subject to approval under EC Directive 258/97 on Novel Foods and Novel Food Ingredients.

An opinion of the SCF on Stevia plants and leaves has meant that approval under this Regulation has not been granted at the present time.

Any new application to market Stevia or stevioside as a food or food ingredient would have to include safety studies that sufficiently addressed any concerns about the potential toxicological effects caused by them.

Any food additive used or intended to be used to impart a sweet taste to food is subject to the provisions of the Sweeteners in Food Regulations 1995.

These regulations set out a list of permitted sweeteners. Again, following an opinion issued by the SCF neither Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni), Stevia extracts or stevioside are permitted.

To be honest it doesn't really specify exactly why??

decides2dream

yikes...

"The data considered by the Committee indicated that the extract has the potential to produce adverse effects in the male reproductive system that could affect fertility and that a metabolite produced by the human gut microflora, steviol, is genotoxic (ie. damages DNA)."

not too concerned with male fertility ...but damages DNA? hmmmm.
well, i'm sticking with it for now. granted aspartame is still sold here - and in the UK? - and there's all sorts of bad ju-ju associated....but i just think stevia being natural is better than aspartame. also, if i use 1-2 packets a day, it's a lot....so i think i'm ok.


and....congrats on the weight loss!
forward progress is great!
:thumbup:


and now that i have my own excel food diary, i will no longer bore this thread with my food consumption. :P i'll only post progress, thoughts, comments on other posts, etc.

where the hell is BD?
not weighing in much!
eh well...perhaps he's one of the lucky ones, has today off....b/c it IS monday, should be having our weekly weigh-in!

Claireack

BD was away skiing for the weekend, so he may have burned off a few pounds!

Aspartame is still available here, along with lots of others.

decides2dream

Claireack wrote:

BD was away skiing for the weekend, so he may have burned off a few pounds!

Aspartame is still available here, along with lots of others.

aha - lucky, lucky!


and yes, that's what i thought. so aspartame is ok, but not stevia?! ouch.
eh well.

i'm hoping i start to make some new progress this week. i've held my 5 pound weight loss about 5 days now (well went up a .5 and then back down) so i'm looking towards the next 5. i'd love 2.5 this week, 2.5 next. hit my goal of 10 pounds a month. gotta stay focused and *fingers crossed*....

decides2dream

YAY!
another 1/2 pound, gone!
down 5.5 pounds, day 9.
ate exactly as outlined earlier yesterday - tho + a tiny mini cupcake (see cupcake thread ).
plan on eating just as well today, tho sans cupcake.
now that i have my excel log, won't bore with details here.

hope i reach my january goal - 4.5 more pounds to go!

Claireack

Good on you D2D!!!

Today

Decaff coffee with diet sugar and skimmed milk x 4
Water

4 Ryvita with low fat cream cheese (not as low fat as last week but lower than normal)
Blueberry Yoghurt
Apple

Crunchie :oops: Bit of a slip

2 wraps with cheese and tomato & potato salad (really liked it the day before so had it again)
Strawbery mousse
Umpteen salt and vinegar rice cakes (took whole packet through to living room instead of just a couple and forgot to stop eating :oops: )
Small piece of low fat cheese.

SPEEDY MCCREADY

Black Diamond wrote:

Been good except for last night's B-day dinner for my Mrs. Pizzza MMMMM

But otherwise been a good boy.

Special K this am
Turkey breast for lunch at 1
Lean Cuisine for dinner

Before yesterday I was down 7.5 lbs. We shall see tomorrow.

How is the diet bread treating you???

SPEEDY MCCREADY

Black Diamond wrote:

Been good except for last night's B-day dinner for my Mrs. Pizzza MMMMM

But otherwise been a good boy.

Special K this am
Turkey breast for lunch at 1
Lean Cuisine for dinner

Before yesterday I was down 7.5 lbs. We shall see tomorrow.

Because of you, and a few others here....

I went out yesterday and purchased a box of Special K...

I havent eaten cold cereal in decades....(maybe 5 bowls in the last 20 years)
I didnt like cold cereal as a kid.....

But this morning I had a cup of Special K, with a cup of skim milk, and a sliced banana.....

It wasnt near as horrible as I thought it was going to be.....hehehehehehe

decides2dream

SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:

Black Diamond wrote:

Been good except for last night's B-day dinner for my Mrs. Pizzza MMMMM

But otherwise been a good boy.

Special K this am
Turkey breast for lunch at 1
Lean Cuisine for dinner

Before yesterday I was down 7.5 lbs. We shall see tomorrow.

Because of you, and a few others here....

I went out yesterday and purchased a box of Special K...

I havent eaten cold cereal in decades....(maybe 5 bowls in the last 20 years)
I didnt like cold cereal as a kid.....

But this morning I had a cup of Special K, with a cup of skim milk, and a sliced banana.....

It wasnt near as horrible as I thought it was going to be.....hehehehehehe

:thumbup:
i LOVE cereal!
i love my kashi go lean crunch, and i actually prefer skim milk. it's all what you grow accustomed to, and then eventually prefer.

SPEEDY MCCREADY

WTF is kashi?????

Wait a second....
I dont want to know what kashi is.....

I have made it 44 years without eating kashi....
It is safe to say I will Die without ever eating kashi...........hehehehe

QuarterToTen

i actually measured cottage cheese last night

how sad is that?!?
haha

and i have walked for 40 minutes 5 out of the last 7 days
it's a start. the nicer weather has been a real motivator.

SPEEDY MCCREADY

QuarterToTen wrote:

i actually measured cottage cheese last night

how sad is that?!?
haha

and i have walked for 40 minutes 5 out of the last 7 days
it's a start. the nicer weather has been a real motivator.

I have laid off the cottage cheese for 3 weeks....

Maybe start up again, with that crap, in the springtime.....hehehehehe

QuarterToTen

SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:

QuarterToTen wrote:

i actually measured cottage cheese last night

how sad is that?!?
haha

and i have walked for 40 minutes 5 out of the last 7 days
it's a start. the nicer weather has been a real motivator.

I have laid off the cottage cheese for 3 weeks....

Maybe start up again, with that crap, in the springtime.....hehehehehe

oh it's only a matter of time until i burn myself out on it.
i do the same with yogurt.

crap haha

but it's good for you crap! right?

decides2dream

SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:

WTF is kashi?????

Wait a second....
I dont want to know what kashi is.....

I have made it 44 years without eating kashi....
It is safe to say I will Die without ever eating kashi...........hehehehe

kashi is simply a brand.

http://kashi.com/products/golean_crunch
yummmmmmyyyyy!!!

QuarterToTen wrote:

i actually measured cottage cheese last night

how sad is that?!?
haha

and i have walked for 40 minutes 5 out of the last 7 days
it's a start. the nicer weather has been a real motivator.

i hate, hate, hate cottage cheese. ugh. consistency issues there. bleh.
and hey, i measure a LOT of different foods, it helps! once i get a good visual after awhile, i stop.


enjoy your nice weather!

norm

SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:

WTF is kashi?????

Wait a second....
I dont want to know what kashi is.....

I have made it 44 years without eating kashi....
It is safe to say I will Die without ever eating kashi...........hehehehe

go outside...pick up some dirt, sticks and leaves and pour milk on it


that's kashi

SPEEDY MCCREADY

norm wrote:

SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:

WTF is kashi?????

Wait a second....
I dont want to know what kashi is.....

I have made it 44 years without eating kashi....
It is safe to say I will Die without ever eating kashi...........hehehehe

go outside...pick up some dirt, sticks and leaves and pour milk on it


that's kashi

That is exactly what I figured it was......