I also don't care for the low cal dressings, they have an after taste. I feel the same way about mayonaise as well.

I either squeeze a fresh lemon over my salad. Or I use a bit of balsamic vinegar. Practically no calories at all. Or I put enough yummy stuff in my salad that it doesn't need any dressing at all. Like grilled chicken. Or avocado. Or plain tuna. Or strawberries and mango.

Now I don't feel so bad. I used to always use the diet dressings and started to just skip salads because of that nasty taste. Then I was on a diet that didn't allow even the diet dressings. So then I started eating veggies nacky. Do you know how long that took to get used to? Anyway, it did teach me to appreciate the real taste of veggies without all the ick but I didn't want to do it for the rest of my life. So when I started calorie counting I started using 1 tablespoon on a good size salad and thats I need. Not big globbs like I used to but just a tiny bit to spruce it up. I figured I was the only one using the full version dressing but now I see I am not. Thank you all for sharing.

Rockinrobin ~ I used to do that a lot when I wasn't allowed dressing and it is good. Another thing I used to do is make turkey taco salad and put enough seasoning on the meat that I didn't need dressing.

Another thing I used to do is take a little vinegar and dijon mustard and mix it up and put it over chicken or tuna salads.

I turned a lot of people on to eating tuna with mustard instead of mayo.

I will have to give the Newmans a try. I don't know why but I have a new feddish with salads, honey mustard dressings w/chicken.

Yes, Lara I also make a salad with a chicken breast heavily flavored with taco seasoning. It really is all you need. I do have to admit that the Newmans dressing does sound good, perhaps I will give it a try.

Hey all -- spring break is wreaking a bit of havoc on my calories, but I'm trying. I just finished a one hour very brisk walk with some running mixed in. I will do push ups and sit ups too. It's so hard for me to eat within my calorie range when I go out to eat or have much variance in my schedule. Oh, well.

Bobbi - I'm glad you like the Newman's Own. I think I'm the one who recommended it (I know I have done so several times on 3FC). I can't eat salad with no dressing or just vinegar or lemon juice. I have to have some flavor and fat to it, and like some of you said, I refuse to eat any fat free dressing -- One, they do taste nasty, and Two, they are loaded with HFCS, which I avoid if at all possible. HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) is purported to make you crave sweets more. It is in virtually any fat free product. I'm not saying a little will do you in, but I do try to avoid it.
The Newman's Own "Lighten Up" dressings are NOT fat free. If you haven't tried them and are looking for a very tasty and more healthy option (besides homemade), you really should give them a try. They have wholesome ingredients (if you are trying to 'eat clean') and are quite good on fats and calories. Here are calories for ones I have in pantry for 2 T. serving
Light Balsamic Vinaigrette -- cal 45, fat 4
Low Fat Sesame Ginger -- cal 35, fat 1.5
Light Sun Dried Tomato -- cal 60, fat 4
Honey Mustard (I'm currently out) is really good too, especially as a dip.
Maybe I should have put a soap box warning on here... "Salad dressing rant" LOL ;)

If I have a huge salad as my dinner, I use 2 servings and drizzle a little balsamic vinegar or lemon juice to stretch (I'm talking a huge salad). For a smaller salad, one serving is plenty of dressing for me.

Zenor - your homemade dressings look yummy. For anyone who doesn't have time to do homemade, I do recommend trying Newman's.

Everyone -- keep up the great work this week. I am doing my best not to get any more side tracked than I already have. I just need to say no to eating out!!!!

Bye for now!
Oh! By the way, speaking of high fructose corn syrup... I bought a box of the Fiber One bars without reading ingredients. I love the Fiber One and Fiber One Flakes, but I cannot bring myself to eat the bars -- the ingredients include not only HFCS, but SHELLAC -- anyone know why shellac would be an ingredient in bars? I'm going to look online to see what I can find, but the thought of shellac doesn't appeal to me!!!

Hi Gang! You don't usually hear from me in the afternoons but DH is gone and I'm goofing off.
Phyliss... :congrat: Congrats on the 2 pound loss.
Grammy...

Quote:

Bobbi ~ It sounds like the Newman dressing is fantastic. My two questions are, does it have that funky light dressing taste and is it unexpectantly sweet? I have found that a lot of dressing that are light have a funky taste to them and often are a little sweet, even the ranches. The chicken sounds really, really good.

No funky taste and it's not sweet, perfect for Chicken Breast over a huge salad. I just went out and tasted it and the after taste of it is yummy sesame oil.[/quote]

Zenor... We eat Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil dressing most of the time. DH uses more olive oil than I do, that's why I don't mix up a bottle of it. I measure 1 teaspoon of olive oil and about 2 teaspoons of Balsamic vinegar and pour right on the salad. I think I'll try your recipe but I have a question about shallots. I see them used on cooking show all the time but never use them myself. Are they found in the produce section and do they come dried like garlic? Can scallions be substituted?

Theresa... I'll have to agree with you about FF dressing with the exception of the dry mix of Good Seasons Italian Fat Free. We enjoy that and it's good mixed with vinegar/water and poured over Elk to tenderize it. It also give the meat a good flavor.

Jman... Why don't you zap a small package of frozen vegetables in the microwave and eat before you go. Not only will it be filling but not many calories.

Claire... I was going to elaborate on the nutritional information on the Newman's bottle but you said it all, Thanks! I think I'll try the Light Italian tonight and see if it's as good as the Ginger. I love ginger, I'm drinking a cup of hot Organic Ginger tea right now. I'm not a big hot tea drinker but this has some "snap" to it. It's actually called Organic Ginger Aid and it promotes Healthy Digestion, I love it.

DH just got home, see ya!
bobbi

It's more the alcohol I'm worried about. :o I'm pretty sure people are going to be getting drunk and I know I'm going to want to get drunk, too.

I could have easily budgeted a few drinks if I hadn't eaten a completely unnecessary brownie this morning! :mad:

Welcome abetterme! its my first post too-- I'd been so worried about calories but then I found this site that's really changing my perception and attitude towards calories- eating and working out (not that I've totally stopped thinking about it) But I’ve been getting motivation walking, and then logging my minutes on the Lime Walk Out. I’ve been logging the time I spend walking & it’s certainly a great reminder of how small steps all add up to a healthier (and greener) lifestyle. You find out how all kinds of great info about calories (see, I still do care! ha), steps taken, how much you're helping the env, all just by logging your minutes! They're working towards getting us to be healthier & greener by walking and help us reach our collective goal of 24,900 miles--the equivalent to an entire lap around the earth!

Its on http://www.lime.com/walkout
They also have food and health articles, and virtual meditation rooms that was pretty fun!

(I'm a horrible snacker AFTER dinner!! Even when I eat a big dinner! Any strategies??)

Have my count for today (Thurs)

Cal. 1791 (opps)
deficit 766
Walked 1 mile and an extra 15 min with my Doberman.

Thanks Bobbi......I'm really trying hard.

Phyllis

Bobbi~ Red onion is a better substitute for shallots than scallions are. Shallots are sweeter and more mild. The look like garlic cloves, but larger and the color of yellow onions (on the outside at least.) You should be able to find them at any grocery store. Don't be alarmed by the price though (they are usually over $2 a lb.) One or two last awhile and the are very light. I've never needed a whole pound.

Hi,

the reference to Shellac in the FIBER one bars is correct. I decided to look it up.

here is a link to explain it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shellac

I WILL not be eating them again. Yuk! :barf:
And if you look more into this product, it is also used to coat many fresh fruits and veggies.

here is part of the story too.

Shellac is a brittle or flaky secretion of the lac insect Coccus lacca, found in the forests of Assam and Thailand. Freed from wood it is called "seedlac".
Once it was commonly believed that shellac was a resin obtained from the wings of an insect (order Hemiptera) found in India. In actuality, shellac was obtained from the secretion of the female insect, harvested from the bark of the trees where she deposits it to provide a sticky hold on the trunk. There is a risk that the harvesting process can scoop the insect up along with the secretion, leading to its death. The natural coloration of lac residue is greatly influenced by the sap consumed by the lac insect and the season of the harvest.

Also more at this link
http://www.foodreference.com/html/f-wax-on-food.html

WAX ON FOOD

Waxes have been used on fruits and vegetables since the 1920s. They are all made from natural ingredients, and are certified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to be safe to eat. They come from natural sources including carnauba wax, from the leaves of a Brazilian palm; candellia wax, derived from reed-like desert plants of the genus Euphorbia; and food-grade shellac, which comes from a secretion of the lac bug found in India and Pakistan. These waxes are also approved for use as food additives for candy and pastries. (Now you know why your chocolate bars melt in your mouth but not in your hand…)

Kind of makes you want to grow everything you eat!

My count for today was a little high.

Total: 1752
Fat: 21%
Carbs: 49%
Fiber: 51
Protein: 30%

Walked just over 1 1/2 mile.

On that note, anything with the words cochineal or carmine on the label contain ground up beetles. They are names for a food grade dye (red.) Kind of makes you wonder doesn't it?

Calories for today~1571
A little high, but I went for my walk again today, so I'm not going to sweat it. I just hope I can make it through the holiday weekend with my calories levels somewhat near 1500 per day.:crossed:

Fat 17%

Fiber 35 grams
That's lower than usual, but hey, it's still over the RDA that the FDA sets.

I'm really concerned about this weekend. We haven't gone "home" since Christmas (I started my calorie counting in January.) We won't have internet access and I don't have a calorie counting book either. We are going to take some food with us, but I'm not sure how well I'll do. Thankfully my DH is counting with me, so he doesn't think I'm crazy the way I obsess over this. :D I know of a few places that we may go out to, so I'm looking up the nutritional info before we leave. I hope that is enough preparation to keep me around 1500 per day.:dunno:

:easter2: I may not be online until after Easter, so everyone have a great one!

mmm bought a big bag of frozen blueberries from Costco. Yum yum!

Cals today 1600'ish

Yuck shellac. I just keep on having these images of what they do to wood furniture with that, I know it's not the same stuff, but nevertheless. Yuck.

Thursday's calories - about 1200.

Have a great day everyone!!!!