Good morning! I wanted to report that I made it through both of my son's birthday parties without eating any sweets. I did, however, drink alcohol. Amaretto cream and caramel mocha cream. My sister, the saboteur and former problem drinker, assures me that they do not have sugar in them, that their sweetness comes from the liquor. I don't know if I trust her and there are no ingredients listed on the bottles. Does anyone know? I only had a little bit, and boy, was it yummy! However, I do not want to jeopardize my sugar free-ness.
CONGRATULATIONS ON PASSIN' ON THE SWEET BIRTHDAY, STUFF, GYPSY!!! That's a great accomplishment.
Re alcohol, I'm not any expert on the sugar content so will refrain from offering any thoughts on that. I hope it's ok to post this partial question-answer blurb from "www.olin.msu.edu" just for general discussion:
" ... I am trying to quit drinking and am having overwhelming cravings for sweets and carbohydrates? I've always had a sweet tooth but this is different. Will these cravings eventually dissapate [sic] & is this a normal alcohol withdrawal symptom? If so, what causes it?
[ANSWER]If you have traded an alcohol (sugar) for a sweet roll addiction (sugar), you have gained little more than a lessened risk for an Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol ticket. Biochemically sugar and alcohol are the same thing. When you take in large amounts of sugar it sends your blood sugar high and releases a feel good neurotransmitter called serotonin. The alcohol and the sweet roll both send your blood sugar high but the alcohol is able to spike your blood sugar twice as quickly. ...
Last edited by Amarantha2; 02-15-2005 at 11:27 AM.
Reason: CAN'T TYPE TODAY! :)
Hate to say it, Darlene, but there's an obsene amount of sugar in those flavored liquers. Hey, I see what you mean about your sister-in-law being the sabateur extraordinaire! That's great that you passed on the cake!
Big congrats to Amarantha on reaching the 30 day milestone!!!!
I've hit another milestone myself---today it's been 150 days!
Uh-oh, I knew it was too good to be true about the alcohol! Oh, well, I guess I'll go back to satisfying my sweet tooth with diet pop. So I guess I consumed an obscene amount of sugar? Yikes! I must be more careful. I wish it was like the Catholic church teaches about sin--if you don't know it's a sin, it doesn't count.
Dunno, Darlene, I think that "if ya don't know it's a sin" thingie sounds reasonable!
I think this summer I'm going to go to those flavored waters ... they don't have any artificial sweeteners or sugar or ANYTHING, really ... so how do they get the flavor?
Inquiring minds wanna know.
CONGRATULATIONS E ON YOUR MILESTONE!!!! ONE-HUNDRED AND FIFTY DAYS!!!!!
Hi, all! Hate posting two in a row, but ... this is my own version of a "stewed chicken" recipe that was in one of the Sugar Bust for Life books I ordered. Got 'em yesterday ... the original recipe had oil and cream in it and onions and lots of stuff and was for a whole chicken, but this is my take on it. Yes, I added Splenda after ranting about manufacturers putting sweeteners in chicken ... there is also lactose in the milk and the cream cheese ... this reminds me of the old Chicken Captain recipes I've had in restaurants in the midwest; I ate one-fourth of the recipe and froze the other three servings separately, 150 cals each:
Take 2 chicken breasts (I semi-thawed in microwave first) and "water fry" (braise) adding a little Splenda and curry powder. When partially cooked, cut into several large pieces and continue cooking until brown. Add chives. Dump a small jar of mushrooms and the water they're packed in, add more water, lower heat and cook until done. Add a bit more water and 1/3 cup skim milk solids (or just add some low carb milk) and 2 ounces fat free cream cheese, stir and continue cooking until you have a creamy chicken/mushroom stew.
This was maybe the best chicken recipe I ever made. Old Dog liked it too!
Apologies to E re the meat ... could use tofu, mayhap. [/b]
As February 4 I elminated refined sugar, Bread, Potatoes, etc. from my diet. I feel 150% better I have more energy, I'm not tried when I wake up in morning or at any time during the day. I no longer have cravings I can not satisfy now I know i'm not alone. I do not miss the sugar if I have a need for something sweet I know that recipes are easy to find and taste better than ones made with sugar because they will not put me back on the Sugar Roll Coaster.
Last edited by Jana; 02-20-2005 at 05:07 PM.
Reason: Weight Change
Huzzah, Jana!!!!! Congratulations on your successful transition from the land o' that roller coaster!!!! It is good to have ya here and to hear confirmation from another person that THIS WORKS! Have a great day!
Good morning everyone! Welcome Jana! I've been sick and haven't been able to exercise. I hate that. Also, after imbibing the sugar-laden alcoholic beverages this weekend, I'm having sugar cravings again. So far, I've been able to resist, but I've been eating more than I'd like in order to stave them off. I'm determined not to slip up!! I'm hoping once I get my exercise back on track that it'll be OK with my weight loss.
Congratulations, Eydie, on reaching 150 days! That puts you a month away from 6 months! Amazing!
Welcome, Jana!!! So nice to have another in our sugar-less cult.
Had a book discussion at work today, and I'm the cook, so I provide the coffee and sweets. I'd made a new recipe, carrot cake bars, and I tasted one. Just one taste, no chewing and then spit it out; as I intended. I know, how gross am I?! One does what one must......always the lady, that's my motto!
Darlene, I'm feeling a bit under the weather too. Just tired and kinda snorky. Get well soon, my friend!
Congratulations on that "unladylike" behavior there, E!!! In all honesty, we have to really resort to whatever we can to stay true to the cause and I applaud thee!
As I think I posted somewhere, when the very nice elderly lady I was interviewing a week or so ago told me she'd meant to bake me a cake but had run outta time, I knew then that without a doubt, I was so committed to this, that I would have made up some story to refuse the cake.
Thanks for visiting my journal in the land far away. Yup, folks are worried about my eating fruit!
Sugar Busters is a bit confusing on the subject of fruit. The original books say it's good to eat it separately from other foods ... I read that again and realized they were saying that, according to them, (and remember this is a fad diet and very controversial with nutritionists, BUT it was written at least in part by physicians in New Orleans, who believed in it enough in the beginning to self-publish before it became popular and then died out) when you eat fruit with other food, you lose the advantage of the low glycemic load of fruit (something like that) ... anyhow, the two "companion" books and cookbooks put out a few years later by one of the editor and her restaurant owning husband say you MUST eat it separately (30 minutes before a meal or 2 hours after), except in the case of maybe some all-fruit spread on an "approved" (whole grain) cracker ... I think this is a pointless exercise, but I actually did eat my fruit separately today to see if I felt any different. The jury's out ...
Darlene, sorry thou be under the weather. I'm kind of tired, too, and having milder sinus problems than a few weeks ago (can it be the sugar?) ... have to go do two meetings now in mountains ...
It was not to be 2# only 1# a # lost is a # Lost and not a # gained.
Next week it a will be more.
I have just been watching the carbs I may have to back on the Sommersizing eating plan it work very well for me before I lost 40# that had a bite of parsely potatoes and it has take over a year to get back on track. I have made a lot of starts, thats all they wereis starts that did not last. I don't know why this time feels differant is have a stronger resolve to follow though with this life time change.
I have more to say but I see the time, I have to be to work in 40 minutes. Talk later tonight. Everyone have a good Low Carb Day.
Congratulations on the weight loss, Jana! I'm feeling better today, but yesterday I ate a lot. I went home from work early b/c I felt so bad, and there I was, feeling FAMISHED. No sugar, thank God, but that unknowing slip up with the alcohol has reminded me of what a hold sugar can get on me!
I was thinking of having a margarita this weekend. I know alcohol acts like sugar in the bloodstream (thanks for that info, Amarantha!), but do margaritas have actual sugar in them (I'm talking about regular-old margaritas, not strawberry or anything like that)?
Jana, a pound down is very good!!!! Congratulations!
Actually, I'm not on a low carb diet ... I'm personally doing Sugar Busters, which is a low glycemic diet aimed at preventing insulin spikes, mainly, but includes at least 40 percent carbs ... 50 percent as long as the carbs are the good kind. I eat tons of carbs and don't desire to go low!
Gypsy, dinna mean to bash alcohol to thee ... actually winemaking is part of my family business and I am not opposed to alcohol drinking. Thought I should clear that up in case anyone I know should ever trace my posties to my actual self here!
But alcohol not only acts like sugar, my understanding is that it contains sugar (or is sugar in some cases ... dunno, I'm not the winemaker ... ... confuses the heck outta me ...
Re margaritas, I think there are lots of recipes ... I'll defer to Chef Eydie who might know. The main ingredient seems to be tequila.
This is my 34th day. I started a new journal in the land far far away to celebrate AND have THROWN OUT ALL THE SPLENDA IN MY KITCHEN. Dunno, it's acceptible in Sugar Busters but it seems to have some sort of glycemic response in my bod. I bought some stevia leaves and will see how they are in recipes. Sort of thinking I'll go without any added artificial sweeteners in oatmeal, etc., which is where I used Splenda mainly.
Amarantha, you didn't ruin alcohol for me! I was being sincere-I appreciated the info. Actually, I didn't feel like a margarita last night, which is when my sister and I went out to dinner.
I'm really suspicious about Splenda. I wish I could give up diet sweeteners all together, but I can't seem to break my reliance on diet pop (yeah, my Lent goal of giving it up lasted about 4 days!).
Hi!
That's a great accomplishment.
Hey, I see what you mean about your sister-in-law being the sabateur extraordinaire! That's great that you passed on the cake!
E re the meat ... could use tofu, mayhap. 
So far, I've been able to resist, but I've been eating more than I'd like in order to stave them off. I'm determined not to slip up!! I'm hoping once I get my exercise back on track that it'll be OK with my weight loss.
Friday - Two Be or not Two Be
