I want food. Real food. Bored now.
What I ate today:
Two TLC hot cross buns
A bite of sausage roll
A baguette with EL Philly and chicken, with a ball of Aunt Bessie's stuffing
Two slices of toast with a 'fried' egg
Ben & Jerry's Phish food frozen yoghurt
Exercise of the day:
Meh.
Product of the day:
Meh.
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
Tuesday, 7 September 2010
Day 16 - Mouthfeel
Why does fat taste good? Why do we like the bad stuff, oozing with butter, dripping with cream, layered with cheese... (drool) - and why does the low fat stuff taste so... meh...?
Studies have proposed that it's an issue of production and recipe creation; that manufacturers are forgetting that the experience of food is multi-sensory so when they produce a low-fat version something is 'missing' to the senses. Others propose that ther may be an evolutionary bias towards preferring fat-laden foods, for energy and survival purposes.
Mouthfeel is the experience of food when we eat it. How do our tastebuds, our teeth, our tongues interact with the morsels we eat? The experience of letting gorgeous chocolate melt in your mouth; the crisp freshness of a dry white after a hard day; the indulgence in oily pasta with cheese and garlic bread. I conducted a mouthfeel experiment with my daughter today; to compare and contrast the mouthfeel of two similar products with very different fat content:
My eldest had Bacon flavour Batchelor's Super Noodles. I had the low fat Chilli Chicken flavour.
The appearance was similar; my noodles slightly lighter in appearance both before and after cooking. Her noodles were more gelatinous, sticking together when they started to cool, whereas mine didn't. The price was the same. The difference? Taste-wise mine tasted like minced cardboard, dry in texture and almost flavourless. Hers tasted 'yummy', apparently. The difference in fat? For half a pack, my 0.8g trounced her 11.8g (how much?!). So fatwise, it was worth it. Flavour-wise? I don't think so. the mouth feel wasn't there for me. I didn't enjoy it.
Admittedly noodles aren't the creamiest of foodstuffs, but the difference was still fairly marked for us. Looks like noodles (or taste) is off the menu for the duration of the challenge then...
Scientists are working on the problem, in experiments altering the ratio of oil and water in food while retaining the creamy feel and texture of the food and reducing the fat content by half. Watch this space...
What I ate today:
Studies have proposed that it's an issue of production and recipe creation; that manufacturers are forgetting that the experience of food is multi-sensory so when they produce a low-fat version something is 'missing' to the senses. Others propose that ther may be an evolutionary bias towards preferring fat-laden foods, for energy and survival purposes.
Mouthfeel is the experience of food when we eat it. How do our tastebuds, our teeth, our tongues interact with the morsels we eat? The experience of letting gorgeous chocolate melt in your mouth; the crisp freshness of a dry white after a hard day; the indulgence in oily pasta with cheese and garlic bread. I conducted a mouthfeel experiment with my daughter today; to compare and contrast the mouthfeel of two similar products with very different fat content:
My eldest had Bacon flavour Batchelor's Super Noodles. I had the low fat Chilli Chicken flavour.
The appearance was similar; my noodles slightly lighter in appearance both before and after cooking. Her noodles were more gelatinous, sticking together when they started to cool, whereas mine didn't. The price was the same. The difference? Taste-wise mine tasted like minced cardboard, dry in texture and almost flavourless. Hers tasted 'yummy', apparently. The difference in fat? For half a pack, my 0.8g trounced her 11.8g (how much?!). So fatwise, it was worth it. Flavour-wise? I don't think so. the mouth feel wasn't there for me. I didn't enjoy it.
Admittedly noodles aren't the creamiest of foodstuffs, but the difference was still fairly marked for us. Looks like noodles (or taste) is off the menu for the duration of the challenge then...
Scientists are working on the problem, in experiments altering the ratio of oil and water in food while retaining the creamy feel and texture of the food and reducing the fat content by half. Watch this space...
What I ate today:
Shreddies with milk
A bagel with EL Philly and ham (I visited an understanding friend!). I did have a bite of my daughter's sausage roll, and also a Butternut Squash pastry from Waitrose.
I had a Shapers snack mid-afternoon.
Dinner was the aforementioned low fat supernoodles and prawns
Feeling thoroughly unsatisfied I cracked open the Ben & Jerry's again
Exercise of the day:
I don't think I did one!
Product of the day:
The Supernoodles. Bah.
Monday, 6 September 2010
Day 15 - 60p
Or 0.6 of a pound. Is that all? Is that all the loss I have to show for yet another week of restraint, cheese-forbearance and a 5k walk?!
Bah.
It is so SO tempting to jack it in. In previous diets I have done just that, and commiserated my 'loss' with a big fat cheese sandwich.
I think: What more can I do? What did I do wrong? Was the first weigh-in wrong?
Well, if I think back honestly, I stuck to the diet pretty well. I can't think of anything I ate that I really shouldn't, though I know I was less strict than the first week I was still within guidelines.
I did miss about a third of my pills, which won't have helped.
I didn't exercise very much, so that could definitely be improved. Though not today, as Velcro-Boy has been restricting my movements.
Maybe this is normal? I guess I have to see what happens in week 3 to see if I can keep going down at least. So I have till next Monday to have a full body wax, cut my nails and my hair, and generally shave off those ounces...
Still, I'm only 2 weeks into 6 weeks. If I can't give this 6 weeks of my life, there's no hope for me.
Weekly weigh-in:
10st 4.4lbs
What I ate today:
'Fried' egg on white bread
Boots snack bar
Chicken salad and EL Philly wrap
TLC hot cross bun
TLC cheese and broccoli pasta with some extra chicken
Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Frozen Yoghurt
Exercise of the day:
Hoovering
Product of the day:
Fry Light Spray Oil. I was a little dubious about these 'oils' but they do at least allow me to fry without spoons of gloopy oil. The sunflower is fine for everyday. I'm less convinced by the butter one, but time will tell.
Bah.
It is so SO tempting to jack it in. In previous diets I have done just that, and commiserated my 'loss' with a big fat cheese sandwich.
I think: What more can I do? What did I do wrong? Was the first weigh-in wrong?
Well, if I think back honestly, I stuck to the diet pretty well. I can't think of anything I ate that I really shouldn't, though I know I was less strict than the first week I was still within guidelines.
I did miss about a third of my pills, which won't have helped.
I didn't exercise very much, so that could definitely be improved. Though not today, as Velcro-Boy has been restricting my movements.
Maybe this is normal? I guess I have to see what happens in week 3 to see if I can keep going down at least. So I have till next Monday to have a full body wax, cut my nails and my hair, and generally shave off those ounces...
Still, I'm only 2 weeks into 6 weeks. If I can't give this 6 weeks of my life, there's no hope for me.
Weekly weigh-in:
10st 4.4lbs
What I ate today:
'Fried' egg on white bread
Boots snack bar
Chicken salad and EL Philly wrap
TLC hot cross bun
TLC cheese and broccoli pasta with some extra chicken
Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Frozen Yoghurt
Exercise of the day:
Hoovering
Product of the day:
Fry Light Spray Oil. I was a little dubious about these 'oils' but they do at least allow me to fry without spoons of gloopy oil. The sunflower is fine for everyday. I'm less convinced by the butter one, but time will tell.
Day 14 - Exercise!
Yes, you never thought I would, did you?
So far my Exercise of the Day section has been a bit... lacking. Shopping, and child-wrangling mostly. You'd think with the amount of shopping I do I'd be a millionairess and able to pay for lipo, but no. Shopping can involve a loaf of bread and a pint of milk, but it is a trip Outside, and any new mum will tell you that's good enough, sometimes.
Pushing a buggy isn't the most exercise I'll ever do, especially as I have a beautifully light version. I drive pretty much everywhere too.
I haven't always been this sedentary. At school I wasn't great at sport but I tried. I even represented my school twice - once at shot put (awful) and once in the 200m sprint (came last, but a personal best). I walked to and from school - primary, secondary, and university. I even did step classes at one point.
I guess there came a point where driving to work became more appropriate than walking and public transport. And of course before I fell pregnant the first time (5 years ago) was probably the last time I rode my bike.
I could of course inject some activity into my life through attending a class; after my holiday this month I'll be hoping to start beginner's swimming lessons (yikes), which, if it goes well, will be wonderful.
I think the key though is to inject activity into my daily life, so I don't even notice it, much like this diet I'm doing. As soon as the youngest has more of a routine I think I shall do just that. Yes, it's an excuse of sorts, but it's there. Even now, the only reason I'm typing this is because he's asleep; unfortunately he's asleep on my lap so I can't do more at the moment. All suggestions gratefully appreciated...
I've mentioned the buggy walk before - I forgot this morning. I shall try and remember for next week.
I did exercise yesterday though; I walked the Adidas 5k! I think it took me just over an hour, but to be honest I wasn't really paying attention, just having a good natter and raising some money for charity. Actually, it was almost my perfect exercise...
What I ate today:
Bowl of mini shredded wheat and milk
In an abortive attempt to find Pizza Express, I ended up eating a burger from a stall (no cheese though), some Shapers crisps and a low-fat fair trade bar.
For dinner I served home-made low-fat bolognaise pasta bake (no cheese for me), and a TLC garlic slice. Mindful of the impending weigh-in and the unkown fat content of my lunch, I did not have any dessert.
Exercise of the day:
The Adidas 5k women's challenge fun run, in aid of SANDs. There's still time to sponsor me - I promise I finished!
Product of the day:
Tesco Light Choices Garlic Bread Slices. The acceptable face of garlic bread, it's okay, though overcooking it renders it the texture of crispbread.
So far my Exercise of the Day section has been a bit... lacking. Shopping, and child-wrangling mostly. You'd think with the amount of shopping I do I'd be a millionairess and able to pay for lipo, but no. Shopping can involve a loaf of bread and a pint of milk, but it is a trip Outside, and any new mum will tell you that's good enough, sometimes.
Pushing a buggy isn't the most exercise I'll ever do, especially as I have a beautifully light version. I drive pretty much everywhere too.
I haven't always been this sedentary. At school I wasn't great at sport but I tried. I even represented my school twice - once at shot put (awful) and once in the 200m sprint (came last, but a personal best). I walked to and from school - primary, secondary, and university. I even did step classes at one point.
I guess there came a point where driving to work became more appropriate than walking and public transport. And of course before I fell pregnant the first time (5 years ago) was probably the last time I rode my bike.
I could of course inject some activity into my life through attending a class; after my holiday this month I'll be hoping to start beginner's swimming lessons (yikes), which, if it goes well, will be wonderful.
I think the key though is to inject activity into my daily life, so I don't even notice it, much like this diet I'm doing. As soon as the youngest has more of a routine I think I shall do just that. Yes, it's an excuse of sorts, but it's there. Even now, the only reason I'm typing this is because he's asleep; unfortunately he's asleep on my lap so I can't do more at the moment. All suggestions gratefully appreciated...
I've mentioned the buggy walk before - I forgot this morning. I shall try and remember for next week.
I did exercise yesterday though; I walked the Adidas 5k! I think it took me just over an hour, but to be honest I wasn't really paying attention, just having a good natter and raising some money for charity. Actually, it was almost my perfect exercise...
What I ate today:
Bowl of mini shredded wheat and milk
In an abortive attempt to find Pizza Express, I ended up eating a burger from a stall (no cheese though), some Shapers crisps and a low-fat fair trade bar.
For dinner I served home-made low-fat bolognaise pasta bake (no cheese for me), and a TLC garlic slice. Mindful of the impending weigh-in and the unkown fat content of my lunch, I did not have any dessert.
Exercise of the day:
The Adidas 5k women's challenge fun run, in aid of SANDs. There's still time to sponsor me - I promise I finished!
Product of the day:
Tesco Light Choices Garlic Bread Slices. The acceptable face of garlic bread, it's okay, though overcooking it renders it the texture of crispbread.
Saturday, 4 September 2010
Day 13 - Say Cheese...
This isn't a consumer review site. This is mine, all mine (bwa ha ha ha - evil laugh), but over the last almost 2 weeks I've been trying to find that holy grail, an alternative to cheese in my diet. I love cheese. It goes with everything, and it's the ultimate multi-purplse food. Have it on toast, on potatoes, grilled on vegetables, lovingly packed into plump pieces of beef or chicken, melted, sliced, grated (tastes different - why?)...
So I've tried a few. Plus, as I said before, I've given up butter too, and have been substituting soft cheese for it to ensure I don't eat dry bread all the time.
I thought you might be interested in the results of my own comparison of selected products in my fridge, so here they are:
Cathedral City Mature Cheddar
87 p/100g
1.7 g Fat/5g
Look how small 5g is! My favourite everyday cheese, I would normally have 8+ times this in a sandwich, plus butter. I guess that’s why I’m here… After almost 2 weeks without, this tasted so STRONG on my tongue, stronger than I had remembered. I don’t actually miss this as much as I thought…
Tesco Extra Light Soft Cheese
37 p/100g
0.2 g Fat/5g
The cheapest of the cheeses on test, I was recommended to try this on the advice of a fellow fat fighter, as it has less fat than Philly. Well, it certainly does, but it also has a more crumbly acidic texture, with liquid settling on top. Good if on a budget, otherwise go Philly I say.
Philadelphia Extra Light Soft Cheese
68 p/100g
0.2 g Fat/5g
Actually, 0.23g fat in the sample, slightly higher than the Tesco version. It is creamier in texture though, and more subtly flavoured. My new everyday cheese.
Laughing Cow Extra Light
67 p/100g
0.1 g Fat/5g
In days of yore I always preferred Laughing Cow triangles to Dairylea, so I thought I would give it a whirl, especially given the fat stat. It is yellower than the others, almost pasty in texture, and very definitely processed in taste. A disappointment.
Anchor Butter
56 p/100g
4.0 g Fat/5g
Heaven. Sigh. But HOW much fat?!
So I've tried a few. Plus, as I said before, I've given up butter too, and have been substituting soft cheese for it to ensure I don't eat dry bread all the time.
I thought you might be interested in the results of my own comparison of selected products in my fridge, so here they are:
Cathedral City Mature Cheddar
87 p/100g
1.7 g Fat/5g
Look how small 5g is! My favourite everyday cheese, I would normally have 8+ times this in a sandwich, plus butter. I guess that’s why I’m here… After almost 2 weeks without, this tasted so STRONG on my tongue, stronger than I had remembered. I don’t actually miss this as much as I thought…
Tesco Extra Light Soft Cheese
37 p/100g
0.2 g Fat/5g
The cheapest of the cheeses on test, I was recommended to try this on the advice of a fellow fat fighter, as it has less fat than Philly. Well, it certainly does, but it also has a more crumbly acidic texture, with liquid settling on top. Good if on a budget, otherwise go Philly I say.
Philadelphia Extra Light Soft Cheese
68 p/100g
0.2 g Fat/5g
Actually, 0.23g fat in the sample, slightly higher than the Tesco version. It is creamier in texture though, and more subtly flavoured. My new everyday cheese.
Laughing Cow Extra Light
67 p/100g
0.1 g Fat/5g
In days of yore I always preferred Laughing Cow triangles to Dairylea, so I thought I would give it a whirl, especially given the fat stat. It is yellower than the others, almost pasty in texture, and very definitely processed in taste. A disappointment.
Anchor Butter
56 p/100g
4.0 g Fat/5g
Heaven. Sigh. But HOW much fat?!
Which will you choose?
What I ate today:
2 slices of toast with EL Philly
My Nandos special chicken fillet in pitta. I tried the fat-free frozen yoghurt but it was banan flavoured and bland. Apparently some do chocolate flavour? Yum...
The above cheese platter, and a TLC hot cross bun
Exercise of the day:
A walk round the shops! Surprise, surprise...
Product of the day:
Probably the cheeses I mentioned above. I'm still a little gobsmacked by the fat results to think of another!
Friday, 3 September 2010
Days 11 and 12 - Two for one?
Sometimes life gets in the way of... your life really! It certainly has got in the way of my diets before now...
"I know I'm on a diet, but it's Fred's birthday..."
"I've had a crappy day at work and a takeaway will cheer me up..."
"I'm so tired I put the chocolate in my mouth before I realised..."
"I'm too busy/old/bored/ to diet..."
Ding ding! I think I just hit the limit on the Excuse-o-Meter...
Maybe before now I hadn't found the right diet?
I've been busy with life, ill and shouty children, that race I'm running (sponsored me yet?!), the sale I'm helping to organise, and my new desire to learn knitting and crochet simultaneously (learning simultaneously, I don't have an extra arm or anything), and while I dropped a day's blog (oops, did you miss me?!) and the camera has a film of dust on it, I didn't drop the diet.
I did climb on the scales this morning though, just because that nagging thought about being slacker kept tapping me on the shoulder... Possibly an ounce or two difference from Monday's weigh-in, which spurs me onto the path of diet righteousness for the rest of the week.
So here we go, let's see what I remember:
What I ate yesterday/today:
Mini shredded wheat and milk/Banana
Chicken and tomato rolls and a Shapers snack bar/Chicken and tomato rolls, 1/2 pack Shapers crisps and a Tesco LC hot cross bun
Fish fingers, chip and beans/Tesco LC Chicken Curry and two Tesco LC naan breads
1/6 tub Ben & Jerry's Fudge Brownie Frozen Yoghurt
Exercise of the day(s):
Nothing to write home about. Shopping. I have enquired about swimming lessons though!
Product of the day(s):
Calpol. And Calprofen. I could have waxed lyrical about weighing 100g of chips, the surprising amount of fat in fish fingers, how sloppy the curry was, or how I'm not yet bored with the chicken sandwiches... but these two big guys have been saving my day today. Hooray for medication...
"I know I'm on a diet, but it's Fred's birthday..."
"I've had a crappy day at work and a takeaway will cheer me up..."
"I'm so tired I put the chocolate in my mouth before I realised..."
"I'm too busy/old/bored/ to diet..."
Ding ding! I think I just hit the limit on the Excuse-o-Meter...
Maybe before now I hadn't found the right diet?
I've been busy with life, ill and shouty children, that race I'm running (sponsored me yet?!), the sale I'm helping to organise, and my new desire to learn knitting and crochet simultaneously (learning simultaneously, I don't have an extra arm or anything), and while I dropped a day's blog (oops, did you miss me?!) and the camera has a film of dust on it, I didn't drop the diet.
I did climb on the scales this morning though, just because that nagging thought about being slacker kept tapping me on the shoulder... Possibly an ounce or two difference from Monday's weigh-in, which spurs me onto the path of diet righteousness for the rest of the week.
So here we go, let's see what I remember:
What I ate yesterday/today:
Mini shredded wheat and milk/Banana
Chicken and tomato rolls and a Shapers snack bar/Chicken and tomato rolls, 1/2 pack Shapers crisps and a Tesco LC hot cross bun
Fish fingers, chip and beans/Tesco LC Chicken Curry and two Tesco LC naan breads
1/6 tub Ben & Jerry's Fudge Brownie Frozen Yoghurt
Exercise of the day(s):
Nothing to write home about. Shopping. I have enquired about swimming lessons though!
Product of the day(s):
Calpol. And Calprofen. I could have waxed lyrical about weighing 100g of chips, the surprising amount of fat in fish fingers, how sloppy the curry was, or how I'm not yet bored with the chicken sandwiches... but these two big guys have been saving my day today. Hooray for medication...
Wednesday, 1 September 2010
Day 10 - My friend Ben
Not a lot to report today. I do keep forgetting to take my Alli tablets at the moment, which is unhelpful really. I didn't pay all that money for them to sit in the cupboard, after all.
Anyway. I received today the 3rd Alli challenge email sent to me by Boots. I have no idea where the other 2 have gone to, this is the first one I've received. Glad I'm not depending upon the support, eh? The pearl of wisdom today: Get More Active.
You'll have seen from my posts that activity is not one of my strong points. My opportunities to go for a quick run are limited by a small child and the sleeplessness that follows. I've always preferred exercise which is incidental to my life, too. But both of those are excuses. I do need to up my activity, both in pursuance of this challenge and also for a healthier life long-term.
I've spotted a buggy-walk group near my home which runs on Mondays, so if I can organise myself adequately I might go and play New Girl at that next week. There's also some fab parkland around here, so I really don't have much excuse not to do something a few times a week. I also need to see if I can organise some swimming lessons at some point... now I just need a few extra hours in the day to fit in all the organising I need to do to make that happen! I shall just have to find the time.
Incidentally, I had already booked myself a place in the Adidas 5k women's challenge fun run this Sunday coming, in aid of SANDs. Feel free to lob me a few pounds for a great cause - I will be aiming to amble amiably around Hyde Park, not run, but it's the taking part...
What exercise do you do? Inspire me!
What I ate today:
2 slices of toast spread with EL Philly
A 1/4 Milkybar I found in the changing bag
A large (oops) ham and tomato baguette, spread with EL Laughing Cow spread
A Tesco Light Choices pasta bake, plus 2 slices of TLC garlic bread
1/6 tub of Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Frozen Yoghurt
Exercise of the Day:
Restraining the be-jabbed one, and rocking him to soothe him for the rest of the day.
Product of the Day:
Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Frozen Yoghurt. This stuff is fabulously low in fat and it's actually good. You know how some 'chocolate flavour' products taste like manky old generic hot chocolate mixed with dust? Well this is obviously not creamy like ice-cream, but it is yummy. The brownie pieces are big (albeit they have a slight coffee/mocha tang) and all in all it's a good way to spend your calories. Especially if you steal your child's bowl and spoon and make it all look bigger... 1/5 of a tub is just over 2g fat - bargain!
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