Tuesday, February 27, 2007

More on NutriSystem

Calories eaten yesterday: 1378
Fat: 64g (43%)
Carbs: 60g (18%)
Protein: 122g (36%)

Calories burned in exercise yesterday: 0
Calories burned in exercise today: 91

Didn't make it to the gym. I was just too tired and I'm still sick. I did walk to work from the BART station, even though it started raining a couple of times. Hopefully Brad and I can go walking on Friday if it isn't raining.

No official weight yet. I was about 151 this morning. I'll take an official weight before I start NutriSystem.

I'm thinking about this new diet program way too much. Last night I dreamed about it. I dreamed I got my order. It came in a small box, rectangular, and fairly flat (only a few inches thick). All my food was in there and fit because the portions were so small. Freaky.

Tomorrow is shopping day and I see some encouraging things. I could be wrong, but it looks like I can have unlimited lettuce of all types. Yay and yum! I'm going to buy that salad spritzer dressing that is one calorie a spray. Cucumbers and celery are also unlimited, as it raw spinach (but not cooked) I need to buy non-fat cheese, both for the turkey and beef burgers on the program, and to make my cauliflower potatoes out of. Also non-fat cream cheese. I think I will buy one of those bags of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. A huge bag is only 100 calories and 12g carbs.

A veggie servings is 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw. Tomatoes are okay and listed as a vegetable - 1 medium tomato is one serving. I won't buy any fruit of course, except for my Saturday treat of berries. I'll sub in an extra serving of veggies or protein in place of the fruit. I'm not clear on how to count the Quaker oats I have. I posted that question to the board.

[Update on oatmeal and soy milk. Here's how to figure it:
From posts of info received directly from NS counselors:
1 Vegetable Serving = 5 g. carbohydrates, 2 g. protein, 25 calories
1 Fruit Serving = 15 g. carbohydrates, 60 calories
1 Low-GI Carb Serving = 15 g. carbohydrates, 3 g. protein, trace of fat, 80 calories
1 Fat Serving = 5 g. fat, 45 calories
1 Protein (lean) = 7 Grams of protein, 3 grams of fat and 55 calories
1 Dairy (or Dairy/Protein) Serving = 12 g. carbohydrates, 8 g. protein, a trace of fat, 100 calories

NOTE: I have also seen 7+ gr protein & no more than 3 gr fat, and the occassional yogurt at 120 cal - for a dairy/protein serving in the E-Classes with Mary Gregg, NS dietitian

Free Foods = A food that is 20 calories or less... You can add 2-3 free foods to your meal plan

So the oatmeal would be approximately one fruit plus one low-GI carb, and the soy milk would be one dairy serving, except the kind I use is of course lower in carbs than the type they allow. I don't need the sugar. So I may be able to have a bowl of oatmeal before hitting the gym sometimes.]

Alcohol is okay as long as it doesn't hinder weight loss. Only 1/4 cup of tuna is allowed. I think I'll just call that a 1/2 can. Close enough. A protein serving of turkey or chicken is 1 oz. WTF?!? One egg or three egg whites are also considered one protein serving. 2 oz. of shrimp are allowed. They lump dairy and protein together. But like I said, I can sub a serving in for the carb servings (of which there are more than enough). 2 oz. of veggie proteins (veggies burgers, etc.) are allowed.

Here's some general Q&A on foods:

Q: Is the milk in the cereal counted as the dairy serving for that meal?
A: The 4 ounces of milk you add to your cereal or pancakes does NOT count as part of your dairy serving at breakfast; the addition of the milk is simply considered part of the entrée itself. Therefore, if you're having cereal or pancakes, you would still need to add a separate, full dairy serving(s), just as you would with any other breakfast entrée, per your meal plan.

Q: What do I eat with the Hamburger (or Hot Dogs, Ham Slices, Chicken Fillet)?
A: There are a few entrees that indicate on the package "serve with a whole-grain roll." This added roll, which you provide, is considered part of the entrée and NOT counted as the carbohydrate serving for that meal. You should choose any roll that has up to 120 calories; whole-grain is preferable.

Q: Is coffee allowed on the program?
A: Yes, coffee is an unlimited beverage on the NutriSystem program. You may use artificial sweeteners and preferably a non-dairy creamer that has less than 20 calories per serving.

Q: Can I have alcoholic drinks on the diet?
A: We do not encourage individuals to consume alcohol on the NutriSystem program; however, we do understand that many people drink occasionally for social reasons. If you do choose to consume alcoholic beverages, we recommend that they be consumed just occasionally and in moderate amounts. Alcohol provides no nourishment, can leave you feeling dehydrated, and adds calories which may affect your weight loss. But if you choose to drink, here are some recommendations:
. Avoid drinks like daiquiris (177 calories), margaritas (210 calories), wine coolers (192 calories), sweet wines (102 calories), and mixed drinks
. Use diet and sugar-free mixers such as diet soda, club soda or diet tonic water
. Drink water while you are drinking alcohol to keep you hydrated
. Choose wines that are of a dry variety
. Choose a beer that is light and/or low-carb

Q: Is it ok to use canned vegetables and fruit?
A: Due to their sodium content, we do not recommend that you use canned vegetables. But if you do choose to have canned vegetables, rinse them well to remove as much sodium as possible. For fruit, fresh is the best choice. Be careful when choosing canned fruit, and only choose items that have been canned in their natural juice or water, rather than heavy syrup that has added sugar.

Q: Why are some of the vegetables limited on the regular vegetable list and unlimited on the salad vegetable list?
A: The salad vegetables are eaten raw and because they are so low in calories, we do not feel that it is necessary to limit them to a specific amount. (There is a natural limit to how many raw vegetables anyone can eat at one time.) When the vegetables are cooked, however, they do condense, so you are getting more in a cup of cooked vegetables than in a cup of raw vegetables. It is also easier to eat more (too many) if they are cooked. If, however, you are hungry on the program and want more vegetables, an extra cup or so will not interfere with your weight loss.

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NutriSystem's idea of fat as evil and carbs as good is of course the same old low-fat mantra we've been fed all our lives. I see cutting fat as a way to cut calories, not because fat will make me fat or make my cholesterol go up. It's kinda sad to see so many misguided people still buying into the food pyramid and all the lies the media and dietitians feed us.

Okay, rant over for the day!

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13 comments:

Susan said...

Darn it, blogger ate my reply.

Anyway, I just wanted to say hi - I'm sockmonkeyninja on the NS boards.

Not all carbs are created equal! Low-glycemic carbs don't break down fast in your system and keep your blood sugar from spiking, then dipping when the insulin produced rushes to take care of it (like what happens with a fast sugar). I'm a diabetic and I measure my blood sugars. I've had higher blood sugars from eating nothing but a big plate of steak than I do from eating a meal with 40g of carbs from the NS mac & cheese. Carbohydrates stimulate the production of insulin, and for me as a diabetic, that seems to be my weak link - hence the high bG after eating a no-carb meal. High glycemic carbs send my blood sugar through the roof, but by balancing the carbs with protein & fat it just doesn't go high. It's pretty amazing. I'm completely sold on low-glycemic meals now (I make my own about 70% of the time).

Welcome!
Susan
http://susanlosin.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Carbs still raise blood sugar. Whenever possible I prefer to let my liver regular my blood sugar and use my pancreas as a backup, the way the body was designed to work.

There are essential fats and proteins, but there is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate, which is why I am choosing NS foods lowers in carbs and higher in protein. I'll likely add a bit more fat to the program, too, since fat is essential not just to life, but to full nutrient absorbtion. For example, the full benefit of tomatoes cannot be realized by the body unless they are eaten with fat.

I'll always be an Atkins girl at heart. I've learned too much to ever believe in dietitians or the governement food pyramid again.

If your blood sugar is going high from a no-carb meal then your liver is probably doing too good of a job at producing blood sugar from protein. I've heard this is pretty common among diabetics, especially if it's high in the morning after eating steak and then sleeping all night.

Lisa E said...

I've had the Balsamic salad spritzer. I was skeptical before I tried it, but it is really good. I haven't tried the other 2 varieties.

Lisa E said...

Wanted to add, it's really good on a raw spinach salad with just a shake or 2 of parmesan cheese...yum. I also a just a small amount of matchstick cut carrots so it doesn't look so boring.

Unknown said...

Thanks for the recommendation, DW. I'm going to the store today. I'm still well over 150 and can squeeze into 8s, but it's not comfortable.

Annieann77 said...

I just wanted to make sure that you understood that you only get to add a low GI carb if you have over 100lbs to loose! Other then that the only times you have a low GI carb is when you have the turkey dogs, burger or ckicken patty.

Unknown said...

Oh, BTW, the reason carbs stimulate insulin is because they raise blood sugar. The blood sugar goes up, the pancreas sees the rise, and pumps out insulin to counter it. No carb meals don't raise blood sugar, so the pancreas doesn't need to produce insulin to bring the rise down.

Unknown said...

That should read, "No carb meals don't DIRECTLY raise blood sugar because...well, they have no carbs. However, the liver can produce glucose from protein."

In a healthh individual, the liver will only produce the glucose that the body needs. In a diabetic, the liver may produce too much.

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