Posts by bubbasgirl

I'm with you, Maxine! When I was a kid I had fish sticks on an upset stomach, and as a result, I threw up my dinner and have hated the taste and smell of fish ever since. I'd like to eat it b/c of the Omegas, and b/c it would make it easier to eat certain cuisines, etc. if I ate fish. But unfortunately I have also been stuck wondering which ones are more mild and which are just overwhelmingly "fishy".(?) Thanks to smashley for suggesting some that have a milder taste. Maybe if my hubby orders those in a restaurant, I'll brave a little bite and get used to the idea of eating fish again. 

When I was in Alaska, I tried a bite of Halibut, which is an enormous (100s of pounds- they have contests for them each year) type of white fish, and that was mild in the mouth initially, until that last bite or two. You might try that and see how you like it. 

I'm really interested to see the suggestions you get! 

When this happened to me my OB/GYN told me that A) it's a sign of Peri-menopause (go to WebMD.com or another med. site for more info) and B) it means that you are not getting enough calcium and are experiencing bone loss right then. Not future tense, but now. 

What you can do is watch your calcium (check w/ your doc to see if he/she recommends 1,000 or 1,200 mg/day for you) and make sure you are getting vitamin D with your calcium. If you do this and still get night sweats, you may have to switch calcium supplements. I saw a trick on TV to be able to tell whether or not your calcium tablets are truly working or not but I don't recall how to do it. It had something to do w/putting them in a cup of water w/ a little bit of vinegar (to simulate stomach acid) and waiting (don't recall how long- 30 mins.? 45 mins.?) to see if the tablets actually dissolve or not. Of course if they don't dissolve they aren't doing you any good.

If you get enough calcium & D, and you're sure your supplements are good, make sure you aren't getting too much vitamin A. Too much once in awhile isn't a big deal, but over time it can soften your bones. Another thing I'd avoid is carbonated drinks, esp. the colas. You remember the old science class trick of watching one tooth be preserved in milk while another disintegrates in cola? Teeth are bones that you can see! Some consider that an old wive's tale, but I say it's better to be safe than sorry. And of course, absolutely, see your doctor. I hope this helps you.

I'm wondering how in the world you are burning 700 calories in the morning? What kinds of exercises are you doing, and for how long? Are you having to get up ultra early to fit in this workout? I just know that if it was me, I'd have to work out for hours to burn that many cals.

I agree with clarelaine. It's been said that cooking is up to the creativeness of the cook, but that baking is science, and I agree with this. If you toss out one little ingredient altogether, say 1 tsp. of salt from a loaf of bread, for example, your recipe will be drastically different. (f.y.i.: in bread the sugar feeds the yeast, which helps the dough rise, but the salt keeps the yeast from going too crazy. It kind of holds it in check somewhat.)

I've had a lot of success by using the substitutes for sugar used in the book Eat Well, Live Well by Pamela M. Smith, R.D. She tells the proper amounts to use which is really helpful. When cooking I primarily use extra virgin olive oil, as I believe that's the healthiest fat option available. (It's high in the heart healthy fats, low in saturated fat and is not refined unlike other oils.) However, E.V.O.O. isn't a great option for baking because of it's strong flavor, so that's when it's good to use LIGHT olive oil, which is made from a later pressing of the olives, so the flavor isn't as strong.(P.S. for more info. on good fats vs. bad fats, go to www.americanheart.org They have some cool videos (in a cartoon format!) on there that are informative and that my kids loved. These videos are called "The Good Fat Sisters" and "The Bad Fat Brothers".)

One last thing I'd like to point out is that changing a recipe is like trying a new recipe, and I'd suggest trying your modified recipes out at home beforehand instead of waiting until the day of your party. You may find, for example, when you change your ingredients, that you need to modify the baking time as well.

I hope this is helpful. Be sure to write back and let us know what works for you! Happy Holiday Baking!

Wow, CONGRATULATIONS! That is just TOO AWESOME!

Keep up the good work!

Hey Andy!

        Everyone is right in suggesting nuts and nut butters. You'll find they're high in calories but also high in the heart-healthy fats, making them a good idea nutritionally speaking. I'd like to suggest a few other things, too.

        When I discovered my (picky eater!) kids weren't getting enough calories in a day, I started giving them milk (abt. 120 cals. for an 8 oz./ 240ml glass of 2% lowfat) and unsweeetened fruit juices (100- 110 cals per glass, depending on variety of juice) with their meals instead of water. I also started putting real butter on their sandwiches, toast and vegetables, which is 100 calories per (1 TBSP/14g) serving. These are great ways to add some fast calories without feeling like you're having to eat a lot of extra food. And it really helped my kids significantly with their calorie intake.

        Also, thick crust pizza has WAY more calories than thin crust pizza, and the cheese is high in fat and calories, making that a sure bet for weight gain. So if you're buying pizza at the cafeteria for lunch, "get more bang for your buck" as we say in the U.S., and order the thick crust kind.

        Finally, I've heard (though I haven't researched it personally) that some of those protein powder drinks the weight lifters use are high in calories. They can also be quite expensive. But if your family celebrates Christmas & birthdays, maybe you could ask them to buy you some of those giant containers of protein powder as a gift, for shelf- stable snacking while you're away at school. Come to think of it, even if they don't celebrate Christmas & birthdays, they might enjoy getting that for you as a gift if they knew you'd really use it.

       &nb sp; I hope this helps. Blessings on your weight gain venture... bubbasgirl.

       &nb sp;

TOO AWESOME! Congratulations on reaching your goal, and best wishes as you seek to maintain your "new" weight.

Here are two others for you: The Original Spoon Size Shredded Wheat has 170 cals. in a 1 cup (49g) serving, and 6g of fiber, 5 of which are insoluble fiber. The ingredients list is brief: whole grain wheat. (And BHT added to pkging to preserve flavor). That's it! (And it has 6g protein, too!)

Also, Kashi GO LEAN Crunch! cereal has 190 cals. per 1 cup (53g) serving, and brings in 8g of fiber, 5 of which are the insoluble type. It's sweetened with stuff like honey & cane juice syrup, etc., but no HFCS. It contains 7 whole grains & sesame and....BONUS! Each serving yields 9g of protein! YES!

Enjoy your breakfast!

Congratulations on choosing a salad over less healthy, higher fat options. Bravo!

I don't know what your lunch companion was hoping to achieve with those comments, but I assume it was meant in a well-meaning type of way, since you probably aren't likely to eat lunch with someone you think detests you. Here are some things I hope are helpful to you: 1) if you ever eat a taco salad, don't eat that deep fried shell thing that it's served in- I've been told it's so bad for you nutritionally that you should just view it as something inedible. 2) yes, salad dressings CAN add big amounts of fat and calories (and sometimes sugar,too), depending on the variety and the amount you use, so choose carefully. 3) salad dressings aren't the only things that add fat and high calories: there's also bacon and cheese to consider, so keep that in mind. (i.e., if your friend had no dressing, but was eating bacon and cheese on his/her salad, then that was just as bad if not worse!) 4) here's a GREAT tip to help you when you're eating out: ask for your salad dressing to come on the side. It will usually come in a little cup that holds about 2 TBSP. Don't dump it on your salad! Instead, dip your fork in your dressing before you spear that lettuce/tomato/whatever..and that way, you'll get a little bit of flavor with each bite. Since doing it this way, I've noticed that I typically go through only about 1 TBSP of dressing, and yet every bite of my salad is delicious. So, I get the best of both worlds!

P.S. I actually checked out your rant hoping someone would give an answer referring to those new salad spritzer type dressings. Has anyone tried those? I've seen them and they were really low cal, but I haven't tried any of them yet.

Best wishes for more (continued) healthy eating! bubbasgirl