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a wolf in sheep's clothing!

We all know that foods like fried chicken and fettuchini alfredo are at the top of the no-no list. But what foods are lurking, unsuspected in the wings? what is a diet killer in sheep's clothing? Add anyhting that may seem slightly harmless but can really add up in the fat/calorie/etc... areas.

Wed. Jun 1, 12:29pm

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Love this post. Avocados

So true. Because avocado is considered a good fat, people think they can eat as much as they want. But one "portion" is only a 1/4. A whole one is insane and can sabatoge your whole day.

Wednesday, June 01, 2005, 12:50 PM

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Things like trail mix and granola bars are marketed as totally healthy but you really have to watch how much you eat due to the calories, sugar, and whatnot. Same with dried fruit; a lot of it is really high in sugar.




Wednesday, June 01, 2005, 1:13 PM

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chocolate covered raisins

fruit juices - every doctor and nutritionist I've ever asked has said that fruit juices are as bad as soda - just empty calories from all that sugar, no nutritional value whatsoever

breakfast bars - so much sugar, so few quality calories

coffee with sugar and milk (or worse, cream), especially from Starbucks or other similar places (see the recent posts in the blog)

Wednesday, June 01, 2005, 2:16 PM

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smoothies

alot of smoothies are quite high in sugar and calories and not as satisfying as the equivalent number of calories would be if you ate them in solid form.

Wednesday, June 01, 2005, 9:28 PM

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Fruit juices

I agree that there is a big difference between fruit juices that have added sugars and ones that are 100% fruit juice. If you look at the label of Ocean Spray, or a similar brand, it'll say something like, "28% fruit juice", or some low amount. Look for the juices that have 100% natural fruit, and if you read the ingredients it won't have a bunch of added sugar.

And it tastes waaaaay less sweeter. I think a glass of juice can be a healthy choice as long as you're buying the healthy stuff.

Thursday, June 02, 2005, 9:26 AM

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make your own smoothies

yes, it is true that a lot of smoothies are packed with unnecessary sugars...so to combat this, i typically make my own! i use frozen fruit (get creative!), a liquid (organic apple juice or vanilla soy milk), add in raw oatmeal for ruffage and you've got a tasty, healthy smoothiel! you can even use variations of the following: yogurt (plain or flavored), protein powder, vitamin powder...

Thursday, June 02, 2005, 11:12 AM

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love this post, too!

Thanks for the comments....especially for the tips on avocados. I knew they were higher in fat then normal fruits and veggies....but didn't think they could be that bad. You inspired me to look them up -- 22 grams of fat in 1 cup. Big Ouch! I have been eating 2 to 3 a week. They are definitely off my list now!

Friday, June 03, 2005, 8:07 AM

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Juice and Power Bars

Agree with everything that's been said on juice, but if juice is still something you want to keep in your meal plan, it's great to mix a splash of juice with sparkling water. You get the taste and it's even a little more refreshing.

As far as food in disguise- watch out for any of the power/energy/trail bars- while they won't kill a diet in terms of actual calories (especially if you are eating small meals throughout the day)- they are typically extremely high in sugars and won't give you the same "full" feeling that you would get with say, fruit or nuts. And they're pushed on you everywhere- from the health food stores, magazines, websites to the gym!

Friday, June 03, 2005, 8:17 AM

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power bars

some of those power bars are very high in calories and sugar and don't offer much fiber or protein or other good nutricion. A good one I've found is a Cliff bar--but they were designed to be eaten not as a general snack but as a power boost if you're endurance training. But, you know, who cares? They're good and pretty healthy, although a bit high in calories. I think one bar is like 200 calories.

Mixing natural juice with sparkling water is great too. It's like healthy soda!

Some other great things to add to shakes/smoothies are peanut butter, honey or a raw egg! The egg gives it a frothy consistancy, which is yummy!

Friday, June 03, 2005, 9:51 AM

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Sunchips! Very high in calories. Always check the nutrition labels least you be deceived!

Tuesday, August 29, 2006, 8:16 PM

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milk

peanutbutter is high in carbs and protein and sometimes I just crave it. I used to smear it on crackers and eat it until the package of crackers was gone, you know, the big box of saltine crackers that come in 4 packages, yes those. I would do that 3 or 4 times a week and now I stay away. I get too tempted if I have crackers in my house. ALso milk or yogurt. They can both spike your blood sugar, not right away but hours after you have consumed them and it keeps it high for hours too. Thats why they give it to diabetics for a snack because when they take the later onset insulin it will kick in about the time the milk would spike the blood sugar. The stuff is still good but drink milk in moderation and limit the yogurt to those little tiny packs. Don't get those larger sizes, I think they are a pint. Anyway, I think the best thing for anybody is to read the label and check the carbs and fats per serving and you should be able to determine whether or not its good for you. Or use the Wicki for the fruits and vegetables, but those are mostly always good for you.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006, 8:48 PM

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Anti-oxidants

So many of the foods high in anti-oxidants are diet-crashers...dark chocolate, red wine, nuts, etc. I'd love to incorporate more anti-oxidants, but I think I'd just be (very successfully) fooling myself that Lindt's 70% cocoa bar is good for me and won't hurt my waistline.

Monday, September 04, 2006, 1:12 PM

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I've continued to lose weight despite the fact that I eat on average 4-5 whole lindt 70% cocoa bars a day. They're not that high in sugar.

You want anti-oxidants try goji berries.

I think the fixation on whole grains is a diet killer. No one needs that much grain in their diet- sure whole grains are better than refined, but just because a product has whole grains doesn't make it good for you.

Monday, September 04, 2006, 2:13 PM

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I mean I eat 4-5 bars a week, not a day...


Monday, September 04, 2006, 3:03 PM

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Seafood Salad

If you're watching carbs, avoid seafood salad, average serving has over 10 grams of carbs. And it's loaded with unhealthy fats

Monday, September 04, 2006, 5:43 PM

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High Fructose Corn Syrup - or Corn Syrup

It's in everything! Cola, sauces, juces, yogurt, breakfast bars, granola bars, bread, sometimes honey isn't even honey- it's HFCS! It's used in place of sugar but our body can't process it like sugar. Bad! Bad! Bad!

Monday, September 04, 2006, 8:27 PM

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It's amazing to me that in our day people still are not aware of what is truly bad for you. Yes, there are good oils out there (an FYI avocado oil is better then olive) but like everything else it packs a huge amount of fat and calories even though its good fat. Avocados come in all sizes, in Hawaii you can pick football sized avocados off the trees. I'm pretty sure an actual serving is not a 1/4 but more like 1 or 2 ounces and on a sandwich it looks like a lot.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006, 2:10 AM

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My roomie is buying big containers of protein powder and trying to use it to lose weight. I don't know how to tell her it'll just adding calories.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006, 2:33 PM

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Many vegetarian entrees. Especially in restaurants, but also many packaged.
People assume that vegetarian means healthy, but they can be loaded with fat and sometimes even added sugar. I love Indian food, and there are some great package varieties coming out but oh the fat content in them....

Tuesday, September 05, 2006, 7:47 PM

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