Everyday Systems

Well I tried making some granola last night. The recipe I chose called for honey and maple syrup, but since I didn't have real maple syrup I used 1/2 molasses, 1/2 peanut butter. It smelled marvelous in the oven, but it turned out too crumbly to cut into bars, although it was still pretty chunky and...

Why do you want to avoid honey, just out of curiousity? As long as you aren't using refined sugar, I think it's OK.... (Not sure how to do quotes, so I just copy/pasted) Honey might be an option; I just wanted to find something less sweet so as not to contribute to the sugar addiction. Peanut butter...

I think I've heard of this; if it's what I'm thinking of, it comes from South America and is 100 times sweeter than table sugar, but much healthier. I've never seen it anywhere for purchase, though. I also have some sucanat which I bought recently; I've never used it, so this may be an opportunity t...

Hi everyone - does anyone know of a low-sugar alternative to honey or corn syrup for making granola bars? I have wanted to try making my own for a long time a) because they're so bloomin' expensive at the grocery store, b) I want to increase the fiber and c) I want to decrease the sugar content. And...

Hi Daisy - Let me echo everyone else by saying I think you made an excellent choice eating a banana. Munchies (chips, crackers) are my downfall, especially in the evenings while I'm preparing dinner, and I wish I were more judicious in selecting something more sensible if I feel I must eat something...

Maybe I will try it, at least to save my teeth.

I guess you're suggesting I use fresh lemons, instead of lemon juice? Not that that's a problem - I do love the smell of fresh lemons - and I can zest them while I'm at it!

I agree that you will probably want to take small steps....but Shangri-la doesn't really add any new restrictions; it just makes "dieting" more feasible by reducing one's appetite. I have been trying it for a couple of weeks now and I believe it's helping. I have the book - it was maybe $12 on Amazo...

I'm actually not very familiar with the "Type A, Type (whatever)" personality types, but I believe it's basically someone very accomplished but also high-strung and tense. I am more familiar with the Hippocratic "four temperaments" - Sanguine, Phlegmatic, Choleric and Melancholy, of which I am the l...

You said you're too busy to exercise, but I've found this to be a great stress release. I'm not a Type A, (I'm a Melancholy, actually) but I do a lot of worrying and all the tension manifests itself physically (to which my chiropractor can attest). I've noticed during times when I exercise less (due...

It is somewhat comforting to know that it is just a "weekend" thing; that it is not fat and will go away in a day or two. But the temporary effect is still the same - that my clothes do not fit and for that reason all of my efforts the previous week may as well be for naught. How can I enjoy going d...

Cynthia, I think the improvement in your skin's appearance has everything to do with drinking water instead of Diet Coke, especially if it was the regular, "caffienated" kind. When I've drunk coffee or tea too many days in a row (or even too much soda), my pores stand open and my face gets blotchy. ...

Alas, one teaspoon is usually not enough....especially with coffee. I can get away with less when I drink tea. I just use Splenda as a compromise between cutting out sugar and having my caffeine. And I'm afraid even a little bit of sugar would negate the effects of "no sugar" that I experienced befo...

I had thought of that also, but caffeine wreaks havoc on my skin (the pores on my face stand open and my face looks blotchy) and the "crash" after a large coffee is terrible. I do enjoy coffee and tea; I just couldn't use it in the quantities I would need. The grapefruit juice seems to have helped, ...

I can attest to the addictive effects of sugar. A while back I tried eliminating all refined sugars (cereals, sugar in the tea and coffee, jelly, even the "healthy" granola bars; but fruit was ok) on non-S days, and by week's end I didn't really want anything sweet. And I lost weight. I like sweeten...

I have actually been doing this for 17 years (yes, I started when I was 15), and as I mentioned in another post, I always thought it was my own "thing" until I came across this website. As with you, my weight has gone up and down over the years as my discipline has waned and my activity levels have ...

I've done some additional research, and I believe you are right. The body retains more water in response to an increased intake of salt, sugar and (simple) carbohydrates. Apparently this occurs particularly in women, and particularly around the midsection. :x Grapefruit is supposed to be a natural d...

Welcome, Daisy! I've been doing this a long time - even before I found this site - and it does work, both for weight loss and weight management. It does take some discipline, but it really is very simple and you see results almost immediately - and for me, that is more motivating than anything. Best...

How's this? I was sure I got the "Your reply has been posted" message after I was finished... I was just going to say thanks (to your "You mean there's a name for this?" reply) and that it is encouraging to find that others acknowledge the S-days as a necessary component of this kind of lifetime com...

I posted a reply to your reply under "You mean there's a name for this?", and clicked Submit, but now I don't see it.

I'm wondering if it might be something like this; that the sudden influx of food is more than my intestines can handle, and so it's digested only very slowly. But then why do I get hungry again?

I click on "Post reply" at the top (or bottom) of the screen, but then I have to fill in the subject line as though I'm starting a new topic.

Doesn't it know I'm replying within that topic?

I've noticed on some weekends (and especially recently) that I seem to gain an inch or two in my waist literally overnight. I go to bed Friday or Saturday (depending on when I do my "weekend") after having eaten my first "weekend" meal, but still looking and feeling reasonably trim; then the next mo...

I've been doing this for 17 years, but always thought it was just my own "thing".... It's not exactly the same thing; I limit fat and overall calories (although I don't actually count them) as well, but I do this Sunday through Friday evening and eat what I want from Friday evening to midnight Satur...