I have a question. I have been doing everything I'm supposed to do for the past 2 weeks. I've had mock danishes almost everyday and on occasion 2 a day. The problem here is the vanilla extract I have been using (even in the evil peanut butter crust cream cheese stuff) has *gasp* corn syrup. I know I'm supposed to read the label I just took it for granted that it didn't have sugar in it. (READ LABELS!!) I've been doing this long enough I should know. So my reinduction has been for 'nothing'. Not really nothing though because it did kill the carb cravings and the problems that I had getting back on the bandwagon/ Please tell me this is the reason for why I have not moved from 177 in the past 2 1/2 weeks!! My water is great, my carb intake is great. I've been exercising and clothes aren't fitting different and the weight is-a stayin'.

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Proactive not reactive!!
222/176/165

Well, a mock danish (made in the traditional way with 3oz cr. cheese and 1 egg, & vanilla & sweetener) is only 4 gms of carbs (including corn syrup), but it is almost 500 calories.

I would suspect that eating one or two of these every day - 'specially if it's used as a treat, not a meal replacement - is probably not a great idea in the long run. While I've never been into counting calories - and I know very well that low carbing gives one a metabolic advantage in that department - I think it doesn't hurt to take a ball-park figure every now and then and get a sense of where one is when one's stalled out.

How about replacing a few of those mock danishes each week with a nice veggie omelette? Or try a mock danish made with ricotta instead of cream cheese?

Just a thought. I'm sure others will have other ideas.

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well... i happened to CHECK my vanilla FLAVORED extract and saw the corn syrup... so i went out and bought the real stuff.. doesnt say anything about corn syrup on it..
but i gotta agree with mag... lots of calories having a couple of those a day...
live and learn... put it behind you... and head on into the next day!

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kims SECOND journal is HERE
kims new blog
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Food for thought: When I eat cream cheese it causes me to either stall or gain weight. This has happened pretty consistently for me.
Karen

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how MUCH cream cheese.. and what ELSE do you eat those days you DO eat it? and what do you eat it in?
as was mentioned... a mock danish may be LC.. but NOT L CAL..*L*...

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kims SECOND journal is HERE
kims new blog
KIMS BLOG !!
SUGARFREE BLOG

My personal experience is that calories do count, especially as your body gets smaller! Maggie is so right. Those danishes are high in calories! I have not had one for a while, but what I used to do is cut one danish into fours. Then I would only have one of the pieces per day, usually as a treat after lunch or dinner with my tea.

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Alida
5'1" ~ 59 years old
Highest weight: 165
Atkins 7/10/2004
160/126/125
RE-DO, January 2008:
167/162/135

Whoops. I should have mentioned this. So, how do you know how many calories you should be eating? First, you need to find out your basal metabolism. That's the calories you need just to stay in bed all day . . . the calories your body needs just to exist. Here's one calculator: http://www.countcarbs.com/tools/basal_metabolism.htm Now this is not exact science, just a ballpark. Of course, you will eat MORE calories than your basal count, especially if you are active. I try to stay with about 200 calories above my basal because I am a notorious couch potato!

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Alida
5'1" ~ 59 years old
Highest weight: 165
Atkins 7/10/2004
160/126/125
RE-DO, January 2008:
167/162/135

Count me in as a calorie counter, too. On Atkins, I can eat a different variety of foods than on low-fat, a more satisfying menu, while still staying within a good range for weight-loss. For me, that's about 1500 calories. And, for now, about 30 carbs.

I make that mock danish once in a while, but I only use a couple blobs of cream cheese--about an ounce. Tastes fine, not so rich. You can try some other flavorings, too, like Atkins maple syrup. And throw in some chopped pecans for a nice texture.

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Barb L.
Atkins since Jan 2003
Maintenance as of 4/05


My Fitday Journal

I just used the calculator and it might be that I'm not eating ENOUGH calories! Sometimes I can't get above 900 and I KNOW that's too low but I'm EATING. 1200-1300 is my general range I put everything into fitday so I know the calories and carbs. It says that my BMR is 1610. So I should try counting my calories AND carbs? If so I'll try that for the next week or so. I've calculated my mock danishes to be 348 cals (through fit day that is).

Thanks ALOT everyone and KC thanks for that wedsite, now that's a gem! Great addition to the book. I wish I could print it off the computer like a book and carry it around in my purse. I think I might print somethings when I get to work on Mon!

So Maggie, the ricotta cheese, does it taste the same and make the same type texture? When I put ricotta cheese into fitday it had more carbs than cream cheese. Is there a specific type of RC that is sold with not many carbs?

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Proactive not reactive!!
222/176/165

No, Sue. I wouldn't lie to ya, it's not exactly the same. It tastes the same (to me, anyway) and, as long as you're using a low moisture ricotta - they really vary, around here Maggio brand is the best - I think it's an acceptable texture.

But what you said makes me wonder. If you can't get over 900 calories I worry that you're not eating a variety of healthy foods. On one of your "2 mock danish days", you'd be over that number if you ate and drank nothing else but water.

I can't advise you on calories, since I've never paid attention to that. I do count carbs, keeping a running total in my head. I don't count anything that's green, leafy and raw, since that has no effect on my blood glucose levels. Everything else, I count and I space it out. This is important for me, since I (due to my metabolic problems) have a pretty low maintenance level of carbs and blood sugar control is my primary concern.

My own approach is to eat a wide variety of foods, with lots and lots of veggies, and stop eating when I'm satisfied. I'm lucky here, in that my hunger/satiety signals seem to be ok, in spite of my years of yo-yo'ing. When that circuit is impaired, I imagine that looking at calories is a logical way to achieve portion control.

p.s. The carb count for whole milk ricotta (when you're talking 3 oz) is not bad) Ricotta is 1.3 per oz. and cream cheese is .7 That's 4 gms for ricotta and 2 gms for cream cheese for a 3 oz portion. However, the calorie count for 3 oz of cream cheese is about 300. The calorie count for 3 oz of ricotta is 95.

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The days that I don't have a mock danish are the days that I can't get over 900 it's those days that I get to 1250 & 1400 depending on what else I've eaten. Through fitday it's figured 350 cals, it shows 3oz of cream cheese as 297 cals; how do you get 500? I think I'm missing something there. I've added the cream cheese frosting once or twice. The days when I've run OUT of cream cheese are the days that the calories are lower, but I never realized I had to pay attention to calories. So in essence the extract really probably didn't play a role in the stall?

BK what do you use IN the danish?

Kim, I use 3 oz whenever I make one

What things can I add that have no carbs but calories?

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Proactive not reactive!!
222/176/165

I really doubt that the extract was a big factor, might add 1 carb at most.

Hmmm. My error on the "close to 500" for a calorie count on the MD. I was using my own "custom food" in fitday which has some flax meal in it and my usual eggs which are extra large. When I enter it with 3 oz cream cheese, a large egg, 1 tsp vanilla and assuming no calories for sweetener, I get 383.

I don't really know what you usually eat, Sue. Meat, fish & fowl all have calories but no carbs to speak of. (Some shell fish have a carb or two each) Fats are a sure way to kick up the calories, since they're very calorie dense. A little extra olive oil on your salad? Some nuts? Half an avocado added to your fruits?

Those are the first things that come to mind.

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Vanilla is fine. Make yourself smell like a birthday cake all day if you like.

I don't count calories. It might have slowed the pace of my weight loss at some points. But slow and steady is just fine. I never go hungry, never miss food, never dwell too much on what I eat.

2 1/2 week stall? Pshaw... Think about where you'll be 2 1/2 years from now.

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"And so, in my State of the—my State of the Union—or state—my speech to the nation, whatever you want to call it, speech to the nation—I asked Americans to give 4,000 years—4,000 hours over the next—the rest of your life—of service to America. That's what I asked—4,000 hours."

[quote=Doctor Insomnia]Vanilla is fine. Make yourself smell like a birthday cake all day if you like.QUOTE] Hahahahaha That's great!

I mostly eat chicken and fish and I MAY not be putting in the amount that I eat correctly because 1lb of chicken is 94 cals and 1 cup of tuna is 76. The highest cal thing I eat is eggs for the most part. I have no idea if I'm ONLY eating 1lb of chicken or not HOW DO you know how much is 1lb or 1 oz etc etc?

I guess 2 1/2 weeks isnt bad but it's been an induction 2 1/2 weeks trying to get back on the wagon that THANK GOD I have finally gotten back on I did have relapses this weekend though for the first time since then. I haven't really lost anything since last April/May except for the 7 lbs from 184 to 177 but that was all my fault. I was 1/2 way on the wagon. I was really unsure if this was a TRUE stall or if I was doing something wrong. I think I'm going to eliminate cream cheese altogether and see if that does anything. Karen posted that it has not been good for her at all. I was never a cream cheese fan before and NOW that I actually like it it could be a problem and I'm going to take it out to see if it does anything. What I need is a FREE personal chef to go and buy all of my food, cook it, have my lunch ready for me in the am along with snacks and stuff! Hahaha RIGHT! I should find a LC chef to marry! That would solve the problem...if I didn't already have a bf!

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Proactive not reactive!!
222/176/165

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