Taste Test: Edy’s Tart Honey Yogurt Blends45 lbs LOSTso farJune 20, 2009 by Josie Maurer | 9 comments
If I had known beforehand that Edy’s Tart Honey Yogurt Blend would cause such a ruckus….well, I would have bought it anyway. My Taste Test Crew got bent out of shape and took sides as opinions flared in the heated discussion over whether this frozen yogurt is good or gross. Tart Honey is a new, weird-named flavor in Edy’s line of Slow Churned Yogurt Blends.
But what the heck are Yogurt Blends? It’s Edy’s collection of “cultured frozen dairy desserts using a unique crafting process that gives you incredibly rich flavor and a creamy texture.” Yogurt Blends are packed with live and active cultures, just like the regular yogurt you eat for breakfast, which I happen to despise. I’m not an authority on the frozen kind, but I do take pride in my greedy taste buds because they know what’s good. I chose Tart Honey because it sounds bizarre and I had a coupon.
The Taste Test
If plain yogurt isn’t your style you might go into shock on the first bite, but the golden honey swirls will mesmerize and lure you into multiple spoonfuls. Tart Honey gets more and more delicious with each bite. The smooth, creamy texture has unmistakable yogurt flavor with a pleasant tartness that is complimented by sweet honey swirls. Some of the Taste Test Crew complained of an aftertaste, but it’s the tasty kind that makes you want more. Can I eat this for breakfast?
At only 100 calories per 1/2 cup, Edy’s Tart Honey is a guilt-free go-to snack for any time of day or night. It’s unique. It’s scrumptious. I’m buying more. Now go get some and eat up!
Tart Honey Notes
Price Paid: $2.99 (regular price, $5.99)
Calories: 100 (for 1/2 cup)
Fat Calories: 15
Total Fat: 1.5g
Carbs: 20g
Fiber: 0g
Sugars: 16g
Protein: 2g
I searched the web for coupons and promotions to share, but found none. Bummer.
Reactions from the Taste Test Crew
Health-hater Husband - Why not just eat regular yogurt? It’s the same thing. I like yogurt, but this tastes like crap. The aftertaste is horrendous.
Greedy Kid #1 - I like it! Wait…..I hate it. The aftertaste is not very pleasant. It won’t go away.
Greedy Kid #2 - I love the honey swirls. This stuff is good. If you don’t want yours can I have it?
It’s obvious that Greedy Kid #2 and I have the more sophisticated taste buds. If you’re not bold enough try Tart Honey or you chose to side with the nay-sayers, at least give another flavor a try. Chocolate Fudge Brownie Yogurt Blend is a chocolate lover’s dream that tastes more like ice cream, and it’s only 120 calories for a 1/2 cup!
Yum Up! to: Eating Tart Honey for breakfast.
Yuck Down! to: People with unsophisticated taste buds.
Josie Maurer is a greedy woman who craves cake, pizza, and blueberry muffins. Her fat cells swelled to 182 pounds before she found balance between fitness and her greedy side. She is now almost 40 pounds lighter and still enjoys her favorite foods in moderation. When Josie is not exercising or thinking about her next meal, she’s spreading the message of good food and fitness as Editor at YumYucky.com.
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Taste Test: Subway Tuscan Chicken Melt45 lbs LOSTso farMay 31, 2009 by Josie Maurer | 3 comments
Two things in my life remain constant. I pack lunch, and it’s a Lean Cuisine. I go to Subway, and it’s a Turkey & Swiss on wheat. But today is different. I’m living on the edge and I’m driving 100 miles per hour! So what if I already packed lunch. I’m headed to Subway for their limited time Tuscan Chicken Melt. I live dangerously.
My hunger pangs were triggered by the commercial. When I arrived at Subway there was a life-sized, 3-D poster of the Tuscan Chicken Melt. Hungry people in line were whispering about the sandwich and salivating. Me? I just played it cool. Never mind that I mistook the man in front of me for Al Roker. He ordered four cookies and a large Coke. What’s up with that?
Inside the Sandwich
Subway boasts their latest creation as “delicious Tuscan-seasoned chicken drizzled in olive vinaigrette and smothered in melted cheese.” I ordered mine toasted on a 6-inch, 9-grain bun with Swiss cheese, extra tomatoes, lettuce and onions. But whoa. What the bleep is that? The chicken looks like it was caught in an exploding rainbow, or maybe it was used as a canvas for a brood of Kindergarten finger painters. The meat is overwhelmed by cartoon-ish red & green specks, black pepper, and some other unidentifiable colored particles. It looks unnatural.
I took my sandwich back to the Lab (my desk) and got a delectable aroma of the olive vinaigrette sauce. Dab a bit on your finger and you’ll get a tasty preview of an olive oil mix with a tangy kick and hint of sweetness. I want an entire bottle of this stuff to pour on some salad, and I hate salad.
Next came a preview of the crayola crayon chicken. Thank goodness it tastes better than it looks; grilled chicken flavor infused with Italian spices. Both the olive vinaigrette and chicken smack you in the mouth with flavor, but once they’re combined with the other ingredients inside the bun, the zest diminishes. Now I have a regular ‘ole chicken sandwich with some Italian spices and a sauce that’s barely noticeable. Still tasty? Sure. But not quite worth a repeat performance.
Tuscan Chicken Melt Notes (for 6-inch)
• Price Paid: $4.00 (or $6.00 for foot long)
• Calories: 370
• Fat Calories: 80
• Total Fat: 9g
• Sodium: 1180mg
• Carbs: 48g
• Fiber: 4g
• Sugars: 5g
• Protein: 26g
If you’re curious about Subway’s Tuscan Chicken Melt give it a go. You might actually like it, but don’t be surprised if you’re left underwhelmed. I’ll eat it again if someone else pays the tab; otherwise I’m sticking to Lean Cuisine and Turkey sandwiches.
Yum Up! to: Lean Cuisine and Turkey sandwiches.
Yuck Down! to: Exploding rainbows and finger paints. They’re not meant for chicken.
Josie Maurer is a greedy woman who craves cake, pizza, and blueberry muffins. Her fat cells swelled to 182 pounds before she found balance between fitness and her greedy side. She is now almost 40 pounds lighter and still enjoys her favorite foods in moderation. When Josie is not exercising or thinking about her next meal, she’s spreading the message of good food and fitness as Editor at YumYucky.com.
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Eating Paper to Lose Weight45 lbs LOSTso farMay 22, 2009 by Israel Lagares | 13 comments
Back in junior high school I was a typical fat kid. Uncomfortable in my own skin, I took the joke a science teacher once told and tried eating paper to lose weight. Now this isn’t a case of pica or some other eating disorder, I only tried it for a few days before I decided to stop being an idiot.
I remember it like it was yesterday. The school was David A. Stein Middle School 141 (M.S. 141) in Riverdale, New York. In eighth grade I attended the Academy (the Annex was the school in the 4th grade from P.S. 122. Thanks Jesse for setting me straight on that!), it was a section of the eighth grade that was housed in the basement of some tall building near the main school. I loved going there. I actually attended high school with some people from the Annex and recently found them on Facebook (add me as a friend if you on there by the way). I think the principal’s name was Mrs. Boothe. The science teacher’s name that made the joke escapes me. Any one from M.S. 141 remember him? He was the 70 year old science teacher that always wore the same suit and was always making unfunny jokes. He also wore glasses.
On this particular day I was feeling extra self-conscious about my weight. The teacher, an older man with a toupée that always smelled like Pinaud/Clubman barber shop talc, made a joke about a friend having lost tons of weight by eating paper. According to his story, the paper would absorb the fat/junk/water from the body and cause you to lose weight. Coming from a science teacher, I was immediately sucked in. At that moment I decided that I would go to Woolworth’s on Broadway and pick up some construction paper. I told my mom that the money was for paper for an art project. Being the artist of the family, she never questioned me.
I chose construction paper because I figured that the thicker the paper the better absorption it would have. Rational thinking right? Well, let me tell you that this was some thick ass paper that was hard to swallow. I actually ate a regular loose leaf sheet of paper before diving into the thicker one but felt it was too thin. I’d eat about 2 sheets of construction paper before feeling full. The crazy thing was that I kept eating like normal for those few days that I ate paper. I could have really hurt myself now that I think about it.
Stupid, huh? Desperation kicked in man, I didn’t know what to about my fatness. And that solution, while stupidly insane, was a solution nonetheless for a young kid like me.
I’ve only told one person about this. And that was recently, which led to this post and video. I’ve kept this to myself for many, many years. Not out of shame for actually eating paper, but because I was embarrassed about having been so fat and desperate.
This is about eating healthy, nutritious foods and getting into good overall health. Stop it with the crazy diets and start taking baby steps towards a healthy way of life. It’s okay to eat junk in moderation if you need it, but know that your body would be better without it. It’s also important to know that no diet pill or miracle food is going to get you into shape.
Only you can do that. With that said, has anyone else ever eaten paper to lose weight?
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Arizona Diet Green Tea with Ginseng Review45 lbs LOSTso farMay 19, 2009 by Dennis Rosato | 3 comments
I am a strong proponent of only drinking water. Juice is a no-no and soda is an absolute sin. Want to lose weight and be healthy? Then don’t consume any liquid besides water, Period, no if’s and or buts. Stop being a pansy and accept the fact that water is Nature’s most perfect beverage. After water whole fruits are an excellent source of liquid nourishment. But if you simply can not resist and must consume beverages other than water I have a few alternatives I can suggest. Maybe this can be a good way to ween off the naughty drinks such as soda, carbohydrate loaded, sugar filled, non-nourishing juices or heaven forbid you are addicted to those demonic energy drinks! Take a walk on the healthy side with me as your guide.
In my never dying quest to uncover the world’s most perfect beverage I have come upon a very interesting product. I am referring to Arizona Diet Green Tea with Ginseng. Arizona has hit it out the ballpark with extremely refreshing tea drink. I love the fact that the product contains Green Tea which is a tremendous anti oxidant and immunity booster. Ginseng being an ingredient is a bonus but I not convinced that its presence isn’t merely in trace amounts. Nevertheless it is a nice touch. Arizona Diet Green Tea with Ginseng delivers 25% of your daily intake of Vitamin C, which keeps you going during hard workouts or just a demanding day at the office. All these factors combined with the low sodium profile of this drink, 20 mg or 1% of your daily value, make Arizona’s newest concoction a winner.
On a warm day or after a workout it is unbelievably invigorating without the drag or let down of more sugary drinks. Arizona Diet Green Tea with Ginseng actually contains about one gram of sugar per 8 ounce serving. Honey is used as a natural sweetener a truly great move. But alas all is not perfect, a closer look at the label reveals that Splenda, the sugar substitute, is utilized as well inn lieu of real sugar. I am not a proponent of Splenda and aim personally wary of the long term effects of man made sugar substitutes.
But if your looking for a zero calorie refresher Arizona Diet Green Tea with Ginseng is your beverage.
Drink Arizona Diet Green Tea with Ginseng three times a day, once at 11:00am followed by a post lunch serving at 2:00pm and finally an after dinner serving at 6:30pm.
Pros
Taste Great
Contains Green Tea
Zero Calories, Zero Fat
Low in Sodium
Delivers 25% of you Vitamin C
Cons
Utilizes Splenda
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NuVim Juice/Drink/Beverage Review45 lbs LOSTso farMay 13, 2009 by Dennis Rosato | 9 comments
So now that I have confronted the fact that I am a beverage fanatic and that my urge to constantly drink is a contributing factor to my over extended gut…what am I gonna do about it? Well drink more beverages of course..duh! I know that many others have the same addiction I have and that transitioning into healthier alternatives can be very difficult.
I have decided not to abandon my need to fill up and guzzle yummy drinks. Instead I will turn my unquenchable desire to liquify as a strength and find the perfect healthy beverage. I will research, review and share my better beverage choices. I attacked my research from the perspective that I am interested in longevity and I want to avoid diabetes at all cost. Diabetes has been prevalent in my family and I have witnessed extreme suffering due to the negative effects of that terrible disease.
I looked into what the incomparable and ageless Regis Philbin uses to stay so vibrant and discovered a product named NuVim. Regis was a good choice because he defines longevity and has been called “the hardest working man in show business.”
Regis even holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a Televison camera. And most important of all Regis is from The Bronx like me…Raaarrr! So I hit the local Walmart and picked up four 64 oz. bottles of NuVim. Pretty affordable at $2.50 per 64 oz. bottle. It comes in three delicious flavors Orange Tangerine, Fruit Symphony, and Strawberry Vanilla. My personal favorite is Orange Tangerine because it taste exactly like a melted orange cream popsicle or similar to a Morir Sonado for all my Latinos. NuVim is comprised of NutraFlora which is its secret formula apparently. A major component is Whey Protein Concentrate, an awesome ingredient for health and wellness.
Besides having a light creamy flavor that induces you to drink more and more, I went through two bottles in one evening, NuVim is really good for you. NuVim’s consistency is light and on the watery side yet still retains a creamy milk feel in your mouth, that didn’t sound family friendly. To top it off NuVim does not cause any bloating.
So NuVim is a definite winner and must try. If it is out of stock at your local Walmart it’s probably beacuse I bought them all.
So drink and stay thirsty my friends.
If you visit the NuVim website, they are giving away free samples! Snatch them up quick!!!!
When to Take
Consume 10 ounces of Nuvim first thing when you wake up in the morning.
Drink 10 ounces before and after the working out as well.
Pros
100% of your daily value of Vitamin A (2823IU), Vitamin C (59 mg), Vitamin E (301 IU), Vitamin B12 (5 mcg) and Zinc (15 mg).
Low in Sodium - 70 mg , 3% of your daily intake
Low in Sugar, only 6 grams
Low in Carbohydrates 9 grams or 3% of daily value
Low in Calories a light 45 calories
No Lactose
No Fat
No Caffeine
No Artificial Flavors or Colors
Non filling, no bloating
Affordable
Cons
Just one–Product is hard to find in some markets and is usually low in stock even when you do find it.
This review is independent and was not solicited by Nuvim, Inc. We just like the damn product!
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Chocolate Cake: Weight Loss Diet Disaster Food45 lbs LOSTso farApril 24, 2009 by Israel Lagares | 37 comments
I love chocolate cake. Always have and always will. It’s the devils food! Full of sugar. But it tastes so damn good with a tall glass of milk. Mmmm…I can taste it now.
Chocolate cake can be a weight loss diet disaster food if you don’t control yourself. Some say to stay away from it all together. I say eat it, maybe once a month if you get an urge. But keep in mind that you need to control yourself from eating an extra serving or from eating too much of it too often.
Tim Ferriss from 4 Hour Work Week says:
“Rule #4: Take one day off per week
I recommend Saturdays as your “Dieters Gone Wild” day. I am allowed to eat whatever I want on Saturdays, and I go out of my way to eat ice cream, Snickers, Take 5, and all of my other vices in excess. I make myself a little sick and don’t want to look at any of it for the rest of the week. Paradoxically, dramatically spiking caloric intake in this way once per week increases fat loss by ensuring that your metabolic rate (thyroid function, etc.) doesn’t downregulate from extended caloric restriction. That’s right: eating pure crap can help you lose fat. Welcome to Utopia.”
Hmm…don’t get it twisted and use it as an excuse to binge every day.
Or you can do like I do and get your chocolate fix from chocolate milk. Tastes great and helps you after a workout.
What’s your weight loss diet disaster food?
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Fat Man Eating a Baby Carrot45 lbs LOSTso farApril 5, 2009 by Israel Lagares | 14 comments
It’s Sunday people! Eat your carrots! What do Sunday and carrots have in common? A fat man eating them on a Sunday of course. Duh! Okay, so I’m feeling a little silly. Check the video out. I really, really, really enjoyed eating that baby carrot. It was juicy. They all were.
Carrots make a great snack for when you are feeling hungry but it’s not quite time for a full meal. They also make a great addition to a meal.
Do you eat carrots?
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The Best and Worst Fruit45 lbs LOSTso farMarch 6, 2009 by Israel Lagares | 3 comments
Chris from Paintball Fitness, discusses the importance and differences in certain kinds of fruits. While his site is geared towards paintball athletes, his advice can be applied to other sports/non sports too.
Check the Paintball Fitness Video over at Social Paintball.
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Twinkies on a Diet? Say It Ain’t So!45 lbs LOSTso farDecember 18, 2008 by Dennis Rosato | 42 comments
It’s true. Hostess will slim down the Twinkie and follow suit in the newest low-calorie version trend sweeping the snack food industry. Hostess has unveiled a repackaged 100-calorie version of the iconic Twinkie, called Twinkie Bites. How good will it taste? Probably just as deliciously fattening as the original, but I don’t want to find out! I recall eating these up as a kid and loving every artery clogging bite.
See them for yourself on Hostess’s site: Twinkie Bites
From the Hostess site:
“In each pack of Twinkie Bites you’ll find three deliciously moist mini sponge cakes with all the rich creamy filling and great Twinkie taste you’ve loved since you were a kid, now with just 100 calories per pack.
Try new Strawberry Cupcakes and satisfy your cravings with three indulgent strawberry mini cakes, all with cream cheese icing, creamy filling and only 100 calories per pack.
Look for new Twinkie Bites and Strawberry Cupcakes in the Hostess section of your favorite store.”
So, I suppose it will taste like the original.
Twinkie Pop Quiz: Test your Twinkie knowledge, don’t fret boys and girls it’s multiple choice. Answers will be posted in the comments.
1) How many calories are in a Twinkie?
A) 427 calories
B) 89 calories
C) 150 calories
D) 305 calories
2) How many Twinkies are eaten each year?
A) 89,789,987
B) 150 Billion
C) 305 Billion
D) 500 Million
E) A Quadrillion
3) Which Hostess snack has less calories than a Twinkie?
A) Brownie Bite
B) Ding Dong
C) Ho Ho
We want your feed back!
What is your favorite snack food? Write us back or leave a comment and tell us why!
Here’s a CNN article on Twinkies.
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Vitamins for Eyesight45 lbs LOSTso farDecember 3, 2008 by Israel Lagares | 21 comments
Fact: Vitamin A is good for your eyesight. It contains retinoid, a group of compounds that has been proven to have a positive effect on vision, bone growth, and cell division amongst other things. Found in many vegetables and dairy products, Vitamin A is also referred to as anti-infective, because it strengthens the body’s immune system. And if your body is left without Vitamin A you may experience vision problems.
Carrots are perhaps the first primary product that comes to mind when talking about foods that are good for your eyesight. Containing significant amounts of Vitamin A, the foodstuffs below all have a positive effect on your eyesight:
• carrots
• lettuce
• pepper
• sweet potatoes
• pumpkin
• grapefruit
• apricot
• broccoli
• cantaloupes
• winter squashes
• fish
• egg
• liver
• milk
• butter
Why Vitamin A is important for eyesight
Retinol is the form of Vitamin A that plays an important role in your current and future vision. Retinol is a fat-soluble vitamin, closely related to the retinoid family and is furthermore required for the body’s production of rhodopsin, a visual pigment of the retina.
The retina is the light-sensitive part of the eye’s inner layer. Ingesting Vitamin A thus has a rather direct chemical effect on our eyes. Without it, rhodopsin cannot be produced for the retina and our eye’s ability to absorb light will decrease. That is why a lack of Vitamin A often leads to a worsened state of your vision.
Can you lose your eyesight without Vitamin A?
By eating regularly and keeping a healthy diet, you will consume your daily need of Vitamin A. Most of the listed products above are part of our daily food ingestion. However, if you do not eat fruits, vegetables and the occasional fish, lack of vitamins may lead to:
• Nyctalopia - night blindness, due to insufficiencies in the eye’s rhodopsin production for the eye.
• Lowered immune system - without Vitamin A the body’s immune system is weakened increasing the risk of infections and viruses.
In conclusion, Vitamin A is essential for healthy eyesight. But vision deficiency may also be caused by other factors, so getting your eyes checked regularly is strongly advised. An eye examination by a licensed eye doctor will determine the state of your current eyesight and whether or not you will need glasses or contact lenses while consuming your daily dose of Vitamin A.
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Thanksgiving Binging…Get Over It!45 lbs LOSTso farNovember 27, 2008 by Israel Lagares | 30 comments
As you may already know, it’s Thanksgiving today in the USA. For some it’s a time to share thanks with your friends and family, for some it’s a time to enjoy each others company, but for some like me, it’s a time to eat and then eat some more.
I love eating. That is why I’ve had problems with my weight. Even when I was in the best shape of my life I ate a lot. Food tastes good. Especially my grand ma’s cooking. She has that special touch that you acquire from years of cooking from memory. While I won’t be with her this year, I will definitely be thinking of her food. This year we are driving up to Fort Lauderdale to spend the next couple of days with friends. I sure hope that they can cook!
What’s my plan for eating this Thanksgiving? My plan is to eat until I don’t want to anymore. It’s simple. I keep reading about how you should not eat this or not eat that on Thanksgiving.
Eat whatever you want. Just today, not tomorrow, not the day after. Take today and let it be your cheat day. Once it’s over you get back on track with your exercise and proper eating. It’s worked for me in the past and I plan on doing the same.
There was one Thanksgiving when I hadn’t eaten all day (I was saving up for the feast later that night). By the time dinner came around I could barely eat half the plate. I was so pissed! The food was especially good that night and I was there all full.
So let’s recap:
1. Eat whatever you want, TODAY. Don’t think too much about proteins, carbs, calories, processed, unprocessed…just eat and relax. It’s your cheat day.
2. Tomorrow you get back on track. Remember, today is your cheat day. This is your one day of the week, or month, to let loose and feast. Unleash that beast within!
3. Done. Gobble, gobble.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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