Choosing Your Battles
Posted in My Weight-Loss Journey by RachelNew obsession: Fat free no sugar added frozen yogurt with Grape Nuts
I don’t do a lot of ‘diet foods’ (fat-free, sugar-free, reduced fat, etc), but sometimes you’ve just got to compromise! When my friend Chris and I decided to have ice cream delivered last Sunday, I immediately knew what I wanted: vanilla frozen yogurt with a topping of my choice infused throughout its gooey goodness. My initial idea was to go with vanilla fro-yo drenched in pineapple topping, but I was running low on calories and figured pineapple topping wouldn’t be the greatest choice (think: 98% sugar, 2% pineapple = high in calories). I couldn’t find decent/reputable information for its nutritional breakdown so I decided to opt for a topping that would be easier for me to gauge.
Enter Grape Nuts.
I had absolutely no problem finding the nutritional facts which was great, but crappy at the same time. Why crappy? Because 1/2 cup of Grape Nuts contains an astounding 200 calories! It also contains 7 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein, but 200 calories is a lot to blow on a topping (especially since two Reese peanut butter cups = 210 cals). Even with its higher than legally sane caloric value, I felt that it was the best bang for my nutritional buck since I knew I could cut calories on the ice-cream side of the equation.
Enter fat free no sugar added vanilla frozen yogurt.
Rather than investing 120 calories per half cup for the regular stuff, the low fat no sugar added version contains just 70 calories per half cup. For just 20 calories more, I could enjoy twice the amount. I was sold! All together, this sweet and crunchy concoction checked in at 340 calories — not too shabby for 1.5 cups of a delightful dessert packed with 7 grams of fiber and 14 grams of protein. Also, the delicioso factor was phenomenal. I honestly thought the ice cream place made a mistake and used the regular stuff because it didn’t taste like aspar-vomit at all. I was quite pleased!
Enter The Girl and I stopping by for a heaping helping last night before kicking off Date Night.
Yum.
The above is a good example where quantity came out on top, but there are times when quality reigns supreme. For example, I’ve been snacking a slice of Swiss cheese + medium organic apple before heading to the gym lately. It’s a great tasting way to get in a serving of fruits while keeping it a little interesting with the sharpness of the cheese. I normally opt for a lower-fat Swiss (which undermines my earlier statement re: steering clear of low-fat stuff…) simply because of its high saturated fat content. Unfortunately, Shaw’s doesn’t carry a large variety of organic cheeses so my choices were 1. cheese derived from cows being pumped full of growth hormones and antibiotics with half the calories and half the fat or 2. cheese derived from cows not treated with hormones or antibiotics with twice the fat and twice the calories.
I chose organic.
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13 Comments to “Choosing Your Battles”
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What the…?
This is my journey to lose 121 lbs one calorie, one blog post, one tweet, and one workout at a time! No foods are off limits, moderation is a must, and calorie intake/expenditure is key.
» My 'Before & After' Photos
» My Weight-Loss Game Plan
» Calculating Your BMR
Steve says:
That's great and all, but I think the more important question is how do you get ice cream DELIVERED?! Holy crap I want in on some of that action.
Healthy choices + frozen yogurt = WooT!
Ryan Sullivan says:
Aspar-vomit? Now that is some good wordplay! I think one of the main reasons I love reading your stuff is because you're really looking at the nutritional value of everything you take in (something I kind of obsess over). So many people think…"pineapple is a fruit…fruit is good for you…I'm eating well." Nice work!
Rachel says:
Oh, the lies we tell ourselves to make it through the day! Sometimes, you've just got to grow up and really take responsibility for your actions — something you've become REALLY good at doing.
AndrewENZ says:
That sounds pretty delicious. The cheese too!
Will says:
I totally agree with ya on this. I also have a snack at 10 am. String cheese usually and a piece of fruit. Asian pears are great. But as for the ice cream, it is hard to control that. Like my sister's birthday this past weekend, I just went for it and had two slices of cake and ice cream. Although, my weightloss leveled off, I didn't regret my choice. Haha. I enjoyed it. As for chocolate cravings, like your Reese's, I found a place that sells small chocolate wedges of 70% cocoa in a round tin. And eating one of those satisfies my cravings. And they are only 35 calories per wedge.
Jallgood says:
Hello! I just recently discovered your blog. I enjoy how you word things (Aspar-vomit!) and reading about your obsessions. But you do your homework about what you are putting into your body and I REALLY admire that. Grape nuts over pineapple topping… that sounds like the better choice and I may just have to give it a chance. Thanks!
uberVU - social comments says:
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by FastNWL: Fast & Easy Says! Body By Pizza – Weight Loss Blog: … the calories and half the fat or 2. cheese derived from co… http://bit.ly/ahyld5...
Merry Mary says:
that sounds really, really good.
I don't eat a lot of diet foods either. Real food tastes better.
Amberly says:
So in my adventurous readings of the ever shrinking 'body by pizza' girl… I begin to think to myself… This girl is freaking hilarious! You really oughta publish your blog as a book and sell it! I'd buy it… (even though I can read it for free…..)
Call me a dedicated fan…. (Or obsessed) … but I started reading from the very beginning of your blog. Thanks for this inspiration… and currently the new anthem that I downloaded from Feb '09!
If you do publish a book… all I ask is a shout out in the acknowledgments…. even if it's in the form of a restraining order ~Amberly
Rachel says:
You are too much! Your comment actually inspired my latest post so I wanted to say thanks! Also, I've been keeping up with your blog mostly reading through Google Reader on my iPhone so I don't comment as much as I'd like to. Keep up the good work, solider. A quick workout is better than no workout! Besides, seems like you're def putting in the time on other days. You're a machine.
Jenn says:
So you have a place where they sell fat free, sugar free fro yo AND grape nuts?! That's freakin' awesome, dude! Out here in the boonies of NJ I know of no such place.
I totally agree with choosing your battles. I tried turkey bacon for the first time this week. Besides the fact that it tastes like *ss, it's full of junk! I'd rather have one delicious slice of real bacon than 2 of that turkey facon crap.
Quix says:
Love the gaga, eminem, and paramore – they are always on my playlist. Since we seem to have about the same workout music taste, let me suggest Pain – Jimmy Eat World, Tik Tok – Kesha, Run this Town – Jay Z, Calle Ocho (I know you want me) – Pitbull, Fort Minor – Remember the Name, and Stronger – Kayne West.
Karen says:
I totally love your blog!
I found you through Jack Sh*t and I am in awe of what you have achieved so far on your continued journey.
After reading your blog I hit the gym and did a 5k something I have not done in years and made the treadmill "my bitch!"
I will keep reading and wishing you the best for luck!