Wednesday, April 14, 2010

peanut butter

Talk to me about your choice in peanut butter…I stood in the aisle at the commissary this morning (it opens at 7:00) trying to figure out why the natural stuff with the oil floating on top is supposed to be better than Jif or Skippy (both now have all natural varieties).  The calories are the same, the fat is the same, the sugar is a little higher but not that much.  I like the flavor of Jif (my primary preference) or Skippy better than the other.  Should I suck it up & go with the oil floating on top? 

 

I am going to be spending some time today figuring out my nutrition plan for the next two weeks.  I am really struggling with craving & eating bread.  I guess I’m not the type that craves carbs rather than chocolate during PMS.  I have to tackle this.  I’m having a bad reaction to the cravings…eating it & gaining weight.  Not good.

 

I also am rethinking my egg/tortilla for my ride to the gym.  It’s too heavy for before a workout so I’m thinking of still having one but after.  I’m thinking that I could prepare a yogurt smoothie for my bullet & drink that on my morning ride.  I’ve  ¾ c yogurt, ½ c mixed fruit, a little sugar-free vanilla syrup & maybe ½ c myoplex lite/advantedge to water it down.  On the other hand once I start using the Lavash bread I might not have the carb cravings I’m having currently (I wanted to use up all of the tortillas before opening the Lavash bread—they’re gone now). 

 

I’m considering putting together a “yoga/stretch bag” for my office.  I have plenty of time to get in a good hard weight & cardio workout but am finding my time to stretch is limited & rushed.  I just want to have a good stretch & think the only time I’m going to be able to get that in is going to be at lunch.  My thought is to change, take a brisk walk around the block & then come in for a good 20/30 minute stretch.  I have Cathe’s Stretch Max & a couple of yoga cds that I can put on my iPhone or even bring my laptop in.  The light exercise at lunch time might also energize me to get through the rest of the day—not to mention burn a few more calories.

 

The weight gain I’ve had over the last few days tells me that I might need to postpone my comp until August.  I’m still going to keep an open mind about July but don’t want to set myself up for failure either.  I have a minimum of 18 lbs to lose as I sit right now.  I could lose it but I probably won’t.  I wish I dropped weight like Wendy.  LOL

 

My workout today included the functional workout that Wendy gave me in January 2009, up & back box jumps on the steps in this picture, followed by 5 miles on the recumbent bike at level 9 for 22 minutes & 34 seconds.  My heart rate averaged 135.  I have decided that this ride wasn’t such a bad one because I worked hard doing the functional & those box jumps. 

 

To be honest I started the functional half-heartedly.  It was the first time I did it alone in a very long time & I really didn’t want to do it.  I determined to do it with full effort & I am glad I did.  I worked really hard.  It will pay off.

 

 

8 comments:

Doin the Math said...

You can pour some of that oil on top off, before stirring it in, to decrease the fat some.

I haven't seen the labels on the natural Jiff and Skippy. Last I checked (admittedly, YEARS ago) there was a lot more in the jar than, 'Peanuts, salt."

Deb said...

The naturals are new-ish. Here's the ingredients:

Ingredients
MADE FROM ROASTED PEANUTS, SUGAR, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: PALM OIL, SALT, MOLASSES.

I'm not crazy about the taste of the oily stuff but was curious about what you all are eating.

Doin the Math said...

I gave up my beloved Jiff in favor of "peanuts, salt" (lol) in 2005 and haven't gone back.

I can make my own in my Vitamix, but haven't done that yet. At my natural grocers, they also have a big grinder where you can make your own and bottle it. I can't get past what it looks like coming out of the machine, so I haven't done that. I have a "thing" about visual images and food, LMAO!

Wennndy said...

I hate stirring the natural peanut butter so sometimes I get the "natural" prestirred Jiff PB .... although honestly anything from a big factory can never be called "natural," can it? :)

Laura said...

I figure the no-stir stuff has to have undergone some processing to stay emulsified. Also, labels like "all natural" and "organic" can be misleading because the FDA allows a certain admittedly fairly minimal amount of crap into products that are so labeled.

That said, you're probably not eating enough peanut butter that it matters too much one way or the other, so why not get what you like? I honestly prefer the kind with the oil on top--to me it tastes less sugary and more peanutty--but if it were otherwise I'd probably get what I enjoy and just eat it sparingly.

If you like a sweeter taste, look for a brand that's got Valencia peanuts which are naturally sweet. Do you have Trader Joe's where you are? They make a great all-natural Valencia peanut butter that's very reasonably priced.

stacey said...

We use Adam's and the Trader Joe's brand. I gave up sugar 8 years ago plus back in the day all the other brands had trans fats so we use those two brands.

The Adam's we always have several jars because it is one of Ian's main foods and we store the next jar out on the counter and rotate it. So it will be upside down for a day then right side up then upside down and we do this until we open it. It makes it much easier to stir in the oil. Or like Sandi said you can just pour some of the oil off. But since Ian is the person who mainly eats the Adam's we don't do that since he needs some fat in his diet.

Wennndy said...

Valencia peanut peanut better is my fave!

Wennndy said...

ha. peanut "better." I can tell I didn't feel good yesterday. haha

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