M&M Calories: Peanut Butter and Caramel

I couldn't find this information when I was looking for it, so hopefully it's helpful.

A serving of Caramel M&Ms is 42g / 1.5oz / ¼ cup for 200 calories. Using a scale, I weighed out 42g - it was 15 Caramel M&Ms. Therefore, 1 caramel m&m has 13.3 calories.

Some useful measurements:

3 caramel M&Ms have 40 calories.
6 caramel M&Ms have 80 calories.
9 caramel M&Ms have 120 calories.
and so on.

madcitycat / flickr

A serving of Peanut Butter M&Ms is 42g / 1.5oz / ¼ cup for 220 calories. Using a scale, I weighed out 42g - it was 25 Peanut Butter M&Ms. Therefore, 1 peanut butter m&m has 8.8 calories.

Some useful measurements:

5 peanut butter M&Ms have 44 calories.
10 peanut butter M&Ms have 88 calories.
15 peanut butter M&Ms have 132 calories.
and so on.

For all of you who are tracking your calories but still enjoying chocolatey goodness of M&Ms: good for you for choosing moderation.  It will be worth it!!!

Low Salt Soups

My health coach wants me to cut back on sodium.  I'm seeing weight loss results, so I'm trying to do what she asks.  Because I take the train in to the office, I'm limited to items I can order on Amazon and that can persist without refrigeration.  Of course, salt is what allows lots of things to remain shelf stable, so my choices are slightly limited.  Here's what I've tried so far.

1. Healthy Valley Organic No Salt Added Chicken Rice Soup - pretty decent.  Would eat again.
2. Healthy Valley Organic No Salt Added Chicken Noodle Soup - it's ok. But the Chicken Rice is better.
3. some soup I haven't tried yet, I'm sure
4. ditto
5. ditto
6. ditto
7. ditto
8. ditto
9. ditto
10. Campbell's Low Sodium Cream of Mushroom - avoid. And I have 11 cans left.  Ugh.  Horrible stuff.  If I find a soup worse than this, I will be surprised and supremely disappointed with the human race. Choke it down with soda. (Of course, she wants me to eliminate soda.  We compromised on a partial can with my soup.)

Recently I thought I had found a winner, it was made by Healthy Valley Organic and it tasted it really good.  And then I realized that it was not low sodium.  Amazon had delivered a different soup than I ordered and I wasn't paying attention and had eaten most of them before I went back and looked at my orders.  I eventually gave the remaining cans away to coworkers who aren't watching their salt.

Feed Sift (06/12/2015)

Happy Friday, my friends! Here's a few more articles I wanted to share. Have a great weekend!

-1-

CRINGELY.COM -- Your PBX has been hacked!

-2-

DJC.COM -- Seattle might keep going

-3-

CHROME.BLOGSPOT.COM -- New Research: The Ad Injection Economy

-4-

LIFEHACKER.COM -- Outdoor Home Repairs You Can Totally Handle Yourself

-5-

BLOG.LOSEIT.COM -- Snacks on a Plane: 8 Ways to Lose Weight on Vacation

Running is not cool

This was a work assignment - write and deliver a *short* speech. It was more about giving and receiving critiques, but here's my effort, with edits made to address the critique I received.

Running is not cool.

First, it’s time that you could spend doing other things, like watching TV.

Second, it’s difficult. It takes effort and you get sweaty and grimy.

Third, someone might see you and you might look funny, with funny clothes or in an awkward moment where you almost trip and have to hip and jump and try to avoid falling on your face. Or you could fall on your face and that would hurt.

Fourth, you could get hit by a car while trying to change songs if your iPod started playing something you didn’t want to hear. 

Fifth and finally, it will cause you to feel more guilty the next time you eat a doughnut.

And that's why running is not cool.

Worth Repeating: Sandra Aamodt

Video:


Sandra Aamodt - Why Dieting Doesn't Usually Work - In the US, 80% of girls have been on a diet by the time they're 10 years old. In this honest, raw talk, neuroscientist Sandra Aamodt uses her personal story to frame an important lesson about how our brains manage our bodies, as she explores the science behind why dieting not only doesn't work, but is likely to do more harm than good. Read more on TED.com...

Why I'm Posting This: We have a "set point" (range) our body is trying to return to. That will rise if we're overweight for any length of time, but it doesn't lower if we lose weight. Really interesting. I once told a doctor I was stuck at my default weight and he didn't bat an eye. Now I wonder if I was on to something. Of course, I have dropped weight since then and I feel stuck there but I'm still determined to lower it a little more.

Feed Sift

Five things worth passing along...

-1-

Everything I've Learned About Personal Finance in 10 Sentences

-2-

Lessons from Sharknado

-3-

check your six

I kept forgetting to weigh-in. Or I'd have a off-day the day before I was planning to weigh-in. I wanted to weigh-in on the Wii for consistency, but between forgetting and the off-days, it just wasn't getting done.

So after a long delay, I decided to just weigh-in on the old scale in our bathroom. I am down six pounds from my last weigh-in.  It measures in half-pound increments and I weighed-in at 151. My previous low (using the Wii) was 150.8.  That means I'm just about as low as I've been since probably sometime in college.

If the pattern holds true, though, I'll lose three more pounds and then give up.

Time to break the pattern.

We Need This, @LoseIt

Dear Lose It! - we really need a "share this meal" option. It would be really helpful for families who eat the same meals.  Also would have worked well last year when we were attending a small group and nearly everyone in the group was using Lose It! - it would have made it easier to share the foods they brought.

Otherwise, it ends up like this because I'm lazy. (Lose It! does allow you to share a recipe, but that's different than sharing a meal.)

Worth Repeating: Ron Finley @evofarm

Ron Finley plants vegetable gardens in South Central LA -- in abandoned lots, traffic medians, along the curbs. Why? For fun, for defiance, for beauty and to offer some alternative to fast food in a community where "the drive-thrus are killing more people than the drive-bys." More on TED.com...

Why I'm posting this: This guy's on to something.  And he's doing so much good - with vegetables and community.

Idea: Calorie Tax

San Francisco has been in the news recently for attempts to ban toys from children's meals at fast food restaurants.

And New York has been in the news recently for attempts to ban sugary drinks over a certain size.

Both attempts have been nearly universally decried by people who just see "the man" trying to tell them what to do or how to live.

If I understand correctly (and I may not), the actual attempt in boh cases is the better health of their citizens, not just because they feel a moral obligation to protect people from their own stupidity (like requiring helmets or seat belts) but I think it's also because of the burden that unhealthy behavior puts on society, especially in the case of health care costs.

So I was wondering... if you can't ban unhealthy behaviors (you could always buy multiple small sugary beverages or drive outside the city limits), why not tax it?  If our insurance companies charge us based on our annual driving or our gasoline is taxed based on how many gallons we purchase, why not tax calories?

To me, if the ultimate goal is healthier behavior and a reduction in health care costs, it seems that simply preventing the availability of something doesn't actually help that to happen - it's only when people understand the implications do they actually consider changing their behavior.  And if every 10 calories costs you a penny, people start paying attention - the businesses who suddenly have to confront the idea that their food might not be healthy, as well as customers who have to decide whether they want to pay an extra $1.36 (1,360 calories) for the Burger King Triple Whopper Combo meal (that's with a diet soda that has no calories and a small fries and no ketchup for your fries) or $1.13 (1,134 calories) for a 40oz Dr. Pepper at Taco Bell.

Of course, they would need to list the surcharges separately on the receipt and menu board so that they'd be visible to everyone.  And the taxes would need to go into a fund that helps with medical care.

But you don't change behavior by taking something away, you change behavior by helping people make smarter choices by showing them the true costs of their actions.

Recommended: Recharge Chocolate+Caramel

I've gotten free samples of Recharge bars twice now thanks to Lose-It.

They have three flavors: 

• Peanuts+Caramel
• Raspberry+Apple
• Chocolate+Caramel

Each bar has 100 calories, 8g of protein and 3g of fiber.  All three are dense bars, as you expected for a health bar.  The first two, neither Rachel or I cared for (but Ben did).  

But I really liked the Chocolate+Caramel bar - it's quite tasty.  You can watch Lose-It!'s Twitter feed for possible future giveaways or you can order them directly from http://www.rechargefoods.com/

(I was not compensated in any way for this post nor do I have any future expectation to be compensated as a result.)

Doing the Work

I was having a conversation with my daughter the other day.  We were talking about consuming calories and expending calories and the safe way to lose weight (and unsafe ways).  That it was all math.  But as I explained it to her, I came to a realization: I just didn't want to do the work.  That rattled around in my brain for the day and I realized that it ultimately wasn't true.

As much as I like things just coming to me, that's not a good motto.  If I want something, I must do the work.  And in this case, it was easy to discount the other times I've lost weight and said "Oh, it actually wasn't work."  But it was.  

And it has to be this time as well.  When we moved here in March of 2006, I weighed about 40 pounds more than I do now.  That first summer, before Lose-It!, before running, I actually lost close to 30 pounds.  Parts of it wasn't intentional - I was getting to work early and walking before work, I was walking at lunch (being in a new environment with great walking weather) and to delay my arrival home after work (I was a temp being paid by the hour so it was easier to leave right at 5, but I wanted to reduce my exposure to my mother-in-law who was staying with us, I'd walk more afterwards as well.  I had my bright shiny new iPod at that point and had some music on it.

So it was work, but it didn't seem like it.  I wasn't counting calories and I wasn't even necessarily eating carefully, but it was enough.  Until I kinda stopped.  And then I put a bit back on.  A few more got me to within 2 pounds of where I wanted to be (9 pounds below now) and then I gave up again.  That's been my habit, almost getting there and then stopping for some stupid reason or another.

But, darn it, I was willing to do the work. So Sunday I tracked it all and even ran.  No run on Monday, but maybe tonight if the timing and weather are decent.  So I will track, I will do the work.  And when I get there, I will celebrate, but I will not be stupid.  I will track pretty regularly, and when I need to, I'll go back into crunch mode.  But I won't let it get to where I've let it get to.  

Because, seriously, how stupid is that?  A whole year, by some accounts, wasted.  

Alright... time to do the work.

23. Dessert #JanBlogaDay

I like desserts.

A lot.

I have no willpower.

People at work like to point to "self-control" as a fruit of the spirit.  I like to suggest I'm not wired that way and they shouldn't "lead me into temptation."

Lori makes some fabulous desserts.  Around the holidays, I kind of give up and pack on the pounds.  The rest of the year I run and try to enter the next holiday season lighter so that the peak won't be as high.  A vicious circle of peaks and valleys.

But this topic isn't "Diet" but "Dessert."  So I've been trying to think for the last few days what my favorite dessert is and I can't.  I'm not a big fan of pies and I'm not too thrilled about most kinds of cheesecake, unless there's a graham or chocolate crust involved.   With choices, I will often avoid something that's chocolate-upon-chocolate-upon-chocolate because it can tend to be too much.  And if there are doughnuts, I can typically avoid the puffy pastry types, especially if there's an old fashioned or other type of crunchy doughnut.

But that still doesn't answer the question of what I do like, in case you were taking a survey or planning to kidnap me but want to make sure that when you let me go I'll pretend to be unable to pick you out of a line-up.

14. Food #JanBlogaDay

I'll take the doughnut pizza.
(You can keep your PBR, you silly, dirty hipsters.)

Ah, food.  My mortal enemy.  Can't live without it, can't live with myself after when I enjoy it.  I have an interesting dieting plan.  I will pick a goal, I will work until I've come within 3 pounds of the goal, and then I will abandon the goal and gain lots of weight.  Not sure why.  I'm like the snail in the well - climb up three inches each day, slip back two each night.  I'm making progress, but it's incredibly slow.

We've assembled into a team for the quarter and one of the big topics at our kick-off meeting was about what caused someone to have to bring doughnuts - what kind of rule violation.  I begged that they keep that to a minimum and they tossed something back at me about a fruit of the spirit being "self-control" and I threw something back about not being wired that way and how they shouldn't lead me into temptation.  I'm not sure it worked and I just became the cranky guy who doesn't like doughnuts.  Only, anyone who really knows me knows that's really, really, really not the case.

12. Recovery #JanBlogaDay

I've mentioned before about how late last year I jumped off the diet wagon with reckless abandon and glee and then turned around and ate the wagon and the horses and then the road we were traveling on. I stopped running, walking weighing myself, and it was as if I wanted to destroy all the progress I had made, like I was seeking out weight gain. As if there was something inside me saying "Too little! Too thin! You must be fatter!" And I reveled in it, sad as that is.

And then came the new year. It wasn't so much a resolution as just an acknowledgement that the debauchery was over, it was time to be responsible again.

And for the most part, I'm happy to report that it wasn't too difficult. I found the road, found the wagon, climbed back on and we're underway again.

Run Down

I went out there yesterday and just decided to run.  Did the loop around the lake, 2.7 miles.  First run in a really long time.  Today, I looked at the rain and decided I didn't want to run in that.  So, walked down the stairs and out of the building for a walk and realized, I didn't even want to walk.  I did, but man, I'm really sore from yesterday's run.  Hopefully I'll still do another run soon.  It's the danger season with Halloween candy, Thanksgiving and Christmas treats all in the immediate future.  I need to run or else I'm gonna have even farther to go next year.  It's so tough.  I just need to get to my goal weight because then my available calories each day go up.  Then it might be easier to start tracking consistently again.

Weight loss update

It's been a long time since I posted an update. I keep meaning to, but then another day an another day goes by and now faced with so much lapsed time I'm asking myself if I really want to do the wok necessary to get caught up - and I've decided I don't - that it's not th best use of my time.

There's no evidence that it helped me stay accountable to post and no evidence that being so open about my own weight loss has helped anyone else, so I think it was jus clutter in the archives of this blog.

That said, things are coming along well - I'm down to 150.4 as of this morning - 5.4 pounds from goal and highly motivated to get there. I've gotten out of the habit of snacking late at night while exercising and I'm drinking a lot more water now (I'm addicted to the carbonated flavored waters). I am also mentally preparing for the need to replace most of my wardrobe - I've reached the point where stuff is just to big to the point of looking bad or becoming difficult to wear - like pants - so much bunched material at waistline that it's annoying/uncomfortable.

So I am going to donate a lot to charity with the goal of keeping a much smaller set of coordinating clothes. That should lend to simplicity and allow me to be more consistent in my presentation and mean less laundry - not Steve Jobsian with a single outfit uniform, but a narrow enough set that it becomes my "style".

I am apprehensive because that will involve some cost and some research (because this is not my strong suit heh) and probably also maintaining a wish list so people who like buying me clothes don't risk buying me something that I'll immediately return or donate.

But yeah, I like the idea of a consistency or predictability, my own personal style guide for fashion, if you will.

I am also anxious about the idea that this could make shopping more unbearable because I'm money-conscious. I guess I need to finish my personal vision/mission process so i can use it to help inform.

Day 46: 155.9

Overall, it is definitely harder to get Free Step in on weekends.  I brought the Wii upstairs and had a chance to get more exercising in.  Did some other exercises as well.  Hopefully we'll get off this plateau soon.  So instead of just entering in the oatmeal as usual, I scanned recently and discovered that it was coming up 20 calories less than I had been entering.  Sure enough, at some point they'd changed it and there it was pure as day right there on the box 160 instead of 180.  Go figured.

Day 45: 155.9

Oops, that should have been 700 for lunch and 700 for dinner but can't really be bothered to change it now.  The 700 for lunch was a conservative estimate for Menchies.  It starts out healthier, until you add in stuff.  It was Lori's estimate, she's better at that kind of stuff.  Nice walk as a family.  Should have done more free step but was too tired.

Day 44: 155.6

No clue how to track dinner - it was small group, so someone else brought the food.  Spaghetti, salad and tiramisu.  The only one we had a rough idea on was the tiramisu because it was a weight watchers recipe (and very good!) and they knew the point value.  But I'm just trusting it wasn't more than what I had left, so I just put all my remaining calories for the day against dinner and hope it was enough.