Thursday, July 15, 2004

A Weigh In & More Ranting...

I weighed in at 284 and 4 ounces, which is a pound loss since my weigh in on the 12th - this is good news.  Hopefully it'll keep going.  We'll know on the 20th, when I do my monthly photo update (maybe, this month hasn't exactly allowed me to weigh in on my regular intervals). 

I just got in from the store.  I decided to put the whole family on this low sugar lifestyle.  It's way more expensive this way - I have two sons who are virtual black holes that suck down a week's worth of groceries in a couple of days - but I figure if my younger son has the same problem I have (as demonstrated by his chronic headaches, moodiness, lack of concentration, depression, low self esteem, etc), then it can only help him.

Meanwhile our wallets take another beating.  And I have to say, I'm pretty p.o.'d about it too.  Again it comes back to how corporate America rapes the obesity epidemic for its own gain. 

Case in point.  A pound of ground round at 20% fat, is approximately $1 a pound.  A pound of ground round at 4% fat, costs upward about $3 more.  That is a significant difference.  Tampico Juice, filled with sugar, is about $3 for two gallons.  Tropicana Healthy Choice made with Splenda $2.99 for a half gallon.  Popsicle frozen fruit treats were 2 for $3, whereas the cheap frozen sugar water in a plastic tube is $3 for a five pound box.  Kool Aid, 4 or 5 packagees for a buck whereas something like Crystal Lite is over $2 for a canister.  Regular white bread is about $0.60 whereas no sugar added whole grain bread is over $2.  Whole wheat spaghetti, $1.59.  Regular Skinner type pasta, maybe $0.80 or so.  Thank Goodness for Hunts Sugar Free Spaghetti Sauce that only cost me $1.09, the low carb option was over $2.  I don't think I even have to explain the difference between $1 bag of sugar and $5 Splenda or $10 Stevia.

It's like food manufacturers slap the term "low fat", "sugar free", or now "low carb" on their label they can jack up the price by $1 or so more AND GET IT.  And the people who can't afford it, are destined to become a statistic in the obesity epidemic.  

There was an article recently about how studies show that poor and fat go together:

http://www.alternet.org/story/14913

Government programs like WIC allow for free milk, whole cheese, processed cereals, beans, white rice, peanut butter.  People on welfare - the working poor - have to budget their monthly food budget woefully short (I believe when I was on welfare back in 1992 and had a family of 4, we got a budget of $300 for the month in food - that works out to be $75 a week to feed 4 people.  Things like tuna helper or hamburger helper become a staple meal because you have to make your money stretch.  I can't even tell you how many dinners amounted to Jiffy cornbread ($0.33 a box), pinto beans and rice. 

And people wonder why obesity is an epidemic.  <RME>  You have fast food restaurants stuffing you full of fat, salt or sugar and calling it a "value".  You have food manufacturers attatching themselves to the newest diet craze and jacking up their prices to feed into the craze.

Don't EVEN get me started on the diet industry.  It's a multi million dollar booming business that feeds off of the desperation of people who are stuck in the same cycles of yo yo dieting.  The Atkins craze is the latest Claim to Shame.  My mother was recently diagnosed with high cholesterol due to her low carb lifestyle.  That, coupled with my niece's kidney failure means out of my family alone, 2 of the 4 low carb participants were adversely affected.  But everywhere you look there's another Atkins friendly product.   Even Slim Fast has gotten in on the craze.

And let's talk about Slim Fast for a second.  They recently fired Whoopi Goldberg because of her inappropriate comments about President Bush.  Had they never seen her act?  Did they happen to miss her show?  Maybe they blocked from their mind the Black Face Ted Danson Roast incident so many years ago.  Regardless they decided NOW she has gone too far. 

Slim Fast, a company that makes its money by telling people if they replace one or more of their daily meals on a thick, chalky, gritty, NOT chocolate shake tasting concoction that spends 220 calories per serving, they'll lose weight.  Everyone has a product that will "for sure" get you results.  Try this piece of equipment, this pill, this meal supplement, this book and you'll break through that wall that has kept you obese.

Horse puckey.

The only way you're going to lose weight is to get real.  Get real about what you're eating.  Get real about what you're doing.  Get real about why you allow yourself to stay at the weight you're at.  It's emotional, it's spiritual, it's physical - it's the whole package.  And the diet industry doesn't WANT you to put that connection together because their livelihood depends on a fat America.

I'm just so sick of it.  I'm sick of people getting rich while other people are dying.  They're dying.  All these diets aren't the answer.  Education is the answer.  Stop robbing the people that can afford a healthier lifestyle, and throwing all the crap to the people who can't. 

See what happens when you take my sugar away?  No more seratonin euphoria. 

I'll do my best to keep my rants to a minimum.

But I make no promises. 

 

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am proud of you!  You will be losing weight now that the evil sugar is gone.  Keep up the great work.  Keep getting mad.  That's got to burn some calories!

Anonymous said...

Rant away!  I have been waiting and waiting and waiting for you to get struck by the lightning!  I knew it was only a matter of time.  I have been so so patient--haven't I?  I am so happy you lost some weight this week --that is always a great feeling!!!

This is all very excellent.  Boy when you make a u-turn you do do it!  Don't you?  I am still pinching myself with delight!

Something good to have in the house (it is like a little bit of heaven):  I keep cans of pineapple chunks unsweetened in their own juice--these we can obtain here in the dollar store for 75 cents!  To the enlightened unsugared-palette these taste more exquisite than the most expensive candies!  And they can be eaten at any time since they store wonderfully and already are cleaned and in bite sizes.  Extra goes into the fridge in a tupperware type container.  Delicious cold or at room temperature.  

[Me: G-d, I just moved offices--and now I have to unpack and organize all my junk in my new spot--ughhhh!  Depressing!  Waste of time!]

Anonymous said...

Keep Ranting!!!  You are absolutely right about what you are saying, and it's good to hear it put so well! And congrats on the weight loss :-)

Anonymous said...

Hi Gin!
 Here's the catch dear girlfriend, once you get on the "no sugar" bandwagon, you've just scratched the surface of healthy living.  You're gonna be on a fascinating journey.  Just wait until you begin reading some of the health books by Linda Rector's books about healthy living... it's too much to mention.  There's a whole group of folks that have been teaching and preaching about your rants and raves for many years.  Welcome onboard Sister!
Love you,
Jeannie

Anonymous said...

I read the article on alternet ... and I have to say that I disagree with many things the author had to say.  Poor black people used to eat peas,yams, beans, corn, grits, cornbread, okra, tomatoes, portions of the leftover pig after slaughter ... stuff that the rich white folks wouldn't eat.  They outlived the rich white folks by many years.  How come?  The stuff  they ate was low fat naturally and they worked hard in the fields and burned up the calories.
 Some poor people now eat fast food everyday filled with lard, salt and who knows what else kind of fillers the food companies put into the fried stuff.  Now, first of all (let me drag out my soapbox) where the heck are they getting the money to eat out all the time?  I work my fanny off 40 to 45 hours a week and make a decent salary and we don't eat out much.
I do eat lunch at McDonald's sometimes and I'm losing weight ... why is that?  I eat the Bacon Ranch Grilled Chicken Salad and a bottle of water.  Costs the same as a big mac with cheese, fries and a coke.
 And last, if a poor person can go to McDonald's and spend $5.50 for a big mac meal deal, he could have also made 3 salads at home and taken to work with him along with some distilled water (.50 per gallon).
 I know there are instances where there are few food choices but I've also been very poor (thank you Lord for delivering me into a good job).  I was raised on a very tight buget as a child, many mouths not much food, but mama always managed to have fresh veggies and fruits, beans, some rice (potatoes of course cause we're Irish ;) ) and we never had the chance to overeat.  Nor did we have the chance to eat out.  The first time I ever ate at a Mexican restaurant was when I was 12 years old.  Sounds amazing nowdays I'm sure!  :)
 Anyway, that's my 2 cents worth article review & several mind wanderings.  hehehe  Thanks for humoring a

Anonymous said...

Hey you go Burge!  I like your idea of the salad at McD's--sounds good--I am going to try it next time!