This 'n That

1. I've noticed that agave nectar seems to be pretty popular with some of my fellow bloggers. However, after researching this, I learned that agave has more calories per tablespoon (60) than raw or turbinado sugar (45). Now, supposedly you don't need to use as much agave (it's pronounced ah-GAV-ay, also something new I learned) because it's sweeter. But how much less do you use compared to sugar? Well, they say about 25% less. So, you use 3/4 cup of agave for every 1 cup of sugar. In other words, the calories are pretty much the same between sugar and agave when adjusting for these amounts.

Now, I know that there are those who say agave is better because it is "natural" and there's dicta floating around the internets about glycemic indexes and stuff but, frankly, my eyes glaze over after that. Plus, why use something that's sweeter than sugar? Doesn't that encourage or heighten one's sense for sweets and, in turn, bolster those cravings? Isn't the "sweet trigger" one of the reasons why newest research say diet drinks and other artificially sweetened foods are actually worse for you? Don't we just need to get weaned off of sweets all together, rather than look for other ways to get our sugar fix? It would seem that unless you're diabetic, you're better off sticking with sugar. Right?

Crap, I'm so confused.

I'm probably still gonna buy it next time I'm at my store anyway. I'm such a sucka.

2. There is a civil war going on in my head between intuitive eating and bulking up on healthy foods. What's better: training to just eat less in general or stuffing ourselves with low -calorie food? Oh, how to reconcile....

3. Kate Winslet looked ravishing at the Oscars. However, I miss her more voluptuous form from a few years ago. *le sigh*

4. This weekend was spent with some of my girlfriends acting like fools. One of them also lost a lot of weight by eating healthy and working out (the other one is perpetually skinny but still complains about a pooch. She should suck it). She looks amazing (so does the skinny bitch). However, we cracked Saturday night, eating potato chips and french onion dip like a bunch of starving feral children. It was hell-arious and we cackled about it the next morning...while eating bagels, lox and cream cheese. But what I think was great is that we didn't beat ourselves up. We shrugged it off without the necessity of some sort of divine atonement. Actually, we were almost brazen about it, bragging of the sins with smug rebellion. I might have smirked at my scale.

5. Even as a recovering Catholic, I've never celebrated Fat Tuesday. I can't help but feel like I'm missing out on something.

6. One of owners of a lunch counter in my building remarked on my weight loss, and I said words to the effect that it was because I stopped eating his food. I'm pretty sure that what I said didn't come out right and I offended him. *But it's true*

7. I've been buying fair-trade organic coffee to assuage my conscience. I call it my "free range coffee." Picture little coffee beans grazing in open pasture. The coffee tastes GREAT, btw.