Dreamer, you said, "I was surprised to find that sometimes products replace FAT with high fructose corn syrup for flavor?"
That's why I no longer buy fat-free stuff in the supermarkets. If you check the labels, it's mostly got added sugar in some form. Instead, I buy (or make) real mayonnaise. If I'm making a salad sandwich, I will spread the bread with mayo or cream cheese instead of butter. You get less fat that way, but still a great taste.
It's a matter of being sensible, and eating healthy food. Balance. A lot of expensive weight-loss products may not be special at all, just labelled. Read labels. Any brand from a weight-loss company or organisation - read the contents. We have a weight-loss company which sells its own brand of jam. I compared the label with a generic jam and found the generic was lower in sugar and higher in fruit. The weight-loss one had added gelatine and colouring to make the jam look richer. Since then I make my own jam, although I've not eaten any since starting this diet.
Weight loss is not just a lifestyle change, it's an education!
Marg
