What's an alternative to sugar when baking a cake?

Trying to watch my weight, gained 5 kilos this month but I LOVE cake. I want some but sugar is a key ingredient and I'm no chef. What can I put in it instead?Okay, what alternatives to flour and sugar can I use?

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It's not worth the bother. Those fake ingredients taste awful. Just have some real cake in moderation.

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• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/24/sugar-free-baking_n_1228591.html
• You can use one of the sugar substitutes such as Splenda, but sugar is not the only ingredient that causes weight gain. Sugar is fat free, but it's not calorie free. Cakes also call for some type of fat such as oil or butter. Your best bet is to find a reduced calorie recipe.
• The carbs from the white refined flour is going to convert directly into sugar by your body...I would go with unbleached flour and agave nectar.
• sugar is NOT your major reason for gaining weight eating cake!! It is the flour!! you can use splenda for baking measure for measure! but that only cuts out a tiny bit of the carb grams of cake. A serving of cake is 1/12th of the whole cake. As a diabetic I have half a serving!! that is half the calories and half the carb grams! the american diabetes dessert cook book considers anything 35 to 50 grams of carb as suitable for diabetics, but they cut all the salt and fats out of the desserts. they use splenda instead of sugar. I do not see the difference between these nasty tasting things and real cake at the same grams of carbohydrate! So just eat half a serving of real cake with real icing!! Only do this once every other week! If you can't get rid of the real cake, make it and take your half serving and take the rest to a neighbor!
• There is no substitute for sugar--not only does sugar make the cake sweet, it also reacts chemically with the other ingredients to produce...cake. You can sometimes substitute honey, mashed bananas, molasses or agave syrup in some recipes--but you aren't going to save any calories by doing so. Just make your cake with sugar the normal way--then cut it into small pieces and put each little piece in an individual zip-loc bag and FREEZE them--all but one. Eat that one, Freeze the rest--then you'll have them on hand and can eat ONE AT A TIME when you want cake--and you won't overdo it.
• In most recipes, you can cut way back on sugar and still get acceptable results. If you cut back too much, however, your cake will be gross and then it's not even worth eating. I recommend cutting back by almost half. Skip the frosting in favor of whipped cream or a dusting of powdered sugar. If you bake the cake in a bundt pan it will be moist and good. Just give most of it away and enjoy a couple small slices.EDIT: you can substitute things like nut flours, coconut flour or even flours from other whole grains. There really is no substitute for sugar. No matter what, you have to use sugar or it won't turn into cake. Sure, you'll find recipes that don't require sugar, like that Weight Watchers thing that uses a cake mix and a can of Diet Coke, but guess what's in the cake mix? Sugar, flour and hydrogenated fats. You really are better off finding a decent scratch recipe and just having a small serving of good cake. You can try things like substituting the fat for applesauce or using coconut flour, but cake has calories. That's OK.
• Substitute applesauce for water and egg and skip the sugar. it sounds weird but it will come out super moist and delicious. Otherwise you can try using a sugar substitute like Truvia, made from the stevia plant. Just remember that it's sweeter than sugar so you don't need as much.
• I recently made a cake using 100% coconut sugar, bought at my local grocery store. I loved the taste of it, I do not know if you would like it but it definitely has a distinctive taste which added to the flavor (at least for me). The best part of this was that it is a 1=1 substitution so you do not end up using cups and cups and more cups of the stuff. As for the flour, I used the Gluten Free flour of King Arthur Flour.
• Agave nectar. You don't need to use as much because it is sweeter than sugar. It also has a lower glycemic index so your body breaks it down differently than white sugar.
• There isn't one for straight up substitutions. Artificial sweeteners taste horrible and are worse health wise than sugar. Honey, applesauce or molasses can be used in some recipes but you've got to adjust other things or they don't rise or have the wrong texture.There's no good sub for flour either. Ground nut meal can be used which is healthier, but it has the same or higher calories.eta: Listen to Christin K. Make the cake as usual, cut it into small portions and freeze them individually.

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How much weight can I lose in a year?

I'm 17 years old, 5'3, 272 lbs & need to lose as much weight as I can by August 2014 !!I'm a dancer/choreographer but I don't really get the much exercise or diet (well currently) & In desperate need to lose as much wait as I can!!

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Average weight loss is only 9-15lbs a year, so this is a long term lifestyle issue not a quick fix. You require both an appropriate diet and very regular vigorous exercise.

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• Your body can no longer process carbs. You don't gain that much weight unless your body has a metabolic imbalance. The most young females usually average is 1-2# a week, so it might be possible to lose up to 100# in a year but it depends on your personal metabolic resistance to losing weight. The easier it is to gain weight, the harder it is to lose weight. Unfortunately, anyone who accumulates over 30# of excess fat is more than likely insulin resistant. Long term ingestion of highly refined carbs "burn out" the insulin receptors on muscle cells, so calories go directly to fat cells, leaving muscle cells screaming for nutrition. Exercise forces muscles to accept glucose out of the bloodstream without the need for insulin. Most people get obese because their bodies just can't process carbs any more. They become insulin resistant & carbs go straight to fat cells. As healthy as fruit may be, it just doesn't promote fat loss. Fructose, the sugar in fruits, creates triglycerides which "trap" fat in fat cells. The body won't release fat stores until the blood stream is free of insulin. In someone insulin resistant, the insulin response is too sensitive & produces too much insulin. Simple carbs are addictive & can be disastrous to health. The best way to break the addiction is NO carbs for 3 days. Make a batch of deviled eggs, eat one every time you want "something" - have huge omelets with bacon, sausage, peppers, mushrooms & cheese. Meats smothered with peppers, mushrooms & cheese - pork rinds & dip or tuna/chicken/egg salad - sugar free cheese cake. Eat so much you won't feel deprived of anything. By the 4th day, the addiction will be gone & the low carb way of eating will create a natural appetite suppression that makes it much easier to make healthy choices. You can lose more body fat eating protein & fat (don't eat protein alone) than not eating AT ALL. To lose weight fast, eat all you want, but nothing but meat, eggs, healthy oils, mayo, butter & half an avocado a day (for added potassium). Keep the calories high & the fat percentage high, at least 65% of calories. Green vegetables & some cheese will continue weight loss but at a slower pace. The first 2 weeks eat several cups a day of (mostly) lettuce & celery, cucumbers, radishes, mushrooms, peppers & more variety of vegetables thereafter - add 5 grams per day additional every week (20 grams day first 2 weeks, 25grams 3rd week, 30grams 4th week etc) til you gain weight, then subtract 10grams. That will be your personal carb level (everyone is different & depends on how active you are.) Start with meat, fats & salads for 2 weeks and then slowly add in more green veg, wk4 fresh cheeses, wk5 nuts & seeds, wk6 berries, wk7 legumes, wk8 other fruits, wk9 starchy veg, wk10 whole grains. You will learn how your body reacts to different foods. The first week is just water weight but fat is lost thereafter if you keep your calories high enough. Otherwise the body will strip it's own lean tissue for nutrition. Although that may look great on a scale it will make it MUCH easier to accumulate fat in the future (since all that pesky lean tissue burning up calories will be gone). The body won't release fat stores if you lower calories below what it needs. It will slow metabolism to compensate & store every spare ounce as fat. If you continue lowering calories, it will continue lowering the set point, til it can survive off nothing & store fat on anything. The body will only release it's fat stores if it knows there is plenty of nutritious food. Eating carbs while trying to lose body fat is terribly inefficient. When in glycolysis (burning glucose as fuel) you have to lower your calories (which slows your metabolism) & exercise heavily to deplete your glycogen stores before burning body fat. The core of Atkins program is converting the body from glycolysis (burning glucose as fuel) to ketosis (burning fat as fuel). Dietary fat levels need to be at >65% of total calories, if not, the body will still remain in glycolysis by converting 58% of excess protein into glucose (via gluconeogenesis). It takes minimum of 3 days to convert a body to ketosis, (but only one bite to convert back to glycolysis). People feel sluggish the first week but most feel better than ever thereafter. High insulin levels promote inflammation, weight gain, hunger & unbalance other hormones. Controlling insulin levels will balance out other hormones & allow human growth hormone (HGH) to be produced naturally so lean muscle will be gained even without exercise. Ground flax seed (4 Tbsp) 1/4 cup water, artificial sweetener, mix in a raw egg - let sit 10 min. to absorb liquid, put cream cheese in the middle & nuke 2 min. for daily fiber needs.
• In one year I think you can possibly get down to 170 maybe? You have to stay dedicated to losing weight and keeping yourself on a diet. Do cardio work outs 4-5 hours a day while taking 10-15 minute breaks each hour.

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What is the best way to lose a lot of weight FAST?

Aside from meth/speed or puking what is th most successful way to loose fat fast?I appreciate your answers,thanks in advance.

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First of all, you don't want to "loose weight", you want to "lose weight".Second of all, you can lose weight quickly if you eat very healthy (lean meats for protein, fish, veggies, fruits and snacks like nuts,etc)Don't eat a lot of carbs because once they're inside your body, they turn into sugar.You have do a lot of intense cardio, but you also have to weight train about 3x a week to get rid of the fat and build lean muscle.

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• Diet and fitness
• Fitness and don't eat anything (including dinner) after 3PM will help a lot!! But before 3 PM eat as much as you want.

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How many pounds in 3-4 weeks?

So I been living in sweatpants and band t shirts all summer and then recently I went somewhere and put on some of my old jeans from the year before and they were super tight. I defiantly gained weight over the summer you can tell in my arms too. I have always been kinda chubby so this is bad. I have about 3-4 weeks before school I am not saying I want to loose all of that weight because I know weight loss is hard and takes time to do it right and healthy. How many pounds can you loose in that time period?

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If you haven't been trying, then probably around 10 lbs, including the water weight loss. The first week will be spectacular, then it will slow down to about 1-2 lbs a week depending on how dedicated you are. But 10 lbs in a month is easy. Just don't go off the diet and exercise program all at once or you gain it back, plus some extra. This time, hit the weights, the weight loss sticks around longer if you build some muscle, and you get a better tolerance for eating calories if your body mass is higher.

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• Around 1-3 pounds a week is healthy, more if your very overwieght. I would say the most you would lose is 12-16 pounds, IF you do it right.
• To achieve successful natural weight loss you will need to stay positive and committed, you are making changes to your lifestyle that will help you maintain your weight for life.Patience is the key to see your weight loss.Don't let anyone be the reason, other than yourself, for not losing weight! Anything is possible.Check out this other great resource that has helped thousands of people lose weight

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How do I grow my thick hair longer and not thicker?

I have very heavy thick hair. I want to grow about four more inches and it is taking forever. Everything I find online says "add thickness and length.: I have more than enough thickness. I just need length... anyone have this problem? I tried way to grow (not your mother's) shampoo. It did nothing for me. :/Im a graduate student and my hair stylist straightens my hair to make sure my layers are right when i get a trim. I will not try pills or anything and I have heard coconut oil serum may help. In the past year my hair has grown quite a bit so i guess I should be patient. :)My hair is also the oily type and so I have to wash it every day. I have researched this and it is not the wrong thing to do.

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My hair has the same density as when I was in HS.NEVER take supplements without your doctor's OK. Buy/use supplements at your own risk. "Many times patients will be taking over-the-counter medications or vitamins or homeopathic remedies not realizing that it can interfere with their regular medications or may build up unhealthy levels within in their body," said Dr. Rober Kershner, who's a surgeon with a background in biochemistry.Heat & chemicals are hair's worst enemies, tampering the growth of the hair making them grow slowly or none. The hair that you see? They're dead. Wikipedia. But your hair has static electricity sending current to the roots of your hair. That's tampering!If you've straightened your hair in the past, it may grow slowly or none at all.Google: "Foods for Healthy Hair" http://www.foodforhealthyhair.com/ http://sg.news.yahoo.com/food-for-health… - or 10 Best Foods for Your Hair.http://www.channelstv.com/home/2012/07/0…NO MATTER which link you picked, they all suggest the same foods. Your hair may be the fastest-growing tissue in the body but, unlike the skin, it cannot repair itself. That is why getting the right balance of vitamins and proteins is imperative. Don't expect to look like you've stepped out of a hair commercial the day after you've changed your diet. It is likely to take at least three months before you actually see tangible results. Hair is dead, but hair also has electrical energy; the negative charge of damaged hair can lead to flyways and unruly hair. Growing healthy hair doesn't come from a bottle or pills and hair products do not speed hair growth. Any hair oil, is another form to keep hair moisturized, nothing more. If you're in HS, your hair & nails should be growing normally, and as healthily as possible, since you're eating healthy foods. But when hair isn't growing as fast, it's because they've been tampered with: chemicals, hair straightening, etc. . ."You find people oiling hair every single day, the hair sweats and it doesn't get washed. What do you think happens? It goes limp and becomes thin because it is not breathing,” Shamillah Mohammed, a hairstylist at SUQA, says.5 Hair MYTHS - BUSTEDhttp://www.gilmermirror.com/view/full_st…“Old wives' tales and ineffective products that claim to treat or rehabilitate hair often have a placebo effect because people want them to work,” says Davis-Sivasothy, author of “Hair Care Rehab,” (www.haircarerehab.com). “But many of these ideas and products actually do the opposite of what's intended, and they delay the user from seeking out real solutions.”Davis-Sivasothy debunks the following common hair-care myths:• Myth: There's a magic pill (or oil, serum or balm) to grow our hair faster, stronger or thicker. Unfortunately, no. Hair growth is genetically predetermined and controlled by our hormones. Unless the magic pill affects our genes or hormones, there's no hope that it might make our hair grow. (This includes prenatal vitamins. Credit the upsurge in hormone levels during pregnancy for those vibrant tresses!) Basic vitamin supplements can offer slight improvements in hair quality, but only if our body truly lacks the particular vitamin or mineral being taken.Best answer comes from people with Avatars, showing their healthy shiny, soft, silky, smooth hair.

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• I wish I could tell you that there was a magic potion to make your hair grow longer, but in all reality, you would be wasting your money....hair grows 1/4 to 1/2" a month. It grows a little faster in the summer, and slows down in the winter...keeping your ends trimmed every 6-8 weeks can help....if you don't, the split ends will travel up your hair shaft, and break off, which does not help with the growing process..have patience honey, it will grow...:)

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