One kind of unexpected side effect of this whole food battle is the impact it has had on our kids. Weight is not something you can hide, so my kids were very aware of my size. They knew that I was fat - they even told me so. They weren't trying to be mean. But to them, it was pretty cut and dry. When I started this, I had to explain what was going on. It would have been too tough to hide things. They saw me doing the juice fast and wanted to know why Daddy wasn't eating. They wanted to know why I couldn't eat pizza with them. And I have my progress charted on a white board - so they see that all the time.
I have tried to explain to them about it all. It is a tough balancing act. I want them to be careful with their food choices. But, at the same time, I don't want them to hold themselves to some unrealistic body image. The fact of the matter is that God made everyone different. And I believe that some people are just going to be bigger. I doubt I will ever be a "skinny guy." I have a big bone structure. I am taller and broad. I will always have to shop in a Big Man's section, just because of the length of my torso. And I am okay with that - now. I don't want my kids to see themselves as something less than good because they don't fit into a society-ordained body shape.
With the battle over childhood obesity raging, kids are confronted with messages about weight and body image in mainstream media. It is a very important issue. I can't imagine how obese I would have been as a kid if I was growing up today. It was bad enough then, without the constant presence of Kids Meals and soda and processed food. My kids are just like your kids - they love those things. The first restaurant out of their mouth is McDonald's. Even the youngest one - not even three years old - can spot the Golden Arches from a mile away. They are suckers for desserts. They beg for Kids Cuisine and Lunchables. The older two would drink soda every meal.
On the flip side, how does a parent make kids aware of their food decisions and body without giving them a complex or making them hyper-sensitive of their weight. The last thing I want to do is give them an eating disorder (anorexia) trying to stop them from having an eating disorder (gluttony). My daughter is getting into gymnastics. She has been bumped up into a more advanced class to prepare them for team gymnastics. And she is loving it. My wife showed her the old movie Nadia about Olympic gymnast Nadia Comaneci. The girl would watch that every day. Except we won't let her. Several of the scenes talk about how Nadia started "getting fat" and how she "ate bad." Between the movie and watching me, my daughter started to stress about getting fat. We finally sat down with her and talked to her about the weight/eating thing. We told her that she can make healthy choices, stay active, and do her best. But she doesn't need to go down that road. She's six. Six year olds don't need to have that stress in their lives.
So, I have had to walk a tough road - knowing how much to project onto the kids in this weight loss and food change effort. Obviously, there are going to be some major changes in our home - since I won't be introducing problematic foods any more. I would guess I was responsible for 95% of the bad foods coming into our lives. The kids have had to get used to a different menu of foods. We don't have cookies or brownies or cake or ice cream. Mini rice cakes and frozen yogurt have taken those spots. We don't have Italian food or casseroles or pasta any more. We have changed our restaurant choices. They get told "no" a lot at the store when they beg for stuff. They have gotten used to this concept.
But, at the same times, they are still kids. I don't want to take away McDonald's forever - aren't McNuggets a rite of passage? I think Friday Night Pizza and Movie Night is still something worth having at our house. I still want them to have candy at the movie theater and chocolate Mini Wheats and the occasional Pop Tart. And I still think the very infrequent donut surprise is worthwhile. Let's face it - you can't escape childhood without hot dogs or mac and cheese. I just don't want those things to be the sum total of their food intake.
This is completely new ground for me. I have NEVER been the health conscious parent. I used to ridicule the snack box lists at our kids' preschool. Everything had to be healthy. It was crazy. Even this past year, Natalie couldn't bring cupcakes for her birthday. We had to bring blueberry muffins. Seriously? Muffins!?! [Ignoring for a moment Jim Gaffigan's assertion that muffins are just bald cupcakes.] Now, though, I have to be careful for myself - and I have to be careful with them and for them. I can see some of the same bad habits in my kids as in myself. I see their draw to fatty, greasy, fried, sugary foods. They also would be glad to just sit and watch tv and play video games. That combination should be adding up to fat kids. (Praise God for my in-laws' genetic disposition to svelteness.)
I have sat my older two kids down to explain the situation to them. Honesty was key - but not in a way that would make them feel bad about their own bodies. "Daddy made a lot of mistakes with food. He liked to eat the things that were bad for him and he did NOT eat the things that were good for him. He did this for a long time. And there are consequences to our choices. So Daddy got very fat. It made it hard for him to play with you and to feel good. So now he has to change the way he is eating. There are some foods he cannot eat. That does not mean those foods are bad for everyone - it means that he cannot be in control when he eats them. The key is to learn to be careful about the foods we eat. We need to eat more of the food that are good for us. And we need to let those other food be for special times - something we control and don't have all the time."
They seem to understand and have jumped on board. There are times where I point out something about food - especially when I tell them "no" at the grocery store. I explain why frozen yogurt is better than ice cream. We try to find healthier foods they like. I force them to exercise - all of them are enrolled in gymnastics. Their tv, computer, and video game usage has time limits. We discuss this stuff. And I stress the importance of establishing good habits now so that it will be easier later for them.
Overall, I think one of the harder elements about this whole effort has been the reversal of direction with my family. I was leading them all down into the destruction of obesity. Now, I have had to completely change how I am doing things - and how we are doing things. I am the main food preparer, so I am the one who is going to control what is served. It hasn't been easy to totally alter the way we eat - the kids have wanted to be supportive. But there are times they don't like the changes. They miss certain things. There are times when I feel very bad about the example I set for them for so many years. It is tough for a parent to stand there and say, "I was wrong. Ignore everything I showed you and did for the last x number of years. This is the right way, now." But I figure that is an even better example - a grown up who is not afraid to admit their mistakes and try to do things right. I hope they learn the lessons well.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Greek Yogurt Showdown
I feel bad. It's been two weeks since I posted anything. A lot of it is that there just hasn't been a lot to report. Things have been going well - kind of hitting a bit of a plateau right now. Well, that and I've been out of town almost non stop for two weeks now. I've been experimenting with allowing rice cakes into my diet. But I am eliminating them because they have had an adverse reaction on my weight loss efforts. I was actually debating something - which is why I tested them. Is it better to snack on cashews or rice cakes? Here's why I wonder. Cashews have 160 calories, 14 grams of fat, 8 carbs, and 5 protein per serving. The Quaker Quakes have between 60 and 90 calories, 0 grams of fat, 13 carbs, and 1 protein per serving. So is it better to have higher calories and fat or higher carbs? Turns out, for me at least, it is better to stick with the cashews. The rice cakes are almost empty calories - offering little other benefit. They don't fill me up like the cashews can. So I end up eating more of them, or adding a glass of milk, or even grabbing some cashews. So they kind of end up being pointless.
The other big food decision I have made is to switch my yogurt of choice - again. When I first started out on this, I was very strict with my yogurt consumption. I had Fat Free, Plain yogurt with berries in it. Slowly, I allowed myself to move to Fat Free Vanilla yogurt with berries in it. Eventually, I compared those yogurt choices to eating a small container of regular flavored yogurt and realized that I wasn't really saving myself much by being so strict. There was maybe a 20 calorie difference. So I was eating either vanilla or flavored yogurt in the morning, then I would use Greek yogurt for sauces or dips or sour cream substitution. But I never actually ate Greek yogurt for my breakfast. I had tried the plain Oikos stuff and it was pretty bad - like eating a spoonful of sour cream. And one time I tried Dannon's Greek blueberry yogurt and it was horrible.
One day, though, Winn Dixie was running a sale on Chobani Greek yogurt. So I went out on a limb and tried a peach one. I was pretty surprised to discover that it actually was very good. It was a lot thicker, so it took some getting used to. But, after a while, it became my normal breakfast food. Switching to Greek yogurt is a huge benefit to me. Here's why:
Stonyfield Fat Free Blueberry Yogurt - 120 calories, 0 grams of fat, 22 carbs, 6 protein
Stonyfield Fat Free Oikos Blueberry - 120 calories, 0 grams of fat, 16 carbs, 13 protein
You catch that? Same calories, same fat, less carbs, twice the protein. Basically, one 5.3 ounce Greek yogurt will carry me all the way from breakfast to lunch with little to no snacking - maybe a few cashews at 11am. After I started eating Greek yogurt, I basically abandoned regular yogurt. I would still get it to make peanut butter yogurt dip, but once I lost peanut butter - well, it seems silly to get it. I still had this differentiation in my head - Oikos was the best for dips, Chobani for eating. Well, I decided to just go ahead and try the different variations and compare them. Here's what I found.
OIKOS (by Stonyfield)
PLAIN: This is the original type that I used. My mom had it and I tried it at her house. It is a great product - especially as a replacement for sour cream or mayo in salads, dips, etc. I use it on chili, in tuna salad and chicken salad, as veggie dip. It has a thicker consistency so it really holds up well in recipes. That is its greatest benefit - and greatest drawback. Just like you wouldn't want to eat sour cream or mayo straight, you would not want to eat this straight. I would rank it first in the plain category for recipes, third for eating.
FLAVORED: Right off the bat, the vanilla flavor is awful. Imagine vanilla sour cream. There you have it. I was very hesitant to try the other flavors, but I have been surprised. The strawberry and blueberry are actually very good. This is Heather's favorite brand of flavored yogurt. I still am not sold on it. It is not very creamy - still has that solidness to it. It works in a pinch. It is the biggest brand of Greek yogurt, so it is the only one you can find at Walmart - if they have any at all (some of them don't carry Greek yogurt). The one we visited on our trip to Orlando only had the 4 ounce containers. I rank it third in the flavored category.
CHOBANI
PLAIN: The first time I ever had Chobani, my mother in law had bought a big container at BJ's. I used it half and half with regular vanilla with fruit - back before I started eating Greek yogurt for breakfast. I was surprised at how creamy and not gross it was. That is one of the biggest selling points for Chobani - its creaminess. While this may not be a big benefit for dips, it can be good for creamier salads. The other big benefit is for baked potatoes. It makes a super replacement for sour cream - and the creamier nature really is a benefit. For recipes, it is second best. For eating, it is also second best.
FLAVORED: There are two big advantages for Chobani in the flavored category - and neither of them have anything to do with taste. The first is availability and the second is variety. Sam's, BJ's, and Costco warehouse clubs all sell Chobani. BJ's even sells both variety packs of the flavored kind and big containers of the plain. That drops the price under a dollar per small container. Chobani also has twice the flavor options of Oikos. In addition to the normal strawberry, blueberry, peach, and honey - they also have pomegranate, pineapple, raspberry, and strawberry/banana. Their flavored yogurt is very creamy and good. It is a great option - but it is only second best.
FAGE
PLAIN: As I was buying my Greek yogurt at Publix, I noticed that they had the same setup in every store. The Oikos was on the third shelf - right at eye level, befitting the most popular brand. Chobani was on the second shelf. And then there was this weird brand with a stupid name and goofy looking cup on the top shelf. I ignored it. Well, then we went through this stretch of like two weeks where Publix had absolutely no Chobani available - and they had no Oikos either for like a week. I never figured out why. I needed something, so I tried this other brad - Fage (pronounced fah-yah). They had cherry flavored, which is my favorite flavor and one no other company had. By the time Chobani restocked the shelves, the damage was done. Fage is the creamiest of them all. It is ridiculously good. Even the plain is good - like I could actually imagine eating the plain. And I used it on a baked potato the other day. It was amazing. Plus, they have both 2% and Fat Free varieties of their plain. It ranks number one.
FLAVORED: Fage has containers that keeps the fruit and yogurt separate - instead of keeping the fruit on the bottom like the other brands. I don't know if that makes a difference or not. It is a little annoying to have to either dip into both containers each bit or scoop all the fruit into the yogurt and mixing it. But it is worth it. And, the fact that they have a cherry flavor - well that clinched it. But, to be fair, I did try the blueberry and strawberry and they are better also. (The peach is not. Chobani wins on that flavor.) The one caveat is that Fage is a 2% yogurt instead of a 0%. Oikos is fat free. Chobani is mostly fat free - but they have some 2% kinds. That adds like 10 calories to Fage. It also is the most expensive brand - $1.60 per container. And it is the least common - I haven't found it at any other store than Publix. But it wins the flavored competition anyway.
DANNON
FLAVORED: Awful. It is gritty and gross. I actually threw most of the container away. As a result, I have avoided it and the Yoplait brand just to be safe. Leave it to the experts, guys.
That's my humble assessment of the different Greek yogurt flavors. I really cannot recommend switching to Greek yogurt enough. It is a huge benefit to your weight and diet efforts. It provides a ton of protein without a lot of negative calories or fat. It gives you active healthy bacteria - which has done wonders for my family's digestive systems. And, there have been studies that have shown yogurt actually helps in weight loss. (Of course, there are studies that show lots of things.) My next showdown is going to be comparing frozen yogurt brands.
The other big food decision I have made is to switch my yogurt of choice - again. When I first started out on this, I was very strict with my yogurt consumption. I had Fat Free, Plain yogurt with berries in it. Slowly, I allowed myself to move to Fat Free Vanilla yogurt with berries in it. Eventually, I compared those yogurt choices to eating a small container of regular flavored yogurt and realized that I wasn't really saving myself much by being so strict. There was maybe a 20 calorie difference. So I was eating either vanilla or flavored yogurt in the morning, then I would use Greek yogurt for sauces or dips or sour cream substitution. But I never actually ate Greek yogurt for my breakfast. I had tried the plain Oikos stuff and it was pretty bad - like eating a spoonful of sour cream. And one time I tried Dannon's Greek blueberry yogurt and it was horrible.
One day, though, Winn Dixie was running a sale on Chobani Greek yogurt. So I went out on a limb and tried a peach one. I was pretty surprised to discover that it actually was very good. It was a lot thicker, so it took some getting used to. But, after a while, it became my normal breakfast food. Switching to Greek yogurt is a huge benefit to me. Here's why:
Stonyfield Fat Free Blueberry Yogurt - 120 calories, 0 grams of fat, 22 carbs, 6 protein
Stonyfield Fat Free Oikos Blueberry - 120 calories, 0 grams of fat, 16 carbs, 13 protein
You catch that? Same calories, same fat, less carbs, twice the protein. Basically, one 5.3 ounce Greek yogurt will carry me all the way from breakfast to lunch with little to no snacking - maybe a few cashews at 11am. After I started eating Greek yogurt, I basically abandoned regular yogurt. I would still get it to make peanut butter yogurt dip, but once I lost peanut butter - well, it seems silly to get it. I still had this differentiation in my head - Oikos was the best for dips, Chobani for eating. Well, I decided to just go ahead and try the different variations and compare them. Here's what I found.
OIKOS (by Stonyfield)
FLAVORED: Right off the bat, the vanilla flavor is awful. Imagine vanilla sour cream. There you have it. I was very hesitant to try the other flavors, but I have been surprised. The strawberry and blueberry are actually very good. This is Heather's favorite brand of flavored yogurt. I still am not sold on it. It is not very creamy - still has that solidness to it. It works in a pinch. It is the biggest brand of Greek yogurt, so it is the only one you can find at Walmart - if they have any at all (some of them don't carry Greek yogurt). The one we visited on our trip to Orlando only had the 4 ounce containers. I rank it third in the flavored category.
CHOBANI
FLAVORED: There are two big advantages for Chobani in the flavored category - and neither of them have anything to do with taste. The first is availability and the second is variety. Sam's, BJ's, and Costco warehouse clubs all sell Chobani. BJ's even sells both variety packs of the flavored kind and big containers of the plain. That drops the price under a dollar per small container. Chobani also has twice the flavor options of Oikos. In addition to the normal strawberry, blueberry, peach, and honey - they also have pomegranate, pineapple, raspberry, and strawberry/banana. Their flavored yogurt is very creamy and good. It is a great option - but it is only second best.
FAGE
FLAVORED: Fage has containers that keeps the fruit and yogurt separate - instead of keeping the fruit on the bottom like the other brands. I don't know if that makes a difference or not. It is a little annoying to have to either dip into both containers each bit or scoop all the fruit into the yogurt and mixing it. But it is worth it. And, the fact that they have a cherry flavor - well that clinched it. But, to be fair, I did try the blueberry and strawberry and they are better also. (The peach is not. Chobani wins on that flavor.) The one caveat is that Fage is a 2% yogurt instead of a 0%. Oikos is fat free. Chobani is mostly fat free - but they have some 2% kinds. That adds like 10 calories to Fage. It also is the most expensive brand - $1.60 per container. And it is the least common - I haven't found it at any other store than Publix. But it wins the flavored competition anyway.
DANNON
FLAVORED: Awful. It is gritty and gross. I actually threw most of the container away. As a result, I have avoided it and the Yoplait brand just to be safe. Leave it to the experts, guys.
That's my humble assessment of the different Greek yogurt flavors. I really cannot recommend switching to Greek yogurt enough. It is a huge benefit to your weight and diet efforts. It provides a ton of protein without a lot of negative calories or fat. It gives you active healthy bacteria - which has done wonders for my family's digestive systems. And, there have been studies that have shown yogurt actually helps in weight loss. (Of course, there are studies that show lots of things.) My next showdown is going to be comparing frozen yogurt brands.
Monday, August 2, 2010
WEEK TWENTY EIGHT: Famous and Fat
First the quick details, for those of you tracking that on your own "Life Size David Staples Vanity Poster" hanging from your closet door. I was 274 as of this morning. That is a total of 81 pounds lost. The 40" shorts I have fall down unless my belt is cinched up to the 7th or 8th hole. So I am pretty squarely into 38 shorts now. My 2XLT shirts are getting pretty loose - even after multiple washings. I have tried on some XLT shirts, but they are too tight for my comfort. (Some people wear shirts that clingy, but I don't.) I really think there is a bigger size jump from XLT to 2XLT than between higher sizes. Of course, then I put on my 4XLT shirts and realize I may be wrong. Today, I went through my closet and pulled out another round of shirts and pants that I can't wear any more.
Contrary to popular belief - and my wishes - this weight loss has not done much for my physical pain level. My back has been excruciating as of late. I finally went to a chiropractor the other day and he took x-rays of my back. They showed the wear and tear of decades of obesity. I have spur formations in my thoracic area. My lower back has some characteristics of "sway back" - from toting my huge gut around. He adjusted me - which helped for about two minutes. But he reiterated the need for Core Strengthening. So that's the next step. (Sigh - I hate exercise.)
The food efforts are still going great. I have settled into a routine. Rarely do I miss anything - usually it is random or if I am confronted with something I used to love, but rarely see. Yesterday we were at Heather's parents' and went to Red Lobster after church. I got grilled rainbow trout with maple cherry glaze, broccoli, rice, and water. It was great. But there were baskets of those dreaded Cheddar Bay Biscuits all over. I'm not going to lie - that was pretty tough. But I ignored them. When everyone has ice cream, I have frozen yogurt. When other people are eating chips, I have mini Quaker rice cakes. I've come up with healthier options for a lot of stuff. My latest is roasted potatoes - which are amazing. The kids say they are as good as fries. (Yessss, but so much better for you.) I still avoid potatoes most of the time, but that is my rare allowance.
One thing I have noticed it a welcome trend among experts and celebrities embracing a healthier way of losing weight. We've seen so many shady and even dangerous suggestions for dieting come along. I'm glad to realize that others are promoting a similar approach to what I've done now. In case you didn't see the news stories, there have been a couple of updates on celebrities with big weight changes. Drew Carey unveiled his new shockingly svelte figure the other day. Like me, he's lost 80 pounds since January. And it has all been through healthy diet changes and exercise. Here's one story on the process for him. There were some interesting things in the article. One, Carey actually was a Type 2 Diabetic. Since he lost all the weight, his body regulated that and he's off medicine. Another thing was when he listed his foods - he eats Greek yogurt for breakfast (yeah!), avoids starches, drinks only water. It sounded very similar to what I have done.
John Goodman is another who lost a lot of weight lately. Here's one article that talks about his struggle. He lost over 200 pounds already! At one point he was up over 400. Lots of people actually feared for his life. He was like a lot of fat guys - on the perpetual yo-yo. He would lose weight, gain it back, lose it, gain it. Now he seems to really have adopted a healthier approach. I'm glad for him. I also know that it going to be hard for him. He's been known as this big guy for so long, it is going to be tough for Hollywood to change its view of him. I hope that he is able to keep things up - especially when the temptation from his favorite beer comes back.
I remember back right before I started this whole thing, I saw a show about Alton Brown. He had lost a ton of weight and did a show about his process. I was really eager to hear what he said - desperate myself to shed the bulk. Instead, I got some strange convoluted system of foods and meals. It was impossible to follow. Sure, if I was a television chef with unlimited resources, money, and a schedule that didn't include taking care of family - then I may have been able to pull it off. But it just was not realistic. So it just served to frustrate me, rather than motivate me. (That combined with many rumors of Alton's newfound arrogance and mistreatment of overweight people at appearances make me lose a lot of respect for him. It is almost like he projected his hatred of his own fatness onto anyone fat around him.) That has always been the problem with media-promoted weight loss programs. They involve personal trainers or bizarre restrictive diets. I remember when the Atkins Diet was booming in popular back in the late 1990s. People all around me started the diet and lost a ton of weight. They kept encouraging me to try it - since it seemed right up my alley. For some reason, I just couldn't do it. I guess I saw through the hype and even in my gluttonous state thought it was too good to be true. I remember sitting eating with my boss and he ordered multiple double cheeseburgers from McDonald's, peeled the bread off, and ate them. Then he smirked at me and said, "It's just that easy." No way, dude. The second you got off of that diet, though, the weight flooded back. In addition, you had reinforced addictive dependence on fat and sodium. AND, the other damage to your heart and body didn't go away. You still never learned how to eat right, so how was that a good path. (The fact that the creator of Atkins died of a heart attack right at the height of the diet's popularity didn't help matters.)
So many times, celebrities are also praised for big weight loss that comes from gastric bypass. Al Roker was one of those. I know that some people come to the place where they have to resort to that surgery. But there is still the overall issue of not learning how to eat right. There are many people - even some celebs - who gain their weight back after bypass surgery. That is EXTREMELY unhealthy and dangerous. And it very disheartening to people trying to lose weight - feeling that the surgery is the only way to get the results you want.
I can't imagine how hard it is to actually be obese in Hollywood. This is a place that has labelled skinny celebrities "fat." (Jessica Simpson, Brittney Spears, Nicole Ritchie, Christina Aguillera) And they blast guys who allow themselves to beef up - unless it is for a role. I remember seeing the beating guys like Alec Baldwin, John Travolta, Val Kilmer, Bruce Campbell, and Marlon Brando have taken for losing the battle of the bulge. They are ridiculed and mocked (probably by bloggers and writers who never have imagined being as fit as those men once were). There is a legacy of fat guys in entertainment - but they usually exist so people can laugh at their awkwardness and buffoonery. John Belushi, John Candy, Chris Farley, Jonah Hill, Kevin James. They are all of that class of "fat funny guy." There is also that big intimidating guy class - but you have to have the right gravitas to pull that off. Brian Dennehy, Ving Rhames, Michael Clark Duncan. It is such a ridiculous standard. Our society pushes people towards obesity. Hollywood continues to put the ideal image up as some ultra-skinny or six-pack packing unrealistic person. So the gulf between the "ideal" and "average" grows. I feel bad for those unfortunate people whose career is in that field who suffer from weight issues. They must be miserable.
All of that to say, I am glad that there finally are some people who are finally providing an healthy and realistic example for others to follow. Guys like Goodman and Carey are working on long-term lifestyle changes. They know it is going to take time and are willing to invest that time. It is not a quick fix. And it requires discipline. But it can be done. I admire them and salute them for their efforts. Hopefully it will be something that inspires others. That would be a good way for them to throw their "weight" around. HAHAHA. Ahhhhh. Man, that was a stupid cliched way to end a post. I just couldn't help myself. It must be the Baptist minister in me. :)
Contrary to popular belief - and my wishes - this weight loss has not done much for my physical pain level. My back has been excruciating as of late. I finally went to a chiropractor the other day and he took x-rays of my back. They showed the wear and tear of decades of obesity. I have spur formations in my thoracic area. My lower back has some characteristics of "sway back" - from toting my huge gut around. He adjusted me - which helped for about two minutes. But he reiterated the need for Core Strengthening. So that's the next step. (Sigh - I hate exercise.)
The food efforts are still going great. I have settled into a routine. Rarely do I miss anything - usually it is random or if I am confronted with something I used to love, but rarely see. Yesterday we were at Heather's parents' and went to Red Lobster after church. I got grilled rainbow trout with maple cherry glaze, broccoli, rice, and water. It was great. But there were baskets of those dreaded Cheddar Bay Biscuits all over. I'm not going to lie - that was pretty tough. But I ignored them. When everyone has ice cream, I have frozen yogurt. When other people are eating chips, I have mini Quaker rice cakes. I've come up with healthier options for a lot of stuff. My latest is roasted potatoes - which are amazing. The kids say they are as good as fries. (Yessss, but so much better for you.) I still avoid potatoes most of the time, but that is my rare allowance.
So many times, celebrities are also praised for big weight loss that comes from gastric bypass. Al Roker was one of those. I know that some people come to the place where they have to resort to that surgery. But there is still the overall issue of not learning how to eat right. There are many people - even some celebs - who gain their weight back after bypass surgery. That is EXTREMELY unhealthy and dangerous. And it very disheartening to people trying to lose weight - feeling that the surgery is the only way to get the results you want.
I can't imagine how hard it is to actually be obese in Hollywood. This is a place that has labelled skinny celebrities "fat." (Jessica Simpson, Brittney Spears, Nicole Ritchie, Christina Aguillera) And they blast guys who allow themselves to beef up - unless it is for a role. I remember seeing the beating guys like Alec Baldwin, John Travolta, Val Kilmer, Bruce Campbell, and Marlon Brando have taken for losing the battle of the bulge. They are ridiculed and mocked (probably by bloggers and writers who never have imagined being as fit as those men once were). There is a legacy of fat guys in entertainment - but they usually exist so people can laugh at their awkwardness and buffoonery. John Belushi, John Candy, Chris Farley, Jonah Hill, Kevin James. They are all of that class of "fat funny guy." There is also that big intimidating guy class - but you have to have the right gravitas to pull that off. Brian Dennehy, Ving Rhames, Michael Clark Duncan. It is such a ridiculous standard. Our society pushes people towards obesity. Hollywood continues to put the ideal image up as some ultra-skinny or six-pack packing unrealistic person. So the gulf between the "ideal" and "average" grows. I feel bad for those unfortunate people whose career is in that field who suffer from weight issues. They must be miserable.
All of that to say, I am glad that there finally are some people who are finally providing an healthy and realistic example for others to follow. Guys like Goodman and Carey are working on long-term lifestyle changes. They know it is going to take time and are willing to invest that time. It is not a quick fix. And it requires discipline. But it can be done. I admire them and salute them for their efforts. Hopefully it will be something that inspires others. That would be a good way for them to throw their "weight" around. HAHAHA. Ahhhhh. Man, that was a stupid cliched way to end a post. I just couldn't help myself. It must be the Baptist minister in me. :)
Monday, July 26, 2010
McDonald's, I Loathe Thee
Dear McDonalds, You are poisoning the world with your food.
And thanks for a delicious breakfast. I hate you. Nathan
- From Nathan Fillion's Twitter Account (actor on Firefly and Castle)
I have always been picky about my burgers. I don't eat ketchup, mustard, pickles, or raw onions. Over time, I started to eat mayo - but not as a kid. I liked cheese and bacon on my burger. That was it. McDonald's put all kinds of junk on their burgers, and they took like twenty minutes to make one fresh without that stuff on it. Burger King didn't do that. We had no reason to go to McDonald's. Their worm burgers took forever to make they way we wanted them. So it wasn't an option. We finally started going once in a while when they built one eight blocks from our house - and when they introduced McNuggets.
But McDonald's has a way with people - it sucks you in. It is like the Fast Food Mafia. Soon, I had discovered their breakfast sandwiches. My mom started getting them for me every Saturday on the way back from the grocery store. Then, in high school, I realized that my mom was full of it - and the burgers were actually pretty good. That combined with their Jurassic Park and Olympic promotions. I started eating Mickey D's quite frequently.
When I went to UCF, they built a McDonald's literally right across the street from the school. It opened right before I enrolled (a little before the Burger King a couple blocks away). I ate there a LOT. They had free student drinks. Then they had tons of coupons for free Arch Deluxes when that aborted effort was being launched. My friends and I ate there all the time. When I moved off campus, my last house was across the street from another McDonald's. I stopped there almost every morning on my way to my internship for breakfast.
This was also when I started having major acid reflux problems. I didn't know what was going on - just that I felt horrible. I missed days from internship, or left early a few times. I honestly had no clue that my atrocious diet was wrecking havoc with my digestive system - that combined with my quickly escalating and undiagnosed egg allergy. Even with all of that, McDonald's was just too easy to keep in my life.
When people think about McDonald's there are certain things that come to mind. Reliability and affordability are two of them. That is what made the chain explode in popularity in the 1950s. You could go anywhere in the country and get the same quality and price. Sure, that quality was mediocre at best. But at least it wasn't awful. Now, McDonald's is almost the benchmark for affordable dining out. I know that in our family, we have a saying when we try a restaurant. "Cheaper Than McDonald's (CTM)" A dining establishment will get a ringing endorsement if somehow the bill is less than we would pay at McDonald's. It is not easy to find these places - but there are some out there. [In Orlando, Uncle Al's Hot Dogs was one of them. In Tallahassee we have a few places. Our school discount card makes Tijuana Flats and Pepper's Mexican Grill CTM. With free kids' meals on the weekends, Steak and Shake becomes CTM. Black Bean Cuban Cafe always has free kids meals. Boston Market is always CTM.]
There are two other qualities associated with McDonald's: Kid Friendly and Marketability. Mickey D's has some of the best marketing in the world. There ads are everywhere. They have had songs on commercials that were virtually radio hits. And their Kids Meal tie-ins have been legendary. That adds to the kid friendly label. Most of the big family movies end up going through McDonald's. They have cool toys and promotional things like glasses. Plus the McNugget cannot be matched in the pantheon of addictive foods for kids. Josiah, when he was younger, could spot a McDonald's anywhere. Gabe is the same way. If I was to ask the kids right now where they wanted to go to dinner, even odds would be that they picked McDonald's. It doesn't matter if they went there yesterday or even this morning, they would cheer if I asked them about going for dinner. As parents, it is hard to find a place the kids are so happy to eat.
So it becomes very difficult to avoid interacting with McDonald's. But, for me, I have come to the place where I hate McDonald's. I'm not talking about the normal parental burnout. I'm saying that I actually detest the place. When I take the kids, I don't even order anything any more. I'll sit there and watch everyone eat and get something at home. Part of it is that there is virtually nothing on the menu I can have. I mean, look at the foods I could even possibly eat there. Grilled Chicken sandwich (without the bread), apple dippers, chicken caesar salad, yogurt fruit parfait, and their new fruit smoothies (which are okay - but not that great). That's it. While that may seem like a decent option, that brings up the second problem.
Their "healthy" food options are horribly expensive. The chicken sandwich is almost four bucks. It seems like a big sandwich, until you take off the football sized bun. Then it is a pretty pitiful excuse for a chicken breast. Plus it is jammed full of water and sodium. The apple dippers are "only" a dollar. Super, until you realize it is only about a half of an apple's worth of slices. The yogurt parfait is maybe the size of kid's yogurt with a smattering of fruit. All of their salads come with cheese on them - plus other stuff. The caesar is the only one "plain enough" for me - and then you get to top it with their inferior chicken. The fruit smoothie isn't the worst thing ever - and it is yogurt and fruit. But it is almost three bucks for a small! So, if you want to eat healthy at McDonald's, you have to pay through the nose for it.
So, McDonald's tries to position their other food as healthy. They pitch their McNuggets as a healthy option. (Only 420 calories for 10!) DEEP FRIED PROCESSED CHICKEN IS HEALTHY?!? I can't blame them, per se. They honestly tried to do things differently. I remember a few years back, McDonald's introduced a whole line of salads and healthier options. (Salad Shaker, anyone?) After a year or so, they quietly made an announcement that they were pulling most of the promos. There was not interest to justify the new items. The opposition to McDonald's is always loud. They scream about how unhealthy the food it. But then, when the new options were put out there, it turned out there were fewer opponents than everyone thought - they were just very loud. [SIDE NOTE: That is the same thing Apple is facing right now. The media makes things out to be huge whenever someone is upset with Apple. But the number of people is actually small. Apple sold 4 million iPhone 4 units in the first month. Only 20,000 people had problems with their antennae. That is under 1%. With all the news coverage, you would have thought it was 50%, right?]
One of my bigger frustrations in my weight battle has been that even if I can fight the cravings and addictions, I can't find the culture. Between traveling and the crazy schedule everyone has, there are just times when we have to eat out. If you want to eat fast, it is virtually impossible to eat healthy. If you want to eat healthy, you cannot eat fast - and you often have to pay a tip, which jacks the price up more. McDonald's just capitalizes on the fast paced way of life. In that regard, they aren't any different than Burger King, Taco Bell, KFC, or any of a hundred other places. But they certainly do seem to capitalize on that mindset - even encourage it. And I swear, there is some kind of chemical they put in their McNuggets that make kids crave them all the time. For now, I am letting my frustration with McDonald's manifest itself as hatred.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Six Month Setbacks (UPDATED)
Six months ago yesterday I decided to change my life. On January 18, 2010 I sent a letter out to my friends to seek their prayer and help in completely altering how I viewed food. I had no idea how things would go - how effective it would be. I was scared. And I was doubtful. Too many times I had tried to do things right. And every time I had ultimately failed.
But this time, things were different. I didn't try to fit my warped approach to food into a weight loss scheme. I actually changed what I ate - and there was success. Last Monday, I weighed 276. That was a loss of 79 pounds. I was thinner than I have been in over a decade. While at times it was difficult, the new approach to food had been pretty easy to adopt. I was happy.
This past week, though, I have experienced my first sustained setbacks. I didn't cheat and go back to eating my restricted foods. I can honestly say that I have not done that - I haven't cheated even one time. But things have gotten hard. And to top it all off, I had gained FIVE POUNDS since last Monday. I am back up over the 280 barrier again! How could things unravel so badly? I need to figure it out before things get out of hand. From what I can tell, several unrelated things happened this past week that have tripped me up.
1. BOREDOM
I think most people can understand getting bored with their food options. Even when I was eating like a lunatic last summer, I still got bored by the constant routine of burgers and pizza. Now, though, I am functioning with a MUCH smaller pool of options. No matter how good it is, it gets kind of boring eating the same few things all the time. When I am making dinner, there is not a ton of variety. London Broil, chicken breast, pulled pork, chili, sometimes fish. I can mix up the vegetables with it. But I still am only eating brown or wild rices. So I can't mix in potatoes or pasta. That makes things seem really repetitive. Eating out isn't much different. BBQ, Fajita, chicken breasts. Ho hum. If I can get soup, I'll toss that it sometimes. Once in a while salad (I still am NOT a salad fan). But it just gets old after weeks of the same stuff. [The weird thing is that breakfast is not hitting the boredom problem - even though I literally eat yogurt every day. I think the fact that I have changed up brands and flavors so many times has helped.] It is almost like I have started feeling trapped in my new approach. That is a huge change from the joy and freedom I have felt for months. I don't like that feeling.
2. SUMMER & KIDS
I love my kids. I really do. And I love spending time with them. I don't resent being the one at home during the day. But, the fact is that summer time around our place is not always a great thing. I have documented this over on my other blog. Our kids need structure - that is why they love school. This past week has been pretty bad. For some reason, the kids have been pretty uncooperative. My fuse has been very short. It has been a struggle to make it through the day. And Heather's schedule last week had her getting home later than usual. I was running on fumes by the time she got here. So creative dinner plans were not happening. There was a lot of "throwing things together." Or we would go out somewhere just to get out of the house. Either way, it was not very successful.
3. DINNER/LUNCH CONUNDRUM
Through this whole process, lunch has been the one meal I never have completely gotten a handle on. Breakfast I eat yogurt. Dinner I usually make something. Lunch ends up being leftovers. I will normally make a larger piece of meat for dinner to give me leftovers for the week. That extra meat will then go onto a salad or into a skillet meal. Or I'll make a big pot of chili or soup and save the rest. So, when I have trouble getting dinners together - or I am just throwing things together - then I don't have any leftovers for lunch. So that leaves me with a problem for two meals. The dinner issue hurts my lunch efforts.
4. PEANUT REPLACEMENT ISSUE
This has been going on for a few weeks, but I guess I never realized just how bad losing peanuts threw me off. Dessert was an easy thing - peanut butter and banana. Snacks were easy - just grab some peanuts or a bag of trail mix. Now, though, that is all gone. No more melted peanut butter. No more peanut butter yogurt dip. And do you know how hard it is to find trail mix without peanuts? So I have switched to cashews and frozen yogurt. Both of them are fine. But both of them are dangerous. Too much of either of those, and I am in trouble. It is amazing how fast the calories will add up on even good foods. Take yogurt covered raisins. I have had them a few times lately. They seem like a better option than candy. But the calories in them add up FAST. I have been taking them to movies with me - figuring they are a healthier option. But I don't think they actually helped that much.
5. FRUSTRATION
You want to know what I hate? I work hard to eat right, give up all kinds of stuff, create a whole new way to do things. I forego things like cake and cookies. They will sit there in the kitchen and I won't touch them. I'll eat cashews or trail mix. And then, I gain weight if I eat too many cashews or trail mix. That irritates me. I know that nuts have a lot of calories. But I am trying to avoid the addictive foods that seem to be all around me. So I find a replacement - and it makes me gain weight. I would have probably been better off weight-wise eating a piece of cake. But that would open a door I don't want open again. That is where my two pronged approach to food actually hurts me. I am trying to deal with addiction first and foremost. The weight loss is important, but it is secondary. So there are times where - to keep the addictions at bay - I have to make a choice that will hurt the weight loss. That is frustrating to me. It is VERY frustrating to me that I can work so hard, struggle through a week last week, keep on track with my food - and then still gain five pounds. That isn't fair. That is where my mind says, "If you were going to gain five pounds you should have just eaten junk." That is where the mental torture of trying to find something to eat at Olive Garden doesn't seem worth it any more. "You eat soup and salad and still gain weight? Just eat the other stuff next time." That is where I realize that the addictions are not gone - they are just kept at bay. And that is frustrating.
So, the six month anniversary didn't exactly pass the way I hoped it would. The key is to stop this train. Today, I am going to just be very careful with my food - almost go back to the earlier simple approach. My older two kids are at Heather's parents' house for a few days. That will help me re-discover my calm. :) I will go back to fruit for snacks and lighter meals. I'll be sure to drink more water. And I'll cut back on the higher sodium foods. Hopefully that will get things back on track quickly. Most importantly, though, I need to make sure I don't allow the lies to sink in. Giving in is not an option. It is NOT better to take the easier route. I need to re-discover the joy and freedom I was experiencing. And I need to remember this is a long-distance run, not a short term thing. One week of setbacks is pretty minor when viewed in light of the whole.
[July 20 UPDATE] Stupid water retention. So, on Monday, July 19, I weighed 281 pounds. During the course of that day, I . . . um . . . passed fluids nine times. On Tuesday, July 20, I weighed 276 again. FIVE POUNDS LOST OVERNIGHT!!! DISCOVER THE SECRETS WITHIN!!! WHAT IS THE KEY TO THIS MAGIC FAT BURNING PROCESS?!? Go pee.
But this time, things were different. I didn't try to fit my warped approach to food into a weight loss scheme. I actually changed what I ate - and there was success. Last Monday, I weighed 276. That was a loss of 79 pounds. I was thinner than I have been in over a decade. While at times it was difficult, the new approach to food had been pretty easy to adopt. I was happy.
This past week, though, I have experienced my first sustained setbacks. I didn't cheat and go back to eating my restricted foods. I can honestly say that I have not done that - I haven't cheated even one time. But things have gotten hard. And to top it all off, I had gained FIVE POUNDS since last Monday. I am back up over the 280 barrier again! How could things unravel so badly? I need to figure it out before things get out of hand. From what I can tell, several unrelated things happened this past week that have tripped me up.
1. BOREDOM
I think most people can understand getting bored with their food options. Even when I was eating like a lunatic last summer, I still got bored by the constant routine of burgers and pizza. Now, though, I am functioning with a MUCH smaller pool of options. No matter how good it is, it gets kind of boring eating the same few things all the time. When I am making dinner, there is not a ton of variety. London Broil, chicken breast, pulled pork, chili, sometimes fish. I can mix up the vegetables with it. But I still am only eating brown or wild rices. So I can't mix in potatoes or pasta. That makes things seem really repetitive. Eating out isn't much different. BBQ, Fajita, chicken breasts. Ho hum. If I can get soup, I'll toss that it sometimes. Once in a while salad (I still am NOT a salad fan). But it just gets old after weeks of the same stuff. [The weird thing is that breakfast is not hitting the boredom problem - even though I literally eat yogurt every day. I think the fact that I have changed up brands and flavors so many times has helped.] It is almost like I have started feeling trapped in my new approach. That is a huge change from the joy and freedom I have felt for months. I don't like that feeling.
2. SUMMER & KIDS
I love my kids. I really do. And I love spending time with them. I don't resent being the one at home during the day. But, the fact is that summer time around our place is not always a great thing. I have documented this over on my other blog. Our kids need structure - that is why they love school. This past week has been pretty bad. For some reason, the kids have been pretty uncooperative. My fuse has been very short. It has been a struggle to make it through the day. And Heather's schedule last week had her getting home later than usual. I was running on fumes by the time she got here. So creative dinner plans were not happening. There was a lot of "throwing things together." Or we would go out somewhere just to get out of the house. Either way, it was not very successful.
3. DINNER/LUNCH CONUNDRUM
Through this whole process, lunch has been the one meal I never have completely gotten a handle on. Breakfast I eat yogurt. Dinner I usually make something. Lunch ends up being leftovers. I will normally make a larger piece of meat for dinner to give me leftovers for the week. That extra meat will then go onto a salad or into a skillet meal. Or I'll make a big pot of chili or soup and save the rest. So, when I have trouble getting dinners together - or I am just throwing things together - then I don't have any leftovers for lunch. So that leaves me with a problem for two meals. The dinner issue hurts my lunch efforts.
4. PEANUT REPLACEMENT ISSUE
This has been going on for a few weeks, but I guess I never realized just how bad losing peanuts threw me off. Dessert was an easy thing - peanut butter and banana. Snacks were easy - just grab some peanuts or a bag of trail mix. Now, though, that is all gone. No more melted peanut butter. No more peanut butter yogurt dip. And do you know how hard it is to find trail mix without peanuts? So I have switched to cashews and frozen yogurt. Both of them are fine. But both of them are dangerous. Too much of either of those, and I am in trouble. It is amazing how fast the calories will add up on even good foods. Take yogurt covered raisins. I have had them a few times lately. They seem like a better option than candy. But the calories in them add up FAST. I have been taking them to movies with me - figuring they are a healthier option. But I don't think they actually helped that much.
5. FRUSTRATION
You want to know what I hate? I work hard to eat right, give up all kinds of stuff, create a whole new way to do things. I forego things like cake and cookies. They will sit there in the kitchen and I won't touch them. I'll eat cashews or trail mix. And then, I gain weight if I eat too many cashews or trail mix. That irritates me. I know that nuts have a lot of calories. But I am trying to avoid the addictive foods that seem to be all around me. So I find a replacement - and it makes me gain weight. I would have probably been better off weight-wise eating a piece of cake. But that would open a door I don't want open again. That is where my two pronged approach to food actually hurts me. I am trying to deal with addiction first and foremost. The weight loss is important, but it is secondary. So there are times where - to keep the addictions at bay - I have to make a choice that will hurt the weight loss. That is frustrating to me. It is VERY frustrating to me that I can work so hard, struggle through a week last week, keep on track with my food - and then still gain five pounds. That isn't fair. That is where my mind says, "If you were going to gain five pounds you should have just eaten junk." That is where the mental torture of trying to find something to eat at Olive Garden doesn't seem worth it any more. "You eat soup and salad and still gain weight? Just eat the other stuff next time." That is where I realize that the addictions are not gone - they are just kept at bay. And that is frustrating.
So, the six month anniversary didn't exactly pass the way I hoped it would. The key is to stop this train. Today, I am going to just be very careful with my food - almost go back to the earlier simple approach. My older two kids are at Heather's parents' house for a few days. That will help me re-discover my calm. :) I will go back to fruit for snacks and lighter meals. I'll be sure to drink more water. And I'll cut back on the higher sodium foods. Hopefully that will get things back on track quickly. Most importantly, though, I need to make sure I don't allow the lies to sink in. Giving in is not an option. It is NOT better to take the easier route. I need to re-discover the joy and freedom I was experiencing. And I need to remember this is a long-distance run, not a short term thing. One week of setbacks is pretty minor when viewed in light of the whole.
[July 20 UPDATE] Stupid water retention. So, on Monday, July 19, I weighed 281 pounds. During the course of that day, I . . . um . . . passed fluids nine times. On Tuesday, July 20, I weighed 276 again. FIVE POUNDS LOST OVERNIGHT!!! DISCOVER THE SECRETS WITHIN!!! WHAT IS THE KEY TO THIS MAGIC FAT BURNING PROCESS?!? Go pee.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
FAST CASUAL SHOWDOWN: Burgers
A while back I posted a disheartening look at the fast food industry. It was put into motion by KFC's introduction of the atrocious Double Down Sandwich. What I did was put together nutritional information for what I usually ordered at a fast food restaurant. It was kind of startling - just how bad those foods are for you. I had several people mention the article and how it really reminded them how bad fast food was for them.
It also triggered something in my head. Is fast food worse than other food options? When we abandon fast food, we usually end up in restaurants that are classified as "fast casual" dining by the industry. They used to be called "family restaurants." It is usually a sit down place, with a wait staff and a menu. But it, theoretically, offers better options. There is a tremendous series of books out there called "Eat This . . . Not That." Naturally, I avoided those books like the plague when I was eating under my old rules (Rule 1: If it tastes good, eat it.). Now, though, I have found some of the material in this series useful. ETNT has even merged itself with Men's Fitness online to offer nutritional guides.
Anyway, ETNT highlights just how bad some of the fast casual options are, as well. So what I decided to do was start a series where I compared fast casual food offerings. Targeting fast food is like shooting fish in a barrel. (The city are the fish, the people are the barrel. I can't ever hear that phrase without thinking of Tommy Boy.) I tried to pick a range of national chains, but I know that is hard. Restaurants have weird expansion options. And there are tons of places in Texas and California that I have never tried or heard of. Most of these are places that I have seen in other states, or seen advertise nationally. I have also put up some non-traditional choices. The lineup will change based on what food I am profiling.
For the first showdown, I will look at burgers. If we don't go to fast food places to get their horrible burgers, then we have to go to a fast casual place to get them. Are they actually any better? Here are nine restaurants and how they measure up. For a point of reference, I have included one of the fast food places as well.
I also included an appetizer and dessert in a separate comparison. Why? Well, because fast casual places offer those - something most fast food places don't. And a lot of times, we will eat an entire meal - which includes appetizer and dessert. Again, I didn't skimp on the choices of those things, either. I picked mozzarella sticks at every place that had them, since that was a common item to order. And for dessert, it was a standard sized one - not a tiny shot glass size. One additional note: I tried to use TGI Friday's as one of the places. However, they do not make their nutritional information available online. That bothers me. I feel any restaurant that refuses to make that info available is trying to hide something. And, for that, I have lost even more respect for them. Well, if I had any to start with - which I didn't. On to the showdown.
DAILY RECOMMENDED DAILY ALLOWANCE
2000 calories, 65 g fat, 2400 mg sodium, 300 g carbs, 50 g protein
APPLEBEE'S
Mozzarella Sticks, Quesadilla Burger, Fries, Coke, Chocolate Chip Cookie Sundae
ENTREE ONLY: 2010 Calories, 123 g Fat, 4490 mg Sodium, 147 g carbs, 82 g protein
WITH APP & DESSERT: 4610 Calories, 251 g Fat, 8240 mg Sodium, 455 g carbs, 144 g protein
BEEF O'BRADY'S
Fried Mozzarella, Cheeseburger Wrap, Curly Fries, Coke, Chocolate Eruption Cake
ENTREE ONLY: 1508 Calories, 78 g Fat, 2625 mg Sodium, 145 g carbs, 58 g protein
WITH APP & DESSERT: 2888 Calories, 158 g Fat, 4457 mg Sodium, 280 g carbs, 90 g protein
CHILI'S
Fried Cheese, Classic Bacon Burger, Homestyle Fries, Coke, White Chocolate Molten Cake
ENTREE ONLY: 2090 Calories, 104 g Fat, 4850 mg Sodium, 221 g carbs, 68 g protein
WITH APP & DESSERT: 4400 Calories, 255 g Fat, 7340 mg Sodium, 413 g carbs, 116 g protein
DENNY'S
Mozzarella Sticks, Double Cheeseburger, Seasoned Fries, Coke, French Silk Pie
ENTREE ONLY: 2180 Calories, 121 g Fat, 3520 mg Sodium, 151 g carbs, 116 g protein
WITH APP & DESSERT: 3700 Calories, 218 g Fat, 6190 mg Sodium, 405 g carbs, 138 g protein
FIVE GUYS
Bacon Cheeseburger, Regular Fries, Coke - they don't offer appetizers or dessert
ENTREE ONLY: 1730 Calories, 92 g Fat, 1410 mg Sodium, 169 g carbs, 61 g protein
FRIENDLY'S
Mini Mozzarella Sticks, Ultimate Grilled Cheese Burger Melt, Waffle Fries, Coke, 3 Scoop Resee's PB Cup Sundae
ENTREE ONLY: 2280 Calories, 130 g Fat, 3530 mg Sodium, 219 g carbs, 58 g protein
WITH APP & DESSERT: 3850 Calories, 222 g Fat, 5780 mg Sodium, 364 g carbs, 98 g protein
RED ROBIN
Jump Starter Cheese Sticks, Royal Red Robin Burger (with egg, bacon, cheese), Steak Fries, Coke, Mountain High Mudd Pie
ENTREE ONLY: 1820 Calories, 101 g Fat, 2567 mg Sodium, 163 g carbs, 65 g protein
WITH APP & DESSERT: 3796 Calories, 197 g Fat, 4817 mg Sodium, 395 g carbs, 110 g protein
RUBY TUESDAY
Fried Mozzarella, Triple Prime Bacon Cheddar Burger, Piping Hot Fries, Coke, Blondie for One
ENTREE ONLY: 2031 Calories, 133 g Fat, 3873 mg Sodium, 146 g carbs, no protein numbers
WITH APP & DESSERT: 2838 Calories, 171 g Fat, 4576 mg Sodium, 243 g carbs
TED's MONTANA GRILL
Bowl of Bison Chili, Kitchen Sink Bison Burger, Onion Rings, Coke, Strawberry Shortcake
ENTREE ONLY: 1850 Calories, 96 g Fat, 5874 mg Sodium, 140 g carbs, 58 g protein
WITH APP & DESSERT: 3570 Calories, 200 g Fat, 8127 mg Sodium, 288 g carbs, 127 g protein
WENDY'S
Double Baconator, Large Fries, Large Coke, Small Frosty
2100 calories, 95 g fat, 245 g cholesterol, 2630 mg sodium, 245 g carbs, 8 g fiber, 73 g protein
As you can see, there are some surprising things to notice. Wendy's isn't that much worse - and in some cases it is actually better (since it's numbers include a frosty). The two best, according to calories, are the Beef O Brady's Wrap and Five Guys (stunned, actually). The worst? Friendly's new atrocity. The sodium in just about all of them are completely out of control. Look at the "healthier option" Ted's salt content. 5874 mg of sodium?!? That is two and a half days worth. Also, across the board, you can nearly double your numbers by adding on the appetizer and dessert. No matter what choice, you are going to just about wipe out an entire day's worth of calories, 4 days of fat, 1-3 days of sodium, a half a day of carbs, and about a day of protein with just ONE MEAL. Again, that is if you don't put extra condiments on anything, get refills on soda, or add anything else on. Kind of a startling exam, isn't it?
Well, I plan on doing a few more of these. There are several foods I could compare, but I want to hear from both of you who read this. What foods do you want to see compared? Pizza? Chicken sandwiches? Salads? BBQ Pork? Put your opinions in the comments and that will help me decide on the next showdown.
It also triggered something in my head. Is fast food worse than other food options? When we abandon fast food, we usually end up in restaurants that are classified as "fast casual" dining by the industry. They used to be called "family restaurants." It is usually a sit down place, with a wait staff and a menu. But it, theoretically, offers better options. There is a tremendous series of books out there called "Eat This . . . Not That." Naturally, I avoided those books like the plague when I was eating under my old rules (Rule 1: If it tastes good, eat it.). Now, though, I have found some of the material in this series useful. ETNT has even merged itself with Men's Fitness online to offer nutritional guides.
Anyway, ETNT highlights just how bad some of the fast casual options are, as well. So what I decided to do was start a series where I compared fast casual food offerings. Targeting fast food is like shooting fish in a barrel. (The city are the fish, the people are the barrel. I can't ever hear that phrase without thinking of Tommy Boy.) I tried to pick a range of national chains, but I know that is hard. Restaurants have weird expansion options. And there are tons of places in Texas and California that I have never tried or heard of. Most of these are places that I have seen in other states, or seen advertise nationally. I have also put up some non-traditional choices. The lineup will change based on what food I am profiling.
For the first showdown, I will look at burgers. If we don't go to fast food places to get their horrible burgers, then we have to go to a fast casual place to get them. Are they actually any better? Here are nine restaurants and how they measure up. For a point of reference, I have included one of the fast food places as well.
- Applebees
- Beef O'Brady's
- Chili's
- Denny's
- Five Guys
- Friendly's
- Red Robin
- Ruby Tuesday
- Ted's Montana Grill
- Wendy's
I also included an appetizer and dessert in a separate comparison. Why? Well, because fast casual places offer those - something most fast food places don't. And a lot of times, we will eat an entire meal - which includes appetizer and dessert. Again, I didn't skimp on the choices of those things, either. I picked mozzarella sticks at every place that had them, since that was a common item to order. And for dessert, it was a standard sized one - not a tiny shot glass size. One additional note: I tried to use TGI Friday's as one of the places. However, they do not make their nutritional information available online. That bothers me. I feel any restaurant that refuses to make that info available is trying to hide something. And, for that, I have lost even more respect for them. Well, if I had any to start with - which I didn't. On to the showdown.
DAILY RECOMMENDED DAILY ALLOWANCE
2000 calories, 65 g fat, 2400 mg sodium, 300 g carbs, 50 g protein
APPLEBEE'S
Mozzarella Sticks, Quesadilla Burger, Fries, Coke, Chocolate Chip Cookie Sundae
ENTREE ONLY: 2010 Calories, 123 g Fat, 4490 mg Sodium, 147 g carbs, 82 g protein
WITH APP & DESSERT: 4610 Calories, 251 g Fat, 8240 mg Sodium, 455 g carbs, 144 g protein
BEEF O'BRADY'S
Fried Mozzarella, Cheeseburger Wrap, Curly Fries, Coke, Chocolate Eruption Cake
ENTREE ONLY: 1508 Calories, 78 g Fat, 2625 mg Sodium, 145 g carbs, 58 g protein
WITH APP & DESSERT: 2888 Calories, 158 g Fat, 4457 mg Sodium, 280 g carbs, 90 g protein
CHILI'S
Fried Cheese, Classic Bacon Burger, Homestyle Fries, Coke, White Chocolate Molten Cake
ENTREE ONLY: 2090 Calories, 104 g Fat, 4850 mg Sodium, 221 g carbs, 68 g protein
WITH APP & DESSERT: 4400 Calories, 255 g Fat, 7340 mg Sodium, 413 g carbs, 116 g protein
DENNY'S
Mozzarella Sticks, Double Cheeseburger, Seasoned Fries, Coke, French Silk Pie
ENTREE ONLY: 2180 Calories, 121 g Fat, 3520 mg Sodium, 151 g carbs, 116 g protein
WITH APP & DESSERT: 3700 Calories, 218 g Fat, 6190 mg Sodium, 405 g carbs, 138 g protein
FIVE GUYS
Bacon Cheeseburger, Regular Fries, Coke - they don't offer appetizers or dessert
ENTREE ONLY: 1730 Calories, 92 g Fat, 1410 mg Sodium, 169 g carbs, 61 g protein
FRIENDLY'S
Mini Mozzarella Sticks, Ultimate Grilled Cheese Burger Melt, Waffle Fries, Coke, 3 Scoop Resee's PB Cup Sundae
ENTREE ONLY: 2280 Calories, 130 g Fat, 3530 mg Sodium, 219 g carbs, 58 g protein
WITH APP & DESSERT: 3850 Calories, 222 g Fat, 5780 mg Sodium, 364 g carbs, 98 g protein
RED ROBIN
Jump Starter Cheese Sticks, Royal Red Robin Burger (with egg, bacon, cheese), Steak Fries, Coke, Mountain High Mudd Pie
ENTREE ONLY: 1820 Calories, 101 g Fat, 2567 mg Sodium, 163 g carbs, 65 g protein
WITH APP & DESSERT: 3796 Calories, 197 g Fat, 4817 mg Sodium, 395 g carbs, 110 g protein
RUBY TUESDAY
Fried Mozzarella, Triple Prime Bacon Cheddar Burger, Piping Hot Fries, Coke, Blondie for One
ENTREE ONLY: 2031 Calories, 133 g Fat, 3873 mg Sodium, 146 g carbs, no protein numbers
WITH APP & DESSERT: 2838 Calories, 171 g Fat, 4576 mg Sodium, 243 g carbs
TED's MONTANA GRILL
Bowl of Bison Chili, Kitchen Sink Bison Burger, Onion Rings, Coke, Strawberry Shortcake
ENTREE ONLY: 1850 Calories, 96 g Fat, 5874 mg Sodium, 140 g carbs, 58 g protein
WITH APP & DESSERT: 3570 Calories, 200 g Fat, 8127 mg Sodium, 288 g carbs, 127 g protein
WENDY'S
Double Baconator, Large Fries, Large Coke, Small Frosty
2100 calories, 95 g fat, 245 g cholesterol, 2630 mg sodium, 245 g carbs, 8 g fiber, 73 g protein
As you can see, there are some surprising things to notice. Wendy's isn't that much worse - and in some cases it is actually better (since it's numbers include a frosty). The two best, according to calories, are the Beef O Brady's Wrap and Five Guys (stunned, actually). The worst? Friendly's new atrocity. The sodium in just about all of them are completely out of control. Look at the "healthier option" Ted's salt content. 5874 mg of sodium?!? That is two and a half days worth. Also, across the board, you can nearly double your numbers by adding on the appetizer and dessert. No matter what choice, you are going to just about wipe out an entire day's worth of calories, 4 days of fat, 1-3 days of sodium, a half a day of carbs, and about a day of protein with just ONE MEAL. Again, that is if you don't put extra condiments on anything, get refills on soda, or add anything else on. Kind of a startling exam, isn't it?
Well, I plan on doing a few more of these. There are several foods I could compare, but I want to hear from both of you who read this. What foods do you want to see compared? Pizza? Chicken sandwiches? Salads? BBQ Pork? Put your opinions in the comments and that will help me decide on the next showdown.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
WEEK TWENTY FOUR: Twists and Turns
I just finished Week 24 of this whole process. This last four week cycle has been full of ups and downs. I felt some of the worst temptation I have since the outset. And I've had some of the most disheartening things happen - like losing peanut butter. But, it also has been one of the best cycles. I actually lost more in this cycle than in the last cycle - and almost as much as two cycles ago. (I lost five and nine pounds in those.) And I finally broke through the 280 level - which means I am now smaller than I have been since before I was married.
I have looked at some old pictures lately. Our tenth anniversary is in August, and I have been bringing out some old shots from the wedding. When I see them, I think several things. One, man I looked stupid in round glasses. Two, that close hair cut was pretty stupid for a person with a balloon head. And three, I'm not that big. We were in Tampa this past weekend. That allows me to see pictures from the way back time machine - to get an accurate view of how big I actually was. I still have a while to go to get to my college weight. But I am already back to my circa 1998 levels (guessing about that year).
The peanut butter loss was a big problem. Trying to find other options has been difficult - especially regulating the amount of those options. I have pretty much landed on cashews. I prefer the fancy jumbo whole cashews. Why? Because I'm a fancy jumbo kind of guy, I guess. I have NOT gotten into the almond and cashew butters. There are several reasons for this. One, the money. It is expensive to switch to those. I had someone wanting to buy me a jar of cashew butter, just so I could have it and try it. I turned them down. That may seem silly, but it leads into my second reason. I am doing fine without it. I was able to get rid of the peanut butter (on threat of illness). Why would I add back in something almost identical, but three times more expensive? I'll stick with cashews and non-peanut trail mix.
I have found myself really enjoying dried fruit. At first I avoided that, due to the sugar content. But now I realize that eating it in moderation is fine. I always have liked raisins and dried pineapple, but I got away from a lot of that over the years. It didn't compare to donuts and ice cream. Now, though, it is really nice. Dried pineapple, raisins, blueberries, cranberries, bananas, coconut, papaya - all of that is good stuff. I even tried a prune the other day and realized those are really tasty. So, between the dried fruit and cashews, I have replaced the peanuts pretty well.
The other thing I finally buckled on is the frozen yogurt. At first, I avoided it like the plague. Too much like ice cream. But now, it is just a good option. The calorie count is not any worse than eating a container of yogurt. And it is a great dessert. Plus, have you tried these frozen yogurts lately? Good grief. I started with hitting the shops, just to get my bearings. But I have bought some at the store lately. I just am careful about how much I put in my bowl - and the bowl size. If I want to get crazy, I'll cut up a banana with the yogurt and add cashews. I bought Publix brand at first - their peach is awesome. I got some chocolate for the kids and Heather, but I wouldn't eat it. I was trying to avoid chocolate. But I had some the other day. It was really good and I did well with it. This past weekend, Edy's was on sale at Publix BOGO (buy one, get one). That took it to another level. I got a chocolate vanilla swirl. The other one I got was cookies and cream, but I won't eat that one. My flavor was super. They taste just like ice cream, but they have like 40% of the calories. My personal rule is avoid the flavors with stuff in them - like chocolate chunks, cookie pieces, stuff like that. But plain flavors or fruit ones are fine.
It has been a successful cycle, over all. I have found some great food options (frozen yogurt, cashews, fajitas) to mix things up. And I reached a major milestone. I'm excited to see what the next cycle holds. Thanks, as always, for being a part of this with me.
I have looked at some old pictures lately. Our tenth anniversary is in August, and I have been bringing out some old shots from the wedding. When I see them, I think several things. One, man I looked stupid in round glasses. Two, that close hair cut was pretty stupid for a person with a balloon head. And three, I'm not that big. We were in Tampa this past weekend. That allows me to see pictures from the way back time machine - to get an accurate view of how big I actually was. I still have a while to go to get to my college weight. But I am already back to my circa 1998 levels (guessing about that year).
The peanut butter loss was a big problem. Trying to find other options has been difficult - especially regulating the amount of those options. I have pretty much landed on cashews. I prefer the fancy jumbo whole cashews. Why? Because I'm a fancy jumbo kind of guy, I guess. I have NOT gotten into the almond and cashew butters. There are several reasons for this. One, the money. It is expensive to switch to those. I had someone wanting to buy me a jar of cashew butter, just so I could have it and try it. I turned them down. That may seem silly, but it leads into my second reason. I am doing fine without it. I was able to get rid of the peanut butter (on threat of illness). Why would I add back in something almost identical, but three times more expensive? I'll stick with cashews and non-peanut trail mix.
I have found myself really enjoying dried fruit. At first I avoided that, due to the sugar content. But now I realize that eating it in moderation is fine. I always have liked raisins and dried pineapple, but I got away from a lot of that over the years. It didn't compare to donuts and ice cream. Now, though, it is really nice. Dried pineapple, raisins, blueberries, cranberries, bananas, coconut, papaya - all of that is good stuff. I even tried a prune the other day and realized those are really tasty. So, between the dried fruit and cashews, I have replaced the peanuts pretty well.
The other thing I finally buckled on is the frozen yogurt. At first, I avoided it like the plague. Too much like ice cream. But now, it is just a good option. The calorie count is not any worse than eating a container of yogurt. And it is a great dessert. Plus, have you tried these frozen yogurts lately? Good grief. I started with hitting the shops, just to get my bearings. But I have bought some at the store lately. I just am careful about how much I put in my bowl - and the bowl size. If I want to get crazy, I'll cut up a banana with the yogurt and add cashews. I bought Publix brand at first - their peach is awesome. I got some chocolate for the kids and Heather, but I wouldn't eat it. I was trying to avoid chocolate. But I had some the other day. It was really good and I did well with it. This past weekend, Edy's was on sale at Publix BOGO (buy one, get one). That took it to another level. I got a chocolate vanilla swirl. The other one I got was cookies and cream, but I won't eat that one. My flavor was super. They taste just like ice cream, but they have like 40% of the calories. My personal rule is avoid the flavors with stuff in them - like chocolate chunks, cookie pieces, stuff like that. But plain flavors or fruit ones are fine.
It has been a successful cycle, over all. I have found some great food options (frozen yogurt, cashews, fajitas) to mix things up. And I reached a major milestone. I'm excited to see what the next cycle holds. Thanks, as always, for being a part of this with me.
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