Diet enemies

Since Hot Blonde started her weight loss wager, some other members have claimed they've jumped on the diet and exercise bandwagon. So it seemed like a good time to bring up some of the things I've noticed which make dieting harder, or less effective.

1) Restaurants.

For all that many offer "healthier" choices these days, restaurants are overall hard on a diet. In many cases it's best to avoid them entirely, unless you know some good choices and/or have access to nutritional charts (some post them online). Within easy wlaking distance of my office there are about ten restaurants. None offer any good chicoes when it comes to diet. One has a number of salads, but these come either with lots of dressing and/or bacon and nuts. Others offer grilled chicken breast, but ti's actually sauted in butter (argh!). besides, eating chicken breast five days a week for lunch just gets too boring.

The best place nearby is a quesadilla stand on an itinerant amrket. It's available only on tuesdays (the day the market sets up near the office). They make their own toortillas, and they grill rather than fry tehir quesadillas, with only a little oil on the comal (I don't know what one is called in English). If you choose a low-calorie filling lke mushrooms, potatoes, chicken and such, you can do fine. Of course stay away from the beef and cheese fillings (among others). And of course don't ask for a side of sour cream and grated cheese.

My solution is to cook at home and bring meals with me. the problem is I lack the time for that. So I cook three or fours dishes on Sunday and eat them over the week.

2) Snacks.

Ideally you should eat only at mealtimes, whatever mealtimes happen to be (3 times a day, 5 times a day, etc; there are many variations). In practice that's not so easy. And low calorie snacks are limited to mostly fruits and vegetables. So eventually you convince yourself that small bag of peanuts or chips is ok. And so it is, from time to time. Daily, no. Ditto on cookies.

3) Bad habits.

This is probably what got you to have to lose weight in the first place. Maybe you get low carie meals, but load them with high calorie dressings, cream, butter, etc. maybe you keep snacks readily available. Maybe you have two desserts per meal. Things like that. I used to buy half a pound of pumpkin seeds per week and keep them at my desk, sometimes I bought peanuts. The very first thing I did when I started on my diet was to stop buying such things.

After a few weeks, I stopped craving them at all times. Habits are hard to break, but not impossible.

4) Eating after you're full.

One thing every aprent does is instill the habit to "finish the food on your plate," on every child ever born. I undertsand the need, but it can cause problems. Sometimes you'll serve too big a helping, you'll be full at some point, but you'll keep eating it out of habit.

5) Morning pastries.

This doesn't afflict me, but my coworkers often buy pastries in the morning (one downside of having a restaurant with a bakery right next door). Many pastries, particualrly doughnuts, score sky-high in fats and sugars. In Mexico pastries are made with butter or margerine, and lots of it. mergerine has no choletherol, but it does have as much fat as butter. Sugar doesn't help, either. You need some in your diet, but it's best to get it from fruit or vegetables, rather than refined from sugar cane. Adn this brings me to the last one:

6) Coffee and Soda.

Coffee is a great drink and there's no need to give it up. Likewise soda. But switch to sugar-free alternatives. Otherwise you'll keep laoding on empty calories from sugar. Now, most people are sensible qhen it comes to sweetening their coffee, but soda is another matter. A single regular-sized can of soda contains between 35 and 42 grams of sugar. that's a lot, and around 160 calories.

7] booze.

Quote: odiousgambit

7] booze.

I think I've had as many as six drinks over the past 24 months. You can understand it wouldn't cross my mind.

But it's worth bringing up. Every sieter learns quickly that calories come in carbohydrates (4 cals per gram), protein (4 cals per gram) and fats (9 clas per gram). But I've no idea how to reckon calories from alcohol. Not to mention some drinks also have sugars, and many popular mixers, like soda, are high in sugar as well.

Quote: Nareed

But I've no idea how to reckon calories from alcohol. Not to mention some drinks also have sugars, and many popular mixers, like soda, are high in sugar as well.

1) Check on the bottle or can.
2) If not available, it's 7 cal/gram for pure alcohol, or 100 per standard drink.

Calories from alcohol behave a little different from normal food, in that if you aren't eating anything, drinking vodka or any other beverage without carbs can't make you fat. It can however be a substitute for some of the energy content of proper food. I think there isn't actually an agreement on how many "effective calories" alcohol contains, especially since it's a nonlinear and irregular figure.
What can be said for sure is that the effects (on weight gain) of one big drunkfest are much lower than those of a daily drink, for equal calculated calorie content.

Quote: Nareed

1) Restaurants.

If you need to meet someone in a nice place, instead of a restaurant, go to a sushi bar.
Or really anywhere with low-calorie cuisine.
If you don't have a choice of venue, don't go for multiple courses and you should be fine.

Quote: Nareed

So eventually you convince yourself that small bag of peanuts or chips is ok. And so it is, from time to time.

Not if you're dieting for weight loss. Peanuts are extremely high in calories, it's half fat, even though you don't notice it.

The only solution to what to do if you feel like you need a snack is to do without. You'll very quickly get used to it.
Your body doesn't need to be constantly digesting something, it's a very bad habit to condition it to.
I personally don't snack, pretty much ever, not for weight reasons (currently normal), but just don't feel any need for it.
And since you aren't going to carefully measure all the calories you get from snacks, there goes your pre-calculated diet.
Get the term "snack" out of your vocabulary, at least as far as things you put in your mouth go.

Quote: Nareed

And of course don't ask for a side of sour cream and grated cheese. ... Maybe you get low carie meals, but load them with high calorie dressings, cream, butter, etc. maybe you keep snacks readily available.

Sour cream is actually one of the relatively safer dressings. It's got about 1/4 the energy content of mayo and 1/6 that of oil or butter, and there are lower-calorie offerings. Another safe dressing is tomato sauce, it's got essentially no "bad" calories.

Quote: Nareed

One thing every aprent does is instill the habit to "finish the food on your plate," on every child ever born. I undertsand the need, but it can cause problems. Sometimes you'll serve too big a helping, you'll be full at some point, but you'll keep eating it out of habit.

Finishing your plate is a good habit. The bad habit is dumping a pile the size of Chomolungma on it.
Presuming you're at home, estimate how much you really want to eat, then serve yourself half. The other half isn't going anywhere, and it will be hot when you come back for it.

At restaurants, they'd rather serve too much for the less-eating half of the customers than have the more-eating half dissatisfied or outright complaining about small serving sizes. Some more so than others (Chinese and German). But that's a separate issue.


Also, aside from the things mentioned:
Watch what you buy. Food with almost or entirely the same name usually ranges at least twice in energy content. For instance, skinless chicken breast has half the energy density of whole chicken and 1/3 of hind quarters. Different foods that can serve as mutual substitutes can range wider.

i agree with 2 through 6, i don't eat at restaurants to often. but i also have to add going grocery shopping while hungry. not a good idea.


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Quote: P90

If you need to meet someone in a nice place, instead of a restaurant, go to a sushi bar.

There's nothing edible there, I know that much ;)

Quote:

Not if you're dieting for weight loss. Peanuts are extremely high in calories, it's half fat, even though you don't notice it.

Peanuts and all nuts are all mostly fat. So are many edible seeds. But a small snack now and then, say once a month or so, won't seriously impede your weight loss.

I suscribe to the notion that there are no diet sins. I see this in a lot of epople, who think if they "break" their diet for some reason, they may as well drop it altogether. That's ridiculous, of course. But one remedy si to say "It's ok to break your diet a little bit once in a while, so long as you stick to it most of the time." Works for me, too.

Quote:

Sour cream is actually one of the relatively safer dressings. It's got about 1/4 the energy content of mayo and 1/6 that of oil or butter, and there are lower-calorie offerings. Another safe dressing is tomato sauce, it's got essentially no "bad" calories.

I've pretty much cut out all diary from my diet, except for skim milk for breakfast. Even "low-fat" cheeses are mostly fat anyway. Mayo is as high fat as you can get: egg yolk and vegetable oil? Even "low-fat" versions are horrible. For salads I favor low-fat dressings with strong flavors, like cilantro or honey mustard, and I add things like rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar, black pepper and Worcestershire sauce.

Quote: inap

but i also have to add going grocery shopping while hungry. not a good idea.

Very true. Alas, sometimes you don't have much choice.

Quote: Nareed

There's nothing edible there, I know that much ;)

Well, if Carpaccio is more your style...

Quote: Nareed

But a small snack now and then, say once a month or so, won't seriously impede your weight loss.

No, it won't. But how often does a month pass that you only have one snack?

Quote: Nareed

I've pretty much cut out all diary from my diet, except for skim milk for breakfast. Even "low-fat" cheeses are mostly fat anyway.

Cheeses are - you can't make it without fat. Many "diet cheeses" actually cheat by specifying total fat % rather than dry fat %. But not all dairy products are equal.

Don't get hung up on fat. A little fat now and then can be good for you and helps your body absorb nutrients from other foods. Plus it has been determined that carrying a small layer of fat is healthier than being skinny.

Nuts have some of the healthiest, most beneficial fats out there. Animal fats are slightly less beneficial, and should be consumed sparingly. Eggs are okay. Olive Oil is a great fat. The crap you find in Twinkies and Bimbo snacks is garbage that should never be put into your body. (Despite those Takis that I requested from you; that was a one-time food :))

Everything else you said I agree with. It is very sound. For alcohol, I drink red wine daily. It has been proven to be healthier than water in moderation.