Portion Control or "Stop Eating Like a Pig"

I love this topic. Portion control. This is what people talk about when they get tired of telling you about the foods you SHOULD be eating versus what you actually ARE eating. They get worn out telling you to eat more protein, eat less carbs and eat even less fat...and exercise. They realize that it just isn't working. You don't care. You don't even care if they have a top-secret, FDA not yet approved, super diet drug. They just know that you will rationalize over and over and will convince yourself that you can just make slight modifications to your abysmally terrible diet and "lose giant amounts of weight." So when they tire of telling you that, they throw in the towel and just say, "I'm exhausted...the hell with it, just eat less."

Portion control really hit its feverish heights when the documentary "Super Size Me" came out. This documentary followed a guy who ate nothing but super sized McDonalds for about 3 months. He damn near died. Literally. He was eating 5000 calories a day just at a McDonalds. It was so bad for McDonald's that they had to issue a formal statement through Public Relations to address it. They had to get rid of their Super Size Coke and just have the large size Coke. They had to start talking about 'healthy meals.'

When you have to discuss portion control in terms of how restaurants (fast food in particular) are feeding us...you have gone totally around the bend. You are gone. I think that sometimes the newswriters believe that if they don't show the extreme, it will be a meaningless discussion. So they tell you the worst possible story. It's like the 'Scared Straight' documentary that was designed to keep High School kids out of jail. Do you really have to make the leap from the fear of being arrested to the fear of having 450 lb. Bubba as a cellmate who thinks you are his girlfriend? Does this need to happen to convince you that a life of crime is a bad idea? Apparently, the same people developed the idea for 'Super Size Me.' "Wow, how about we paint the worst possible picture and see how they react?"

We covered portion control in our Diet Class at Miriam Hospital. Our portion control classes dealt with how to look at the meals you eat at home and make sure that you eat the portion that you have (or the dietician has..) calculated that you SHOULD be eating at this meal. It is about eating as "Fuel" and not "Entertainment." It is about eating the amount of food that gives you real satiety. It is about NOT eating as though your next commercial gig will be with Sally Struthers in Africa.

McDonalds?  If you are watching your weight, here is my solution. Stay out of stinking McDonalds....and Burger King, and Wendy's and Taco Bell, and any other fast food, fried feast, fat injected family restaurant. You know which ones they are. Don't walk in the door. It is not about eating their regular meals and avoiding their 'Super Size Me' policy. It is about the fact that their 'food' is some of the most fatty and vile stuff on earth. It merits no place on your personal food list.

Do you want to know why? McDonalds wants to tell you that they have a small Coke with only 150 calories. Drink this. Drink this now. It is so much better for you than the 42 ounce, 410 calorie soda they USED to have on the menu. In fact, they are so smart now, they reduced the large size to ONLY 32 ounces. You can buy a 32 ounce Coke at McDonalds. And do WHAT with it? Put out a California wildfire? That is a QUART of Soda. Half of a two liter bottle roughly. There is only 12 ounces in a CAN of soda...and when you drink THAT it feels like a lot. But let's drink a quart. What's next, the 55 Gallon drum? And how many calories in the large 32 oz. Coke? 300. Oh yeah...for a beverage. DRINK THE WATER! Get it for free from that little space in the middle of the Soda dispenser...or but the bottled. It has zero calories.

Fries? Little deep fried sticks of lard. "Can I get a mailbag full of those please?"

"How big is BIG...cause I want to get my moneys worth."

What do the Portion Controllers tell you? They have many idea's on how to use Portion Control to your fat advantage.

(1) Just eat half. Thanks. How about 'Close your mouth?' I get the 'eat less' paradigm.
(2) Avoid buffets. Really? The last time I checked, the buffet charged about $20-$50 depending on the venue. The whole idea of this centers around trying to eat more than you actually spend...and you just spent a lot. Good luck.
(3) Resist upsizing. Enough said.
(4) Eat a child's meal. Wow. I can't believe Einstein is dead. I thought he was alive and doing diet research.
(5) Put your left-overs in opaque containers. You know what they say..."out of sight, out of mind." And I guess, if you have forgotten what you ate last night, you are out of your mind...for real. You might have bigger problems than your weight if you have to trick yourself.

Ok, it's all about just eating less. Your diet should also be about eating less of the right foods. Here is what portion control is all about...for each meal, there is a limited amount that a rational human being should be eating. To measure it, use this chart (courtesy of Web MD).

Let me tell you what has been successful for me. Take both your hands and stretch out your fingers. Touch the pointer fingers from each hand together at the tips of your fingers. Now touch the tips of your thumbs together. There is a space now between your two hands. Any meat you have, it should fit in there and be no more than half an inch thick. Done. That is your meat. Have as many steamed or boiled veggies as you want. Same for salad. One fruit. Drink water. This isn't hard. Get used to food as fuel. Not entertainment.

If you are in a restaurant, eat what fits in the space. Take the rest home in a doggie bag...then give it to the dog. If you keep it, you might go after it after hours.That is portion control. Eating what makes sense...not what tastes good.Good luck doing this. I have made it sound simpler than it is. It IS simple to conceive and then it is tough to execute. Be tough. You can do it. Good luck.

Next: Living Thin

You Want Some Chicken With That Fat?

Oprah, Oprah, Oprah. Will you never learn? Remember the book debacle? The one where you promoted the book on your show and then found out that the author had lied about most of the elements in his book that you were gushing about? Remember when you had the guy come back on and do the 'mea culpa' to get your fanny out of hot water? You are someone that many people listen to and heed like some deity. Why they do this, I admit, I cannot fathom. Shouldn't you have learned from the book experience and wield your Godlike power with a degree of caution? Don't you have a conscionable responsibility to get some facts before you promote something (else)?

People remember Oprah for her weight loss. Notwithstanding the fact that she got thin once in her life and hasn't actually been thin since then, they think she is an expert. As I blogged this week, Kirstie Alley went on Oprah to talk to the guru about weight. I slammed Oprah in that blog entry and got some nasty email over it. Valerie Bertinelli (someone who, I think, actually gets the weight thing) went on Oprah to discuss her weight battle. So Oprah has some level of expertise on weight loss that has been awarded to her by the public. People seem to think that she is an expert on everything, but this week it is weight. Much in the same way that colleges give Bill Cosby a doctorates degree to speak at their graduation ceremonies...you don't really need to do the work, just have enough drag that you can demand the accolade. So now we have our elected fitness guru...Oprah Winfrey.

What made Oprah my topic today? Well, she has been promoting Kentucky Fried Chicken's (KFC for those of you who only know it by that name) new product, grilled chicken. Not fried. Grilled. So we will now be calling them KGC? The grilled chicken is a great idea. If you read my last blog, 'steamed and grilled' is the way to go. Apparently, through Oprah's promotion, you could get a free Grilled Chicken meal. There were so many people that took Oprah up on the promotion that KGFC actually ran out of product.

I like the concept of grilled chicken on the menu. In fact, I am even looking forward to trying it myself at KGFC. It is a great idea!! But, and this is a big butt (extra 'T' intended), KGFC and Oprah still found a way to screw this up. Here is how they did it: they are offering the grilled chicken in a MEAL format at KGFC!

They don't mix people!! That is like mixing roses and mud, oil and water, or prune juice and radiator seal. You just don't put the two together. The objective of the new product is supposed to be health. Let's look at this proposition.

Here is the chicken portion of the new grilled chicken meal.

You can get two pieces of any of these grilled items in combination.

Drumstick (70 calories), Breast (180 calories) or Thigh (140 calories). It should be noted that KGFC loves to toss you one drumstick and one of the meatier selections. I think I respect my readers enough that I know you can figure out why. If we take a Drumstick and a Breast, we get 250 calories. That is more than 6-7 ounces of protein and is more than we need in a meal BUT it is all protein and is OK at this point. You have about 1800 calories to use today if you are a guy and about 1400 if you are a gal.

NOW...let's look at the "meal" portion of this deal.

Mashed Potatoes with Gravy (130 calories). I know the gravy isn't in the picture above, but I also know that NOBODY is eating that pseudo-wallpaper paste without the hot gravy to help it glide down your esophagus. Biscuit (180 calories). Ok, this is a biscuit right? One biscuit? They must dehydrate this thing so you can swallow it and then it expands to the size of a beach ball. A candy bar, full size, is 200 calories. Coleslaw (180 calories). This should be the most healthy part of the meal in that it is made mostly of cabbage and lettuce. Someone must have found a way to inject massive amounts of sugar into the mayo sauce they mix it with because it is running neck and neck in a fat race with the biscuit. Two things that haven't been mentioned are the drink and potential dessert that KGFC sells. Let's be optimistic and think water and no sweets. Entire meal calorie count: 490 calories.

New grilled chicken: 250 calories.
The meal: 490 calories.
TOTAL: 740 calories.

Ladies, you just used a half day's calories. Men, you have about 500 cals each left over for breakfast and the other meal you choose now so be careful. You (anyone of you) do NOT need a 740 calorie meal. You know also that if you have the regular soda, the total will be about 900 calories.

So they have found a way to ruin a perfectly good idea.

Here is what you do. Get the bucket of grilled chicken for the family. Make a huge garden salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, green peppers, and NO cheese. Get some 'No Fat' Maple Farms dressing, my favorite is balsamic vinaigrette. Big helping of salad with one breast of grilled chicken each. Fresh fruit salad for desert with Ice Water for the beverage. Total meal calories (460 calories): Chicken (180 cals), Salad (200 cals) and Fruit (80 cals).

KGFC could have redone some of their side dishes to make them more healthy. Oprah is helping them push the 750 to 900 calorie meal into people under the guise of it being so 'good for you.' It makes one wonder what the heck Oprah eats on a regular basis. In reality, there is no reason for the wealthiest of stars to be overweight. They have personal chefs and can easily afford all the fresh foods and veggies that are typically more expensive than pre-cooked food and/or fast food. Also, stars like Oprah can be on treadmill or be exercising all day if she wants...she can afford enough assistants to have them read stuff TO her and take dictation. If Oprah had this Grilled Chicken Meal three times a day, she'd be bigger than she is right now.

So there she is, pushing the meal on us because she is the 'expert.' Also, like some crack dealer, you get the first hit for free. You will love it. And because it is so good for you, you will be going back. They are counting on it.

So who will you be taking advice from, Oprah or Dick? Unfortunately, for most of you, I know the answer.

Next: Stay between the lines!

You Can't Go Home Again

When you go on the Optifast diet, if you follow it and do not cheat, it is like being in a nice secure bubble. You are insulated from all the bad things that you were doing that turned you into a Thanksgiving Day float. But eventually, you have to leave the bubble. The rest of the world doesn't live in there. That's when your time comes and it's "fly little bird, fly!!" It's time to do the hard work. It's time to look at the real world and address all the things that contributed to the XXL or XXXL person who walked through that door on day one.

At week 12, I hit 219 lbs. I had now shed about 60 plus lbs of ugly fat. 12 weeks is an incredibly fast time to lose that amount of weight. It is weird in that you just seem to be hitting stride and now it is time to think about managing your life OFF the diet. My original goal as set by the doctor was 215. My personal goal was 205. I was basically where the doctor thought I should be. Next week, we would talk about adding another meal to the daily plan. As I have said, I was on three shakes per day plus one carefully measured dinner meal. I now had to consider a diet that was 100% real food. The Miriam Hospital program, in my opinion, excelled at showing you how to manage your eating like a normal person. Strike that. Our country is now comprised of a population where over 50% are considered overweight, obese and morbidly obese. This condition is becoming the 'norm.' So this program was teaching us how to eat within the boundaries of a normal human body, not at the levels we have become accustomed to as a society.

To do this, the education program in broken into behavior and dietary management. I have said this over and over, but the diet management was the most valuable to me. I am going to cover some of the topics in the next few blog entries.

A man of 210 lbs burns about 2000 calories per day. If you want to lose weight over a long term, you should restrict your intake to about 1600-1800 calories per day. Exercise plays an important role. First, you need to have enough energy to exercise. Second, you can burn a large amount of calories depending on how much exercise you are doing. On my diet I was taking in 900 calories per day. I was burning about 2000 normal calories and about 400 exercise calories. The exercise calories came about from my speed walking which I did daily. On weekends, in addition to the walking, I would mow the lawn etc. I was running a daily 1500 calorie deficit. The weight, at this tempo, comes off at a speed that has been reflected in my progress.

Start to think about your sex, height and weight. Look at a chart that will show you your normal calorie burn. That is what you work with daily. The most important thing you need to know now, coming off of Optifast, is how many calories you are burning on average daily and how much you are taking in. We could go into the detail about the type of calories but let's keep this real simple. My 'off-diet' calorie intake should be about 1800 calories daily. I could manage this because I had decided that I would exercise 3-4 days per week and figured I was burning around 2400 calories per day. That number gave me some leeway for any small indiscretions. We aren't perfect and we aren't robots either. So that's my number 1,800.

One of the most astonishing things I learned in the education classes was how many calories I had been ingesting. I had absolutely convinced myself that, before this diet, I didn't consume that many calories. The day it really came home to roost was the day our class covered the "Dining Out Guide." This is a compiled list of meals and their calorie content from some of the most known restaurants in the United States. If you are serious about losing weight, you should go out and buy "The CalorieKing Calorie, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter 2009" by Allan Borushek. If you eat out even one night a week, you should just take this little baby with you. It lists the calories in most foods but it also has a section like our class "Dining Out Guide," only even more extensive. It tells you just how much you are stuffing into that chubby little frame when you eat out in restaurants. You won't believe it. I didn't .

Here are a few examples. As an appetizer (the meal hasn't even arrived yet!!), an order of fried Calamari (3 cups)....1,037 calories. That was more than my diet allowed ALL DAY! Here are some more appetizers. Ruby Tuesday's low carb Spicy Buffalo Chicken Wings with dressing...1,090 cals. That's right football aficionado's, don't even try to tell me that you limit it to one serving either. Especially during the playoffs and on Super Bowl Sunday. Don't rationalize this one...the restaurant doesn't matter! Check out TGI Friday's Buffalo Wings...1,010 cals. Whew!! But you may actually be making a relatively HEALTHY choice! Check out these! Stuffed Potato Skins with sour cream...1,260 cals. The Bloomin' Onion with dipping sauce (because it tastes awful when it's plain)...2,130 cals. Here is the all time show stopper appetizer, Cheese Fries with ranch dressing...3,010 cals. Make sure you have the diet-cola!!

Here is something you figure out pretty fast using these guides, and take it as a tip. The appetizers listed above had more calories than the entrees. They also have more calories than dessert! The golden rule, SKIP THE APPETIZERS and SKIP THE DESSERT. If you are going to eat the meal, an appetizer could multiply your calorie intake by (depending on choice) a factor of 4!! Add a dessert and multiply that intake by 6!

I could cover this forever. Go and buy the book. It will be the best education and investment you can make. Go and find a chart of calories you burn daily, print the number in BIG BOLD CHARACTERS on a sticky label, and put that label on the cover of the guide. If you are serious about weight loss, you may never have another appetizer OR dessert.

Other major thing to consider in restaurants:

(1) Watch the alcohol. It is a source of empty calories and makes resisting the dessert and appetizers hard. You will thank me when you get the bill and see the difference between the cost of two Brown Ale's and two Ice Water's with Lime.
(2) Watch how the meal is cooked. If it says "fried" or "baked", ignore it. Go for grilled or steamed. Watch the sauces. Go light. Pick "marinated in juice" over "marinated in butter."
(3) No pasta and no starch. Go double veggies always with your protein.
(4) If all else fails, go with the Grilled Chicken or Fish Salad.

My pre-Optifast life was one of excess. Absolutely. No exercise. Much food. Much drink. I was King of my castle. My castle of fat.

The walls are down and it's time to live like a person who hopes to see the finish line. It IS possible. But...you can't go home again. You don't want to anyway.

Next: Stay with the new life plan, don't listen to them!!