Determined To Succeed

Hey there and happy Monday. Did you all enjoy your holiday weekend? I hope you guys got a chance to re-juice the batteries a bit, at least. I know I did.

One thing that amazes me about the Fourth of July is how much holidays turn into food expos. Think about it (and we are putting Thanksgiving, Passover and Christmas aside for this), we make all our holidays – and “holidays” – about food in one way or another. It’s Memorial Day/Labor Day/Fourth of July? Let’s BBQ! It’s St. Patrick’s Day? Let’s eat corned beef and cabbage! It’s Cinco de Mayo? Let’s fiesta! Mother’s Day/Father’s Day? Let’s take ‘em out to brunch! It seems like eating’s all we do, especially in this country.

The grillin’ and eatin’ I did over this long 4th weekend wasn’t about “filler,” the meals you and I can have at cookouts (like a hot dog or hamburger, potato and macaroni salad) that fit in-between your “real” meals of lunch and dinner. No, it was about three things – eating things that were healthier (steak and chicken grilled not fried). It was about trying to be frugal (saving money by buying food to make instead of going to a restaurant to eat out). Finally, it was about staving off the urges to eat badly when going to do things over the holiday weekend (like attend fireworks and go to the movies).

Boy they know how to get ya’ going to the movies, don’t they? As soon as you open that big glass and steel door the smell of hot buttered popcorn hits you and it’s all over. You are almost helpless against it’s alluring aroma. As you then make your way over to the concession stand like a zombie you then see all the candy, Coke and other food treats that await your hard-earned money. But I always do my best these days to go to the movies on a full stomach so I can thwart their evil plan and just go be (hopefully) entertained for a few hours.

AMC Theaters even offered kick-ass coupons if you went to the movies yesterday (because typically it is one, if not THE, lowest attendance day in the movie biz all summer). You could get a popcorn and soda, any size, for a buck each. Awesome idea, awesome deal. But I did my best and ate a good breakfast before hitting the cinema (I like trying to sound British every now and then).

For the most part I did O.K., and I even had a sandwich from Wawa for dinner with milk (and alright, alright, a small bag of chips) just before fireworks. That helped me resist things like hot dogs, hamburgers, funnel cakes, sodas (pops).  And speaking of hot dogs, going to the movies made me miss the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest (thank God).

Have any of you ever seen that, um, spectacle? People from literally all over the world (including one who just wanted to “crash” the event and compete without following the rules set forth by – get this – Major League Eating) compete to see who can down the most hot dogs (and buns) they can eat in ten minutes.  The winner, Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, took the “mustard belt” for the fourth year in a row, gulping down a whopping 54 dogs! 54! That’s approximately 16,038 calories!

In my crazy life I once served as judge to a hot dog eating contest and it is the grossest thing you ever want to see. These guys dip the whole hot dog and bun in water to shove it down their gullets and it’s nasty. The thought of wet bread makes me gag and if you ever want an appetite suppressant watch this thing once. Ick! It truly will kill whatever appetite you might have for hot dogs for quite a while (I think I just threw up a little in my mouth just thinking about it).

And while I know most of us – O.K. safe to say 99.9% of us – won’t shovel in hot dogs at a rate of one every 11 seconds (the rate the winner of the Nathan’s contest winner) I hope you did try to eat better this 4th of July. It is totally possible to still enjoy the sights, smells and tastes of the Fourth without eating too much bad stuff in the process. And that is truly a great way to celebrate freedom…

…freedom from the extra calories and unwanted pounds, that is.

P.S. – One food fest I miss, though (and is “worth the splurge”) is Taste of Chicago. Held the last week of June – July 4th(ish) it is a downtown Chicago street food festival like no other. Over 70 local Chicago-area restaurants set up shop and you can sample everything from alligator (yep, and I’ve tried that once in my life. ONCE!) to veggie platters. It is amazing! I do miss it, even though you sooooooo need to workout before and after because you will consume a lot of calories. I try to do it every few years, especially now that I’ve dropped weight. That’s all my poor body could handle. And they do have small “Taste” portions you can try so you don’t get a full order of something, which is good.

Good Sunday morning, my friends (yaaaaaaawwwwwwnnnnnn). And how are we today?

Life has a funny way of doing things sometimes. Remember how I had to go to the dentist, not once but twice, to get my tooth “fixed?” Well…I am headed back a third time tomorrow morning because it just feels – how should I put it – wrong. It feels achy, in a strained, empty sort of way, not in a direct pain sort of way. So, just as a precaution I am going in first thing in the morning.

The last time I was there and getting things “fixed” they didn’t say to me “well, Bill. For the next 48-hours you shouldn’t have this or that,” which is what I guy like me needs. I need some simple, clear instructions about what to eat and not. It is driving me nuts, this tooth-o-mine. As I was out and about yesterday I pondered this and, almost instinctively, reached for a plain Hershey bar in the Wawa. As I did that I caught myself, gave me the tisk-tisk and walked away. But I started thinking about chocolate. Does it really cause cavities? Is it really all that bad for you?

The answer is yes…and no.

Like with all things in the scientific, health-related worlds there are conflicting data. Ugh. I like my chocolate (he says whining).

On the “go-ahead-and-eat-chocolate” side, Dr. Rutai Hui of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College in Beijing and his colleagues did analysis of eight different studies and showed that eating chocolate might bring down cholesterol levels in some people, lower blood pressure and that chocolate eaters were less likely to suffer a stroke or heart attack over the next 10 years.

That’s because they were freaking happy, that’s why (just kidding).

Dr. Hui looked at how cocoa affected blood fats, or lipids, and found eight trials including 215 people. When the studies were analyzed together, the team found eating cocoa cut levels of LDL, or bad cholesterol, by about 6 mg/dL and reduced total cholesterol by the same amount. Analysis also showed that only those who ate small amounts of cocoa — containing 260 milligrams or less of polyphenols — experienced cholesterol lowering effects. People who consumed more showed no effect (polyphenols are antioxidants found typically in fruits, vegetables, chocolate and red wine. A 1.25 ounce bar of milk chocolate contains about 300 milligrams of polyphenols). The team also found that healthy people didn’t get any cholesterol benefits from cocoa, but people with risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, saw their LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol drop by about 8 mg/dL each.

There’s even research that shows chocolate can protect against tooth decay.

Huh?

A study carried out by researchers at Osaka University in Japan found that parts of the cocoa bean, the main ingredient of chocolate, thwart mouth bacteria and tooth decay. They discovered that the cocoa bean husk – the outer part of the bean which usually goes to waste in chocolate production – has an anti-bacterial effect on the mouth and can fight effectively against dental plaque and other damaging agents.

See, now there’s a medical reason to have my plain Hershey bar (just kidding again).

Foods that contain fermentable carbohydrates (FCs) are the nasty cavity-causing culprit. Although FCs are found in chocolate, the cocoa butter in chocolate coats the teeth, making it less likely to cause tooth decay. Chocolate may be high in sugar, but it melts quickly in your mouth, leaving little time for bacteria to attack your teeth and cause cavities. Plus, if you brush regularly, you won’t have a problem!

On the “O.k.-step-away-from-the-chocolate” side…

Pure cocoa has positive effects on blood pressure and cholesterol and also prevents heart disease. However, processed chocolate is what the majority of people are eating, and it contains added sugar, milk fats, saturated fats and corn syrup. These ingredients actually promote heart disease, weight gain, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Also, even dark chocolate is packed with calories. Its fat content may not cause cardiovascular disease, but eating it in large quantities can result in weight gain. (WHY ARE THERE ALWAYS CALORIES? IN THE NEW WORLD ORDER I AM ABOLISHING ALL CALORIES).

The refined sugar in processed chocolate can be detrimental to your teeth when eaten often without regular and proper teeth brushing. Sugar plays a harmful role in tooth decay by providing the bacteria in your mouth with energy. The bacteria begin to multiply faster, and plaque begins to grow in size and thickness on your teeth. Bacteria can also use sugar as a type of glue to cling to your teeth, making it difficult to get rid of with just a toothbrush.

Sugar can also cause and aggravate gum disease. Milk chocolate, along with other sweets, should be consumed only in moderate amounts. It is especially important to monitor the amount of sweets eaten by children to prevent bad habits (including childhood obesity), and tooth and gum problems later on.

So there it is. The good and bad of having a chocolate sweet tooth. I know it’s a bit long-winded, especially for a Sunday morning, but it does make for some interesting reading. I know there is no substitute for good chocolate but fruits provide the same health advantages of dark chocolate without the calories and saturated fats. They also contain natural sugar for those who crave sweets. If you must have chocolate (like yours truly), buy it in the smallest serving sizes possible (like those bite-size Halloween portions). This prevents you from eating up all of your calories for the day but satisfies your cravings.

And what have we learned? Eating some chocolate is O.K. Check. Especially if it’s dark chocolate. Check. Even better if it’s straight cocoa (although I have no idea how that would taste). Check, check. Brush teeth regularly. Double Dog Dare Check. Visit dentist regularly…

Yeah. No kidding…

Happy Saturday, my friends. I am so glad to be awake. No, there wasn’t some burned-up Freddy Krueger dude coming after me with a razor-sharp claw glove and really bad red/green Macy’s sweater. No, just every now and then the labyrinth that is my brain takes my thoughts and dreams down strange, completely weird paths especially when I sleep – especially if I go to bed feeling “full.”

Last night I had a remembrance, what I like to call a dream based on actual memories. I know this is gonna be gross but I dreamed about having food poisoning. You heard me – food poisoning. When I was a kid, I had food poisoning three times, twice from the same restaurant. I know, I know – fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. Anyhow, those instances (and the one that involved some wicked-bad stuffing left out overnight) taught me one thing – ginger ale can help cure what ails you. Even though my dream was weird (NO ONE had a ginger ale. Wawa, 7-11, grocery stores, fast food restaurants – no one.) I woke up not thinking about weight loss, per se, but thinking about the restorative powers of some foods including this golden, fizzy, bubbly liquid and why it really helps our tummies.

Ginger ale was first created in Ireland in the 1850s but wasn’t available in North America until the 1890s, when John McLaughlin, a Canadian, started producing it for his soda shop. This early soda eventually became the best of the bunch – Canada Dry Ginger Ale. Ginger ale is made from the juice of the ginger root, which has been used for centuries as a natural cure-all for all types of health conditions. It can effectively reduce the symptoms of digestive tract infections, morning sickness, upset stomachs, and flatulence (oh, excuse me). Ginger naturally soothes and settles the stomach. For some people, flat ginger ale, with all of the bubbles stirred out, is even more effective for upset stomachs than carbonated ginger ale.

There are three ways ginger helps make a person feel better. First, it dilates, or enlarges, the blood vessels, reducing inflammation, headaches, and providing a warming sensation. Second, through antioxidants, ginger removes irritants from the digestive tract, reducing nausea in addition to the effects above. Third, it blocks serotonin receptors, further reducing nausea and other feelings of discomfort.

These benefits are available through drinking ginger ale, but if you really need relief, you would better off reaching for actual ginger. Ginger root can be bought fresh in many grocery stores, and then brought home and chopped up to be added to food. Dried ginger can also be added into foods, or mixed into drinks. Ginger root capsules, available at many pharmacies, can also be a way to get the full benefits of ginger. Ginger tea, which can be a welcome change on a cold morning when you need something to help with an upset stomach or other ailment, is a very popular option. The heat and steam from the hot tea makes it especially useful for sore throats, sinus infections, and other respiratory infections.

Ginger root may also have a positive effect on certain heart conditions, as it has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels and thin blood. Ginger ale can also be an effective weight loss tool, although it shouldn’t be heavily relied on because it is still soda.

There is no substitute for the soothing, and even restorative, properties of ginger ale when you’re feeling sick. Although ginger ale should not be taken as an alternative for actual medical care, it’s great way to treat the symptoms of many minor illnesses. Ginger ale is also one of the few remedies that, when enjoyed in moderation, has almost no negative side effects (except for the calories, of course).

I wish I could tell you why I had that remembrance. My dinner last night was good and didn’t make me feel ill at all. It was weird, and as you guys well know, I am weird to begin with hence a blog about ginger ale. Hell, maybe there is the whole going-out-to-drink-because-it’s-Saturday-and-bars-have-ginger-ale tie-in?

Damn, even I think that’s weak and pretty thin. Oh well.

Well, this is it. No, it’s neither the biopic released last year showing and detailing (at least in part) the planned series of fifty concerts by Michael Jackson to be held at The O2 arena in London, nor is it the 80s song by Kenny Loggins. It is, in fact, the day before the auditions for Oprah’s “win your OWN show” contest here in the good ol’ Garden State.

I am not really nervous at all about standing in front of a series of strangers telling them about my ideas for my own OWN show. I am, however, nervous and anxious about the actual process which begins for yours truly at around midnight tonight. That’s when I will be getting up and prepping to drive to the Kohl’s Store in Linden to try to secure my place in line since only the first 500 or so people are guaranteed to be seen by the casting directors for the show.

How does all this relate to weight loss you ask? Simple. Today and tomorrow are taking me out of my normal weight loss and maintenance routines just at the  time I have re-engaged my better exercise and eating routines to shed this last two or so pounds before June 9, the anniversary of my mom’s death. Also, not knowing exactly how this process will work I am not sure about food choices tomorrow.  I think I will be OK, though. I am going to pack drinks, healthy snacks and a sandwich in a cooler to bring with me (this way I am not tempted by the Dark Side of the food Force).

Since I have to be up at the crack of, well, er…since I have to get up in the dead of night (insert cheesy, spooky muah ah ah ah-kind of laugh here) I will not be writing a blog post for tomorrow, Saturday, morning. But you can bet your healthy fruit, egg and coffee breakfast on Sunday I will be telling you all about Bill’s Excellent Adventure including what I ate.

Speaking of which, I did really well yesterday, or at least I thought I did. I had a chicken salad sandwich from Chick-Fil-A yesterday. I usually go for their less than 300-calorie Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich (which only has approximately 3.5 grams of fat) but I wanted something different and, since it was hot outside, the coolness of chicken salad peaked my interest.

Sheesh! What a mistake I made! O.K. I know I’m not new and that chicken salad has mayo in it but I didn’t expect a healthy “looking” sandwich to have 500 CALORIES and 20 GRAMS OF FAT!!! Again, as Stewie Griffin from “Family Guy” would say, “What The Deuce?!” Here I thought I’d be having a light sandwich made with the chicken I think is actually seasoned with crack it’s so good and I ended up eating a sandwich that is worse (WORSE) than their own new (AND FRIED) Spicy Chicken Sandwich!

Let’s compare more apples to apples.

In addition to the 500 calories (180 of which are calories from fat) and 20 grams of fat (3.5 of which saturated), my chicken salad sandwich contained 4 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar (!), 52 grams of carbs, 80 grams of cholesterol and 29 grams of protein.

Compare that to their new (and again FRIED) Spicy Chicken Sandwich which has 490 calories (180 of which are calories from fat – same as the chicken salad) and 20 grams of fat (4.0 of which saturated, only 0.5 more), contains 4 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar (4 grams less)), 46 grams of carbs (6 grams less), 60 grams of cholesterol (a whole 20 grams less) and 31 grams of protein (2 grams more than the chicken salad).

The only significant way I found my “healthier” chicken salad to win was in the sodium department. The chicken salad has 1240 mg of sodium while the new Spicy Chicken Sandwich has 1730 mg.

Now that I think about it, maybe I am new. Damn! What a difference. Here I thought I healthy-looking sandwich on toasted wheat bread would be better for me than a fried chicken sandwich. HA, I tell you! HA! And even though I only bought the sandwich can you imagine if I had their (delicious) Waffle Fries with that? Without a drink that’s close to 1,000 calories!

(Also, did I mention the chicken sald laid a little heavy in my tummy afterward?)

Damn! Maybe I am new after all. See what extra ingredients, processing and mayo do to ya? Well, consider me “edumacated” (and yes, I did purposely misspell that) and know I will be going back to my grilled chicken sandwich if and when I do eat there again.

In the meantime I will continue getting ready for what will hopefully be a “first step into a larger world,” as Obi-Wan Kenobi says in “Star Wars.” And while I am doing that and prepping for the Oprah thing I will be packin’ a 310-calorie cold Italian Hoagie from Wawa. Not only is it a helluva lot healthier (no mayo, build your own with fresh veggies, etc.) but I know it’s 310 calories before I even order it! Wawa has this cool “Meal Builder” way to calculate calories in your food before you get there! It’s awesome! I love Wawa!

Have a great start to your weekend, my friends and check back in on Sunday morning for all the juicy details of how one man (O.K. probably thousands) is trying to live his dream waiting in a long-ass line dragging his cooler along for the ride. If anything it also makes a great stool on which to sit.

Happy Monday, everyone! Today is the Memorial Day holiday and I am sitting here at my computer thinking about the week I have coming up this week. It’s going to be weird, fun, trying, adrenaline-filled and cool. And I just need to keep my cool when it comes to food.

Here’s the deal. This coming Saturday is the first live audition for people to possibly win their own show for Oprah and her new OWN network. You guys already know I have submitted a video entry to the “Win Your OWN Show” contest and, according to the rules, anyone can do both the live audition and the recorded one. So I am throwing caution to the wind and doing both, myself.

Here’s the rub. The live auditions are Saturday and they are only seeing the first 500 people of so. What that means for yours truly is I am thinking I will have to get there pretty darn early on Saturday morning to get in line. There is also the distinct possibility that I will have to get in line a day or two early to secure my place in the first 500 as I am sure this will bring out thousands and thousands of people.

And with this in mind a long and strange week begins.

Here’s the deal. Since I don’t know what day the line will start forming I am not quite sure when I will heading up to make myself voluntarily homeless for this once-in-a-lifetime shot.  Yes, yours truly will be doing any and everything he can to make sure he is one of the first 500 in line so he is definitely seen and not heard.

Here’s the rub. I know fer sure (like totally) I will not be blogging on Saturday morning. And if I do have to be in line a day or two early I will not be blogging for those couple of days either because I just don’t think it wise to bring a laptop to the place where I potentially will be sleeping outside with strangers, and I sleep soundly. How soundly do you ask? Well, I’ve slept through one of Chicago’s two extremely rare earthquakes, thunder and lightning storms, you name it, and I don’t want my “Little Blue” (the nickname I gave my netbook) to somehow walk away.

And here’s the promise. You can bet your bottom dollar I will fill you in on ever aspect of everything I go through when Sunday rolls around.

As far as food goes I am at 237 even today which means Bill is a grumpy but re-committed lad. I told you guys yesterday I have been stress eating but after a day of some reflection, some tears and a bit of work I am better.  Being better means I already have this weekend in mind for what I will be eating, so I also have to scope out food sources at the shopping complex or nearby and make sure there is a Wawa (my convenience store of choice) so I can get healthier sandwiches, coffee and water (yep, good ol’ H2O and not Coca-Cola).

Also, I will be working out every day until I have to head on up and camp out. It will be a combination of cardio and weights so that my body knows I mean business because I should be just as committed to that (if not more so) than standing in a line with thousands of my best friends.

They say there is honor among thieves. I certainly hope that’s true especially when it comes to having to get out of line to go to the bathroom. OK, I know that’s T.M.I. but at least it made you laugh. At least I hope it did.

Have a wonderful day my friends, and remember our service people around the world today. It may be the third day of a three-day weekend for you. For them, and for those who made the ultimate sacrifice for which we honor them with this day, it’s about honor, duty and freedom…

…even having the freedom to be weird and camp out to eventually make an ass of oneself to a bunch of producers this coming Saturday. Only in the USA.

It is not often in life we get to visit Mecca, the home and/or birthplace of something we love. Heck, it’s even a rarity in the cartoon world, too (remember Homer Simpson’s all-too-brief “dream job” working as a taster for Duff Beer?). Well, I got the chance of a lifetime wrapping up the conference I attended because Atlanta is the home and birthplace of my number one kryptonite, above Chinese food and above Milky Way bars. You guessed it, Coca-Cola.

Yep. I treated myself to a tour of the World of Coca-Cola, a museum and tourist attraction dedicated to all things Coke. And I will admit now, part of the serious attraction of going was the ability to taste different Coke products from all over the world and have at the end of the tour – wait for it again – an ice-cold Coca-Cola. And I know what you’re thinking: “you mean to tell me, after all your griping about you gaining weight on your trip, you’re a drug addict going to the place that not only sells drugs but makes them?”

Yup.

I freely admit to going into the lion’s den, the belly of the whale. The place where it all happens (well, at least the museum dedicated to it). I have always said on my weight loss journey I will have the things I want, just in moderation. And yes, those of you who read me regularly know I have had a few bad Coke binges from time to time, so much so I had to detox from Coke for a time. But this was going to be cool, seeing a museum dedicated to the history of a drink invented by John S. Pemberton just a few blocks from the museum, itself. It was also a way to confront my desire and addiction to this awesome, yet fattening, beverage.

I won’t bore you with the details of every aspect of the place – the tour and brief walk through the history of the marketingf of Coke, the movies you see (including the 4D one), even its impact on pop culture. What I will tell you, though, since my blog is dedicated to eating (and drinking) and weight loss is the best part of visiting the place – tasting Coke products from all over the world.

Yes, at the end of your self-guided tour you get to a tasting room where you can personally sample, as many times as you’d like, each and every soft drink beverage made and distributed by Coca-Cola around the world. Like the awesome Sparletta brand Spar-Berry from Zimbabwe. Or the Fanta Good Apple Kiwi from Thailand. You can even taste the most horrible-tasting soft drink in the world – a drink available in Italy called Beverly. It is so bad the workers there encourage you to taste it just to see how bad it is (which is wretched). And while the ability to taste these beverages, including my beloved TAB, is cool. I was there for a glass (OK, plastic cup) of the “good stuff.”

Looking around the tastng room I was wondering where the regular Coke fountain was. It was awesome to see that it had a tasting room all it’s own, a room dedicated to Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Coke Cherry Zero, etc. In other words, the belly of the whale. I had two cups, each about four ounces, of Coke and then I cut myself off. Any all-you-can-eat buffet is dangerous and I avoid them at all costs. And in this all-you-can-drink buffet I limited myself to just a splash of each of the six other beverages I tasted because soft drinks are one of those things I am addicted to. It is a comfort food for me and therefore a dangerous one, and I didn’t want to inadvertently give myself the taste for the drug again. So I left after that, but not before taking a complimentary bottle of Coke on the way out (don’t worry, it was only another eight ounces).

My kryptonite foods are just that to me. They weaken me and cause me to go off the rails of my new and healthier lifestyle. I had to, over time, learn to control my cravings and desires for these things because they are all bad for you. Is pop as healthy as water? Hell no, and just because I visit the land of Coke I’m not going to change my mind. It is one of those things you should give up or seriously cut back on if you want to lose weight and keep it off. What was cool was seeing how one guy created the world’s number one soft drink and how that formula is one of the best and most kept secrets in the world.

I do my best every day to curtail having Cokes, you guys know that, and this visit helped me do that. I have overdosed on Coke from time to time. I am a Coke fiend. It is dangerous stuff to me. Every time I visit Wawa I have to stop myself from going to the cooler, the taste is that strong. And to be able to visit Mecca and not claim one of the Coke fountains for my very own and rip it from the wall and try to take it on trhe plane back with me is a triumph. Not just because I overcame the urge to do something stupid that would have landed me in jail, but because I have overcome so many urges along this almost five year weight loss journey(both weight loss and weight maintenance) to give in to the temptations that would easily take me back to being 400 pounds.

I may not have it every day anymore but I’ve never stopped drinking Coke. I never will completely. Everything in moderation, or to use another phrase “drink responsibly.” There are empty calories in soft drinks, and if you’re going to still have them have them as a treat not an every day with every meal thing like I once did. I have to moderate that moderation and not make up excuses to have as much Coke as I’ve been known to have in my life and in the pages of this blog.

When I get back home you bet your ass I will be hitting the gym to work off the calories of convention food, room service and Coca-Cola. I have to because I know I’ve gained some weight on this trip. Business trips frequently make us gain weight because they take us out of our normal routine. But re-reaching my weight loss goal will cause me to make the same sound heard when I open the ever-so-familiar bottle (fizzzzzzzzzz) and taste its icy-cold goodness…

…aaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

We’ve all heard of the BBD (bigger better deal). It comes in many forms. In electronics stores like Best Buy it’s the 47-inch flat screen TV instead of the 37-inch TV. In cars it’s getting the Honda Accord over the Civic. And in food it’s getting the value meal over just the sandwich.

There are times these days when I run to grab a bit to eat at my FFBF (fast food best friend), Chick-Fil-A who has the best grilled chicken sandwich ever. Anyway, I get to the “on-deck circle” (the position before you get to order) and I look at the entire menu. Not that I am not tempted to get their delicious fried chicken sandwich (which at Chick-Fil-A is heaven) but what I notice is how much cheaper it would be to get the value meal with my grilled chicken sandwich.

Why in the hell is it cheaper to get their yummy fried potato disc thingies and a soda? Just the economics of fast food. You so want to save money and get the most “bang for your buck,” so it’s tempting to get the BBD. I did the math. It’s actually the same amount of money roughly to get the value meal rather than components of the meal as separates. Don’t believe me? Check it out at your FFBF sometime.

OK, so I get up to the speak-into-the-box thingie and I decide to order “one grilled chicken sandwich please, no lettuce, and a small side cole slaw.”

Now I have to say one of the reasons I love going to Chick-Fil-A is because they do have a much higher level of customer service, including how they greet and take care of you in the drive-thru. “Thank you for your order. Would you like the better value meal or just the sandwich and cole slaw?” See, I do get why they do this. It’s the up-sell. It’s their job and sometimes people do, in fact, order the meal without saying the designated number of the meal which inadvertently makes it more expensive. So the friendly person is doing a service. But it also is a temptation we, and I, don’t need. “No, thank you. Just the sandwich and the cole slaw,” I say as I receive my total and drive around to the pick-up window.

This happens in my CSBF (convenience store best friend), too – Wawa. Now that I have weaned successfully off of having a daily Coca-Cola or two I do get one as a treat, like last night (sometimes after dinner I really do need one). But that’s when I notice how much “cheaper” it would be to get a whole six-pack of 24-ounce bottles instead of two individual 20-ounce bottles (my new total Coke allotment for the week).

See, the BBD is everywhere.

Some of those constant choice we make along this weight loss journey don’t just involve food (like at a work birthday party where you know you should stuff yourself on chips or cake). They involve money, and in today’s economy it is understandably hard to know you are ultimately spending away more money than you could if you’d purchased the BBD (the value meal; the six-pack of Coke that has bottles offering even more of the good stuff). But I like to think of it in the same way Samuel L. Jackson thought about giving up his money at the end of one of the greatest films of the 1990s, “Pulp Fiction.” In that movie he justified giving up his $1,500 because he was “buying something” for his money. For him, it was so he could turn a new leaf, not shoot Ringo (Tim Roth), take the briefcase to Marsellus Wallace and get out of “the life.”

In my world, when I spend the extra money I know I buy satisfaction. Satisfaction in knowing that, while I spent more money on just the grilled chicken sandwich and cole slaw, I didn’t get the soda, too, saving me the calories (or icky after taste and results of diet soda). Satisfaction that instead of drinking 144 total ounces of Coca-Cola in a week (which I know I would if I kept that Coke in the house) I limit my intake to just 40-ounces in seven days. Satisfaction that I beat a system that seems designed to thwart a weight loss journey at every turn every where.

That is why the BBD doesn’t appeal to me. You may end up spending slightly more money but it’s you that comes out on top in the end.

Cravings. What is it about them? They happen all the time, everywhere. Being an emotional eater I’ve had my share of them lately (especially when I had to drop a very unexpected $2K on my car for maintenance) and I wish I could stop. Milky Way bars, egg rolls, cheese fries, Cinnabon, Auntie Anne’s pretzels and more. As I’m writing this, I have a craving for my usual cup of extra cream, extra crunchy (sugary) coffee.

You know how it is when you get a craving for something. Don’t ya? You’re deep in thought about how to save the planet, the report you have to do the next day at work, errands you have to run – it doesn’t matter. Once that craving hits you it’s like all the other thoughts in your head all somehow lead back to that craving and you try to justify it in any way possible…

“It would certainly help me think better about saving the planet/these errands/this report if I had (insert the name/type of craving you have here) in my tummy.”

I even heard from one of my friends on Twitter today who had a taste for birthday cake this morning – even though it’s eight months until her birthday.

Lately, I’ve had one helluva craving for strawberry ice-cream. I don’t know what it is or why but there are times when I’m just sitting on the couch and all I can think about is having a pint of good ol’ bad-for-you strawberry ice-cream. The last time it hit me was just the other night. I was watching the Chicago Bulls get beaten by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Playoffs (I was also craving a little bit of home). I was sitting on the couch wondering how much effort it would take to actually get dressed, drive to the store and purchase a pint. Is that bad? OK, I know the answer to that. “Yes, it is.” But if we had beaming technology I would have been so there at the Wawa (the best convenience stores on the planet) looking over the freezer to find a pint of Haagen-Dazs Strawberry Ice-Cream.

Yum.

I think ultimately I replaced one sweet craving for another. I have done a really good job as of late weaning myself off of Coca-Cola (at least as much of it as I’d been having) so I think at night, when cravings really get bad and my cravings are strongest, instead of reaching for a Coke I want to reach for ice-cream. It just so happens that I’m too damn lazy to get dressed to go get a pint which is a really, really good thing. I have also been doing my best to be Zen about my cravings. I allow myself to have my cravings every now and then so I don’t turn into a miserable, grumpy bastard but I also control them and don’t make them a part of my every day. However, it all means one thing – I soooooo need to go shopping and get some good healthier food in the house. I need to at least follow the advice of the personal trainer, Jorge, I saw recently…

1. Apples and peanut butter is a great mid-day snack.
2. Cheat with a liquid – sugar free Jello, frozen yogurt, water ice or low-cal pudding
3. Cheat with a fat – like eating a cheese steak without the bread, wings, ribs, cheeseburger without the bun

These suggestions may not help me stem my cravings for delicious strawberry ice-cream entirely but seeing my numbers go down gradually on my electronic scale sure as hell does.

Sometimes I feel like such an addict. It starts with my thoughts wandering toward my addiction. I’m just going about my business and all of a sudden those thoughts start their evil takeover. How nice a small taste might be. Then, out of nowhere it goes from being just a thought to a powerful taste that begins in my mouth before running to and infecting my brain. When it gets there, it’s all over. That’s when my mind starts playing tricks on me, helping my conscious justify having my addiction and lying to me saying “if we just have this one it’ll be the last time.” The phrase “I can quit any time I want” comes to mind. It’s so bad sometimes I feel like dressing up in a trenchcoat, brimmed hat and sunglasses just to “score.”

Now I have been lucky in my life that my tastes, my addictions, do not run to illegal drugs, or alcohol or gambling. No, they run in a different direction. One that promises to thwart any weight loss journey if done to extremes – My friends, my name is Bill and I’m a Coca-holic.

I know I’ve spoken about this before but those of you who know me know I have this “thing” for ice-cold Coca-Cola. I don’t know what it is but I do and lately it has gotten so bad I think the Coke delivery people are wondering why they have to refill the Coke section of the local Wawa so much in my part of town.  And if I have one I get that rush of immediate satisfaction followed closely by “ok, I just want one more…”

See, I am an addict.

Don’t you guys get that craving for that one something? That “thing” of yours you can’t resist? Ice-cream, doughnuts, candy bars, potato chips, hot dogs or Chinese food (that’s another addiction of mine, too, but one that’s way more controllable since the Chinese food here isn’t as good as it is back home in Chicago). It doesn’t matter. EVERYONE has an addiction to some type of food. I can’t be alone in this. Am I?

And what makes it worse if that my addiction goes part-and-parcel with weight gain, and I have struggled so hard to keep this stupid weight off and will be working on that for the rest of my life.  I talk about driving “the gauntlet” all the time (Wendy’s little red-haired girl, McDonald’s clown, Burger King’s, well, king, and Kentucky Fried Chicken’s colonel), but nothing will stop me more in my tracks than a 20-ounce bottle of “the good stuff.”

Jeez! Thank God I don’t crave anything else addictive.

Yesterday was a good day. I didn’t have a single Coke and I feel fairly strong today that I will not have one, kind of like going through detox and coming out the other side clean and sober. Part of that is from that wonderful voice in my head saying there are a million reasons to do bad/dumb/unhealthy things. But everything is a choice and, at some point, you chose to move in a healthier direction. It’s not perfect, and if I fail today it doesn’t mean I’ll fail tomorrow.  I do just keep moving in a good direction while also trying not to eat crap, too. And I so try to ignore the cravings, the call of the impulse buy coolers next to the checkout counters. Yesterday I succeeded and I plan to succeed again today.

Yesterday I spoke of light bulbs going on in our head that help us deal with our weight issues. I talked about how mine went on and that’s when I decided to lose weight. But food addictions can easily knock those lights out again. We (and I) just have to find ways to control them, and I have to find ways to walk away from the Coke. Find a way to turn the light bulb back on by developing a new set of Coke-coping skills. That is a food person’s “rehab.” My Coke rehab.

Coke ain’t a bad thing, and I do try to have it, as well as my other favorite foods, in moderation. It’s just been getting bad lately, hence my weight gain. But the sun is out today and I feel “clean.” I like that “clean” feeling very much, as if the syrup is drained from my veins and blood is flowing strong and free again. My scale also showed me good news today and I so love that feeling, too.

And like any recovering addict I will just take this one day at a time. Oh great, now the theme song from the old 70’s TV show is running through my head. That’s enough to kill the taste for anything from anyone’s mouth.

My friends, welcome to Sunday and the first full day of Spring. The weekend winds down and the hours count down to yet another Monday. This has been the best weekend yet, weather-wise, and everyone (at least it seemed like everyone) was out and about enjoying the beautiful 70+-degree day. But for me, there was a shadow looming. A shadow that’s been following me around for days now that I can’t seem to shake (mmmmm, a shake sounds good. Doesn’t it?) And what was that shadow? That spectre looming?

“Snack Attacks,” that’s what.

I think I have done OK overall, both with exercise and eating. But while this was the best weather weekend it has been one of the worst for the “snack attacks.” It’s weird. I have had such cravings for snacks especially at night. I’ve craved chocolate (my precious Milky Way bars), soda (my ice-cold Coca-Colas) and, believe it or not, ice-cream (strawberry, please). I have to say I am sooooo glad I am following this meal plan because it made me go out and buy healthier snacks like Jello and pudding packs, string cheese and my darling clementine oranges. I’ve also snacked on yogurt as a nice compromise for ice-cream. If I didn’t have these in the house I would have gone straight to Wawa and gotten one or more of these, curled up on my couch and watched TV – a deadly combination.

Today I’m going to supplement my weight workouts with cardio as well as some weight training. That should keep my momentum going in terms of exercise. And during that I’m going to continue to try to curb my cravings for my old (and new) kryptonite. Grrrrrr.  As long as I keep telling myself I don’t need it my mind begins to believe it and I win that particular “battle of the bulge.”

Here’s how I did yesterday with my trainer-prescribed meal plan:

Meal 1 Oatmeal (I replaced this with my Kashi Warm Cinnamon cereal)

Meal 2 String Cheese and Yogurt (this I did have)

Meal 3 Lean Cuisine (while I didn’t have one for lunch I took the suggestion and had baked chicken with veggies)

Meal 4 Apple with Peanut Butter (OK, I cheated here a bit and had two egg rolls. I had a taste for Chinese food and instead of giving in full to the cravings for egg foo young or beef fried rice I had these. They did the trick)

Meal 5 Steak, String Beans and Salad (here is where I had a small salad with fat-free dressing, a spaghetti with meat sauce Lean Cuisine and two yogurts for dessert).

It’s so hard sometimes. When I stop for gas or, worse yet, go into the mall I’ve had to resist more and more the smells and sights of Auntie Anne’s, Godiva Chocolates, Cokes, the food courts…all of it. Damn! But here I stand able to say I did resist (for the most part) so I could continue my downward trend.

I will report to you guys tomorrow to let you know how I did today. Hopefully I can resist the draw of a warm pretzel and mustard, a Milky Way or that ever-taunting ice-cold Coca-Cola. In the meantime I’m going to enjoy as much of today as I can before the rain comes and the temperature dips and reminds us, yet again, that it’s not summer quite yet but beautiful springtime…

…no matter how many “snack attacks” lurk in the shadows.