The Geek's Guide to Dieting, Part 4: Surviving the Holidays

This is Part 4 in my series on dieting for geeks. This time we're talking about surviving the holidays, the biggest challenge a dieter faces.

The holidays are a wonderful time of year: they bring together celebration, fellowship, and food. Unfortunately, the holidays also seek, relentlessly, to undermine your diet. Everywhere you look, there's an excuse to over-indulge. All if takes is a few days of over-eating and old habits quickly return.

For me, the holiday season starts with an annual chili cook-off with longtime friends in late October or early November. As we near the Thanksgiving season, all sorts of special foods arrive, many of them pumpkin-spice flavored. Holiday pies are on sale. Thanksgiving itself, of course, is the super bowl of eating. A month later we're eating again for Christmas, and just a week after that there's the all-night eat-a-thon of New Year's Eve.

This year, I entered the holiday season four months into my diet having shed 40 pounds. I had gotten into a routine where I was keeping my calories to 1200 a day, and losing 10 pounds a month. I was justifiably nervous as Fall approached: I certainly had every intention of enjoying the Holiday festivities, but I also didn't want to throw away all of my weight loss progress. I decided I would indulge, but not recklessly. If I could make it to end of year and continue to lose weight at half the usual rate, I would be satisfied; then I could go back to my normal routine in January.

Initially, this worked out fine. We attended the chili cook off and of course over-ate. But that was only one day, and since I otherwise stayed on my diet plan everything was okay. By the time Thanksgiving arrived, I was feeling confident. By now I'd now lost 45 pounds since July, so my plan to continue losing weight but a bit more slowly seemed like it was working. In fact, I'd upped my daily calories from 1200 to 1300. Of course Thanksgiving and the next few days involved a lot of eating, but I again reverted back to form without too much difficulty afterward and only gained a couple of pounds from all that Turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing.

By the time Christmas arrived, however, I was starting to crack. Food was being offered to me left and right! There were parties and candy and treats seemingly every day. I did my best, but knew I was slipping into some bad habits and eating more than I should far too often. My wife and I sing in our church choir, and Christmas Eve means singing for three services, with a pot-luck in-between each service to keep our energy up. I lost track of how many meatballs I ate.

Finally, New Years Eve. We were hosting a party for 20 people, and that involved having a lot of food available (such as homemade pretzels and pizza and chips and guacamole) and staying up past midnight eating it. I ate, and ate, and ate. In the morning I weighed myself, and found my 45-pound weight loss had reverted to only a 40-pound weight loss: I'd gained 5 pounds over the course of December.

On January 1st, I knew I had to reset things and work to get back to where I had been. I got a lot more strict about staying on my diet plan and stopped making exceptions. Now that the holidays are over, the constant temptations are gone.

Looking back, I survived the holidays but could have done better. I give myself a B instead of an A. I did gain a bit more weight than I'd wanted to (5 pounds), but I didn't completely unravel things. My plan for next year is to have less in the way of left-overs: left-overs can turn a day of over-eating into several.

The Geek's Guide to Dieting, Part 3: Diet-friendly Fast-food Options

This is part 3 in a series on dieting for geeks. Today I'll discuss diet-friendly lunch options when eating out.

Buffalo Wild Wings

Buffalo Wild Wings most popular items are the boneless wings with one of the many sauces. You're essentially looking at 100 calories per wing here, so choose a smaller-size portion such as the snack size (5 wings, 1 sauce) and you'll be okay.

Buffalo Wild Wings Snack-size Boneless Wings (500)

Chili's

A lot of the delicious food at Chili's is out of reach: we're talking calorie counts in the thousands. However, they do have some low-calorie options that are quite good. Although they don't generally list calories on the menu, they do have a Lighter Choices section which does. Options here are Spicy Chile Chicken (420), Ancho Salmon (590), Classic Sirloin with Grilled Avocado (420), Mango-Chile Chicken (510), Mango-Chile Talapia (520), Grilled Chicken Salad (440), and Margarita Grilled Chicken (590). I'm personally fond of the Mango-Chile Chicken.

Chili's Mango-Chile Chicken (510)

In-n-Out Burger

In-n-Out Burger can be done, but you'll probably be getting a single item rather than a full meal. A cheeseburger is 480, but protein-style (no bun) is 330. A Double-Double is 670, or protein style is 520. French fries are 395.

In-n-Out Protein Cheeseburger (330)

Jersey Mike's

Jersey Mike's is hands-down my favorite sandwich chain, but like most sub places the majority of the food is way up there in calories. However, there are some lower-calorie options. Start by getting a mini-size sandwich on whole wheat. A Turkey (#7) mini on whole wheat, prepared Mike's Way, is 410.

Jersey Mike's #7 Turkey Mini on Wheat, Mike's Way (410)

Kentucky Fried Chicken

KFC might seem like something to avoid on a diet, but you can make it work. Original-recipe chicken is lower than you might think, at Breast (320), Thigh (270), Drumstick (160), Wing (120). Individual sides really vary, so choose carefully. On the higher side we have Cole Slaw (170), Mac & Cheese (170), and Mashed Potatoes & Gravy (120). On the low side is Corn on the Cob (70) and Green Beans (25) which are quite doable.

KFC Original Chicken Breast (320)

Panda Express

Panda Express nicely lists the calories on their menu. In particular, take note that the popular sides (white rice, fried rice, chow mein) are 380-520 calories alone! That means you're in trouble before you even select an entree. Fortunately, there is the mixed veggies side option which is only 80 calories. If you go with mixed veggies, you can enjoy an entree or two without killing your calorie count. The entries with lowest calorie counts are broccoli beef (150), string bean chicken (190) and mushroom chicken (170).

Panda Express Broccoli Beef (150)

Panera

Panera is one of my favorite places to eat, but some of their yummy food is off-the-charts high in calories (mac and cheese is 450-900). Be careful of sides: a baguette or soft dinner role on the side will add 180/190 calories to your meal. But you can make Panera work if you focus on the lower-calorie choices, and they helpfully have the calories listed on the menu. The Green Goddess Cobb Salad with Chicken makes a filling lunch at 520 calories. If you get a Pick 2, good choices for soup are Turkey Chili (170) or Broccoli Cheddar soup (230). For Pick 2 sandwiches, best bets are Steak and Arugula (250) or Turkey Breast on Whole Grain (280).

Panera Pick 2 Steak & Arugula Sandwich (250)+Turkey Chili (170)

Rubio's Coastal Grill

Rubio's is a popular Mexican food chain headquartered in Southern California. Famous for their fish tacos, Rubio's offers delicious fresh food and prominently displays calories on their menu; unfortunately, much of this yummy food is off-the-charts high in calories. Good options for the calorie-conscious dieter are individual tacos such as the Wild Mahi Mahi Taco (240), Classic Steak Taco (200), Classic Chicken Taco (250), Grilled Gourmet Taco with Chicken (330). The Grilled Street Tacos entree (three snack-size tacos) is also diet-friendly, at Chicken (100) or Steak (120). The dish that I always get, however, is the Balsamic & Roasted Veggie Salad with Chicken (310): it's a large bowl of food and is really good.

Rubio's Balsamic and Roasted Veggie Salad (310)

Sonic

Sonic is another tasty place where most of the menu is out of reach (don't go near a milkshake), but there are options for you. For burgers, your best bet is the Sonic Jr. Deluxe Cheeseburger (420) or Sonic Jr. Double Cheeseburger (520). For chicken, the Classic Grilled Chicken Sandwich (450), Chicken Strip Sandwich (440), or Crispy Chicken Sandwich (580).

Sonic Classic Grilled Chicken Sandwich (450)

Subway

Subway isn't my favorite sandwich place, but given its size and popularity I thought I should list it here. Start with 6" sandwiches on wheat, and beware sauces that can add hundreds of additional calories. Sandwiches on Subway's "Fresh Fit Choices" menu include Turkey Breast (280), Black Forest Ham (290), Subway Club (310), Oven Roasted Chicken (320), Roast Beef (320), Rotisserie-style Chicken (350), and Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki (370).

Subway 6" Turkey Breast on Whole Wheat (280)

Well, there you have it--fast food on a diet can be done, if you look for the low-calorie options. I'll be expanding this list over time.

In Part 4, we'll look at surviving the holidays.

The Geek's Guide to Dieting, Part 2: Diet-friendly Foods

In Part 1, I shared my diet plan. Here in Part 2, I'll share some of the foods I've found that make my reduced-calorie diet work.

Breakfast: Dannon Light & Fit Yogurt (80 cals), Coffee with Creamer (40 cals)

If I wasn't dieting, I'd be enjoying a Jimmy Dean sausage, egg and crossant sandwich most mornings for breakfast. But I am dieting, so that's out. Breakfast is the most challenging meal of the day for me: I'm only allowing 120 calories for it, and there's a long stretch between it and lunchtime.

What works best is yogurt, but which one? The craze right now is Greek yogurt--which I really don't like. Fortunately, Dannon's Light & Fit Greek yogurt (80 calories) tastes great. In fact, they've done something remarkable with the huge variety of delicious flavors they offer. It comes in Banana Cream, Blackberry, Blueberry, Caramel Macchiato, Cherry, Cherry Chocolate, Citrus Blend, Key Lime, Peach, Pineapple, Pomegranate Berry, Raspberry, Raspberry Chocolate, Salted Caramel, Strawberry, Strawberry Banana, Strawberry Cheesecake, Toasted Coconut Vanilla, and Vanilla. They're always experimenting with new flavors too, so it doesn't stop there. I've recently seen limited edition flavors as well such as Pumpkin Pie. I've tried about half of these so far, and nearly all of them are really delicious.

But it doesn't stop there. There's also Dannon Light & Fit Yogurt Mousse (also 80 calories), which tastes more like a dessert. These come in Cherry Cheesecake, Coconut Cream, French Vanilla, Lemon Meringue, Blueberry Tart, Raspberry & White Chocolate, and Salted Caramel flavors.

You can buy Dannon Light & Fit Yogurt in packs of 6 or individually.

With my yogurt I'll have a cup of Breakfast Blend coffee (2 calories) from my Keurig and some creamer (30-40 calories).

Snack: Pickles (0 calories) or Tangerine (40)

Pickles have a special place in the world of dieting because most varieties have zero calories. Don't believe me? Check out the nutrition facts label on a jar of pickles and see for yourself. How can this be? Well, it turns out the energy it takes to digest pickles offsets the calories, coming out to a net of 0 calories. For me, pickles are a welcome snack in that long morning stretch between breakfast and lunch.

Pickles: 0 calories

Another good snack are cuties (tangerines), only about 40 calories each.

Cuties: 40 calories

Lunch: Lean Cuisine Microwave Meals

I work from home most days, so microwave meals are typically what I have for lunch. If dieting were not a concern, I'd favor meals from Stouffers and Marie Callenders. But I am dieting, so I need leaner choices. Lean Cuisine to the rescue! Lean Cuisine has a large offering of meals with low calories and many of them are quite good. I'm especially fond of their under-200 calorie meals such as Herb Roasted Chicken and Steak Portabella, because these leave me enough calories for a mid-afternoon follow-up meal. Also good from Lean Cuisine are their Chicken Parmesan (310 calories), Ranchero Braised Beef (250) and Fiesta Grilled Chicken (250). Another note in Lean Cuisine's favor is honest labeling. I can't tell you how many times I've bought a microwave meal from some other brand only to find out the calories on the front were misleading due to how they figure portion size. With Lean Cuisine, they're very clear with their calorie labeling.

Good meals under 200 cals from Lean Cuisine

Very good from Lean Cuisine in the 250-310 cal range

or:

Boston Market Turkey Medallions--a good portion of food (Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Vegetables), only 230 calories.

With one of these meals for lunch, I'm satisfied until my mid-afternoon meal.

Lunch Part 2: Mid-Afternoon Meal: Ready-Pac Bistro Bowl Salad

By 2:30 or 3:00pm I'm getting hungry again, but I have room for another meal because I kept my lunch to 200-300 calories. Ready-Pac Bistro Bowl Salads make a great follow up. They have a large variety in the 210-330 calorie range and most of them are quite good. There's a good variety and they are easy to prepare: just mix the toppings and dressing and stir.

Bistro Bowl Salads

My favorite is the Chef Salad (240 calories). If I need to stay on the lower side of calories, I'll go with the Caprese Salad with Balsamic Dressing or the Walnut Cranberry salad with Raspberry dressing (each 210 calories). The Santa Fe, Bacon Blue Wedge and Turkey & Bacon Cobb are also good, but I'll have those less often because they are 290 calories.

With my mid-afternoon salad, it's smooth coasting till dinner time.

Dinner: Home Cooking

My wife usually cooks for dinner, so it could be something different each time.  Fortunately, she's good at helping me figure out the calories. On my diet plan, I've kept 600 calories (half my daily allowance) reserved so I can have a satisfying dinner.

Dessert: Sugar-free Jello and Diet Snapple

In the evening, I may have a sugar-free Jello (10 calories) or a Diet Peach Snapple (10 calories).

Well, there's my default meal plan. Of course, I sometimes eat out or have to drive in to the office, which changes things. In Part 3, we'll explore survivor tips for eating lunch at fast food places.

The Geek's Guide to Dieting, Part 1

I started dieting 3 4 months ago, and as of today I've lost over 30 40 lbs. I thought I'd share some tips on how I've been able to reduce weight and stick to my diet plan. In Part 2, I'll also discuss some of the diet-friendly (yet tasty) foods I've latched on to.

I've lost more than 2 bowling balls of weight

Let me begin with some words of encouragement: you can do this! If I can do it, anyone can. As you'll read below, I'm about the worst candidate for weight loss you can imagine, yet I'm doing it. You can too.

The Geek's Dilemma: A Sedentary Lifestyle

I've certainly attempted diets before, usually ending in failure. One thing I learned from those experiences is that temporary diets are destined to fail, because when they're over you revert back to life as usual. Instead, you've got to make permanent lifestyle changes that you can stick with. This time around, I've been able to do that and that's why it's been working. 

As anyone who's ever made a New Year's resolution knows, lifestyle changes are hard. I think it's even harder for geeks who can't tear themselves away from their work. I'm a software developer with project responsibilities and looming deadlines, and that means a sedentary lifestyle. I spend 12 hours+ a day sitting. There's not a whole lot of exercise going on, other than conjugal visits (heh heh). And realistically, that's not going to change much. I may take an occasional walk but it's been hard to get into a daily exercise routine. That leaves food as the logical area of focus for me, and that's where I've had some success.

Another challenge for me is that I really love food! My wife is an excellent cook. Gourmet cooking is her hobby, so there's lots of good food at home. Half the time Food Network is what we're watching on TV. Plus, we like to dine out. We usually dine out as a family every Sunday.

Lastly, I have Type 2 Diabetes which really complicates things. With diabetes you're needing to eat often, but with a diet you've got to eat less. What prompted me to start dieting again was the realization that I've been putting on a great deal of weight year after year since the onset of diabetes about 5 years ago. 

Limiting Your Daily Calories

But what kind of diet to go on? There are endless diets to choose from, but I had some specific criteria to narrow things down. I needed something that would be:

1. Simple

2. Not expensive

3. Not unpleasant

4. Not disruptive to family dinners

This criteria quickly eliminated many diet approaches. Special diet foods were out: they cost a lot of money, taste foul, and complicate family dinners if I have to eat something different from everybody else. 

I ultimately settled on something very, very simple: limiting the amount of calories I eat each day. Simply eating less has a lot going for it. It doesn't restrict what you eat. When eating with others, you don't have to be eating something different.

I started out at 1800 calories a day, but wasn't seeing much weight loss so I reduced that until I started getting results. Since getting down to 1200 calories a day, weight loss has been around 10 lbs a month. (Note: if you're considering limiting your daily calories, you should set a limit that makes sense for your height and weight. There are online calculators for that, or even better discuss with your doctor.)

Tracking Your Calories

With a firm calorie/day goal in mind, the next question is how to keep track of everything you put into your mouth. These days, that's fairly easy. Many restaurants now display calories on their menu and/or have nutrition information on their web sites. Food products you purchase list calories in their Nutrition Facts labels. For dishes prepared at home, there are apps that let you enter ingredients and calculate calories for the dish.

Speaking of apps, an invaluable tool for tracking calories is My Fitness Pal, a free phone app. It lets you set and track your daily calorie goals and track what you eat (with an enormous database of foods and calories). It also keeps track of your weight goal and lets you enter your weight as it changes. My Fitness Pal is a key element to my diet plan.

  

Tracking meals in My Fitness Pal

Weight reduction progress in My Fitness Pal

Sticking to a Daily Routine

I settled into a daily eating routine that has become ingrained in me, which is very helpful to sticking to the diet plan. Here it is:

Breakfast (120 calories)

Yogurt

Coffee with creamer

Mid-morning snack (0-40 calories)

Pickles (0) or Tangerine (40)

Lunch, Part 1 - Noon (250 calories)

Microwave meal

Lunch, Part 2 - Mid-afternoon (210 calories)

Salad

Dinner (600 calories)

Whatever's being served, but not more than 600 calories

Evening (20 calories)

Diet Snapple

Sugar-free Jello

A big challenge for me is the stretches between eating, hard on me due to my diabetes and fluctuating glucose levels. I decided I would tough out the morning with a small breakfast and a mid-morning snack of pickles (which are 0 calories) or a tangerine (40). The rest of the day is easier as I eat progressively more. For lunch I have two 200-250 calorie items, one at noon and another mid-afternoon. Dinner is best of all, where I still have half of my daily calories available.

Each morning I weigh myself. Often it's good news, and I enter my new reduced weight in My Fitness Pal. Some days my weight stays the same, and sometimes it even jumps up a bit--it's a finicky thing, that scale. But I don't let that bother me: I stay on my routine, and each month I've lost another 10 pounds.

Are there ever exceptions to the daily plan? Sure. Occasionally, I will have dinner out with my wife. On Sundays, I have dinner out with the entire family. On those occasions it's tempting to forego the daily routine, but I've been careful to keep the calories in check. If I eat more calories than usual for lunch, I'll eat fewer for dinner. Sometimes I'll only eat half of what I'm served at a restaurant and take the rest home, where my 13-year old son is happy to take it off my hands.

Well, there you have it. A diet that works for a geek that doesn't cost extra money. Now that I've been doing this for three months, it's become easier. My body has become used to eating less each day.

In Part 2, I'll cover some of my favorite diet-helpful foods.