Dieting, Nutrition fact, and planning

  I would probably characterize myself as a bit of a control freak these days.  I have everything planned and organized so that I can almost predict the future.  There is nothing terribly exciting about having that kind of control, and I think that is what makes it so appealing.  It isn't that I don't like surprises, I do.  It is just that I don't like that feeling of dread when something bad surprises you.  I am also pretty adaptable.  As long as I have not been looking forward to something I have planned, I am okay with change.  The one major exception is in my diet.  If I wind up going out to a restaurant without anything healthy to eat, I feel like I have failed before I even order.  It seems crazy, but losing weight is VERY difficult when you work on the night shift.  I can see any little slip up reflected on the scale.  I enjoy eating healthy, so it isn't usually an issue.  Of course, I enjoy exercising as well, so that helps too.  The only time it gets out of control is when I am too depressed to give a crap about my health- figuring I should just give up on myself.  Here's an example of my meals for today:

  I have been successfully eating healthy for a 7 days straight (had a slip up before that where the red vines got the best of me).  At the moment, I have lost 10 lbs off my max weight in January.  I am currently 147.5, and my goal is 130.  I am eating between 1200-1500 calories, and I am eating 4 meals each day.  I give myself more calories around my long run, but for the most part, I stay below 1300.  The first week of reducing calories is always the worst.  I get angry, I am hungry, and I have cravings for sugar.  In addition, I have felt drained, and I have had a hard time completing some of my workouts.  Burning up fat stores is a good thing in the long run, but in the short term, it feels like crap.
  To anyone who has ever counted calories, 1200 calories is a typical american meal.  When you break it down, the way I do, you get 250 calories for breakfast, 350 calories for lunch, 450 calories for dinner and 250 calories for snacks.  Calorie content seems to have a correlation with convenience.  If it is easy for me to get, it has way too many calories.  If it requires special planning and cooking, well, then it is far more likely to be healthy, low Calorie, and will require refrigeration.  If I want to have a quick meal from a fast food restaurant, I have to be kind of picky.  Try to find a menu item at any fast food chain that is 350 calories or less.  Here's an idea of what I see when I look at a fast food menu:

  If I want to get french fries, a small will tack on another 250 calories.  That means, I am over my lunch budget.  Ha!  I give the fast food companies some credit, though.  The healthy options are getting easier to come by.  And, nutrition facts are very easy to get to.  McDonald's gets a lot of crap for being unhealthy, but I've found more balanced options on their menu than most fast food chains.  Jack in the box had whole wheat pitas which would meet my nutritional needs.  Of course, I avoid beef because of the saturated fats, but there are hamburgers under 350 on the menu.

  If I go out to eat for dinner, at a typical restaurant, you can assume I am going to find very little that will meet my 450 calorie budget.  There are restaurants with the lowest calorie items on their menu in the 700s (and that can be for a 1/2 salad).  Everyone needs to know you can't trust a salad you don't prepare yourself.  I have had calorie "sticker shock" many times when I am hoping to get a delicious salad from a restaurant.  Dressing, cheese, croutons, all these are evil calorie budget busters.  The snip from the nutrition info at Chilli's restaurant will give you a good idea of the frustration I face when I leave my home to eat.

I can't order anything in their sandwich menu (without modification) for under my DAILY calorie budget.  Let's just ignore the saturated fat issues for the moment :-).  So while my friends order the mouth-watering sandwiches, I get to eat a house salad with a vinegrette dressing.  So, yes, I hate eating out.  If I didn't think the 1300 calorie meal looked delicious, I just wouldn't be human.  I wish I could really enjoy the food I ordered from the restaurant, but I cannot, and so it is pointless (and it costs too much).
  Don't get me wrong.  It is my anniversary this weekend, and we will be going out for a nice dinner.  And, I will find delicious food to eat, but I do need to be careful and keep my meal around 800 calories.  I think of it this way, if 3500 calories is equivalent to 1 pound of body fat, how many extra pounds am I keeping by eating this meal?  There is, of course, exercise to help keep off the pounds.  Check out the Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich above.  Guess what, that's an 18 mile run.  3 hours of running, and I will have finally burned that off.  Of course, if I ate that, I'd be in no mood to run...
  So, weight loss is never fun, and it is never easy.  But, healthy eating makes my body happier, my mood better, and my running easier.  So, eating out and convenient meals will be saved for occasional use only.  And, I will keep progressing toward 130 lbs.