Today I’d like to touch upon another important aspect: sacrifice.

Losing weight the proper way—no surgeries or pills—absolutely demands sacrificing something. Well, you shouldn’t really look at it as being a sacrifice but more of a trade-off since the results will definitely be worth the effort.

What have I sacrificed, cut back on or given up altogether? Let’s see.

Milk: I’m not going to go on my tangent about my lactose intolerant self but it’s important to know that I really enjoyed milk up until the point I gave it up [cold turkey] in exchange for rice- or almond-based alternatives. Those alternatives to milk are not only delicious but they are also enriched with as much calcium and vitamins as milk so I’m not missing out on much, including flavor. In fact, I’ve gotten so used to these drinks that the times I’ve tried to drink a cup of regular milk, it didn’t even taste the way I remembered it so I doubt I’ll ever go back.

Diet sodas: Perhaps the biggest moment of my lifestyle change was when I turned to Ann and said, “I’m going to stop drinking sodas.” She laughed hysterically for what seemed like an eternity. But when I realized I was literally looking for a “fix” when it came to sodas, I knew I had to stop and I did it cold turkey. That’s coming from a guy that used to drink at least six cans a day—seriously, I did. (I was also known to fill my 64-oz. tankard with diet soda from the local convenience store and enjoy it with a bag of Funyuns when I got to work–after eating breakfast at home.) So that night I dumped what I had left and began drinking bottled water and green tea (or bottled water with green tea mixes) the next day. While I still enjoy an occasional soda now and then while dining out, I no longer buy it.

Red meat: Simply put, I began to eat less red meat when I started to change my eating habits. There isn’t a whole lot that you can’t do with chicken that can’t be done with red meat, so that’s more or less a trade-off as well. But if you eat at fast food places serving chicken, be sure to get grilled not crispy chicken which is breaded and much, much more fattening. And replace the (fattening) mayo in your chicken sandwich with (zero fat) mustard and ketchup. I know it sounds weird but I’d rather have two no-fat condiments than one fat-laden glop.

Chinese food: Like the whole diet soda thing, I gave up going to our favorite Chinese restaurant. I went there at least twice a week and get “the usual”: a two-item combo with mandarin chicken, barbecued pork, chow mein, and a side of deep fried cream cheese won tons. Twice a week, people. And they piled it high, too. Today we might go to Panda Express where I’ll get a chicken dish ala carte but it’s nowhere near what I used to get. For dinner these days, a 6″ Veggie Delite from Subway does me fine.

Time: It’s not easy working, being a father and husband, writing for two blogs, finding time to exercise, etc. I knew all of this going into my plan. But thankfully, I have managed to handle all tasks by creating a routine. I work, go home and spend time with the family, then quiet time with Ann, then exercise in the evening, then whatever else. I get to bed late most of the time but because I’m a night owl, it’s okay. It’s worth noting that Ann is in full support of my program and allows me to do these things, to which I thank her from the bottom of my heart. She knows I’m committed to my cause and that I am not only doing it for me, but for her and Anthony as well.

Remember, folks, that none of this was easy and can be a struggle on some days, but I remain committed to reaching my goal and then some.

Also take into consideration that I was nearly 300 lbs. when I decided to make most if not all all of these sacrifices. At my current weight of about 214 lbs., it’s safe to say that the results have definitely paid off in spades

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And this is where I have a problem.

Quite frequently, some of my posts immediately show up in the “Incoming Links” section of WordPress. I was curious to see who was linking these as I figured maybe, just maybe, it was someone keeping track of their progress and using my posts as examples.

I was wrong.

It turns out that they are being linked to a site called “Weight Loss blog” (or http://weight-loss-pills.biz/weight-loss/ I won’t give them the pleasure of adding a link). Whoever owns the so-called “blog” is extracting information from others—presumably automatically and without their permission—and using as that original content in order to sell diet pills at their online drug store (http://weight-loss-pills.biz/). And I’m not cool with that.

(Here a few examples, linked only because it’s my friggin’ content.)

So let me go on the record by stating the following:

This entry originally posted on 200by40 on July 21, 2008.

If you are reading this post on “Weight Loss blog” or any other site that steals original content in order to make their site look legit and peddle products, please know that I do not endorse these sites nor do I wish to have my posts linked to it. Unfortunately, I have little or no control over it, hence this statement. Note that I am losing weight without the use of pills or surgery, which is why my blog is essential—to show that it is possible to lose it without throwing money away on snake oil.

Posts you see from 200by40 that end up on “Weight Loss blog” and others like it are used without my permission or consent. Please refer back to 200by40 for the original post as well as my journal on how I am losing weight the right way—through a lifestyle change that involves proper diet and exercise, not a so-called miracle in a bottle.

There, I feel better now

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A good source of fiber? In a pudding? Is that even possible? Let’s flip it over (click to enlarge):

Well, I guess it is. So taking that into consideration, will this pudding pass the test? Before we find out, allow me to make a disclaimer here.

I’m from the Old Del Monte Pudding School. You know, the stuff that came in small tin cans and six per package? Yeah, that’s me. And it’s my belief that since the conversion over to plastic cups, the taste of pre-packed pudding has definitely lacked the substance it once had. This is especially true when it comes to “diet” varieties which I find too runny and, quite honestly, avoid buying.

Also, I despise dark chocolate. I will not eat it in most cases. In fact, I believe that dark chocolate only exists to complement other things such as caramel (mmm…Chocolate Riesen…) or as a glaze on donuts.

But South Beach Living pudding changed my mind about all of that. This is some delicious dark chocolate, made even better when combined with vanilla pudding. It’s definitely not as runny as the standard diet pudding or regular for that matter thanks to the addition of 3g of fiber. I thoroughly enjoyed eating these cups and had a smile on my face the entire time as I felt I was more than cheating on my program.

But was I really? Here are the Weight Watchers numbers:

• 60 calories, 1.5g fat, 3g fiber = 1 Weight Watchers Point

One Point. One lousy, stinking Point for such deliciousness should not be denied by anybody! While I wouldn’t recommend it, you could devour the whole pack for only 4 Points. And believe me, after the first cup I wanted to do just that.

Would I recommend: At one Point each, you bet I’d recommend these. In fact, stock up because once word of these gets around they might disappear fast. But if you stock up, you’re only contributing to the scarcity. So um…buy in moderation and leave some for everyone else to enjoy, okay?

Weekly Weigh-In #15 is tomorrow! Check back then and see how things went last week.

Stick with it, guys and gals. You can do it

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Again, it’s lookin’ pretty tasty from my standpoint. And the fact that includes a packet of Grey Poupon automatically gives it an extra boost. I dig Grey Poupon (in conservative amounts, that is) and you can guess by its name, it also includes a slice of Swiss cheese. Mmmm. So far, so good.

Let’s take a look at the back (click to enlarge):

The tale of the Weight Watchers tape is as follows:

• 320 calories, 11g fat, 8g fiber = 6 Weight Watchers Points

About my only gripe, if such a thing will matter in the world of off-the-shelf meals, is the same as usual: the high sodium content, which in this case is 950mg (or 40% RDA). Again, it’s for freshness and there’s not a lot you can do to avoid it.

Assembly of the sandwich is nothing unlike the Turkey Santa Fe: split the bread open, plop down the meat, dijon and cheese, place back into little tray and nuke for :45 seconds. (I learned from the first one that :30 seconds is not enough to make it very warm. Your microwave mileage may vary.)

Once warmed, however, it all came together to form a tasty l lunchtime meal that I truly enjoyed. Despite the Grey Poupon which can be overpowering even in small amounts, nothing was lost this time. The ample supply of sliced ham was delicious and the Swiss cheese and dijon mustard were the perfect complements. As with the Turkey Santa Fe, the bread was definitely wheaty yet tasty, and I noticed that after eating these sandwiches, my appetite was curbed for the remainder of the day. That’s a huge plus.

Would I recommend: If given the choice between this sandwich and the Turkey Santa Fe, I’d reach for this one without hestiation. The Ham & Swiss did not disappoint in the flavor category and held up nicely until dinner, so it’s got more than a few things going for it.

All in all I’d have to say this one is worth it. Thumbs up!

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As I had said in a previous post, I tried some of the South Beach wraps in the past and thought they were most excellent, save for the Jell-O. Will this one be any different? Let’s see.

The box front looks like this (click image to enlarge):

Just look at all that meat and cheese hanging from the edges of the sandwich. And that sauce. Man, that sure looks good, doesn’t it? (Note: my box shows damage from shipping.)

Nutritional information (click image to enlarge):

It reads as follows:

• 350 calories, 15g fat, 8g fiber = 7 Weight Watchers Points

There’s a reasonable amount of calories and what seems to be a large dose of fat, but when said fat is combated with the 8g of fiber it brings the Points total down to that modest number of 7. That makes it right on par, perhaps a bit higher, than your standard dietetic frozen meals.

Upon opening the box you get everything you need (duh) to assemble the sandwich. While I was opening packages and putting things together, I sampled a piece of the turkey–and it was good.

But unfortunately, that’s where the turkey goodness ended. Once I had the sandwich assembled I nuked it for the recommended start time of :30 seconds. It was still a bit cold and it needed a little more cooking time; your mileage may vary with your microwave.

I had been excited to sink my teeth into these sandwiches from the day I was told I was getting free samples. My first bite left me not disappointed: the whole wheat bun was tasty and definitely wheaty; the southwestern style ranch dressing added just the right amount of flavor. But that’s about all I could taste.

By the second bite I realized that something was missing because somewhere in the sandwich was a slice of Monterey Jack cheese, which got lost somewhere in the shuffle of bun and ranch dressing goodness. I simply couldn’t taste it at all.

Then there’s the turkey. Good by itself; lacking when in the sandwich. It definitely needs some more flavor or just a pinch of salt (which you could add for yourself but will alter nutritional values).

Would I recommend: As long as Subway is running their $5 Footlong promotion, I’d say the South Beach Living Turkey Santa Fe sandwich is a no-go. There just wasn’t enough flavor in this one to make me want to go out and buy a bunch of them. Unless, of course, unless you like sandwiches with just bread and dressing then feel free go out and go nuts. It’s definitely not as good as the Oscar Mayer Deli Creations wrap thing.

Besides, I’m a huge fan of Subway’s Veggie Delite which, with its basic ingredients on a wheat bun (although I prefer to add provolone to mine), comes to 4 Points. So for $5 I can have lunch and dinner, or lunch for the next day at work. Depending on the retail cost of this kit, you might as well run and get some veggie tastiness yourself.

Weekly Weigh-In #13 is tomorrow. I hope my Father’s Day smörgåsbord didn’t hurt me too much.

Hope to see you then

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For all those concerned about the future of this blog, allow me to clarify a few things.

With the exception of more frequent product reviews, I can assure you nothing will change. You won’t see my blog sponsored by Kraft Foods, South Beach Living products or any other brand name. As you know, I’m pleased to mention the name of any product I’ve used, whether it’s in a positive or negative light. That’s how things are in the world of blogging–it’s all about opinion, and the reviews of these products will be no different.

As far as the reviews of the South Beach Living products go, know that this was completely unplanned and unsolicited. While I had tried some of them in the past and did approve of them (save for that nasty sugar-free Jell-O that comes standard with the wraps), I had no idea that I would be approached via e-mail by a representative at Kraft Foods’ public relations firm, Weber Shandwick, to sample new products and write reviews about them. This comes totally out of the blue and believe me, I’m about as shocked as you are.

But there are a few reasons I decided to delve into this.

As a former magazine writer, I live for the opportunity to express my thoughts. Anybody that writes a blog must have some desire to write in them (note: I have two blogs). While I worked for the magazine I had the opportunity to attend many promotional events in order to digest the information given to me, write an article based on said information, and have it published so our readers could make an informed decision on products or services that might appeal to them.

I see this as being no different. By allowing me to sample new products free of charge, I can then give you, my loyal readers, the lowdown on each of them and allow you to decide on whether you want to give them a shot or not. You might even learn a little bit about my taste in foods, like the fact that I can’t stand mushrooms or olives. Any product containing either will automatically lose a star in my book.

Some might see this as a conflict of interest since I am following the Weight Watchers Points Program and consuming South Beach Living products. I don’t. Remember that Weight Watchers allows you to eat anything as long as its in controlled portions. South Beach Living products fit perfectly because of their high fiber content, which means that they will be low in Points. Also note that I am not a paid spokesperson for Weight Watchers; I only mention them since I am following their program.

I hope all of this makes sense. Thanks for reading this far and following my progress over the past few months. The products should be arriving at my door on Friday and I’m excited about this opportunity.

And, at long last, I’m slowly chipping away at the 220s! In fact, here’s some notes on today.

As is the case on every second Tuesday of the month, it was Bagel Day at work. But rather than have one for breakfast I opted for my usual bowl of cereal at home, taking a bagel to my desk so that I could have it for lunch. Talk about temptation–a cheesy bagel sitting your desk just waiting to be eaten…

But I resisted. I had a cup of fruit–watermelon, pineapple and grapes–for one snack, the bagel for lunch, a granola bar for another snack and a (homemade) tuna salad sandwich for dinner. So despite it being Bagel Day, I think I did alright.

Whew, I think that’s enough for tonight. Here’s looking forward to Father’s Day when I dig into my homemade barbecued hamburger(s)

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• To give an unbiased opinion on a food item, and
• To let everybody know that with the Weight Watchers Points Program, you’re not limited to berries and twigs.

Today’s offering is Oscar Mayer’s Deli Creations Flatbread Sandwich, Fajita Beef and Salsa variety:

The packaging alone already beats the Hillshire Farm wrap I reviewed a few days ago. But will its flavor live up to the attractive imagery? Before we get into that, let’s flip it over and read the nutritional information:

Here’s a quick rundown:

• 280 calories, 9g fat, 1g fiber = 6 Points
  

One package = one serving. With numbers like that, it’s on par with your average Lean Cuisine and/or Smart Ones meal. As is the case with most packaged foods, the sodium content is a bit on the high side (which preserves freshness or so I’m told). And what makes this item great is that the package front proudly announces that all of the cheeses inside–Jack, cheddar, Colby, and mozzarella–are of the 2% milk, reduced fat variety. Good so far.

Assembly is required. You pretty much lay out the flatbread on the tray, splatter the ingredients evenly, fold it over and nuke it from 50 seconds to 1 minute. When finished, you have a what is touted as a “hot & melty” sandwich, a phrase which the marketing firm for Oscar Mayer convinced everybody was a fantastic idea. Personally, I could go the rest of my life without ever hearing or reading that again.

But I digress. Upon completion, the sandwich is indeed both hot and melty. The beef and flatbread are soft, cheese completely “melty” and the salsa very tasty and with a little spice (but not what I’d consider hot). It was definitely a better meal than the Hillshire Farm thing I made myself eat a few days ago and 6 Points less.

Would I recommend: Yes, and you might even feel a bit guilty when eating one of these. I think it’s a fine substitute for when you get sick of Smart Ones, Lean Cuisines or anything else you have for lunch.

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When it comes to lunch, I’m pretty fond of the choices that Lean Cuisine and Smart Ones offer. In fact those are about the only two things I eat on a regular basis for lunch, save for the occasional salad or leftovers. If I had to choose, I’d lean towards Smart Ones since they boldly place the Weight Watchers Points Value on the front of the box.

But Ann went to the store yesterday and thought I needed a change, so she bought me a few Hillshire Farm’s Deli Wraps:

Looks tasty, no? Well let’s not jump to conclusions just yet. While I was indeed intrigued by the plastic-box packaging and the attractive picture, I wanted to see what I was getting myself into. So I flipped the thing over for the nutritional information and here’s what I saw:

The nutritional information gives you, the consumer, a virtual cornucopia of dining options. Most notably, you can see a column “with dressing” and “without dressing.” Since the thing is a Southwestern Chicken wrap, it would seem downright silly to eat the thing without dressing so the second column seems pretty useless.

So I figured okay, fine. 260 calories, 14g of fat and 2g of fiber. That’s a nice 6 Point lunch for me. Cool.

But wait! Did you see that those numbers are per serving? Egads. And that there are two of them in there? So then that’s 520 calories, 28g of fat and 4g of fiber for a total of 12 Points.

For comparison purposes, chew on this:

• McDonald’s hamburger: 250 calories, 9g fat, 2g fiber* = 5 Points
• McDonald’s small fries: 230 calories, 11g fat, 3g fiber* = 5 Points
• Total: 480 calories, 20g fat, 5g fiber = 10 Points

You could pretty much order a Happy Meal and save yourself a few Points for the weekend. And when you consider the sodium content (1740mg for the wraps vs. 680mg for the burger and fries), in this case you would actually be better off dining underneath the romantic glow of the Golden Arches!

But the real question is, how did they taste? They were acceptable but not exactly the best thing I’ve ever tried. As the sodium content might indicate, the wraps were extremely salty and the chicken didn’t really look like the real thing. In fact, it seemed too “fleshy” to be chicken. (Sorry, but that was about the only thing I could used to describe it.)

All things considered, I’d rather walk down to the local McDonald’s for lunch and burn off some calories in the process than eat another one of these things. And if you think this is bad, wait until you see the nutritional information on the Turkey and Bacon Club variety. It’s even worse!

What’s my point in all of this? Just because the thing contains chicken and not red meat doesn’t automatically mean it’s better for you. If you’re serious about losing the weight and aren’t already a long-distance runner, you should always read the back of the packaging before buying.

Would I recommend: Yes, but only if you have absolutely no choice. You could just order a hamburger Happy Meal and save yourself 2 Points for the weekend.

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*Nutritional information courtesy McDonald’s Web site, June 5, 2008

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If you ask me, it’s a little of both.

Author David Zinczenko is ca$hing in on the laziness of Americans by catering to their one vice: fast food. In his book Eat This, Not That! he tackles the issue of choosing between which of the worst foods are actually, well, better than the other.

Take the example on the cover. Although it’s hard to see, the author—he’s the editor-in-chief of Men’s Health magazine—is telling you to choose a Big Mac (540 calories; 29g of fat) over a Whopper (760 calories; 46g of fat).

Well, gollllly, Sgt. Carter! That’s fantastic! By eating the Big Mac, I not only save all those calories but also cut my fat intake to 29g instead of 46g for one meal! I guess I’ll order the fries, too!

But wait! What about the sodium content? The Big Mac has 1,040 mg of sodium; the Whopper has 1,450 mg. When you consider that the RDA is 2,400 mg, either one will get you nearly halfway to your RDA for sodium in no time flat. And remember, too, that the RDA amounts are based on a 2,000 calorie daily intake. So when you factor in the amount of calories, fat, sodium and saturated fat (with an RDA of 20g) of the burgers, neither is “healthier” than the other.

Also consider that as editor-in-chief of a health magazine, the man’s lifestyle is likely to be less sedentary than the average person trying to drop a few pounds. In fact, it’s not uncommon for marathoners and runners to consume high-calorie meals as most will be expended during their run so that they have enough in reserve at the end of their run and don’t, um, die afterwards.

If you’re truly serious about losing weight, here’s a thought: avoid fast foods. That isn’t my advice; that came from my doctors. And rumor has it that they know a little about the human body.

Now I’m not saying I don’t enjoy an occasional fast food meal but I don’t make them a staple of my diet. (If I do eat out, it’s mostly chicken—I’ve given up red meat and fried foods.) I didn’t lose my weight by not brown-bagging it to work, not making healthy meals the night before, not cutting up watermelons and pineapples to make my daily 2 cups of fruit, or not drinking at least 2 pints of water per day. Losing and maintaining your weight is all about choices and if your dilemma is choosing between a Big Mac and a Whopper, you’re doing it wrong.

Sure, David Zinczenko is good-looking, successful and had his book featured all over the place. But in Eat This, Not That! the only thing the dude is doing is saving you from reading the nutritional values and combining the information with pretty pictures in a perfect-bound package. Crap on a cone still isn’t ice cream no matter how you look at it, even if you once dated Rose McGowan.

Look, if all you want is fast food nutritional information that is constantly updated, it’s available for free on Dottie’s Weight Loss Zone, my one source for Weight Watchers Points Values before eating out.

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This entry is a SimulPost and can also be read at HolographicMeatloaf.com

We had a meeting at work yesterday and while we were all in line for 500-calorie breakfast bagels, I heard somebody compliment one of the girls on her recent weight loss (Note: I had a bagel and ate my fruit cup for lunch instead of the Lean Cuisine pizza I had packed.) Coincidentally, the meeting was about our benefits package that includes a new wellness and fitness program.

And they’re feeding us bagels and cream cheese?

Ah, but I digress. The girl was beaming with delight and, frankly, a bit snotty about dropping some weight. Maybe it was the way another was ingratiating her about it. Keep in mind that the poor little thing was probably a Size 4 to begin with and now she’s down to, well, Size Subatomic Particle.

Then just before the meeting began, I heard another two women sitting beside me chatting about how a former employee lost about 40 lbs. on—get ready for it—the Weight Watchers Points Program.

“She looks so good!” one of them exclaimed. I leaned over and added my piece since, well, it’s working for me, too.

“Oh, I’m doing the Points Program, too,” I said with a smile. The woman nodded without acknowledging my drop in tonnage and continued the conversation with the other. And it’s not like our company is so big that these two women didn’t know who the hell I was. My God, I used to work in their department.

So..ahem. Yo, almost 62 lbs. lost here! What’s not to notice? My Fat Guy Pants are all gone! I’m into Size XL shirts now! And only one person at work—male, coincidentally, who is also on a weight loss plan—has spoken up about it?

It seems to me that unless a guy drops a ridiculous amount weight and goes from being his incognito fat self to a ripped Calvin Klein model, nobody seems to care about his achievement. But when a woman loses, oh, six ounces of water then it’s time to buy a new wardrobe, put her on a pedestal and throw her a damned party.

L’chaim!

It’s not like I go out begging people to give me props but damn, is the world that freaking jealous of what I’ve accomplished? Or am I just looking for recognition in the wrong places (around people I see every day)?

But you know, it’s this kind of thing that motivates me to do more and get it done right. And we’ll see who’s talking when I reach 200 lbs.—or less.

Oh, who am I fooling with that statement? They’ll probably ask if I got a haircut or something.