What you may be thinking? How can someone on a ”diet” eat two chili-cheese hot-dogs for lunch? :) Well let me tell you how. It is not what you eat at one meal that is important but the total food (diet), exercise and nutrition one gets in a day that counts!
John’s lunch on Sunday, January 20, 2008
Today I got a late start so instead of cooking my usual Breakfast Jack (yes I like Jack in the Box) sandwich that consists of egg, ham, cheese, and bun, I just had a couple of pieces of toast with Promise margarine and a small glass of milk.
Since I normally try to eat a balanced, moderate-fat diet of about 1500 - 1800 calories a day, I had plenty of room for my wife’s two moderately low-fat, chili-cheese dogs! Before I enumerate the breakdown of my food, please know that I don’t normally count calories or fat since I have been on many diets and know about what I want.
My breakfast was about 350 calories with little fat (I did not count but know from past diets). I did breakout my lunch since I am writing about it today. The hot-dogs contained the Oscer-Myer low-fat dogs, some variety of whole-wheat buns, low-fat chili, and a full fat Mexican blend of jack and cheddar, grated cheese. The calories and fat per dog are:
- Dog = 40 calories and 1 gram of fat
- Bun = 160 calories and 2.5 grams of fat
- Chili = 105 calories and 1 gram of fat
- Cheese = 50 calories and 5 grams of fat
The total for two chili-cheese hot-dogs is 710 calories and 18 grams of fat. If I multiply the 18 grams of fat times the 9 calories per gram of fat, I get 162 fat calories. 162/710 = 23% fat in my lunch today. That is a moderate amount of fat and the target I mean to achieve.
I normally try to eat about four meals a day of 300 to 500 calories including any snacks and drinks. My Breakfast of about 350 calories and my lunch of about 710 is in my target range of my diet. I can eat two small dinners or one larger dinner tonight and still be on track for losing two pounds a week (what I try to do).
Important - I do not count calories or fat per meal or day. I have been on enough diets in my life to know when I am in the target range or not. Counting would drive me nuts but if you have never dieted and have no idea of what a good meal looks like - You will have to count for a while. Sorry - there is no free lunch (pun intended) 
I am guessing my metabolism burns about 2500 calories a day because I am walking fast (to where I am starting to breath hard) four to five times a week. If I am eating between 1500 and 1800 a day, that means I am eating about 5000 to 7000 calories less than my body burns a week. A pound is about 3500 calories so that means I can realistically lose two pounds a week. This is a safe rate of loss but please do not attempt to lose faster then a couple of pounds a week or you will end up losing muscle instead of fat. More on safe weight loss in later posts but for now, I wanted to explain the mechanics of what I am doing so some of you might be able to adopt some of it for you.
Those chili dogs look delicious! Your weight situation sounds almost identical to mine … I’m a big time snacker when I’m bored or tired. I have a cool scale and do the 3 times onn & off for accuracy. Beginning Jan. 1st, I posted a sheet of paper on the big bathroom mirror and each day record my weight, and what I did for exercise. I try to walk 2 miles each day in addition to whatever walking I do in the normal routine. I look forward to reading your postings in the future. What a cool looking blog, especially with the pics and video. Thanks for sharing.
Hey Jim,
It sounds like you will be successful! I am able to do this easier this year since my job now views information technology (read geeks) workers in California as hourly instead of salary. That means that I don’t have to work overtime so all of the stress is gone.
I’ll be looking forward to your success story too!
John