Diet – Shmiet… Why do people think they have to cheat to get a good lunch? Just because you are on a diet, does not mean you cannot enjoy your food! My wife goes to Smart & Final, a local (we are in San Diego County, California) warehouse store that stocks bread from the California Baking Company.
The good thing about this bread is that it is very low in fat and sugar. Their (the California Baking Co.) rolls of various varieties are from 90 to 120 calories! You cannot get that from regular bread that is laced with fat and sugar (so we like and buy it) at grocery stores! One slice of bread at a grocery store is normally 120 calories! Here is what my lunch looked like today (1/27/2008).
Left side = toasted bun with melted cheese. Right side = toasted bun with turkey, mayo and mustard. Glass = Miller High Life Light.
You may be thinking, “how can this guy eat good food like this an be on a diet? I thought diets were about starvation and eating food no-one likes?” Well just to let you know… I cannot stay on a diet if I am not satisfied. I don’t mind being a little hungry at times but I should not be hungry right after I eat (as I have been on some (short-lived) diets)!
Here is what I did today. I toasted my french roll and then cut up a slice of American cheese and placed on the top bun to melt. I put the mustard and mayo on the bottom bun and then rolled up the turkey slices on the bottom bun. I poured my beer into a pre-chilled, frosty glass and took this picture! 
Each ingredient is as follows:
- California Bakery French Roll: 90 calories, 1 gram of fat
- 1 Kraft American Cheese: 60 calories, 4.5 grams of fat
- 6 Butterball Turkey Breast Slices: 175 calories, 3 grams of fat
- 1 Tablespoon of mustard: 0 calories, 0 grams of fat
- 1 Tablespoon of Best Foods Light Mayonnaise: 40 calories, 4.5 grams of fat
- Miller High Life Light Beer: 110 calories, 0 grams of fat
The sandwich total is 365 calories and 13 grams of fat or 32% fat calories (total fat grams times 9 (calories per gram of fat) dived by total calories. If you add the beer you get a total of 475 calories and still 13 grams of fat or 25% fat calories!
As I have mentioned in earlier posts, I don’t count calories and fat as I know about what I need in a meal and over a day to be on a diet! This counting stuff is all for your benefit. I try to eat 3 to 4 meals a day with a snack or two. The snacks can be a banana, pretzels, or a beer. I end up with 5 to 6 small meals a day of about 1500 to 1800 (I don’t sweat it if I go over occasionally) calories a day.
This is about 700 to 1000 calories less then I need a day with my metabolism level (increased by walking 4 to 5 times a week). I can burn this much fat in a day (from my whole body) which is good so I don’t end up burning muscle! Muscle is the only thing that burns fat so don’t try and starve yourself by eating 500 calories a day! And…. Go get a good lunch!
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