Ever hear of the 80/20 Diet? It wouldn’t work for me

So many diet plans come and go, it’s always amusing to me how people think a specific plan could be the answer to all their eating and health problems. This piece I saw recently talks about the 80/20 Diet, which I hadn’t heard about before.

MY half slice of Junior's chocolate mousse cheesecake, Mmmmmmm. — MY half slice of Junior’s chocolate mousse cheesecake, Mmmmmmm.

Basically, it says it you eat healthy 80% of the time, you can splurge on junk food the other 20%, presumably on weekends which we tend to think of as rest and party time.

If you can be that mathematical about your eating, more power to you. I’m an all-or-nothing type of person, which means I either have to eat healthy all the time, or I eat junk food every single day. Continue reading “Ever hear of the 80/20 Diet? It wouldn’t work for me” →

America’s Obesity Epidemic

Infrographics usually don’t grab me, but this one did. I have written about America’s obesity epidemic in a past job and now write about healthcare, which is dealing with the consequences of the epidemic.

Weight was also a struggle for me for many years, until my angioplasty forced me to stop eating all the foods I once loved. The result of that was losing about 30 pounds. So I know we could lick obesity if we simply give up everything that tastes good to our American palates trained to love sugar, fat and salt. We also have to give up our love of cheap food and lots of food for our dollar because the cheapest foods are usually the worst for us.

John

February 6, 2014 0

Irene’s fat-free biscotti, a great baked item

I miss cakes and cookies so much since my angioplasty, but I’m restricted to no more than 40 grams of fat a day and 1,200 mgs of salt, so baked goods are largely off my plate these days. I’ve been searching for some that are low- or no-fat and low- or no-sodium at the same time, with some good results.

A favorite is Irene’s fat-free biscotti slices carried by Whole Foods and until recently by my local Jewel supermarket.

Irene's biscotti slices are expensive, but good when you crave something baked. — Irene’s biscotti slices are expensive, but good when you crave something baked.

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January 27, 2014 0

Lose It! loves sending me badges

Lose It! is the app I’ve been using the past several years to keep track of my calories, salt, sugar and fat intake. I find it the most convenient of several I’ve tried because I don’t need to be online to record my daily food intake.

Its food database has expanded considerably over the years I’ve used it and it has a cool bar code scanning feature that allows me to enter new packaged food items that I buy which are not in its database.

It also provides reports on my eating that I find very useful for tracking patterns of consumption and weight loss. I’ll be writing more about those in a future post. Continue reading “Lose It! loves sending me badges” →

January 8, 2014 4

Low-salt, low-fat baked mostaccioli: gotta love it

Most of the Italian-American classics I grew up with, lasagna, manicotti, stuffed shells, are off-limits to me now because of the fat in the cheese used, not to mention the high salt content of most cheese as well. I also can only eat whole wheat pasta now to get away from simple carbs that could impact my pre-diabetic sugar levels.

I have found whole wheat pastas I enjoy and I have begun finding low-fat and even no-fat Italian cheese. The cheeses still contains high salt levels, though, so I use them sparingly and as a treat.

One recent treat I made was whole wheat mostaccioli baked with low-fat ricotta cheese covered with my low-salt homemade tomato sauce (we call it gravy in my family).

Baked mostaccioli, gotta love it, and it's low salt and low fat. — Baked mostaccioli, gotta love it, and it’s low salt and low fat.

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October 21, 2013 0

Do You Have a Binge Eating Problem?

Do you have a problem with binge eating? Do you rush for bags of junk food to munch on mindlessly when you feel the world closing in on you? Do you open that ice cream in your freezer to protect you from what the world has been throwing at you?

Answer yes to the above and you’re a binge eater. I know first-hand the seduction of binge eating, the feeling that you’re somehow in a protected cocoon of food where the troubles that had been hounding you can’t touch you.

Cooking, and eating, trays of Italian favorites like this are out for me now that I'm on a restricted diet. If you're binge eating, seek help as I'm doing. — Cooking, and eating, trays of Italian favorites like this are out for me now that I’m on a restricted diet. If you’re binge eating, seek help as I’m doing.

But when you’re thinking clearer, you know binge eating is only hurting you. How do you stop? It’s extremely difficult. I’m trying again now to leave it behind after having angioplasty in August, with the stakes considerably higher because of that surgery. The stress of it all have made my cravings stronger than ever yet I have avoided my former junk food favorites and as a result lost 23 pounds in four months. Continue reading “Do You Have a Binge Eating Problem?” →

December 20, 2012 0