Finding the Perfect Weight Loss Lunch

[WilliamAnderson]

A Whopper, fries and a Coke can be 1500 calories. My BLT shown below is only 250.

What's your perfect weight loss lunch? How many calories in it?

This example above is from my article "Finding The Perfect Weight Loss Lunch."

[Dave001]

I use olive oil, rather than butter in my béchamel and it's absolutely wonderful. 

[A_Lurker]

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@WilliamAnderson wrote:

Here's an example of an American food merchant's lunch, the reason we have an obesity epidemic, a Smashburger and shake, 2000 calories!

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This reminds me a little of eat this, not that posts.  Nobody in their right mind doesn't know that lunch is a calorie bomb.... greasy burger/bacon/cheese/fried onions (guessing) and a huge shake.  Oh, they might not know specifically it's 2000 calories but most people know it's high calorie (unless they live under a rock).

Not sure I'd choose a whopper jr and diet coke as a replacement though.  I did a drive thru lunch last Friday as I was out of town, going to not be home until almost 3 and needed something.  Oh, and I had my water bottle with me, but I would have gone for water instead of the diet coke.

Harvey's Angus Burger w/ lettuce, pickles, onion, tomato   (~222g weight)

422 cals, 20g fat, 38g carbs, 22.5g protein

Whopper Jr  (~132g weight)

310 cals, 18g fat, 27g carbs, 13g protein

Now, I admit I'm a Harvey's fan over BK, but compare:

~68% more burger for only a ~36% calorie increase

Harveys:  43%F, 36%C, 21%P

BKing:   52%F, 35%C, 17%P

If I had to pick my favourite take out it was at a Wendy's on my last business trip.  A Power Mediterranean Chicken Salad (Full) - 480 cals, 16g fat, 42g carbs, 43g protein.  "Always-fresh-grilled chicken teams up with a savory ensemble of feta cheese, hummus, and sundried tomato quinoa blend to take this salad to the next level."

Still packed full of additives and preservatives, but very tasty - and 4x the fiber of the Harvey's burger and 8x the fiber of the Whopper Jr. 

Going south with the boss in early June - would definitely steer him to a Wendy's if we're looking for a quick stop.  When I travel on my own I go back and forth between grocery store salads with roasted chicken (dieting days) to sit down full service stuff (maintenance days) depending on my mood and activity level.  I had a combined work / personal days trip last year - burned between 4000-4500 calories each day, ate a high as about 4000 (estimating, which is always off) but no day lower than 3000.  Went up 4.1 pounds the Sun after my return, went back to my usual the next week (3200-3500 burn, consume 2200-2500) and dropped 9 pounds the next week.

Yep, decades of being convinced I must have a slow metabolism shot to heck.  I simply can't cope (or keep up) with low calories.  Sorry, long rambling post just to point out that the ideal lunch may not be 300 calories or 2000 calories, but somewhere in between based on your current weight and activity levels.  Don't mind me... worked well past midnight last night and ended up not sleeping.  Ended up doing chores, a workout, then off to work at 5:30.  It's raining out and I'm over my step goal for the day so dinner, some tv and sleep. 

[WilliamAnderson]

@A_Lurker - You said "Nobody in their right mind doesn't know that lunch is a calorie bomb...."

I think you must associate with fitness-conscious people. Most of the clients and patients referred to me have no idea what's in the food, calories or otherwise, in what they eat. They are shocked when they find out. Don't forget, 70% of our people are overweight and 35% are obese. 

My strategy is to eat lunch at restaurants no more than once a week, and always with something like the Whopper Jr.   In fact, I eat out for dinner no more than once a week. I'm a better cook and with my meals I get a lot more bang for the buck (calories). 

You have a wonderful exercise habit! Great work!

[A_Lurker]

@WilliamAnderson- I think people in general know (as I said, not exact) that first meal is way too much.  There's just way too much information in the media/news (even if you're not looking) that tells you how bad items are.  Canada is getting better - Harvey's as I mentioned has calorie ranges on their drive thru menus (and I'm assuming inside).  We've had 'light' beers for decades - this tells me beer drinkers (without even talking about it know there are better choices).  I take my mother to a restaurant chain maybe every 6 weeks (we go elsewhere other weeks, this is generally my meal out unless I'm traveling for work) and everything on the menu has a calorie count beside it.  I can choose a full rack of ribs for 2500+ calories or a Mediterranean Salad with chicken for 556 calories.  In the end I had the chicken & shrimp penne for 806 calories.  No way people don't know that the salad is a better choice than the ribs.

I do think the average person wanting to lose weight may not have a good idea on the specifics of what they are eating.  But if they tell you that meal A you posted isn't a high calorie meal they really are deluding themselves.  I usually suggest people weigh, measure, track for a little while - so they do get a feel for how much a portion is (and how caloric it is).  I agree that fast food places and restaurants in general can be very guilty of upsizing their portions.  I don't calorie count at the moment but I can tell you roughly what I ate so far today.  I actually think I'm low, but let's see (on my 1000 calorie deficit, which is likely a 750 true I can eat 2290 today if I don't move any more).

Breakfast:  Smoothie (318) - I would have said 300, but this is a bit of a cheat as I always keep a set of dry ingredients in a container by the blender

Morning Snack:  Apple Fritter (290) - I would have said 300

                           Clementines (102) - I would have said 100

Lunch: Farro salad, cucumber, tomato, no feta (out), chopped grilled chicken, clementines (465) - wth the feta I would have said 600, let's say 500

Afternoon Snack: nothing today (sometimes a piece or two of single piece dark chocolate that are in my filing cabinet - 35 cals each)

Dinner: Homemade turkey lasagna (507) - I would have said 500

             I didn't make any veggies - although I did graze a few tomatoes and salad leaves out of my indoor garden (no counting) - just picking when passing (45) - wouldn't have counted

Evening Snack: Stewed rhubarb & berries with granola (199) - I would have said 200, but that's because I did check the fruit as I cooked it and I definitely would weigh the granola

Actual:  1926

Mental Count: 1900

I am low, I can have 365 calories more.  I knew mentally that lunch and dinner were slightly low - but the smoothie and doughnut were higher (I usually skip breakfast and have about 400 cals for morning snack).  That's why I say in other posts that I consider 300-500 calories for an evening snack is what I save and adjust.  Today (without the fruit and granola I would have gone higher).  Now I'll be at the 200-300 range.

Don't get me wrong - I can only really do this in my head because (a) I tend to be a numbers person with a decent attention to detail**, (b) I logged meticulously for months, and (c) if I make something to freeze in portions I weigh all ingredients - veggies and all - and portion it into 500-600 calorie ranges if I'm serving it with veggies and 400-500 max if I'm going to add rice, pasta or potato,

Oh, full disclosure - I bought the doughnuts and brought them to the plant this morning.  I don't usually bother with coffee, but this morning I wanted some so I brought a dozen doughnuts with me as well.  It's been months since I've done this (I usually do timbits as they run 60-75 cals each and that way I can have 2).  I'm the 'work stuff in' kind of dieter.  As I continue to lose weight I'll adjust somewhere, just not there yet.

** Except tonight my focus is gone... going to sleep!

[MagsOnTheBeach]

Anyone in their right mind knows a big shake and burger are a lot of calories.  In my state, they are printed on the menu and on menu boards.  But, I think a  lot of people including myself play games - I'll have the burger I want but I'll skip the shake and fries and get a diet coke.  And in the mind, everything in your mind is not related.  I might have had cereal for breakfast and then the burger and fries and a diet coke for lunch because breakfast was small, and then when dinner comes I don't think about what I ate (including the leftover donut at the coffee break) and have the dinner I want.  Maybe two portions of pasta with garlic bread and a 'healthy' salad.  

It is not about calories, it's getting your brain to notice what is going on.  There was no fruit, no milk, no nuts, no whole unprocessed grains, it is far from the number of vegetables one should have.  It was all a pile of processed crap.  It is about the quality and types of food first, calories are less of a worry.  

This preoccupation with calories over nutrients is so bizarre.  

[JenniferinFL]

@A_Lurker, I'm eating about the same, anywhere from 1900-2200 calories depending on activity. I aim for 1000 calorie deficit which this week is now a 698 calorie deficit instead of the 638 calorie deficit it was last week, so, good enough for me.. lol If the scale keeps moving down and I'm not hungry all the time, it works for me. 

Lunch for me is usually around 600 calories or thereabouts. Unfortunately, I'm a bit pigeon-holed when it comes to lunch. I have to leave the building or I get stuck working through lunch. I have a whole hour to kill. So, usually I do hit a drive thru. I wish I could justify the price of the Wendy's salad more often, because I do just love them. I know they are a bit junky, but they do taste great. My lunch is usually a bit rubbish-y. A dollar chicken sandwich from McDonalds and a 6 piece nugget or like 3 chicken soft tacos at Taco Bell, but, that's almost as much money as the Wendy's salad. 

For awhile I was bringing my own lunch, but, everyone complained about the smell of my lunch. I was bringing cabbage or brussell sprouts or kale- some kind of steamed green with chicken. I just got tired of everyone complaining about me stinking up the breakroom with my lunch.  🙂

Well, that and working through my unpaid lunch because some issue couldn't be solved without my input during the one hour I get to unplug from the place.. lol

[Esya]

@JenniferinFL

Why don't you prep your own lunch and go for a walk during lunch? At least on the days the weather permits for it. They can't complain about the smell when you are outside the building and they can't ask questions about your work.

[WilliamAnderson]

@A_Lurker - You are on the right track when you say you think people may be deluding themselves. Most of the obese people I help have been shutting out what they hear about the food choices that are causing them problems. It's a common problem with people, what you call denial, and it works like a charm. Ignorance is bliss -until it bites them in the butt. @MagsOnTheBeach - You'd be surprised what people can get themselves to think when they want to block out reality and believe in a fallacy. 

The very first week I work with people, I have them track the calories they eat and instruct them to eat normally, do everything they would normally do, and no guilt. My lesson on guilt is to give it up. I teach forgiveness instead.

Holy cow! They are shocked! It is a real eye opener. Of course, these are people who have decided they want to change and have committed themselves to being honest and following the lesson plan. 

[JenniferinFL]

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@Esya wrote:

@JenniferinFL

Why don't you prep your own lunch and go for a walk during lunch? At least on the days the weather permits for it. They can't complain about the smell when you are outside the building and they can't ask questions about your work.

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I live in Florida, it's 96 degrees (36 Celsius) around the time I take my lunch. I usually go right from lunch to a customer service desk (library). I'm not allowed to be smelly/sweaty at the desk. 

I used to be at another location that was within driving distance of a Target store and I would go walking in there on my lunch. But, then I got transferred to a different location and there's just nothing nearby big enough to walk around in. There's a McDonalds, a Wendy's and a Taco Bell along with a couple gas stations. 

I could bring something that could be eaten cold, they really only complain when I use the microwave to warm up my stinky food, and then I could go eat it in my car. Occasionally I do that.

Eventually as I lose weight I will probably have to do that to continue losing weight. I've been transferred 3 times since I've worked for the library system I'm in. So, really I was just considering it to be likely a temporary situation anyways. If I end up transferred to any other location I'm back to having a grocery store or shopping center I can walk in and a lot more healthy food options on the go.

Whenever someone quits at a location that was already short staffed I will probably be transferred again. To me, it's not a big deal if I eat fast food for lunch for the next 6 months or so before I get moved again. I'm staying within my calorie goals and I've always had good lab results for all the typical troublemakers. It's a nuisance, but, everything is temporary.

These are my typical lunch choices, I get 3 of the chicken soft tacos, so that's the calories for 3. (If I'm ravenously hungry, like woke up late and had no time for breakfast, I will get both the mcdouble and the 6 piece nugget. I just drink water or coffee, so no added soft drink calories for me:

They aren't great, but, they aren't really that horrible. I consume very little sodium at home, so usually am still not in the red for sodium at the end of the day.  

[MagsOnTheBeach]

Is your library one story?  My mom's library was 3 so we could walk stairs at lunch.  And there was a big break room so people ate what they wanted to eat.  Lunch should be relaxing, I hope your next transfer is near a nice indoor walking place with a breakroom that is easy and comfortable to eat in!

[Esya]

Ah, I understand about the weather now 🙂 . I just don't get why your colleagues complain about it, but when they do it daily it gets really annoying so I would give in too. Food should smell in my opinion, or chances are it is lacking in the flavour department.

[JenniferinFL]

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@MagsOnTheBeach wrote:

Is your library one story?  My mom's library was 3 so we could walk stairs at lunch.  And there was a big break room so people ate what they wanted to eat.  Lunch should be relaxing, I hope your next transfer is near a nice indoor walking place with a breakroom that is easy and comfortable to eat in!

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The library I'm in at the moment is only one story. There are two small breakrooms, but, my department doesn't use either of them. My department eats lunch at their desks in the staff workroom. If I get transferred anywhere else, I'll be close to somewhere where I can walk. So, I'm not worried about it at the moment. It will happen one day.  🙂

[JenniferinFL]

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@Esya wrote:

Ah, I understand about the weather now 🙂 . I just don't get why your colleagues complain about it, but when they do it daily it gets really annoying so I would give in too. Food should smell in my opinion, or chances are it is lacking in the flavour department.

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They all pretty much eat those healthy choice type frozen meals that have 250 calories or so and no flavor at all OR ridiculous amounts of fast food. Neither really has much odor.. lol or flavor other than salt. 

It will change eventually, so, for now it's alright. I do pack my lunch sometimes, probably twice a week, but then it's just like plain chicken and potatoes or some leftover noodle dish that I know won't be offensive. Some raw veggies don't have much odor either, like celery or cucumbers, so I bring those in. It's just those dark and leafy type greens and cabbages and anything with flavor that's a problem.. lol

[MagsOnTheBeach]

It is too bad that they don't list their sodium amounts on their nutrition information.

[ThatGreen]

@MagsOnTheBeach  I would guess it's not insane, but you never know with packaged things. The chicken and veggies look pretty plain on the picture, but I'm guessing there's a lot of salt in that little sauce thing.

I'm curious, though. Do many people here keep tabs on/restrict their sodium intake?

Asking because I've never really given it much thought. I know excessive sodium can cause higher blood pressure which in turn can be bad for a number of reasons.

[WilliamAnderson]

@ThatGreen - When asked, my primary care physician said that if I had hypertension, he'd advise me to monitor and control my sodium intake, but since that is not a problem, he said it was not needed, not a concern. I'd hate to have to give it up.

[A_Lurker]

@MagsOnTheBeach- I don't restrict sodium either as my blood pressure is also good.  I don't add a lot of salt to my food so I often find prepared foods very salty.

[MagsOnTheBeach]

Yes, I restrict sodium.  

Honestly, it is more important than fat or carbs or calories to me.  I think because the use of it hides cheap ingredients and I would rather have quality ingredients that can stand on their own.  So if it has more sodium than calories, I tend to skip the item.  It's way easier to decide what to eat based on sodium added, check out any fast food item and find a meal that does not exceed 1500mg and 1500mg is my daily allotment by choice.

I like clean fresh food so I end up making my own most of the time. 

[WilliamAnderson]

@MagsOnTheBeach - Since obesity was the problem (for 25 years, and had become life-threatening), my focus was on being able to form habits that would solve my weight problem, which I did. I finally lost 140 pounds with my method, focusing on habits of eating what I liked in the right caloric volumes, and I've maintained my ideal weight now for over 30 years. Interestingly, after I solved the weight problem, my other health-related habits began to improve with my new-found health, and my behavior related to exercise and other nutrient qualities also improved. 

[DavidSchneier]

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@ThatGreen wrote:

@MagsOnTheBeach  I would guess it's not insane, but you never know with packaged things. The chicken and veggies look pretty plain on the picture, but I'm guessing there's a lot of salt in that little sauce thing.

I'm curious, though. Do many people here keep tabs on/restrict their sodium intake?

Asking because I've never really given it much thought. I know excessive sodium can cause higher blood pressure which in turn can be bad for a number of reasons.

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This may be a simplistic, almost naive answer to your question, but I have come to believe that by developing eating habits that measure the caloric impact of foods on my body I have also enjoyed a reduction in the intake of potentially damaging ingredients. I consume quite a bit of fresh produce and prepare a fair amount of my own food and because of this can avoid refined sugars and sodium.

Also, sodium is a greater threat when you eat processed or junk food, and there's no way to successfully manage weight via calorie counting while consuming such things over an extended period. I just this week stopped taking blood pressure medication for the first time in nearly a decade as a result of both my weight loss and dietary modifications.