Despite the economy, fast-food places are holding their own.  McDonald’s and others are seeing an increase in sales as diners downgrade from fast-casual to less expensive alternatives.

Given the ubiquity and ease of eating at these joints, I wondered how many calories could you consume a day by living on a fast food diet.  In his movie Supersize Me, Morgan Spurlock gained nearly 25 lbs eating at McDonald’s for a month.  Here’s my own mini survey of how you could get 10,000 calories a day from stopping off at some favor fast foods restaurants.

Breakfast: Burger King

Double Croissan’wich with Double Sausage

Hash Browns (medium)

Mocha  BK Joe Coffee

1650 Calories, 900 from fat, 2800 mg sodium

Lunch: Whataburger

Triple Whataburger
Large Fry
Large Soda
Apple Pie

3850 Calories, 1540 from fat, 4747 mg sodium

Afternoon Snack: Starbucks

Venti Mint Chocolate Chip Frappacino w/ Whipped Cream

Chocolate Chunk Cookie

1110 calories, 360 from fat, 790 mg sodium

Dinner: Pizza Hut

8 Piece Hot Hings
9″ Panormous Meat Lovers Personal Pizza
Cinnamon Sticks w/ icing
32 Oz Mountain Dew

3010 calories, 1080 from fat, 6387 mg sodium

Late Nate Snack: Marble Slab Creamery

Large Rocky Road Ice Cream

1288 calories, 698 from fat, 21 mg sodium

GRAND TOTAL:

10,908 Calories

4,578 Calories from Fat

14,747 mg of salt

Ready to puke?

Synopsis

I have nothing against any of these establishments.  They were chosen as they are within a few miles of my house.  I can get to any of them in less than 5 minutes.  With cheap, calorie-packed food so easily available, I’m not surprised at the obesity and health issues in our communities.  I’ve not priced up these meals, but I think a pretty safe bet is under $30 for the day.  That’s enough calories to feed 5 adults.

Aside from the big chains, small local chains are just as egregious.  Just because it is local does not mean they don’t pack in the calories as much as any international chain.  They likely woo you with the local appeal, friendlier service, or nicer decor. In the end, nearly all fast-food is laced with calories, fat and salt.  Even “healthy” sounding alternatives, often have calorie packed foods.  So it is always eater beware.

Portion Control

Last week, I was in Seattle to visit some old friends.  Dinner consisted of baked beans, dinner rolls, and some great Italian sausage made at Oregon State University.  OSU is an ag school and they routinely have fresh meats, veggies and other items for sale. The sausage was good and the homemade baked beans were phenomenal.  I had only 1/2 a sausage and loaded up on the salad.  I did have a second helping of baked beans, but the first portion was purposefully a small one.  There were some chips on the table, which I had Juli move to the other end.  Out of arms reach.

Steamer Pot Delight
I love seafood. Clams, fish, oysters, squid, conch, prawns, octopus, urchin eggs, and the list continues. Provided it is fresh, I like it. On our way back from Cape Flattery, we stopped at The 3 Crabs in Sequim. I opted for the steamer pot as it was not fried, pan seared or broiled – I was hoping to cut back on the fat by having something simply steamed. I ate everything but the half crab, only had one dinner roll and skipped the desert. Clams, shrimp, oysters, and fish are relatively low in calories. So despite what appeared to be a large portion, there was actually very little. About a dozen small clams (~7 cals each), two larger oysters (~ 10 cals each), 4 small scallops ( ~ 5 cals each), 3 medium shrimp (~ 5 calories each) and about 3 oz of cod (~ 90 cals). Seems like a ton, but only comes to about 230 calories. Throw in another 30-50 cals for the butter in the broth, 100 for the dinner roll, and 100 for a salad and you are still under 500 calories.

Splitting Portions
I also dined at a very nice bakery/restaurant. Juli and split a portion of bruschetta and then had a bowl of soup. I’ve not been successful at this yet, but I good tip I received while at H3 was to split your portion first and have it wrapped immediately. This prevents you from picking at the other half. Also, I try not to linger around at the restaurant. I try to get away from the table as soon as possible. If the conversation is continuing, drop by a coffee shop or bar. Have a (as in one) glass of wine or stick to club soda.

Apps as Meals
Increasingly, I’ve been pairing appetizers with a salad for my meal. A place near my house does Angus beef tips on their bar menu. This is about a 2-3 oz portion of beef — that’s plenty. Pair it with a house salad and a dinner roll for a complete meal. At another restaurant, I found a crab cake appetizer was plenty when combined with a salad. Pairing apps with a salad or soup is a great way to control the portion size.

Portions are Key
I’ve long given up eating fried, greasy foods. Rarely indulge in sweets like ice cream, cake or pie. I eat pretty clean. However, I was not eating good portion sizes. Dinner was often out-sized. In retrospect, I think this overstuffed my stomach and when it started to shrink, I started feeling hungry again – at least psychologically. So I would snack. Eating smaller portions at dinner actually makes me less hungry later on. Perhaps I’m just paying more attention to what I eat because there is less of it, but getting portions under control has helped me continue my weight loss.

Portions are Everything when Traveling
I’ve managed two successful trips this past month with no weight gain. I think I may have actually lost a couple of pounds. The key thing was having snacks, such as apples and fruit, and keeping a close watch on portion. I know almost always ask about portion sizes of apps, salads or soups before ordering. If you don’t order too much, you cannot overeat. Never forget:

If you are hungry, you can always order more.

Benchmark … still losing
I think I’ve lost another 10 lbs since H3. I need to get on the Wii fit and look at the dates to be sure. But the weight continues to come off despite 2 weeks of travel and 1 week with a sinus infection. I’m hoping this month I can be back on track for 2-3 lbs per week.

Not a good combination of impairments when you have ten pages of web site copy to write and another dozen to review.

Recovering slowly, but I still have a ways to go and a few more days of antibiotics.

Last week, I managed to get in my three trips to the gym, but we had to take it down a few notches to keep me from passing out. No cycling – which sucks as that’s about the only exercise I really enjoy. Actually, I only enjoy the cycling after about 5 minutes into it — the time spent convincing myself to get out of bed early to go do it is horrific.

Sickness and Food
When I don’t feel well, such as a sinus infection, flu or cold, I often find food comforting. This is problematic because my low energy levels sap my will power. I tried to eat well last week, but slipped up several days. Did not journal. Did not care to journal. Did not even look for my journal. I suspect I gained a pound or two. Today’s after-workout weigh in will tell the tale.

Tips Anyone?
If anyone has any tips about staying on track when feeling like your head is about to exploit, please let me know. I find it easier to stay focused when traveling than to do so when I’m ill. Need to find a strategy.

Health Tip
I use a neti pot and if you have sinus issues, I highly recommend regular use. Since using this thing to wash my sinuses, the frequency, duration and severity of my recurring sinus infections has declined significantly.

Psycho-Eating
Nicki mentions that she’s been experimenting with food:

Let’s just say I am experimenting with food. … I’m trying to figure out what satisfies me when. What I can eat with control.

I think this is great and something you must do. Over time, trigger foods are no longer triggers, but there may be some items which you still have not mastered. Instead of depriving yourself, I say do controlled experiments — that should be infrequent controlled experiments. If I experimented with bread nightly, I’m sure my waist would start growing again.

Big Battle – Small Victory
Bread. I love the stuff. French, bagels, pita, nan, rye, wheat, whole grain, leaven, un-leaven, fried, baked, tossed, you name it. I’ve met few breads I do not like.

On Friday, I dropped into Matthew’s for a bit. Instead of having half my weight in bread, I asked them to bring me just one small ciabatta roll. Typically, the bring an assortment of 3-4 rolls, and true to form, I eat the assortment. So I just asked for one and ate only 1.

What Can you Take To the Airport?
Know the rules! The TSA (Transportation Security Administration) should really be renamed STA (Security Theater Administration) since most of what happens at the security screenings if for show. If the liquids were a real threat, do you think they would not inspect them and simply throw them in a bin to be collected later? I digress.

The guidelines for food items are as follows:

All food must go through the X-ray machine. Do NOT bring food to the security checkpoint unwrapped … Food must be wrapped or in a container. Unpeeled natural foods like fruit are okay, but half-eaten fruits must be wrapped.
Source: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/editorial_1667.shtm

So you can bring apples and other vegetables. If you have something like carrot sticks, stick them in a zip lock bag or buy the pre-portioned sizes. In my experience, I’ve only had bottles of liquid confiscated. At worse, they toss your food in the trash forcing you to buy inside the airport.

Avoid Airport Food
If at all possible, avoid airport food. Eat before you leave to the airport. If it is not possible see out fruit or other alternatives. Stay away from airport smoothies. I found in many cases they use sweeteners or frozen fruits. I have found a few kiosks that serve salads or lighter wraps. Pretty much anything you buy cooked at a airport is going to be loaded with fat. Airports have to churn out the food quickly, so they load up the pans and grill tops with oil and crank up the heat.

Just because it looks healthy it probably isn’t. Airports are stuffed with bad foods. So that chicken salad may look like a better option, but you really have to read the labels or ask about ingredients. To my surprise, a “Grilled Chicken Salad” sandwich was actually a Mayo-based chicken salad made from grilled chicken.

Dealing with Relatives
Fortunately, my relatives are starting to eat healthier. An unfortunate event pushed them onto this path, but nobody offered pizza while I was there. I highly recommend letting your relatives/friends know in advance that you are making a lifestyle change. My Aunt asked what I wanted to eat and picked up some extra fruit for me. This prevented me from eating the cookies and other treats that are often available.

If you plan to eat out, research restaurants ahead of time. If there’s a common place your relatives like to gnosh, do some research and see if there are healthy alternatives. Though I did not control my portion well at Lauriol Plaza, I selected a grilled fish and avoided fat filled enchiladas. Though, I did fail to have the chip bowl placed on the other side of the table.

Soup, Salad and Apps
On two occasions, I found myself at a restaurant with mediocre entree choices. So, I opted for an app and salad or soup and salad combo. The food portions were on target. I had the wait staff bring both of my items at the same time as the entrees.

Post-Trip Weigh In
I’ve purposefully delayed my post-trip weigh in until today. I wanted to get my body back to a normal schedule so I can assure my hydration and day is on par to the weigh-in prior to leaving. Will update tomorrow with the results. Given a conference, a dinner party and a birthday party on this trip, if I’m +2lbs or under, I consider that a success.

UPDATE!

I weighed in on my trusty Wii-Fit last night, and to my delight I was down 3.2 lbs last week.  Given the +/- 2lb accuracy I get with the Wii that means I at least did not gain any weight on my trip.  I may have even lost a pound.

This week, I’m at the Gaylord National Resort in Washington D.C. for Hostingcon, the annual geek fest for people providing internet services.  Conferences pose some huge challenges:

• Disrupted Exercise Routine
• Unhealthy Food Abundant
• Networking Drinking Events

Fruit Hoarding

The food at these events is typically poor, but this year, I have to give the operation some credit. At least there is some fruit available during breaks. This is a welcome addition to the fat-laden goodies like cookies, donuts, and muffins that are typically served.  When I find some good fruit, I stash it in my conference bag.

Luckily, my fruit hoard has saved me twice.

Yesterday, before the evening network event. I had an apple.  Typically at these events I drift from one reception to another, trying to limit the drinks people are tossing my way.  Finger foods are the menu du jour, so the apple helped.  I drank less and was less tempted by the nachos on offer.

Today when walking into the exhibit hall around 10:30 AM, Otis Spunkmeyer greeted my nostrils.  For our obese nation, fresh-baked cookies are probably better than a booth babe in attracting attendees to your both.  The plum I had stashed in my bag saved me. One booth was giving out slices of chocoloate cake — that’s the last thing an overweight sedentary system administrator needs.

Lunch Deconstructed

Lunch is tough.  There is a mixed green salad offered but very little healthy protein.  Yesterday, they served some turkey and cheese sandwiches on a roll.  So I made a salad with some cucumbers and tomatoes and took the turkey from the sandwich to make a meal.  I thought this was pretty good.  I did indulge a bit in the mini-desert, which was a shot glass sized serving of cheesecake.

Today was a little tougher.  The protein option was a fish bathed in butter and bread crumbs or a chicken breast wrapped in ham with some cheese.  I scraped the ham and cheese off of the chicken and added it to my salad.  Still pretty fatty, but better than the butter soaked fish.

Not Drinking

Alcohol greases the engine of business.  Hanging out in a social setting and kicking back a beer or six builds trust.  Why you should trust a drunken salesperson is beyond me, but that’s how it works.

Last night was tough.  There are many people here I’ve know for years, so catching up required more than a couple of drinks.  Fortunately in H3I speak, this is an infrequent event, so overdoing it is relatively minor in the grand scheme of things.  I did, however, make it back with much less damage than in the past.

Tonight, I had a wonderful dinner with some of business partners.  I had a couple of drinks at dinner and one after.  Probably 3 servings of alcohol total.  The bread bowl had a flat bread in it, so I ate a very small portion of it — better than eating the entire bowl of bread which was an old habit.

I had a mixed salad and fish for dinner.  The portion was a little large but I did not have any afternoon snack and a light lunch, so on balance, I think it was a success.

Exercise (Kind of)

The conference runs from 8:30 AM to about 5:30 PM, then dinner and/or a networking reception.  By the time you’re done, exhaustion takes hold.

Yesterday, I asked myself a question:

“What benefits the my business more?  Going to a boring sessions with little import or taking 45 minutes out of the day to improve my health?”

When posed that way, the answer was clear.  In the past, I felt a little guilty about taking some “me time” at these events as they can be expensive.  After a closer inspection, I realized that being rejuvenated from exercise would make me more effective in the important sessions.

This is a win-win attitude.  I win and the business wins.  This is a big shift in my attitude about business events.  In the future, I will look for low impact events and see if I can use that time to get some exercise.

Simply Stairs

Taking the stairs.  Though sometimes I forget or just follow the crowd down the escalator, I’ve been trying to take the stairs.  This conference is spread over 3 floors which each floor occupying about 2 stories.  So to go from the exhibit hall to the conference room is 6 flights.  I did that about 4x today, so that 24 stories.

Hanging in There

I’ve one more day at the conference and then over to my aunt’s place for  some family time.  I think I’ve managed pretty well but will not know for sure until I hit the scale when I get home on Sunday.

Now, I do pickup the rotisserie at the local super market.  I’ve never bothered to lookup the nutrition information for those birds.  I just assumed they were better as they were freshly cooked.  One thing I’ve learned is you cannot assume anything about the nutrition of the food you eat.  So I will have to dig up the nutrition info on the rotisserie chicken and compare it to KFC’s.

Another very popular item at the CSPI is the 10 Worst and Best Foods as well as their Top  Food Frauds.  When looking for whole grains, also make sure the first ingredient lists “Whole” in its title.  Some products use a minimum amount of whole grains so they can claim that title but primarily use refined grains.