Ed Levine's Serious Diet, Week 27: One Man's Honest Attempt at Portion Control
Upon my return from the nonstop eating extravaganza that was our West Coast excursion to Portland and San Francisco, I immediately got back on the horse (not the scale), dieting and living-wise.
Last Friday and Saturday I truly, truly ate lightly, so when I did summon up courage to get on the scale Sunday, imagine my surprise when Mr. Scale said I had actually lost a pound since my last weigh-in.
In a way, getting that favorable digital read on Sunday was counterproductive, as it probably gave me a false sense of accomplishment. Even more problematic was that I still had five days before the next weigh-in, which, as you all know, is about to happen.
I had a few hurdles to overcome this week:
- A morning's worth of mostly sweets shopping and eating at Amy's Bread to finish "researching" for my review.
- A Mexican lunch at an exceptional fish taco emporium that I'm reviewing next week. Robyn and I ordered six or eight items from the menu, trying to only take one bite from each and save the rest for Serious Eaters at headquarters.
- A tasting of all nine flavors from the Van Leeuwen Artisan ice cream truck, which Serious Eats New York's Kathy Chen filed an early report on. I think I managed to limit the damage by just taking one bite of each flavor, but damn, that coffee ice cream sundae with cocoa nibs and hot fudge is good, and once I taste something seriously delicious, it's hard to stick to the One Bite Rule.
- Two business lunches, one at an excellent German restaurant where my favorite dish is a schnitzel in bacon and cream gravy—don't worry, I resisted. It's as if Paula Deen moved to Munich.
These eating forays, genuinely part of my life's work, wreak havoc on a man's honest attempts at portion control. So we'll see if that interim weigh-in was just the thing I didn't need.
The Weigh-In
Groan, I've gained a pound since my last official weigh-in two weeks ago. That interim weigh-in really didn't help. Pass the kelp.
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9 Comments:
ed -- are you doing any serious exercise? i know it's hard in this heat, but in the summer i reduce the cardio and up the weightlifting.
cybercita at 9:12AM on 08/01/08
You're right. I have to hit the machines a couple of times a week. This week I played squash on saturday and Tuesday. My Thursday game was cancelled, which didn't help my weigh-in today. I also try to bike to work at least once a week, but it's hard when it's this hot out because I don't have a place to shower at the office.
Ed Levine at 9:18AM on 08/01/08
I hate to be too negative, but I think part of your problem is your mileposts. Losing a pound is not in fact weight loss, that's wearing different clothes, shoes, no belt, having slightly less food or water in your system. Being seriously impressed that you haven't gained weight during a week is not a productive target. I think you need to set an actual target of pounds lost each week, and then if you don't lose that many, the week was not a success.
I long ago decided that I was not going to keep the weight down by changing my diet to eat only those dull foods. Apart from anything else there's no way I would stick to it. So like you, I operate portion control. On the other hand, I'm not adverse to filling up my stomach with something filling but low calorie - a bag of carrots, a big bowl of fibre etc etc - when I know I'm going out to eat. I am wondering if you go to these restaurants hungry? It might be easier to exercise portion control on the high calorie foods if you are only hungry enough to eat a mouthful of them anyway?
sarahdlr at 10:16AM on 08/01/08
Food reviewer and serious dieter...? That's an oxymoron ... to me at least.
asg749d at 11:25AM on 08/01/08
Maybe instead of biking to work, you can spend the time working out at home or at a gym where you can shower before heading to work? I know the only way I can lose weight, even as someone who isn't in the food profession, is to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, doing both cardio and strength training, at least 5 days a week. I'm especially feeling it as I grow older (I just turned 32), as my metabolism slows and my muscles start to turn to jelly. It's hard work, and it will always be hard work (especially since I'm not as strict about my diet as I could be/should be), but at this point, it's for my health. In your shoes, it would be very, very hard to prioritize.
OneWallKitchen at 11:41AM on 08/01/08
I was going to drop you a comment about exercise, but I see I've been beat to the punch. Have you ever though about the "accidental work-out"? Dog-walking, bike-riding, hiking, swimming, etc? I find it's much more satisfying than a gym for a lot of reasons, although others would argue against me for its overall effectiveness. Hah.
sweeetheartfever at 12:29PM on 08/01/08
I can only add: Try not to beat yourself up for maintaining in the face of such overwhelming temptation. Self-flagellation is not a good form of exercise.
Good eating habits like portion control take time to build.
Oh, and: Drink lots and lots of water!! It'll help to keep your metabolism up and it's good for you in the heat.
Tokyorosa at 1:12PM on 08/01/08
Trying to look at the positive side of this......you are a food reviewer and you aren't GAINING weight. Well, not much anyways. I know most people who are faced with that much temptation daily would fail miserably. Even with 30 min. of exercise a day. So thumbs up on at least maintaining your weight.
Also, have you ever tried a food diary? Like that on thedailyplate.com? I know there are other sites, but looking at your calorie intake is a pretty good way to scare yourself into portion control if you need it. (The day I ate 700 calories worth of Jelly Belly beans....not a happy day calorie-wise. But it's documented as a reminder.)
Good luck with your quest! :)
amanda0730 at 1:59PM on 08/01/08
Ed just remember that eating less now and working out, will mean you'll likely be around longer, and get to try more interesting food later in life hopefully without the restrictions our health sometimes puts on us. We are all rooting for you!
huneybumper at 9:03AM on 08/02/08