Well, its more difficult than you think. First thing you notice is that all the subs on the chart mention their length (6″ verse 12″) EXCEPT the flatbread ones. No big deal, just click on breads and compare them there, right? Wrong!

On the breads, just like the subs, all are listed with the length EXCEPT flatbread. Six inch wheat has 210 calories but flatbread is listed as 220 calories. So is that for 12″ flatbread or 6″ flatbread? Hmmm… maybe we can figure this out by compairing the calories on the subs.

The 6″ ham on wheat without cheeese is 290 calories. It says explicitly that it is “without cheese”. So lets compare to the Ham on Flatbread – 300 calories. Ah, it must be for the 6″right? Wait… it doesn’t say without cheese. AND there is a footnote that all subs are listed WITH cheese EXCEPT the 6 grams of fat or less subs or otherwise noted. Ham on flatbread is 7 grams of fat.

Well – clearly if the Ham on Flatbread is 300 calories WITH cheese and the 6″ ham on wheat is 290 calories without cheese, then the 300 calories COULD be for the 12 inches, right? WRONG!

The ham on flatbread does NOT include cheese despite the website indicating that it does and I was able to confirm this from Subway’s twitter stream (@subwayfreashbuzz) – the flatbread is 220 calories for the 6″ length and is 10 calories more than wheat.

Why is this so difficult? I don’t know but the confussion has caused a lot of people to miscount their calories for the day by the hundreds. And when food journaling seems to be the only working method to lose weight for a lot of people, that is huge.

The final word here – if the calories seem to few to be true – don’t trust ‘em! You ARE eating more than you think – better to over esteemate than under!

PS – you aren’t burning as many calories exercising as you think either – but that is another post for another day…

I recently when through a week and a half of self destructive behavior that included a lot of binge eating (I gained 8 pounds!) So after reading this mornings post, I thought, “what should we men do to stop a binge?”

Here are a few of my ideas in no particular order:

1. Find a DIFFERENT self-deprecating habit

Take that however you want – but my point is REPLACE the urge to binge with something else.  Have you ever heard that when you want to not think about something, you can’t just stop thinking about it, instead you have to think about anything else? Its the same principle.

For example, If you like to smoke cigars, next time you want to binge eat, grab a cigar and head into the back yard instead. I imagine this DOESN’T work for drinking since you would still be getting the calories and even require a bit of binge eating just to soak up the alcohol.

The main goal is to get past the moment – like the ladies stated in their post, binges really are about the moment, not the food.

2. Get out of the house

Binges don’t usually happen while you are at work or even out to eat with friends.  They usually happen at home near the fridge.  Go for a run, drive to the gun shop, go play golf, whatever it takes to remove yourself from the proximity of accessible calories and privacy of the house.

3. Call up a friend

There are support groups out there like Weight Watchers but lets be honest – those options are usually all women that want to talk about their feelings.  Find a good buddy that understands you are trying to lose weight and ask him if he can be your life line.

When you are in the middle of binge thinking, call him up.  You don’t have to talk about “why you feel like eating…” just a simple “hey man, I want to eat, lets argue politics instead…” or whatever helps get you through the moment.

4. Get angry and break something

We are MEN – our primal desires are to kill something, eat it, then have sex, and get some sleep.  Feed the desire to kill something instead of feeding your face.  Get that old box from the garage that you keep bumping into everytime you get out of your car – and beat the crap out of it.  Throw it into the driveway, take a baseball bat and beat it to a pulp, then angrily pick up the pieces and shove them into the trash.  If nothing else, you will entertain your neighbors, who will think you are having a total melt down, and you will never bump into the box again.

If you have a punching bag in your garage, that might work too… I don’t.

5. Remind yourself of your goals

The ladies mentioned this in their post – using your mind to get through.  To quote them, “Binges are not rational”.  I’m with them on this one.  I don’t want to slip back into the old me – I have lost over 30lbs and I still have over a 100 to go.  I want to lose the weight, I want to be healthier, I want to live longer.  I do not want to slip back into the 300lbs version of me that just “accepts” the fact the he will always be fat.

Anyway, those are a few of my ideas – I would love to hear others in case these don’t get me though that next binge moment, so please leave me a comment with your ideas…

For the most part, this is what I have been doing since the beginning of the month (June, 2010).  I plan to read more from the site – I found the authors candor to be very refreshing.

My favorite quote from his page so far:

Is there any scientific evidence that this diet works?

Absolutely none. But I’m not aware that I have any competition in this regard.

Top 5 Things skinny people should never do at a holiday Dinner with Fat People

Excerpt:

Its hard enough being 50, 60, or 100lbs overweight – but having to listen to someone who has never been 20lbs overweight, talking about losing that ‘last 5 pounds’ is unbearable.  It often triggers an eating binge for overeaters.  Lets be honest here – you may really need to lose those 5lbs – and maybe that piece of pie wasn’t the best idea for you – but saying out loud infront of a food addict is kinda like saying to a crackhead – “I really shouldn’t, but I just gotta try this new crack”… Read More

A Few other great posts:

Everyone is fat including you

My 500 Calorie Run with Nike Plus

Top Five Reasons To Stay Fat

You’re Too FAT to Eat Here!

Sorry I was late, but I’m FAT

Dan is the author of one of my favorite books (Predictably Irrational) and a recent blog post called “SEX, SHAVING, AND BAD UNDERWEAR” caught my attention.  My blatant theft of his title in this post is meant to provoked the same reaction from you!  Did it work?

In his post, he spoke directly to my issue here at IQA:

At time X you decide that you’re done acting a certain way (No more smoking! No more spending! No more unprotected sex!), but then when temptation strikes, you go back on your word

I decided one year ago, I was going to stop overeating but as soon as meal times (and admittedly all times in between) rolled around, I was stuffing my face with pizza, doughnuts, and skittles!  What was Dan’s advise to me?  He did give me hope when he wrote “Fortunately, there’s a way around the problem…”

Mr Ariely suggests we can take preemptive actions to keep ourselves in check; these actions he calls pre-commitments.  Hmm… so I can do something now, while I am interested in weight loss and health that will commit me to stay on course at my next rendezvous with red velvet cake? An interesting concept for sure, but what preemptive action could I actually take to keep away from the second and third servings at meal times?  My first thought was to get a bigger plate.

Joking aside, I thought starting a blog would commit me to the course, but as my blog name suggestions, I simply quit blogging… again.

I’ll let you read his post for yourselves to determine how sex, shaving, and bad underwear fit into pre-commitment, but for me, I think Tubbs’ Challenge is one way I have ‘pre-commited’ myself to blogging this month.  I started this post before the challenge began and would have likely allowed it to grow cold and alone on my draft shelf otherwise.  Now my question is, does this post count as my challenge post?  Likely not – look for another entry before the night is over…

BTW – if you haven’t read Predictably Irrational – please do.  Its one of my ‘must reads’ and I know you will enjoy it.

Craig Shorey

By Craig Shorey

I’m sinkin’.  I can’t seem to get and stay on the right weight/eating path. I do well for a little while and then something will trigger (I hate that word) a full out relapse.  My wife had a tooth pulled and for a few days I had to take care of the kids and get my own meals. I did fine – great even but then Sunday came. We had a fast food burger & fries due to no food plan. Then like thunder follows lighting…

W H A M!

A three day binge and with stuff I don’t even like.

I know this battle is mine. I know I need to change. I know what I am doing is not working. I know I’ll feel better if I change. I even know if I don’t change I’ll die. I don’t mean like feel bad or be ashamed of the weight. I don’t mean hurt inside because I can’t fit in something or somewhere. DIE! Actually have my spirit taken from this body that battles me and my body laid in the ground before it is time.

Men in my family who take care of themselves have lived to 85, men who have not have died before 65, 60 and some before 50. As you know my dad died early, too early. You know the details, and it doesn’t matter if we like it or not he died when he did and how he did because of how he dealt with stress, or rather how he didn’t deal with it. I’m fully confident that he died at least 12 years premature, maybe even as many as 25 years before his time. (Don’t even try to go theological on me about that, cause I’ll whip out my sword and cut you up with it on this one).

Dad’s been gone over eight years now, still at least more years I should have had. In the eight years he has been gone two of his three children got married, me included. At both weddings there was an empty chair. He has had 7 grandchildren and one on the way that will never know him for themselves. My mom has lived alone and had way too many experiences where he was absent. (I know lots of people lose a loved one prematurely but to know the loved one could have lived has a little extra twist).

I DON’T WANT TO BE AN EMPTY
CHAIR AT MY CHILDREN’S WEDDING!

Yet, I change not. I’ve told anybody really but I’m pissed… at my dad, PISSED for leaving while we still needed him. For having to explain to my daughters why they have not met him and so on.

I know you relate to all that. So, here is our $1,000,000.00 ($40K times 25 years = 1 Million) what do we do about it? I don’t know for sure. Here is what I do know. Grandfather was an alcoholic and my dad was not. I have never had one day on my life that alcohol was an issue. Thus, I’m thinking if I can kick this addiction (hate that word as well) to food than just maybe I can give that victory to my kids. Maybe just we can do that.

Dale, I don’t know what we can do to change our weight. But I’ll commit to doing it with you. I know we have to put ourselves in a place to be successful. We have to rally get our minds in the place that we are at war here. War means taking drastic measures sometimes. Does that mean nothing in the house, not even for kids that we will go off on? Maybe. Does it mean we have to have certain things under lock and key? Maybe.

I know two things:

1. If my sister becomes a widow and your children have no father because you wouldn’t get the weight off – I’ll… I’ll… I’ll spit on your grave and put dog feces on it.
2. You and I are in a battle for our lives and if we lose, we are not the real “Biggest Losers” – our children and family are.

*******************

Craig has been in ministry his entire life, most of which has been spent in Senior Pastor roles.  He has pastored in the North (Maine), the South (Florida), the East (Tennisee) and the West (Washington State); truly taking the Gospel to the four corners of the country!  Currently he pastors a church in Missouri.  Craig is more than a Brother-In-Law to me – he has at times been my adviser, my minister, my counselor – and at all times he has been my friend.

Sione and Me

To be honest, it is a bit anti-climactic.  I mean after spending four or more hours in line (my first time I was in line for 8 hours), you are hoping to sit down with Bob or Jillian for a 30 min hows it going session – and that just ain’t going to happen.  After all that time in line,  you sit down at a table with 10 to 15 people that all want to get on the show and one casting director.  And the casting director asks everyone to state their name, what they do, how old they are, and how much they weight want to lose.  After introductions, the director asks one question – for both times I’ve tried out it was the same question – “why are we so fat in America?”

The five or six minutes that follow are crazy – everyone at the table has little time to say anything that will impress the director and a few personalities at your table will take every second of that time if you let them.  You have to find a way to pipe in, say something interesting, and get noticed.  Before you know it – the director cuts off the conversation and say something like -

Ok guys, I’m sorry I have to cut this short – we could spend all day talking about this, you know?  We will have some time while we are in town to talk to a few people for filmed interviews, but if you don’t get called back – it doesn’t mean I didn’t like you or think you could be right for the show; This isn’t the end of the road for you!  Go to nbc.com/casting and there are instructions there to submit a video.

Please leave your paperwork in front of you.

a blury Dane and Blaine

That’s it! Its over – you either did or you did not make the cut.  Like I said, a bit anti-climatic.  But there is so much more you can walk away with than those 10 mins!  Remember, you are in line for hours!  And you are in line with a bunch of Type-A personalities.  These are some of the coolest people to hang out with.  Of course, in a group this size (HA – pun intended!) you will have a few very obnoxious people – but you can choose to enjoy those people too.

Like the trainer that was auditioning to be on the biggest loser today (yeah, NBC is auditioning trainers – hmmm, wonder ’bout that) – she stepped out of line – went out to the middle of the courtyard where everyone could see her and started doing jump, sqaut, pushup jumping jack things!  Very obnoxious – I enjoyed watching her make a fool of herself.

There was a line nazis beside me in line that spent no less than an hour yelling things like HEY – you can’t skip in line to people ahead of us that can’t even hear her.  Someone told her karma would get anyone skipping in line – to which she replied “By the time Karma works, those guys will have already had their interview and gone home today – Karma’s a bitch BECAUSE she takes too long!”  I laughed at that one.

My favorite was all those around me that didn’t want to be filmed by the local news crew that came out to cover the event.  They would duck behind others in line when the camera came by – think about that for a second… they are trying out for the Biggest Loser TV show, but don’t want to be seen on TV.

The event didn’t begin until 10am and they said on the website – don’t line up more than 3 hours early but I knew others wouldn’t follow that and I was right.  When I got there at 6am, close to 200 people had already lined up.  This was the pre-line because we weren’t allowed to line up at the door across the street – so we lined up on the sidewalk.  At about 7, we were given the ok to cross the street and line up at the door – and at first it seemed like our line was going to cross over in an orderly fashion – until some people from across the other corner were seen running to the door… then suddenly – STAMPEDE!  I’ve never seen so many fat people running at the same time.  Yes, I ran.  Otherwise I would have gone from about 200 to maybe 3 or 400th in line.  I ended up at 122nd in line.

I’m sure I was one of the obnoxious in the group, saying things like “Wow the competition this year is HEAVY” and “this is the longest line of fat people I have ever been in that doesn’t end in a buffet”  Cheesy, I know… but it got a laugh from those around me.  I also enjoyed getting to know people in line with me.  I met Richard, a deaf person in line with me whose friend I met on twitter before the audition – @luxechandelier.  I hope he makes it.  I also met a mother/son team, she was in her sixties and they drove all night from another state to come to the audition.  I hope they got a call too.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, I enjoyed going.  I didn’t get called back.  But I still talk to the people I met in line last year and I hope to keep in touch with some of the interesting people I met in line this time too.  And as you can see from the pictures, I got to met a few Biggest Loser celebs as well.

Did you audition?  I’d love to hear your story too – leave me a comment.

By Ted Haggard

I know this book isn’t on the current ‘best selling’ list, but it was given to me and my budget is tight so instead of picking up the hot-off-the-press “Flat Belly Diet” – I decided to read cold-off-the-shelf “The Jerusalem Diet” by Ted Haggard; the same Ted Haggard that made the news for being in an inappropriate relationship while pastoring a very large church.  But momma always said, “Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water” – so I approached the book with optimism.

The Point

The concept from the book is a good one: On the Jerusalem Diet, you weigh in everyday.  If you are at or below your weight goal for that week, then you can eat whatever you want.  If you are over, that day is called a Fat Day and you eat only fruits, nuts, vegetables, and seeds, drink only water, and work out for an hour.  Take it one day at a time and lose the weight slowly.

The Pace

How slow is slowly?  One pound a week.  That’s a difficult idea to accept after watching your favorite contestant on the “Biggest Loser” drop 24 lbs in a single week!  Despite the sensationalism we get from our televisions, one pound a week is an extremely fast pace.  Think about it – you most likely didn’t put on 52 lbs this year; in fact, if you are a 100 lbs overweight like me, you more likely gained 10 lbs a year for the last 10 years.

My wife was discouraged at the idea that I would set a one pound a week goal because she would love for me to get health more quickly.  I don’t blame her – I started this blog with the idea of 3 pounds a week, but to be honest if I can loose 50 lbs this year – I am going to be very happy.  I’m actually considering lowering the pace to 20 pounds a year.  Sure it will take me five or six years to drop the weight, but it took me 10 years to put it on and being at my ideal weight at 36 doesn’t sound bad at all.

The Problems

Let’s start with the name, The Jerusalem Diet.  Sounds spiritual, right?  Its not.  Its not Bible based; there is no Jewish tradition; no kosher diet information.  So why the name?  Because the author made up the diet in a hotel room in Jerusalem.  It could have just as well be called the Boston Diet.  I’m not quite sure why that bothers me, but it annoyed me greatly.

In addition to the name, the first two chapters Mr Haggard explains that he has no medical background, no health or fitness training, and spends most of the text explaining how much he loves Mt Dew and Skittles.  Actually, almost all of the first chapter was about how much he loves all the wrong kinds of foods AND how on this diet he is ALLOWED to eat them (as long as he is at or below his target weight for the week).  I almost put the book down completely because of how much time he invested in the task of talking about the diet as though every day is a feast of junk foods.

Lets talk about the diet itself; Fruits, Nuts, Vegetables, and Seeds.  The one hour work out is great and the water too, but there are no rules around how much you eat, just what kinds of foods you can eat.  I’m a food addict!  I can easily put away 3k, 4k, or even 5k calories in fruits and nuts in a single day.  Nuts are a high calorie food.

In addition to the name and the author’s bad eating habits, we have the author himself.  Ted Haggard isn’t a doctor, he has no fitness training, and despite his best efforts to make the reads feel he knows what its like to be heavy, at his heaviest, he was a massive 23 lbs over his ideal weight.  I am not belittling his weight loss, just pointing out that most of us have a great deal more to loose than 20lbs.

On a sidenote, this is a minister that (to put it nicely) ‘fell from grace’.  I believe we all have issues to overcome in our lives and I don’t particularly expect more from a man just because he is a preacher.  I understand that many people do believe we should hold preachers to a ‘higher standard’.  I will agree, it is difficult to read an entire chapter dedicated to breaking addiction off your life knowing the author never broke his own addiction to sexual misconduct.  I pushed through the chapter knowing a minister is anointed to preach it, not to live it – they have to face similar struggles as us ‘regular folk’.

The Pros

The book does have some highlights – first, I really believe that we should all consider the pace of one pound a week (or even slower).  Gradual weight loss is sustained weight loss.  You can go lose 30 lbs in 30 days if you like – but I’ll bet you put on 45 lbs in the 30 days that follow.

Haggard also introduced the concept of a “secret diet”.  I love the idea.  This  diet allows you to diet without telling anyone.  You eat whatever you want on days you are at or below target, and fruits, nuts, vegetables, and seeds on days you aren’t.  Think about it – what diet have you ever been on where you didn’t have to make an announcement to your friends, family, and co-workers?  Before you answer that question – consider how many times you answered a co-worker about where to go for lunch with “I can’t go there, they don’t have [pick your diet food]“.  Most every place you can go out to eat has a dish that meets this diets criteria when you are on a Fat Day, but if you can’t find something on the menu or if ordering the salad would expose your diet to your lunch buddies – then order something NOT on the diet.  The point of the Jerusalem Diet is to change the direction of your life gradually – so if you end up eating the burger on a fat day when you shouldn’t have, its OK as long as you continue down the path of changing your life one day at a time.

Haggard calls this a “shame free” diet.  I have felt the shame of explaining why I ordered the salad at my favorite burger join, but I never thought about the shame I expose others too because of my diet.  The example he gives in the book is going to eat at a friends house that is more overweight than you are and refusing the eat the bread that they already had two pieces of because carbs are bad and you are trying to lose weight.  I never considered how my diet choices could make others feel.  To some, I’m sure this sounds ridiculous but I get it and I’m glad I have a new vantage point.

My Position

Don’t buy the book.  While there are a few good concepts here, overall I did not enjoy the book and don’t consider the author to be a subject matter expert on the material.  Like the funny preview to a b-flick movie, all the best parts are right here in this post…  If you are going to buy the book – click the book image in this post and buy it from Amazon… Maybe I can make a buck or two.

* This is my first book review.  I’ve considered reviewing those hot-off-the-press books you see at Walmart but I’m not sure if people would find it worth reading.  If you liked this review and want to see more – please leave me a comment and let me know.

Jason Fisher

By Jason Fisher

Whether it is being in debt or being overweight, in many cases (although, I freely acknowledge, not all), our trouble comes from a troubled lifestyle or lack of discipline.  Additionally, in a majority of cases this trouble does not arise over night but over a longer period of time and more subtly than we would like.  Exceptional cases not withstanding most of us don’t suddenly go from zero debt to tens of thousands of dollars over night and similarly we do not go instantly from being a healthy weight to being obese, however it may look that way in retrospect.  How often have we asked ourselves “How did I get here?”

In neither case will we be able to find our way out of our mess overnight.

Although you will hear many commercials that will try to sell you on the quick fix, they are simply selling snake oil.  We didn’t get here quickly and we won’t get out quickly, it will be hard, it will be slow going, often you will feel it isn’t worth it but when you have arrived at your destination, it will be all the more worth it.

It is going to take a change in lifestyle to accomplish both goals, as the cliché goes if you do what you have always done you will always get what you have always got.  We simply have to find ways to change the way we live.  Stop drinking soda when water is healthier and cheaper.  Don’t go out to eat as much, we find it just as fun to try to recreate our favorite restaurant dinners together.  These are all low hanging fruit but they make a huge difference and are great momentum builders when you are first getting started.

Where these two goals can be diametrically opposed is that the cost of quality food is high.  It used to be that being over weight was a sign of the rich, only they could afford to eat enough to get over weight.  Now we have mounds of choices for cheap calories.  McDonalds has had 85% growth in the past quarter because people are looking for cheap food.  While we may be full we continue to eat because our body knows we are missing essential nutrients and still craves the nutrients we need.  So we eat more, and spend more money.

*******************
Jason Fisher writes at improvethequality.com, a blog devoted to simplifying life and improving the quality of our finances.

1. Drink enough water. <- I drink about 60 liters a day
   
2. Snacks:
   1. Protein=energy
   2. Fiber=sense of being full
   3. Hot Tea=sense of being full
   4. Cold Beverage=helps trigger metabolism-burns calories
3. Eat a least 5 times a day (smaller portions) (meal replacements-shakes, protein bars, healthy pies) <- What is a healthy pie?
   
4. Chew Gum
5. Drink natural juices-stay away from diet sodas (chemicals cause body to store fat) <- I’ve heard this about diet soda, but I can’t seem to find any hard facts on it
   
6. Play food games
   1. Every bite chew 50 times <- I don’t have that long of an attention span
      
   2. Set fork down between bites
   3. Try to identify tastes and flavors
7. Broil, Bake, Microwave, Slow Cook, never fry
8. Save money, buy bunk items and separate into individual servings. Take one hour a week to prepare you meals for when you don’t have time to make a healthy meal
9. Treat yourself good-not food rewards <- I think this one is poorly worded – but I agree with the idea
   
10. Food is you fuel, buy the best you can. (Not junk) <- AMEN
    
11. You are making lifestyle changes-not going on a diet, develop healthy habits-start your plan new everyday. Forget about yesterday’s failures. <- I struggle with yesterdays failures…
    
12. Don’t leave the table feeling full <- I NEVER feel full, the closest I come is stuffed (believe me, there is a difference) – my goal is to never feel stuffed
    
13. Weigh yourself at the most once a week <- I do daily, so… I’m not onboard with this one
14. Judge your loses by clothes, inches and energy
15. Set Goals and write them down (not time tables). <- I think time tables are an important part of goal settings, so not onboard with this one either
    
16. Get busy-active walking, shopping, mall walking <- YES YES YES
    
17. Throw out temptations <- HOW
    
18. Allow yourself 1 day a week to have something you love. <- I can’t – I’m a food addict, that one day triggers a six day relaps – kinda like telling an alcholic, give yourself one drink a week…
    
19. Take pictures when you start-then if you have an old picture that you want to look like and see yourself there again.
20. Most important of all, you will never succeed unless you start-today. And you will never fail unless you quit.

Of course that last one is a favorite of mine – you will never fail unless you quit!  Trust me, I’ve failed by that diffention so many times that I named my blog “I Quit… Again!”  But I am not going to quit this time!  I hope you won’t either!