ADVERTISING WORKS

I have been to Applebee's many times over the past 7 weeks.
Each time I look at the same menu and every once in a while I select something new.
Last night I saw a commercial on TV for Applebee's touting their new Bowls.
I sought out the extra menu when I went to Applebee's for lunch today.
SOLD.
The bowl I had was delicious and suitably low in calories.
Advertising works!

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18 HOUR DAY - OUT AND ABOUT

As I review my food consumption today, I see that this is the first time I have exceeded 2000 calories this year.  I woke up at 5:30AM and scarfed down a quick breakfast at the hotel before taking a 45 minute in order to be at an appointment at 7AM.  When I returned to my hotel around 9AM, I stopped and had a breakfast sandwich at Starbucks.  I also had two significant meals for lunch and dinner. I stayed away from pure junk food all day, as I have all year - and I feel OK about my going over 2000 calories.

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AISLE BE CAREFUL SHOPPING HERE

A few days ago, I mentioned that I ordered a salad in a restaurant which arrived to me dripping in high calorie dressing.  It doubled the amount of calories that I had anticipated consuming, and I ate it before I realized that this was not the low calorie salad that I had intended.  I want to give some more examples from the Applebee's Nutritional Information Website regarding the difference of salads with and without dressing.    I am not picking on Applebee's.   I like Applebee's.  I like that there are so many Applebee's restaurants around the country that I can and will be visiting.   I like their food.  I like the ambience of the place.   And I even like their salads.  I just have to remember NOT to get their salads with dressing.

CALORIE INFORMATION WAS LIFTED DIRECTLY FROM APPLEBEE'S WEBSITE

SALADS WITH & WITHOUT DRESSING                 CALORIES          

FRIED CHICKEN SALAD - NO DRESSING                                680
FRIED CHICKEN SALAD WITH DRESSING                            1110           430 calories of dressing!

GRILLED CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD - NO DRESSING         370
GRILLED CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD WITH DRESSING       800           430 calories of dressing!

GRILLED ORIENTAL CHICKEN SALAD - NO DRESSING      590
GRILLED ORIENTAL CHICKEN SALAD WITH DRESSING  1290          700 calories of dressing!

GRILLED SHRIMP'N SPINACH SALAD - NO DRESSING        630
GRILLED SHRIMP'N SPINACH SALAD WITH DRESSING      990          360 calories of dressing!

PECAN CRUSTED CHICKEN SALAD - NO DRESSING           900
PECAN CRUSTED CHICKEN SALAD WITH DRESSING       1340          440 calories of dressing!

I think I have made my point.   So, us folks who are trying to lose weight and think it's smart to eat a salad - we should be careful.    If you are going to have a salad dripping in dressing served at a restaurant... fugedaboudit (forget about it), you might as well have an Ice Cream Sundae.   It will not be healthier, but you might find it more satisfying - and it might be lower in calories!

AISLE BE CAREFUL I'll be careful in the SALAD AISLE, high calorie zone 

I have been writing and editing this page for a few days.  I had the idea of checking a salad dressing that we have in our own refrigerator with Hershey Chocolate Syrup that we buy for our daughter who enjoys chocolate milk.   Our daughter is a skinny rail, she eats healthy foods, and she enjoys treats too.   Very normal stuff.

Both of these products, Hershey's Syrup and Marie's Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing each have the same serving size: two tablespoons.  Hershey's 2 tablespoons is 100 CALORIES and MARIE'S CREAMY CAESAR 2 tablespoons is 120 CALORIES.   I found this culinary discovery fascinating.

MARIE'S DRESSING: 2 TBSP - 120 CALORIES

SERVING SIZE: 2 TABLESPOONS - 100 CALORIES

CONCLUSION:  If one finds both of these products in their refrigerator when searching for a salad dressing.   The LOW CALORIE OPTION is the Hershey's Chocololate Syrup!

I am not sure that it will taste so good on a salad, but one has to admit that that is a surprising fact.


MONDAY'S MENU (DAY 34)
BREAKFAST  hotel scrambled eggs, two small sausages                                  256 CALORIES
LUNCH            4 oz. Salmon, Chicken with Rice Soup                                      323 CALORIES
DINNER           85g Broccoli Rabe Rapini
                           1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
                          Premio Italian Chicken Sausage, Cup Chicken Noodle Soup     263 CALORIES

TOTAL CALORIC CONSUMPTION       842 CALORIES

CALORIES BURNED

6AM  TREADMILL: 60 minutes @ 4 mph (4 miles) 600 CALORIES
6PM   TREADMILL: 60 minutes @ 4 mph (4 miles) 600 CALORIES
9PM   TREADMILL: 60 minutes @ 4 mph (4 miles) 600 CALORIES

NET CALORIC DEFICIT     958 CALORIES

LOST TURKEY

Regular readers of this blog know that I reported this past Saturday that I had lost 24 lbs in 24 days.   I am currently only weighing myself once per week so although I assume that I have continued to make progress - I can offer no evidence of additional progress at this time.

There is a reason why I am resisting the urge to weigh myself daily.  Seven years ago when I did lose 80 lbs (before I added them all back on and tacked on nine more for good luck) I did weigh myself daily.  One's weight can fluctuate a pound or two within a 24 hour period.  It would sour my mood to hop onto the scale and discover that my weight had bounced back up a pound or even two pounds over 24 hours.  I have removed this annoyance by weighing myself only weekly.

Over the three day holiday weekend I was focusing on just how much weight 24 lbs really is.   I found my answer at Mariano's Supermarket in Chicago when I was shopping with my family on Sunday.   I am posting a picture of me holding a 23 lb turkey.   As you can see, it requires two hands to hold it.   This turkey represents the amount of weight that I have lost.  It does appear that the additional spring in my step is not my imagination. You try carting around a 23 lb turkey all day and all night and see how debilitating it is.  Conversely, if one is freed from the burden of carrying an extra 24 lbs, the increased energy and zest for life skyrockets.

The thing is....
I am planning on LOSING THREE MORE TURKEYS (and maybe a couple of hens!)

Holding a 23 lb turkey.  I can't imagine carting this around all day.  No wonder I am lighter on my feet these days.

Tuesday started off well.  I woke up early and spent one hour on the treadmill before breakfast.

I made a mistake during the day when I ordered lunch at Applebee's.

Previously I had found something on the Applebee's nutrition website that I wanted to try.

A Grilled Shrimp 'n Spinach Salad should have been only 260 CALORIES.

(I failed to note that this is the calorie count without the dressing.)

When the salad came with dressing, it was absolutely fantastic - and I ate it....

The calories for this with the dressing is a whopping 500 calories.
I will not make that mistake again.
Lunch was more calories than I had planned.
I cut down on dinner to keep under 1000 calories for the day.

From now on, every time I order a salad - I will always ask the for the dressing on the side.

When I arrived home, I jumped back on the treadmill for another hour.

TUESDAY MENU

BREAKFAST   three poached eggs with two slices of turkey 'bacon'                                                                         280 CALORIES
LUNCH            APPLEBEE'S GRILLED SHRIMP 'n SALAD w/dressing                                                                        500 CALORIES
DINNER           3 Cups Baby Spinach w/two tablespoons of Marie's Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing         
                         Trader Joe's 1 cup Chicken Noodle Soup with veggies                                                                       175 CALORIES       
                               
 TOTAL CALORIC CONSUMPTION TUESDAY        955 CALORIES

Total calories burned during 2 hours of exercise 1200 CALORIES

NET CALORIC INTAKE WAS NEGATIVE 245 CALORIES

I am looking forward to stepping onto my scale on Saturday.

FIRST MEAL 'ON THE ROAD'

Today, December 30th, I am away from home on a two day, one night trip.  My wife who has been incredibly supportive made an omelette before I headed out the door at 7:00AM.   For lunch, I ate the two navel oranges that I had cut up before I left.   (Refrigeration was not a problem, the temperature in Wisconsin was 15°F (-9.4°C).

My dinner was planned 24 hours in advance.   I selected the specific dinner that I wanted to order at an Applebee's Restaurant' near my hotel.   Once I got to the restaurant, I knew exactly what I wanted.   GRILLED CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD (NO DRESSING).   At my wife's suggestion I added two lemon wedges to give the salad some extra flavor.   It is amazing how a food that I had no interest in whatsoever a mere six days ago could taste so delicious.  Wait, I retract that statement.   What is amazing is the laziness and stupidity with regards to eating that I have maintained for many years.   I am re-learning all the things I learned 7 years ago when my weight fell from 300lbs to 220lbs.   Nothing I can do about the past.  According to the Applebee's nutritional information posted on their website, my dinner was a scant 370 calories.   (In fact, it was a bit less as I asked that the croutons NOT be included in my dinner.)   Eating well on the road, requires some thought and planning - it sure is worth it!    TOTAL CALORIC INTAKE TODAY=955.   In the 'old days' (you know, December 23, 2014) I could have easily knocked down 955 calories BEFORE lunch!   My first official home weigh-in will be January 1.   I am looking forward to announcing my initial results in two more days.  My belt has already told me that I am making progress.

APPLEBEE'S GRILLED CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD w/o DRESSING 370 CALORIES