Getting fat from veggies?

This is a true story. Buckle in! It's not pretty.

I took my sons to lunch last week. We went to Cosi -- it is a frenchish-chain bistro-ish restaurant (really, one step up from Fast food). they have salads, Flatbread sandwiches, pizza -- we really like the food there. Usually I get a salad with the dressing on the side...they are really good.

What I LIKE about Cosi is that they post the nutritional information about their food on their website. So I can eat there, go home, figure out how much I ate for the day, and move on.

Perfect for a responsible, weight-conscious individual, right? BZZZZZZ Wrong answer, Johnnie.

To change things up this time, I ordered this:
Vegi Muffaletta
Grilled eggplant, chopped green olives, banana peppers, green onions, olive oil, provolone, parmesan cheese & shredded romaine.

As you can see, that was copied right from their website. Looks good, right? All veggies...on whole-grain flatbread.

It was yummy. I told my sons that I would order it every time. I am telling you, I could eat one every single day.

Then, I went home and checked the nutritional information. .

That wonderful "Veggie" sandwich is the second highest caloric sandwich Cosi offers. It was 854 calories. PLUS, it had a WHOPPING 51 grams of fat. FIFTY ONE. and to pour salt into the wound, it has 2929 grams of sodium!!! My heart is still trying to recover! (but it does explain why the sandwich tasted so dang good LOL)

I was MAD. I actually felt duped. I know it is silly, and Cosi has no responsibility to those of us trying to watch our weight, but if you put a veggie dish on your menu, can you at least make it something that we can fit into our diets? I think they should have a notation next to it that says "NOT a healthy option."

So that is how I am getting fat from veggies.

That being said, I lost 1/2 lb this week. Not huge, but still a loss. I think I am still digesting that sandwich!!!! I am at 39 lbs. Looking for the big 40!

PS: If you DO eat at Cosi, not only should you check the nutritional information before you go, but you should eat the white flatbread instead of the whole grain -- the whole grain has more calories, fat and LESS fiber than the white. Go figure.

Still trying not to lick my plate...

Do you have this problem?

I grew up in a family with 6 kids. I was the second youngest. Every night we ate dinner as a family at the table together. The food was put on the table family-style.

My mother would buy enough for each of us to have a pre-determined amount of meat for each meal. For instance, each of my two brothers and my dad would get 2 pork chops for dinner; the four girls and mom would each get one (yes, isn't that sexist?). The sides were up for grabs -- you could put a serving on your plate, then if you ate it and everyone had some and there was still more, you could serve yourself some more. The key phrase there is IF THERE WAS STILL MORE.

So what do you think we did? We would SHOVEL those mashed potatoes, corn, bread or whatever into our mouths as fast as we could. We wanted more and there was alot of competition for it. My childhood of competitive eating (LOL taught me to eat fast and to eat everything on my plate.

So here I am, a bit more than midway in my 40's, and I still struggle with this! These are just two more factors contributing to my life-long weight issues (being called fatty-patty does not help you either, by the way). I am here to tell you that we CAN retrain ourselves. THIS dog is learning some new tricks!

Here is what I am doing...

1. I am trying to leave food on my plate at every meal. ESPECIALLY when I am eating out. Last night I went to a dinner honoring my Mother-in-law -- and the food was wonderful. I actually left 1/2 my mozzarella/tomato salad (yes, I left the cheese, not the tomato LOL) and 1/2 of my Fillet Mignon and Mushroom Risotto on my plate. They were good, too. But you know what? I had enough to eat after I ate just half!


2. I am putting my fork down between bites and I am chewing longer and slower. Hey! I can actually TASTE my food!


3. I am looking at other things in the dining area OTHER than my plate LOL People are fascinating when they talk -- eye contact is important!


4. If I finish the food on my plate, I am having a big glass of water, and waiting 5 minutes before I decide whether to get seconds. Usually, I don't want them.

Okay, so enough rambling for today. Want an update on my weight?

I have lost a total of 38.2 lbs. Hmmm... what is that smell??? Smells like 40 lbs is just around the corner! Hopefully next week, right?

Drop me a note and let me know how YOU are doing. Thanks for stopping by!