One of the challenging, but ultimately rewarding, parts about being on a weight control lifestyle is the need to set priorities. One priority comes from self knowledge. When you are restricted to 1850 calories per day (for me a deficit of about 1000 calories) you soon learn which foods will keep you satisfied and prevent hunger. You also learn which foods won’t be satisfying. Let’s break it down.
Three meals a day at 600 calories each is 1800 calories with no room left over for cravings. So I have tried reducing the number of calories at each meal. I have found through trial and error that my body doesn’t mind a smaller breakfast, or a medium lunch, but it needs a good dinner and maybe tea or a snack in the afternoon or evening. 400 for breakfast, 500 for lunch, 600 for dinner? That makes 1500 calories and I still have about 350 for a snack…quite a nice snack.
Today I decided to have a large breakfast. I followed that with a large lunch and a large dinner. I did take some tea in the morning, but now there is nothing left in my budget and I want something sweet. But I will have it tomorrow. I’m not actually hungry now (I had 710 calories for dinner!), and so the sweet won’t be that satisfying. But if I tell myself “tomorrow”, I will build up anticipation. When I am actually hungry tomorrow, and I have been craving chocolate all night, and then get some and can eat it…. it heightens the experience and you really appreciate every bite. But especially the first two bites.
Today is recipe day – a new feature on the Doctor of Things. Behold the mighty Extra Large Quasi Cubano Breakfast Sandwich. Instructions below.
My food intake and calorie count
Breakfast – Quasi Cubano Breakfast Sandwich. 2 slices of toasted Italian panini bread (260); 3 ounces Carando brown sugar ham (135); 2 pieces Swiss cheese (80); pickles and mustard (negligible); horseradish sauce (20);
- 500 calories
Lunch – Half an Aldi Supreme pizza (570);
- 570 calories
Dinner – Costco pepperoni pizza (710)
- 710 calories
Snacking – tea with half and half (80);
- 80 calories
Total for the day: 1860 calories (limit 1800)
Quasi Cubano?
A real Cubano sandwich is made on special bread, with roasted pork, ham, cheese, pickles, mustard, and mayonnaise, stacked, packed, pressed, and grilled or toasted and served warm.
A Quasi Cubano is a bit simpler and easier to make at home. I skip the pork loin (though I do have some roast pork that it’s tempting to add on, it’s cooked in the French style with French herbs and wouldn’t go well) and use pre-toasted Italian bread. I don’t grill or press it either, though that is tempting. I can control the calorie count easily and it is simple to prepare.
The bread is toasted as in the first picture, then spread with a layer of mustard and horseradish mayonnaise. The cheese and ham go next; then a layer of pickles and finally the whole is assembled and cut. For breakfast I normally have a smaller version of this, but the large one was so amazing today I decided to share it. The small version has about 320 calories and this was about 500.
I am always amazed and grateful that this counts as diet food and I am losing weight fairly steadily doing this. Remember that once you learn your body and have a calorie count worked out, you can do a lot with it. I had three pretty amazing meals today and I will lose weight anyway.
You can do it too!
-The Doctor