Posted by Paola
11:30am Cheese salad sandwich + freshly-brewed coffee
| 1 serving | calories | protein | carbs | fat | fibre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| hamisha cucumber | 6 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| extra-light mayonnaise | 7 | 0.0 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| tomato | 12 | 0.6 | 2.7 | 0.1 | 0.8 |
| corn relish | 32 | 0.3 | 7.6 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| half-fat cheddar cheese | 78 | 8.8 | 0.0 | 4.7 | 0.0 |
| wholemeal oatbran bread | 138 | 7.2 | 24.5 | 1.1 | 5.5 |
| Total | 274 | 17 | 37 | 7 | 7 |
2:10pm Cottage cheese with tomato and crisp breads
| 1 serving | calories | protein | carbs | fat | fibre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tomato | 23 | 1.1 | 4.9 | 0.3 | 1.5 |
| extra virgin olive oil | 36 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4.0 | 0.0 |
| wholemeal Crackerbread | 40 | 1.4 | 7.8 | 0.4 | 1.2 |
| Finn Crisp | 40 | 1.4 | 7.5 | 0.3 | 2.1 |
| cottage cheese w/ onion & chives | 88 | 11.9 | 5.0 | 1.6 | 0.1 |
| Total | 227 | 16 | 25 | 7 | 5 |
3:30pm Cottage cheese with Crackerbread + pint of fizzy squash
Getting peckish and had the rest of the cottage cheese as I knew I might be eating dinner late.
| 1 serving | calories | protein | carbs | fat | fibre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| wholemeal Crackerbread | 40 | 1.4 | 7.8 | 0.4 | 1.2 |
| cottage cheese w/ onion & chives | 77 | 10.3 | 4.3 | 1.4 | 0.1 |
| Total | 117 | 12 | 12 | 2 | 1 |
7pm Vegetable burger with salad and crisps + Bounty ice cream bar + drinks
We spent the evening at the Limitless office BBQ with pool and a ‘pub quiz’ for staff, their partners and, us, former founders.
On arrival I was offered a drink made from Coke, Kahlua and vanilla vodka. I just had a little. Nice but too sweet.
There were vegetarian burgers, two types of greasy-looking vegetarian sausages and a vegetable sausage (mushed veg not intended to resemble meat) which is what I went for. Plus dressed salad, tomato and sweet chilli sauce. I got a small handful of Doritos.
I had one plateful of food, half an ice cream (I should have had a bite of Frank’s instead) and some booze. I would have had a falafel if they had been in arm’s reach.
| 1 serving | calories | protein | carbs | fat | fibre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tomato* | 4 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| balsamic vinegar* | 5 | 0.0 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| sweet chilli sauce* | 20 | 0.1 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| lettuce* | 21 | 1.1 | 3.2 | 0.0 | 2.1 |
| Coke Zero + Kahlua + vanilla vodka* | 23 | 0.0 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| extra virgin olive oil* | 26 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.9 | 0.0 |
| Doritos* | 29 | 0.5 | 3.3 | 1.5 | 0.2 |
| vegetable sausage* | 67 | 5.2 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 1.2 |
| crusty white roll* | 95 | 4.1 | 19.4 | 0.1 | 1.8 |
| Stella Artois | 120 | 0.0 | 6.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bounty ice cream bar | 150 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 15.5 | 0.0 |
| Total (estimated*) | 561 | 11 | 45 | 23 | 5 |
The day’s totals:
| Day 107 | calories | protein | carbs | fat | fibre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 274 | 17 | 37 | 7 | 7 |
| Lunch | 227 | 16 | 25 | 7 | 5 |
| Dinner | 117 | 12 | 12 | 2 | 1 |
| Dinner | 561 | 11 | 45 | 23 | 5 |
| Other drinks | 100 | ||||
| Total | 1,278 | 56 | 118 | 38 | 19 |
| 22% | 46% | 33% | |||
| Allowance | 1,200 | 75 – 105g 25 – 35% |
120 – 165g 40 – 55% |
33 – 40g 25 – 30% |
|
Wow, even I’m impressed with that result!
The Food Confessional 
I think you’ve done fantastically well given what you were offered! What on earth is a falafel when it’s at home?
Paola, well done. I think this kind of situation has to be the hardest to contend with when on a strict diet and the fact you’re a vegetarian makes it extra hard, as generally there’s not much of a choice outside of the salady bits.
Wow, that’s awesome! You’ve done really well!
Ooh, thanks.
A falafel is a small round savoury made from chickpeas. I just found this decent photo in a recipe. (Oh, I hadn’t realised they were deep-fried. Hmm, I wonder if they can be baked.) The person who bought the food and made the salads is vegetarian and so the choice was good.
This time I passed on having a slice of cheddar cheese in my burger and, in fact, having a second burger. I find that, although my mind wants to keep eating that, if I wait a few minutes, my tummy isn’t actually telling me it still needs fillin’. As long as I get back to chatting, the mental hunger pangs are soon forgotten and disappear.
Someone I hadn’t seen since for four months asked about my diet; she’s four years older, very fit and looks great. When I explained what I was doing different, I was a bit taken aback when she asked genuinely, with no trace of sarcasm at all, “oh, do you eat a lot then?” When I explained that previously I was rarely hungry because I ate when I felt like it and for pleasure, she said “but everyone’s like that.” Perhaps she was trying to make me feel better but, really, not everyone’s obese.
So you didn’t have the falafel in order to avoid having to work out the calories?
How DO you work out calories for deep-fried stuff? Or does one just assume that if it’s deep-fried, you are totally screwed on calories already? I’ve been trying to find out how many calories in lunc (with a deep-fried Andalucian speciality) and it’s ranging from 585 (I don’t believe it) to “Lots. Don’t eat this on a diet.” which seems more likely.
I didn’t have any falafel because I was too lazy to go get any. If someone had put a plate of them in front of it, I’d have had one.
Gosh, if you’re cooking at home and deep-frying… hmm, the pre- post-frying weight won’t take account of water loss, I suppose.
Perhaps some foods are like some watches – if you have to ask, you probably can’t afford it. :-)
Perhaps some foods are like some watches – if you have to ask, you probably can’t afford it. :-)
LOL – that’s perfect.