No sides

"area man" (hurrburgring)
05/08/2015 at 15:05 • Filed to: Keep Oppo Fit

I’ve lost 7 pounds over the last three weeks without changing my physical activity, and I just inhaled a piping hot Spicy Chicken Sandwich from Wendy’s for lunch without worrying at all about putting any of that back on. How? The no-sides rule!

Now, I love me some sides. In fact, up until this year I rarely had a meal or snack featuring just one thing. We’re having soup tonight? Why don’t I swing by the store for some Italian bread on the way home. A sandwich for lunch? Well, this isn’t complete without a bag of kettle chips. Grabbing a salad? That means I can get a cookie too!

But of course none of that is necessary, and over the last few weeks I’ve been concentrating on fighting my body’s natural instinct for “part 2” (also, whenever I have the option to only get a half a sandwich, I take it). So no bread with soup, no chips/fries with sandwiches, and absolutely no dessert after lunch. I am a recovering fat kid, and though I started this experiment at 5’11”/160 lbs, I still have the urge to eat like I weigh 100 more. It absolutely was not easy, but this week I crossed the rubicon and no longer am eyeing my colleague’s snack jar with an insane amount of desire/saliva. In fact, someone offered me a full bag of chips AFTER I finished my sandwich just now and I said no without blinking.

I can’t promise this will work for you - I do walk a lot and I live on the 5th floor of a building with no elevator - but so far it seems like a very straightforward way to start getting used to portion control, saying no to junk, and overall cutting the excess out of your diet ahead of any “real” nutritional regimen you may be interested in trying out.

DISCUSSION (28)

Textured Soy Protein > area man
05/08/2015 at 15:09

5’11” and 160 lbs sounds pretty damn skinny to me.

area man > Textured Soy Protein
05/08/2015 at 15:10

I’ve still got some belly jiggles. It's not a muscular 160.

Flat Six > area man
05/08/2015 at 15:12

That seems like a sensible way to do portion control. When I was younger I would avoid sides, drinks, and desserts just to save money. Lately I’ve gotten in the habit of just ordering everything and I really ought to stop!

For Sweden > area man
05/08/2015 at 15:12

No fries is no way to live son

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > area man
05/08/2015 at 15:14

Personally I'm doing the take your time and eat slightly less every day rule. Problem is, I don't really get much exersize and I feel like I need to eat when I'm sitting around reading etc. Solution? Rice Crispies. You can eat for ages and hardly have anything, since they're so small and light.

area man > For Sweden
05/08/2015 at 15:14

It helps that fast food places in NYC have notoriously stale fries. The only ones I’ll eat here are Checkers.

Textured Soy Protein > area man
05/08/2015 at 15:14

I’m 5’11” and wide. I’m working out a lot and eating really clean, trying to get down to 190. At that weight I’ll be pretty jacked.

Zohaibman72 > Textured Soy Protein
05/08/2015 at 15:17

I’m 5’11” and 220. I need to lose weight, 160lbs is really good.

area man > Textured Soy Protein
05/08/2015 at 15:18

I reached my current height in my freshman year of college but I weighed almost 200 pounds - got it down over the years through various exercise and diet strategies. I had more muscles back then though to support my weight, so when I first started losing the fat the muscles showed. But then I stopped working out and though my body fat plateaued at a decent place my muscles got smaller.

area man > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
05/08/2015 at 15:20

I too have a snacking compulsion whenever I'm just sitting around on the couch.

Viggen9er3 > area man
05/08/2015 at 15:21

If you double up by running, biking or weights (or all three to keep it fresh) you will quickly drop 10 more and likely put on some muscle.

But ultimately you are doing it right, basically eat less is key. If you try to to substitute healthy food (fish, grilled chicken, veggies) for sandwitches, you will drop it like a rock.

Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa > area man
05/08/2015 at 15:21

Dude you are skinny as fuck. I am 6’1’’ and 198 pounds.

I am on the firm believe that we must enjoy our meals. You must eat as healthy as possible, but for the most time healthy is pretty tasteless. Moderation is the key. I have done numerous regimes(not diets there is huge difference) and I can tell you the best is to just not stuff yourself. One huge key is to leave the table a little hungry, it will pass in the next half-hour. Eat at best 3 times a day and if you must eat more do it at lunch. No eating after 8 PM, if you go to bet at around midnight(except maybe on heavy booze time).

Also salad and cookie is not so bad. Vegetables are mostly carbohydrates, so they are absorbed pretty fast.

area man > Flat Six
05/08/2015 at 15:21

Yeah, part of it for me was definitely the oh, I can afford this now! Doesn't mean I should though, took me a while to connect those dots.

crowmolly > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
05/08/2015 at 15:22

Air popped popcorn. Spray it with olive oil spray and grind garlic sea salt over it.

thebigbossyboss > Flat Six
05/08/2015 at 15:25

Cutting out pop is the way to go I think. Now I only drink pop in alcoholic drinks, and it’s helping out. At subway and stuff if I am thirsty I just get club soda. It’s pop “like” (because carbonated) but all it is is water and carbonation so you get rid of all that sugar.

area man > Viggen9er3
05/08/2015 at 15:26

Yeah I reallllly need to start exerting myself more. I try to walk at least a mile a day but that’s been the baseline for so long now it’s not really making a difference anymore.

And that’s very true about choices - one of the reasons I have liked doing this no sides thing is I can still eat something that’s not necessarily the healthiest while cutting the additional calories keep me under 2,000 for the day. Like this sandwich - not the best plan, but it's only 600 calories and all I had before it was coffee and a banana. Once you've got portions down, the next step of healthy choices is so much easier (still getting there obviously).

area man > Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa
05/08/2015 at 15:28

Ah, but salad and no cookie is even better! You make good points though.

Newsboy > area man
05/08/2015 at 15:36

Good rule! Also, check out Eat This, Not That. Lots of great swaps for when fast food is your only option.

http://www.eatthis.com/9-diet-expert-…

area man > Newsboy
05/08/2015 at 15:38

oooh nice

Blunion05 drives a pink S2000 (USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST) > area man
05/08/2015 at 15:56

I’m not in your position, but I generally only purchase the smallest size sides for my meals - if I’m bringing food home I leave half of the side for my mom to finish.

It’s also great to see how little money you end up spending by only purchasing a burger/sandwich/entree only and no drink/water.

area man > Blunion05 drives a pink S2000 (USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST)
05/08/2015 at 15:57

Also true! Sub-$5 lunches are beautiful.

area man > thebigbossyboss
05/08/2015 at 16:22

I also don’t drink soda except for Diet Coke.

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > area man
05/08/2015 at 16:40

Cutting soda helps too. I quit back in July, and started excersing a little bit, and have lost 30 pounds.

area man > m-b-w loves his SUBAROO
05/08/2015 at 16:45

congratulations!

Manic Otti > area man
05/08/2015 at 17:40

It basically is calories in vs calories out. Many people still don’t seem to understand this. One advantage of eating less is that eventually you don’t have to eat as much to feel satisfied. I used to be able to eat a full Subway footlong by myself. There is no freaking way I could do that now; a 6 inch fills me up.

Manic Otti > Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa
05/08/2015 at 17:43

Yeah. I skip breakfast and then lunch is my main meal of the day. For dinner, I usually just have something light, like a bowl of soup, or a couple of tacos.

RTeeJay > area man
05/08/2015 at 21:17

Sparkling flavored water is a great substitute for soda. It gives you satifaction of drinking a soda because of the carbonation of the water, but with zero calories.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > thebigbossyboss
05/09/2015 at 10:01

That’s definitely my biggest problem. I can’t live without my pop. I quit smoking cold turkey 4 years ago no problem at all. But if I go a day without pop I start to lose it. I eat MUCH less than my much skinnier counterparts but the gallons of coke I drink is keeping my nice an chubby. One day I might man up and quit the soda but for now I’m happier being chubby and sucking on that sweet nectar of life.