La Madeleine

The challenge at La Madeleine is to avoid the free bread and jam. If you can manage to do this, there are acceptable choices here.

For breakfast try the Spinach, Mushroom and Tomato Omelette – the fat-free and cholesterol-free omelette of spinach, mushrooms and tomatoes. Tell them you don't want the baguette bread that comes with it. This is 290 calories and presumably is made with the yolks.

Order either Chicken or Salmon with the regular size Wild Greens or Spinach Salad - and skip the dressing in either case. There are plenty of fats in the meat or fish already, so no point in adding any. The Wild Greens salad with Salmon is only 260 calories for the regular size, so it would make a great lunch. You might even get the large size (380 calories) or add a fruit salad (60 calories) . This is by far the healthiest entree!

There are some other choices, if you just can't stand to eat another salad and want a conventional dinner:

There is no official calorie count for Chicken la Madeleine – Tender breast of chicken with mushroom sauce, Rice Provençal and Broccoli - but it's likely to be okay. The sides are 240 calories. Perhaps a "container" to take home 1/2 the meal? Or leave 1/2 the rice on the plate.

A splurge meal that won't totally blow your calorie count is Shrimp & Spinach Crêpe - pesto cream sauce with shrimp, tomatoes and spinach wrapped in a light crêpe. My calculations estimate this at 400 calories, but I may be guessing wrong on the contents.

Two meals that are reasonably nutritious, but just way too big for CR are the Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin- savory herb-crusted pork tenderloin with a Dijon mustard demi-glaze, garlic mashed potatoes and green beans almondine - and the Beef au Poivre - beef sautéed in a peppercorn sauce with mushrooms and pearl onions, served with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans almondine. Share these with someone or take 1/2 the meal home for tomorrow.

Priestesses of High Carb Darkness

A month ago, I included a discussion of protein, carbohydrate and fat ratios. Rereading it, I realize that I casually assume that people are not fat phobic. It's quite possible that among you, there are priestesses of high carb darkness. I run into them often. I was with a woman at work the other day who said she wouldn't eat avocados - too high in fat. These women often eat very small amounts of protein and fat - like 10-15% of calories as protein and 20% or less as fat. I used to eat like this often. April's been there, too.

My theory is that many women easily fall into this eating pattern. They happily eat lots of lots of carbs. It's easy to do. Bagels for breakfast. Pasta for lunch. A casserole for dinner. Women often seem to lose their taste for meats and easily become near vegetarians. Low fat is not hard for them.

When I ate like this I felt really crummy. I had no energy. I easily went into blood sugar swings. When I started tracking my diet with a tool, I was shocked. I was only getting 30g of protein a day. I was only getting 50% or less of most B vitamins. I was hungry all the time and craving lots of odd foods. I had headaches every time I went more than 4 hours without food. I was easily stressed. My weight was slowly climbing and dieting never really worked for long.

If you are eating like this, and having any of the same problems, please try my P/C/F ratios. Try eating Zone - or close to Zone ratios of 30/40/30. You may be surprised at how much better you feel after a week or two. You may regain your interest in protein foods. And don't be afraid of some good oil - monounsaturated oils should be you focus - olive oil, almonds, avocados are all good oils.

Eating Well Vs. Dieting

I've joined a couple of healthy eating and dieting groups lately and I'm struck by the differences between my eating experience and theirs. Dieting is torture. But eating well is a pleasure.

I lost all the weight I wanted to - 40 pounds - and have kept it off for over 4 years now. I weigh what I weighed at 18 years old. This was at age 47 after decades of unsuccessful dieting.

I did not "diet". I changed my eating habits permanently. I have chosen to eat 30% less calories than I did before and to do this forever. I do this because it makes me feel the best I have ever felt in my life. While I eat lower calorie, this is not the main focus of my eating philosophy. My primary focus is on nourishing my body. I try to give my body all the things it needs to keep itself healthy. I get several times the RDA in Vitamin A and C each day. I get at least 60g of high quality protein - and average more like 75 or 80 grams. I get the RDA of B vitamins on average and the RDA of most minerals. I supplement to make sure I have more than enough in some cases.

By focusing on nutrition, and making the permanent commitment to eat less for the rest of my life, I have taught myself to eat more and more nutritious foods. I believe your body adjusts to the improved nutrition and your tastes change totally, making you enjoy and desire nutritious healthy foods. Junk foods lose their appeal. It becomes easier and easier to eat well.

You become used to feeling better. Eating too much food or too many bad carbs and you will feel somewhat ill, and you will not want to repeat the experience. Like a hangover.

This is not a diet - it's a total lifestyle change. If you can keep this regimen going for several months, you will not want to turn back. There are so many delicious foods that are nutritious. Fresh fruits, nuts, lean meats, tasty vegetables, fish. Bread becomes boring.

You will stop worrying about your weight. You will achieve your fantasy weight and find it easy to maintain it. But, you will lose the community of fellow "fat sufferers". When they are all drooling over the chocolate cake, you will not be interested. Or you will be able to eat a tiny piece and no more. Everyone will start to look fat to you (so many Americans are). You will become a thin person in a fat world. The grocery store will seem strange to you, filled with "bad food" that you are sorry that so many people are buying. The farmer's market will seem like heaven. Choosing the fish at the fish counter will seem like an adventure.

Eating will become a sacrament. Your small meal of carefully prepared fish or meat, vegetables and fruits will taste fabulous to you and you will think about its nourishing potential as you eat each bite. The flavors will seem exciting and strong. You will taste spinach like you never tasted it before. Asparagus will fascinate and delight. It appears this happens because calorie restriction enhances the effect of food on your pleasure response - your dopamine response. This is nature's way of encouraging you to eat. But for you, this will be just an added benefit.

So, as you see, this is nothing like the torture of dieting. This is eating. Eating well. And eating well for the rest of your life. Your long and healthy life.