You Don't Have to Be Hungry on CRON

Recently a co-worker of mine and I were talking about my weight loss and CRON. Apparently he used to be about 170 pounds and went on what I would describe as a starvation diet to get down to a lean 140 pounds. The mental anguish of this diet was with him still. It may have been a contributing factor to his maintaining the weight loss.

His approach by the way, was that he would fill a bowl with food and wouldn't eat anything more than he could fit in that bowl for the day.

Now, this guy is a smart guy. He has two degrees and is quite successful. He certainly knows how to achieve his goals and quickly. Why didn't he know how to do this without being hungy?

Further, he couldn't imagine doing CRON as the hunger and mental anguish would kill him. I told him that I was seldom hungry. He didn't believe me.

I told him that I had learned and continued to learn (one of my favourite things about CRON - the continuous learning) about various foods that I could eat that filled me up with a minimum of calories and a maximum of vitamins and minerals. I named a bunch of my favourites like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cucumber, salads and told him I often add to these base foods with a little bit of protein or grains. He was interested but a bit skeptical about my statement that you don't have to be hungry on CRON. It was like he thought CRON was inherently unhealthy because of the increased likelihood of hunger.

The perception that CRON is synonomous with constant hunger needs to change. I certainly haven't found it to be true. Occassionally I get cravings, but I satisfy them within reason and make allowances elsewhere.

The term Caloric Restriction implies gulag prison camp like restriction of food to some people and makes them think of rationing and scarcity. When in actual fact, although calories are being restricted there is an abundance of food that can be consumed to meet both CRON and hunger needs concurrently. I certainly think that the perception of abundance needs to somehow be injected into the CR movement.

Shopping and Planning are Key

For me, shopping and planning are key to staying on track with CRON. Having the proper foods around to support my new habits is absolutely essential to reaching my goals.

Despite this, there are times when I do overeat or eat unapproved items.

Planned overs are a big part of my regimen as are my mid-meal items that reduce hunger until my next full meal.

Brown Rice Sushi - this week's planned overs

Mmmm...

Tonight I had some brown rice sushi. It took about 30 to 40 minutes of actual work time, but the start to finish time was about 2 hours and above average clean up time. So... it was more work than I'm used to for a meal but I ended up cranking out 6 servings total. Two of those servings the trophy wife and I had for dinner. The rest I hope to use up over the next few days as planned overs. With the planned overs, the total cooking time per meal goes way down. Very nice indeed. AND... I love the taste of sushi.

Here's the recipe I ended up using:

2 cups of short grain brown rice
3 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup seeded, peeled and cut cucumbers (I had way too much, so... do less)
1 medium carrot
6 sheets of nori
1 oz. of avocado
imitation crab meat (pollock) - I had about 360 cals worth and cut it into strips

The trophy wife ended up adding mayonnaise to her roll.

So, this ended up making 6 rolls total. Each of those was cut into 6 to 8 little maki sushi. And there were quickly and tastily consumed with added soya sauce and a touch of wasabi.

I highly recommend planned overs. It is always nice to have a backup plan for lunches and dinner when you have a hectic week or just don't feel much like cooking.

Daisy's CR article and body image

Reading some other blogs I came across Daisy's CR article. It really is a good one that outlines the first thoughts and the lightbulb of interest and understanding that comes from first discovering CRON.

And then in the comments... a number of people who obviously scanned her article and did not look any further. Other people with their negativity and lack of support for Daisy's new found approach. The common comments like "That's too skinny for a person of that height" from people who don't realize that their idea of preferred bodytypes has nothing to do with health or science but the influence of media and social networks.

CRONies as Social Deviants

I, for one, have become acutely aware of how others mental constructs of normal body types impact others. "Oh he's a meat and potatoes kind of guy" enables a bigger guy to stay big and unhealthy. "She's too skinny, she must be anorexic" assumes that her skinniness is unhealthy and that she may have mental problems... great. No wonder there is an obesity epidemic with quick cop-outs and mental barriers all over the place.

These hurtful comments by the uninformed and intolerant who don't realize how much the media and the rest of society has "programmed" their small brains into taking such a stance are quickly working their way into being a favourite cause of mine.

I would appreciate hearing any other types of comments you have come across. Please leave a comment.

All hail, kale!

This evening I cooked a great kale soup.

The ingredients were:

1 onion
1/2 tbsp olive oil
10 cups organic chicken broth
3 tbsp miso
4 cups finely chopped kale
1 medium sized carrot
2 full boneless, skinless chicken breasts (roasted) 242g after cooking

And that added up to being just under 1000 calories, high in vitamins and minerals (ON) and very tasty.

This soup will break down into 4 meals at 250 calories a pop and it is very filling, tasty, and healthy. Mmmmm.

I like doing planned-overs for work lunches, suppers, and more. This soup reheats really well too.

How to Cut Calories

There are many different ways to cut calories and help yourself with Caloric Restriction.

The most important thing, in my mind, is to count calories and measure the nutritional content of your food so that you have Optimal Nutrition and your intended Caloric Restriction. I use the free Cron-O-Meter software for those reasons.

So, in no particular order, here are a number of different strategies to achieve Caloric Restriction:

• Exercise
• Eat breakfast (some people who skip this meal have troubles adhering to CR)
• Eat low energy density foods (vegetables are good for this)
• Avoid simple carbs and sugars
• Increase dietary fiber (beans are a good way to do this)
• Eat slowly
• Stop eating before you are full
• Eat smaller portions
• Eat from smaller dishware and with smaller silverware
• Get plenty of sleep
• Count your calories
• Weigh yourself regularly
• Avoid bad fats (trans fats, saturated fats, and animal fats)
• Reduce use of artificial sweeteners
• Increase the amount of plant based and lean animal proteins in your diet
• Eat regular meals (many who "snack" have troubles with discipline)
• Plan your meals (by the time you are ravenous it is too late)
• Know your portion sizes
• Fast food (may lead to binges and excessive consumption of calories)
• Don't deny excessive cravings (but know the difference between normal and excessive)
• Be very careful with appetite enhancers (alcohol, marijuana, many medications)

So there are a tonne of strategies. What's right for you? Only you can answer that one.

Exercise Revisited

Okay, I decided to add exercise to CRON. So far, I've quite enjoyed it but am only at a couple of times a week. My goal was to exercise 3 or 4 times a week for at least a half hour of solid exertion.

At this point, I like the exercise but it is sometimes inconvenient and I don't have the amazing motivation I have for CRON. A few more weeks and I'm hoping that the exercise will become a habit. The endorphin high is certainly worth the exertion.
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