Book Review : Eat This Not That

Since I am unemployed I have a lot of time to read. Even when I am employed I read a lot. So I thought I would do book reviews as part of my blog, maybe one or two a month.

My partner and I were wandering through the nonfiction stacks in the local library (this is unfair to some of my readers since our local library system is one of the best in country www.http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/home/890760-264/library_of_the_year_2011.html.csp, 
www.kcls.org .) Anyway, my partner saw this book and picked it up, Eat This Not That by David Zinczenko. He did read some of it, which was funny. Some of the Not That foods are his favorite, and he doesn't really want to stop eating them.

I loved the dedication of the book, the author points out that chain restaurants spend money lobbying so they do not have to provide nutritional information on their menu. They want to conceal how many calories are in their food. This is a poor choice considering the obesity epidemic in America. Also, since this book was published in 2008 some restaurants have started to include nutritional information, and some have even changed their menu items. I love studying the politics of everything, even chain restaurants!

I believe the author really does want people to read this book and make better choices, and be healthier. Some weight loss books are dogmatic, this does not seem to be. He wants his readers to enjoy life and make smarter choices! Which is exactly what I am trying to do.

I found the book tough to read. It is supposed to be easy, but there are so many numbers after a while I just ended up skimming. This was fine though, since parts of the book are foods I don't normally eat, or restaurants we don't have in the Pacific Northwest. Most of the information was review for me, but there were a few surprises. My partner every once in a while eats at Arby's, since it is right next to his work and he has a hard time waking up early enough to make a lunch. It is actually better for you to eat a Super Roast Beef burger thing, then a "Market Fresh" roast beef sandwich. The sandwich has mayo, Italian sauce, and processed Swiss cheese, which gives it almost twice as many calories, really for no reason.

Some of the suggestions were just not going to fly. I eat a burger so rarely, that there is no way I am leaving off the cheese. Besides, at home we use 2% cheese, which has fewer calories. Perhaps if I am getting burger at a restaurant, I would leave the cheese off, just so I don't set my weight loss back. But sheesh! It is supposed to be a treat! There are also suggestions for Thanksgiving, for example, which include not eating stuffing or dark meat. My family makes a great whole wheat lower fat stuffing, which I will keep on eating.

So really the book made me think again about what my calories are worth. I am not going to stop eating out, my partner and I love eating out. There are also social situations I want to participate in that center around food and eating out. But I need to remember that I am focusing on weight loss. For the next few months or possible a year, I need to give up some foods I consider a treat. I need to pay a restaurant to make me a salad, which I hate doing! It helps to remind myself that there will always be more food. I can take control of my life right now, and skip eating out, or skip the higher calorie option. I can pay for food that is not very fun, because right now that is what I have to do. In the future I can be more flexible, and eat food that is more fun and higher calories.

I am not saying this is easy. I have maintained this weight for so long because I kept making choices that were okay, I didn't gain weight, but I did not lose any. So for now I am making the hard choices, and giving up things I like. But feeling healthier and happier, feeling in control of my life and health, is worth it.