DIET UPDATE

DIET UPDATE

It's Working

After two weeks I have shed 7 pounds.  I am using the Alli program which was recently FDA Approved.  The program is part medicine and part exercise and just good basic eating habits.

The key is to reduce the amount of fat you consume.  The drug also helps to block fat from entering the body.  When you buy the program (On Sale for $50), you get a 90 day supply of pills. and several books that outline how the program works.  I found the books to be very helpful but also went online to do a lot of research on the program.  I was shocked to learn the fat content of many of my favorite foods.  With this diet you need to keep your total fat content under 45 grams per  day or 15 grams per meal.  On many days, I keep my fat content to under 20 grams per day!  This means eating more fruits and vegetables plus limiting the amount of meat and dairy products you eat.  The side effect of the Alli pill is that if you eat too much fat you will crap your pants quickly and sometimes unexpectedly.  If that isn't a reason to stay away from fat I don't know what is.  With that on my mind, I take extra care to read labels and search out healthy options while dining out.  Our eating lifestyle has changed, but we have actually been loving the meals.  It is now fun to be creative in the kitchen.  We enjoy steak, chicken, fish, enchiladas and most everything else on this diet.  We cut out all the butter, sauces, creams and high fat products and replaced them with low fat alternatives.  I even downloaded nutritional guides for all of the fast food restaurants that we eat at.  I was amazed to see the fat and calorie content of some of my favorite foods.  Did you know that the worst fast food place by far is Quizno's.  Yes.  There sandwiches are loaded with fat and calories.  The Tuna Melt alone has 175 grams of fat and over 2000 calories.  That is one sandwich.  When dining out I use my nutrition guides to help me order.  If nothing meets my criteria.  Under 15 grams of fat, I do not  order it.  The same goes for our home cooked meals.  We limit the fat to under 15 grams.  So far...so good.  When I get the urge for a burger, we make a veggie burger and load it with onions, tomato, lettuce and zero calorie relish.  We use low or fat free cheese and cook more with Pam rather than butter or olive oil.  In addition to watching the fat intake, I have been exercising daily for 30-45 minutes.  I have more energy and feel better now.  I have no problem with the diet and want to continue for as long as possible.

DREW GOES ON LOW FAT DIET

LOOKING A LITTLE CHUBBY HERE WITH JIM NABORS

DREW'S NEW LOW FAT DIET

June 2008

Well, all the eating out has caught up with me.  Gained too much weight.  Went on a low fat diet two weeks ago.  This means that I have not been out to many restaurants lately.  I will be blogging about the diet in the days and weeks to come.  So far I have dropped 5 pounds.  Eating really good and healthy meals that contain very little fat content.  When dining out I have been sticking to vegetables, fish and of course the Subway subs that contain less than 5 grams of fat and are around 300 calories.  When you load these subs up with fresh veggies the are quite filling.

More to come

UPDATE 2024

Struggled with my weight for another 14 years and finally found something that worked.

Went from 190 pounds to 160 pounds on a low carb diet.  Click link below.

https://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2020/11/7-day-diet-attempt.html

ANTHONY'S PIER 66 - SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

ANTHONY'S PIER 66

Seattle, Washington

After a great meal at Elliott's we tried another recommended seafood restaurant in Seattle.  Located on the water on Pier 66 is Anthony's.  There are three levels of restaurants here.  The bottom floor is self service and less expensive.  The middle is moderate sit down and the top level called Pier 66 is fine dining with a great view of the harbor.

We opted for the fine dining and were seated next to a huge window with a great view.  Our waiter started the evening as a star.  Doing everything right.  By the end of our dinner he was loosing focus and not up to par.  We started with what else - Oysters.  One dozen which were quickly followed by another dozen.  We tried a combination of Seattle, Canadian and Alaskan oysters.  Each had a little different taste, but all were good.  Our daughter Keli went crazy over them and began eating them like cookies.  Surprisingly, the menu is filled with Hawaii names and variations such as Hawaiian Ahi Nachos, Waikiki Coconut Prawns and Hawaiian style poke.  Maybe the chef spent some time on the Islands.  I tried the clam chowder.  It was probably the worst of the three we tried in Seattle.  Not bad though.  Shirley thought the same about the chowder and said the Ceasar Salad was fair and nothing special.  I tried the Northwest Duet which is fresh pacific king salmon and fresh halibut.  They were both delicious and served fresh snap peas and mashed potatoes.  Our experience at Anthony's was good but nowhere near Elliott's.  Wish we would have gone back to Elliott's.

ELLIOTT'S OYSTER HOUSE - SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

ELLIOTT'S OYSTER HOUSE

Seattle, Washington

We got a great tip from the hotel manager where we were staying in Seattle.  When we asked where to go for good seafood, she recommended Elliott's on Pier 56.  Wow...was she right.  This place got it all right.  Atmosphere, service and food.  We arrived for our 6:30 p.m. reservation and the bar and restaurant were already packed.  They have the best oyster bar I have ever seen.  Dozens of different oysters displayed on ice in front of a small bar.  Everything FRESH.  We were seated at a nice table overlooking the boat docks.  Great people watching as there were several large parties going out on the boats.  With the dinner menu you are given a separate menu of fresh oysters.  I have never seen so many different types of oysters.  I thought about ordering six to start because I don't eat a lot of oysters.  We opted for a dozen of the best.  At $23 it was a bit expensive to me.  When the platter of oysters arrived I thought we would never finish them.  After one bite, they were flying off the plate.  To our surprise, our 7 year old daughter was now a "oyster monster".  She devoured the things one after another.  The dozen was gone in minutes.  They were by far the best oysters we have ever had.  Up there with the ACME Oyster House in New Orleans.  What a way to start the meal. I started with a cup of calm chowder.  It was very good, but not as good as Pike Place Chowder.   Keli enjoyed a nice dish of fresh salmon with asparagus.  It was cooked perfectly and very good.  Shirley had Clam Linguini with Pesto served with asparagus.  I had the Alaskan King Crab legs with...you guessed it asparagus.  The asparagus in Seattle is great.  So fresh and tasty.  My Crab Legs also came with a huge pile of the best mashed potatoes I have ever had.  Don't know what they put in them but they were fantastic.  The crab legs were huge and very sweet and delicious.  Shirley enjoyed the Clam Linguini but thought it was a bit bland.  The clams were very small at consumed mostly by Keli.  Our little girl is a clam and oyster eater to the max.  This dinner was a bit expensive but worth every penny.  A great evening on the water.  Our table was located near the open kitchen where you could hear everything the cooks were saying and doing.  Probably one of the most professional and organized kitchens I have ever seen.  As orders were barked out the staff would respond "yes chef".  Everything moved quickly in a manner that is rarely seen or heard in kitchens.  Fantastic crew in the kitchen.  Our waiter explained that most of the staff had been there for ten or fifteen years working together.  It really showed here.  Don't miss Elliott's Oysters when you are in Seattle.

PIKE PLACE CHOWDER - SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

PIKE PLACE CHOWDER

Seattle, Washington

On a cold and rainy June day in Seattle we set out to warm up with a nice bowl of chowder.  Thank goodness we saw a small ad that described a small place with award winning chowder.  Pike Place Chowder is a gem in the Emerald City.  We arrived as the small five table restaurant was just about to open and were the first customers of the day.  We ordered the New England style Clam Chowder which was voted the "Nations Best" at the Great Chowder Cookoff in Newport, Road Island.  The chowder was great, creamy and full of good size clams.  Shirley tried the Seafood Bisque which included Nortwest halibut, salmon, calamari with Oregon Bay shrimp in a creamy tomato-pesto broth.  It was also very good.  To top off the lunch we shared a Dungeness Crab Roll.  This was awesome.  Nothing but crab, a tiny bit of mayonnaise and lettuce served on a fresh baguette with cocktail sauce.  Fresh and delicious.  I highly recommend Pike Place Chowder.  It is located on a small side street about a block from Pike Place Market.