The Game On! Diet

by Krista Vernoff

  Oils

  They are used and overused in the preparation of so many foods, and they are incredibly high calorie. Read ingredients and, whenever possible, prepare your foods at home!

  Popcorn

  Air-popped corn can be a delicious low-calorie carb. But prepared any other way, popcorn is loaded with high-calorie oils and usually loaded with various other flavoring chemicals like MSG. Save popcorn for the movies on your day off!

  Condiments

  Condiments we use every day, like ketchup and barbeque sauce, add a staggering amount of calories to an otherwise healthy meal. Read the ingredients and when in doubt, avoid the sauce.

  Tuna salad

  Tuna salad is a great source of protein—but the amount of mayo you’ll find when you buy it on the road is diet-defeating. Make it at home and substitute a teaspoon of olive oil for mayo. Add a little salt and maybe some chopped celery or pickle and you’ll have a delicious and healthy meal.

  Salads

  Salads with cheese, bacon bits, and high-calorie dressings are NOT health foods. Which is why cheese, bacon bits, and high-cal dressings are not sanctioned foods!

  Dates and other dried fruits

  They are so nutrient-rich but surprisingly high calorie. They are a great day-off treat! Also, read the ingredients—you want to make sure they don’t have any added sugars. They’re plenty sweet without them.

  Reduced-fat peanut butter

  It has a lot of sugar and fillers and gross non-food food. It’s a F.L.A.B.B. food for this reason.

  Whole-grain cereals

  They can be healthy, but most people eat way more that one serving. Be SURE to stick to the portion rule here—no more than a fist-size amount.

  Margarine and butter

  Both are startlingly high calorie. Save these foods for your day off.

  Smoothies

  Do not order a smoothie without knowing what’s in it! A little nonfat yogurt, whole fruit, and ice is a great thing. (And sometimes you can get a smoothie like this at your local health food store.) But many companies add ingredients like peanut butter and chocolate milk and ice cream and would have you believe it’s a low-cal healthy snack. It’s not. It’s a dessert in a liquid form. These should be saved for your day off.

  Prep Time

  So how do we do this? How do we avoid F.L.A.B.B. foods and hidden calories? Well, if you don’t want to be the person in the restaurant ordering like this: I’d like the asparagus and cheese omelet, but made with egg whites, and cooked in no butter, no oil, a little bit of cooking spray is okay. And no cheese please. Just the asparagus. And no potatoes on the side. I’d like fruit instead please. And no bread. Thank you! then you should seriously consider preparing the bulk of your meals at home for the next four weeks. This may sound like a tall order, and again, it’s not required, but it really does make the whole thing easier and save you from sounding like a neurotically skinny L.A. actress. (By the way, I am now the person in the restaurant ordering that way. Because despite preparing the best I can, my life still requires that I eat in restaurants sometimes. So I am super polite to the servers and I tip really, really well. Which is (a) the right thing to do and (b) the best way I know to avoid getting anyone’s saliva in my food.)

  * * *

  Tips for the Healthiest Preparation of Your F.Y.T. Foods

  Bake or grill your protein.

  Steam or bake your carbs and veggies.

  Whenever possible, eat your fruits and veggies whole and raw. (Most of the nutrients are in the skin, and a lot of the nutrients get leached out in the cooking.)

  Whenever possible, avoid heating your oils. High temperatures can change the molecular structure of the oil and change it from healthy to not so healthy. Consider baking or steaming your carbs and veggies and then drizzling room-temperature olive oil over the top.

  * * *

  So how do you prepare? Cook on Sunday night. Cook your meals for the whole week! Grill up a mess of chicken and a mess of fish and steam up a ton of veggies, slice up a bunch of fruit and a bunch of low-fat cheese and a whole bunch of celery and cucumber and make a big ol’ vat of brown rice or quinoa or some other healthy grain. And then just grab a few Tupperwares every morning and pack up your meals for the day. If you are in the habit of getting take-out, you will not only save yourself a slew of hidden calories, you will also be actively saving the planet. Seriously, think about how much cardboard and plastic and Styrofoam you throw away every day! By treating your body well, you are treating Mother Earth well. It’s win-win! (And if you are more of an actual cook than I am, we’ve included F.Y.T. food recipes at the end of this chapter! Yum!)

  I called Az prior to my marathon flight-day to North Carolina on Tuesday. I inquired as to which airport refreshments might fit into the game. He replied, “And why would you not pack your own meals?”…My mind started spooling out all the excuses: got my six-year-old with me, already carrying a Sherpa-size load of stuff, have to pack his snacks, 30-minute layover, bla bla—but hey, the reality was, I wanted an excuse to eat a cardboard hot dog and chips, ok!! So on Monday night I packed up in one multi-compartment Tupper-thingy two sanctioned meals, brown rice, tortilla, steak, chicken, salad, veggies, a little hummous, and a wee bit of oil/vin dressing—also had some Greek yogurt and a bunch of strawberries. Didn’t really know how I was going to get my exercise, but the thirty-minute layover turned into a 20-minute layover and I ended up running the length of two concourses with a big backpack and my thirty-seven-pound son in my arms to make it to our next flight. My heart was literally beating out of my chest when we got to the gate (rounded out the exercise with a little power yoga when I got to my mom’s). So it can be done, I now know. PS: got the water in too—that’s what made the bag so damn heavy! Game on!

  —Jes

  * * *

  Step Up Your Game!

  If you lose points on something small (say, you misread the ingredients and ate a F.L.A.B.B. food) don’t use it as an excuse to lose big! It’s so tempting to say, “Oh hell, I lost my meal points already, I may as well eat some french fries too.” But don’t do it. I can tell you from experience that it doesn’t make you feel any better. So instead, remind yourself of your goals. You are playing this game for a reason: You want to lose weight this week. And adding untold calories to justify a point loss won’t help you reach that goal. Take a breath, eat the points and the points only, and move on.

  * * *

  So let’s address the eating rules now.

  The Snacking Rule

  Why are you allowed to snack on celery and cucumbers and nothing else? Because in the beginning, before your body has adjusted to your new portion sizing, or perhaps because you are sizing your portions slightly too small, you may suffer hunger pangs between meals. And the goal of the game is not to distract you from your work or family life with lingering hunger pangs. Cucumbers and celery are both very low calorie, plus full of water and high in fiber. They will fill you up and sate your hunger while adding a lot of nutritive value and without adding much in the way of calories. Az is urging me to add here that eventually, you won’t need these foods between your meals because you will get better at knowing what kind of portions you need to tide you over till your next meal. But he is not orally fixated. Those of you who are all about chewing on something may never give up the celery. And to you, I say, better a celery stalk than a cigarette or a Twinkie!

  The 100 Calories of Whatever You Want Rule

  You can read more about it in Chapter 15, but I’ll say here that this rule is largely in place to prevent the feelings of deprivation that come along with many diets. I cannot count how many times in my life I’ve deprived myself on some diet or other and then gotten so fed up with the deprivation that I eat waaaay more dessert than I ever would have had I not been depriving myself to begin with. (Once, when I was in high school and working an after-school job at a small bakery, I ate an entire banana cream pie. Not all at once, mind you. Just small slice by small slice over the
course of my four-hour shift. Whole pie. Try explaining that to your boss.)

  Because you can’t generally measure calories in a birthday cake or homemade ice cream, a good rule on this is the rule of thumb—eat no larger a portion than the size of your thumb and you should be within your 100-calorie limit on just about any dessert. It’s just a taste. Relish it.

  * * *

  • • • Az’s Shopping List • • •

  Choosing organic as often as possible is a great way to go. Start with organic meat, poultry, fish, and eggs from cage-free hens, and then buy fresh, locally grown, organic fruits and veggies. (To find a farmers’ market near you, go to www.localharvest.org.)

  Vegetables (fresh or frozen):

  3 cucumbers

  3 bunches of celery

  1 head of lettuce

  1 pound of mushrooms

  2 pounds of tomatoes

  1 bag or bundle of carrots

  2 bags or bundles of fresh spinach

  1 bundle of asparagus

  2 bundles or bags of broccoli

  1 bag of green beans

  Fruits:

  Apples

  Bananas

  Grapefruit

  Lemons

  Oranges

  Pears

  Peaches

  Plums

  Strawberries

  1 bag of frozen mixed berries

  Grains and other carbohydrates:

  1 package whole grain oatmeal (not instant, nothing added)

  1 package whole grain tortillas or

  1 loaf whole grain bread

  1 package whole grain hamburger buns

  1 bag brown rice (not instant)

  Small bag of potatoes

  Small bag of sweet potatoes

  Whole-grain pasta

  Canned beans

  Meats, seafood, and other proteins:

  Skinless chicken breasts

  Tuna steak or canned tuna

  Lean cut of topside sirloin

  Eggs from cage-free hens

  Tofu

  Low-fat mozzarella sticks

  Low-fat milk

  Nonfat Greek yogurt

  Low-fat cottage cheese

  Healthy fats:

  Avocados

  Almonds

  Cashews

  Walnuts

  1 bottle of flaxseed oil

  1 cup of fresh olives (canned or jarred olives are okay too—but try to find them without added chemical preservatives)

  Olive oil cooking spray

  All-natural peanut butter

  Backup:

  Find some organic protein/food bars with as few added chemicals, sweeteners, etc., as you can. They actually have some that are natural with a nice balance of protein, carbs, and healthy fats—so read the ingredients and look for them!

  Condiments, herbs, and spices:

  Basil

  Dill

  Garlic

  Ginger

  Honey (or maple syrup)

  Mustard

  Pepper

  Salt

  When you get home, put all of your fresh fruit and vegetables in the sink and soak them in filtered water and fresh lemon juice for 20 minutes, then rinse them again in filtered water. Even organic vegetables are covered in various pesticides and chemicals (but you should still buy organic whenever possible!). As a sidenote, floating the fruit from a fresh lemon in your drinking water is a lovely idea—but the rinds of these fruits are covered in pesticides, which you definitely don’t want leaching out into your drinking water! If you want to float the rinds of any fruit in your drinking water, be sure to soak the whole fruits (oranges, lemons) in lemon juice and water for a full 20 minutes and then rinse thoroughly.

  * * *

  * * *

  A word from weight-loss coach Jennifer Kelman

  All of us have been guilty at one time or another of mindless munching. When mindless munching takes over, we are no longer enjoying our food, we are just shoveling it in. Becoming aware of your eating and bringing it back to a place of enjoyment will help with any weight-loss goals. Awareness helps us to feel satisfied and eat less. I suggest slowing down and getting your senses involved in the eating process. When was the last time you really tasted what you were eating or fully chewed your food? Pay attention to how each bite tastes and savor each delicious morsel. Closing your eyes for a moment while chewing can help put this into practice. Slow down, taste, and savor each bite. You will begin to notice that your satisfaction increases, which will prevent overeating and help in your weight-loss efforts.

  —Jennifer L. Kelman, LMSW,

  a clinical social worker and weight-loss coach

  * * *

  The Five Meals a Day Rule

  Finally, why are we suggesting five meals instead of three? Because, as we’ve mentioned, weight loss comes down to one thing and one thing ONLY. We must burn more energy than we consume. And the key to burning energy faster is the metabolism. As I have come to understand it, the best way to speed up the metabolism—in addition to exercising more—is to keep it clicking on all cylinders. And the way to do that is to always give it just enough food. Giving it too much food at once slows it down. When you have a couple of huge meals, it’s like driving your car through mud—it’s weighted down. When you have several small meals, it’s like driving your zippy hybrid vehicle along traffic-free freeways, ocean air pouring in your windows. Wow. Clearly, I am not a doctor (and not much of a writer today, apparently). So let’s hear what someone who actually knows something has to say…

  * * *

  A word from Dr. David Katz

  We burn calories in three ways: basal metabolism, which is the energy cost of being alive; physical activity; and the generation of heat, known technically as “postprandial thermogenesis.” That “postprandial” part is important: It means after meals. So by eating small meals spaced evenly throughout the day, you can keep those home fires burning, and use them to burn up some extra calories. The generation of heat accounts for some 15 percent of the calories we expend each day.

  Other strategies for increasing metabolism include resistance training, which builds muscle, and eating complex carbohydrates and lean proteins. For every pound of muscle you add to your body, you need an extra 30 to 50 calories a day to maintain your weight. That means, do some resistance training a few times a week and burn more calories even in your sleep! As for food choices, complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, contain fiber, which increases the work of metabolism. Protein, too, requires extra metabolic effort. This means more calories in foods such as whole grains or vegetables or fish are burned up while eating them than is the case for processed foods, and fewer are available to go into fat reserves.

  —David L. Katz, MD, MPH, FACPM, FACP

  Director, Prevention Research Center Yale University School of Medicine

  * * *

  My final tip for you is this: Know yourself. Know your needs. Know your day. Your meals do not have to be of equal sizes! The fist-palm-thumb thing is a great guideline, but you can be creative. If you know you have to go out for a work dinner and might eat a little more, eat a little lighter at meals 2 and 3. You can even think of your five meals as three meals and two snacks. Az’s final meal is usually very light—some string cheese, a plum, and a few nuts. My final meal is usually a little more desserty—a little bit of oatmeal cooked up with an egg white, a few nuts, and a dash of maple syrup and cinnamon. It’s a balanced meal, and I keep it small, but it satisfies my urge for a little something sweet at night. In general, you might want to eat a little more for your early meals and a little less for your later meals. The less you eat later in the day, the better you will sleep and the better it will be for your metabolism. And listen, you can do this. I know it’s a lot of information, and it may seem like a lot of change, but I promise you, it will only take a few days—then you’ll have it down and you will feel better. And when you feel better, life feels better. Seriously. In the meantime, here are a few sample recipes fro
m former players to get you started.

  Note: These recipes are written by players whose hands are of all different sizes. You may need to adjust the portion size of various ingredients according to the size of your own hand.

  Breakfast (Meal #1)

  Peter’s Perfect Oatmeal Puddin’ Breakfast

  Makes 1 serving

  ½ cup oats (not instant)

  3 egg whites

  ½ cup fruit (blueberries, strawberries, peaches, whatever you have, fresh or frozen)

  1 teaspoon flaxseed oil

  A couple drops stevia or 1 teaspoon maple syrup

  Cook the oatmeal. While it’s still on the heat and almost ready for serving, stir in the egg whites. Continue cooking for a minute or so more to make sure the egg whites cook through. Turn off the heat and add the fruit, flaxseed oil, and stevia or maple syrup. Hearty, tasty breakfast goodness.

  Krista’s Quick and Easy Breakfast

  Makes 1 serving

  Olive oil cooking spray

  A few big handfuls of spinach

  1 finely chopped onion

  2 egg whites

  1 or 2 teaspoons crumbled low-fat feta cheese

  Salt and pepper to taste

  1 slice whole grain toast

  1 teaspoon olive oil

  Lightly spray a nonstick pan with the olive oil cooking spray. Over medium heat, sauté the spinach and onion until the spinach is wilted down and the onion is cooked through. Add the egg whites to the pan. When the egg whites are cooked through, crumble in the low-fat feta cheese, and add the salt and pepper to taste. Serve with one slice whole grain toast drizzled with the olive oil and lightly salted. Yum!

  Jana’s Hearty Breakfast