Lent, Fried Food, and the Future of my Diet

[Basquo]

I gave up fried food for Lent. To clarify, I mean anything deep-fried or battered/breaded and pan-fried. Bacon doesn't count, nor do grilled cheese sandwhiches. Obviously, things like french fries and fried chicken do count, but also I had to consider things like most chips, falafel, and douhnuts (not that i'm a big doughnut fan, but sometimes Krispy Kremes show up in the office.)

It's done well for me.  I've finally started losing weight again, below 200# now, and my blood pressure is back to normal. i only strayed once in the last six or so weeks, and that was when ordering something new at a late-night dining spot downtown.  It was only after getting sick the next morning that I examined the leftover take-home, and saw that ineed it had been floured and pan-fried.  My friend who went to Catholic school says that doesn't count, especially since the waitress told me it was cooked on the "stovetop" after I ask her how it was cooked.

So I've been planning for weeks what I would eat today.  Would I do some french fries?  or have chips and salsa in a Tex-Mex eatery?  Maybe I should go to the Chinese buffet and nibble myself into wonton heavan...

I woke up this morning still indecisive. Finall after four hours of letting my hunger build and build, I decided I'd start by getting some fried food from Wendy's.  How rough could that be? They don't use trans fats anymore, maybe this would be just the thing to ease me back in to the friend  fried food arena...WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT!!  

I got the chicken club combo.  I ate half the fries on the way home. I could feel my ass getting bigger as I got closer to home.  The fries were actually kind of gross.  I started on the chicken club when I was back here.  Half way through that, Sheba needed to go outside, so I took her for her little walk. I started back in on what was now becoming a room-temperature mess.  And as I was finshing up the sandwich, my guts started churning. Ran to the bathroom and WHOOMP! That stuff cleaned me out like a brown tornado! Luckily, I had also picked up a side salad for dinner, so I just wolfed that down in hopes of blowing the rest of this out of my system.  If that doesn't work, I'm going to tape my buns together long enough to run to the store for a bottle of red wine. I even took an extra Lomotil before I set out, in case this were to happen!

So what have I learned?  Well, either I'm going to have to keep at it if I want to bring fried foods back into my life, or else avoid them like the plague.  Obviously I've seen some health benefits from not eating them all this time. Maybe I should experiment with some of the things that are a staple around here, like chips with salsa.  I can't imagine never eating fried shrimp or falafel again.

This is just plain amazing. I did the same thing last year, but not with the same end results. Maybe it has something to do with working out more? or xtube? Any ideas?!!

Happy Easter!

[budndallastx]

Fried foods do put a strain on your system and it will take some getting used to. I worked for this guy who told me about an experiment he did while he was a med student.  He stopped eating fried foods for a week.  He then did a blood draw and spun it to separate the plasma from the cells.  The plasma was clear.  He then sat down to a Burger King Whopper with fries and waited an hour.  Another draw was done, spun up, and the plasma was very cloudy.  This is the effects the fats have on your system!

Perhaps the thing to do is to make something fried part of your meal but not the entire meal.  For example fried chicken sandwich with a salad.  Cutting back on the fried oils will help with your cholesterol and your weight too if that's a concern.

Just a thought.

[Robert]

hi creighton.

It sounds to me like you should continue to stay away from Wendy's and other fast food establishments.  Instead of thinking you gave up fried food for lent, think of it as giving up fast food instead.  Fried food is one thing.  Fried, fast food is another and I think something to stay away from

robert