Caddyshack....The New Nutritional Guideline!

Who knew that Caddyshack had a line in the movie that would prove to be a healthy option?

When Spaulding Smails says, “I want a hamburger. No, cheeseburger. I want a hot dog. I want a milkshake. I want potato chips…..” and Judge Smails interrupts with, “You’ll have nothing, and like it!”

Judge & Spaulding Smails

This weekend, I found myself in another very high risk situation. Surrounded by family that is very supportive yet in an environment filled with buffets, pizza and other foods that helped me get to the unhealthy, old version of The Orracle of the past. Dinner in a restaurant is fairly simple. You can usually get a grilled chicken breast or small sirloin/filet, salad and plain baked potatoes (with lemon of course!). Breakfast is a whole different situation. While eggs are not horrible for you and omelets can be made with veggies galore, there is not a grilling option that you can assure yourself will be light on the oil. At 120 calories per tablespoon and 70 calories per egg, this can get out of control quickly. Then, figure it will come with a meat and/or toast which even dry is very high in calories.

Mrs. Orracle and I decided to pack a cooler with all of the ingredients to Breakfast Whack. We ate that before meeting our family for breakfast. I thought about testing the waters at breakfast and once I did, I was very happy that I had already eaten my Whack. I tried to get a poached egg or two. They did not do that but I could get them basted (WARNING!). An egg white omelet was not available either. You had your choice of grease, calories or fat with a side of grease.

I had nothing.....and liked it!

My sister commented how hard that must have been. I would not say it was hard. I felt fine. I was feeling full from my Whack. Was it difficult to sit and have coffee with American fries, omelets, biscuits and gravy and French toast filling every olfactory nook and cranny in my body? Sure. Let’s say for a minute I had the breakfast instead of Whack. Whack was roughly 300 calories. An omelet would have been at least 350-400 plus any extras such as toast at 100 calories a slice if eaten dry (and why would you do that?). Let’s assume I could have survived the breakfast at 550 calories (which might be pushing it). Is the difference of 250 calories that much of a deal breaker for me? Probably not. Could it bring back the taste of some old habits. You bet. Could it have been that it would not have satiated me like the well rounded Whack did? Absolutely.

The point I am trying to make is that we cannot look at the net calories alone. We have to look at where we’ll be after that meal. If that meal will leave you hanging and wanting more food sooner, it probably is not the best choice even if the net difference in calories is small. The food contents and plate design (¼ protein, ¼ starch, ½ fruits and/or vegetables) can make the difference down the road that day!

We can make significant progress in our battles to lose weight and be more healthy by making small adjustments. Just imagine what a difference a big adjustment or two like this can do for you!