You still taste the bread, it’s just as filling AND you can save 200-300 calories per footlong sandwich.

@Laura – I have a wide variety of options for lunch at work (when I don’t bring my own), but I generally eat out so infrequently now that I tend to choose something unhealthy (but really tasty) when I do eat out. I guess I shouldn’t do that!

As far as your weight loss goal, you might want to consider joining Wt. Watchers. I say this because there are men in my class, doing well. The best part is that you do not have to buy any of their food, unlike Jenny Craig or NutraSystems– I don’t. I suggest this to you because your debt step #8 is EXACTLY why you will become successful — accountability. You take a easy test to determine how many points you get per day, then create your meals up to those points. And you get 35 extra points a week to use for a hot fudge sundae or whatever you want, so you don’t have to feel guilty if you cheat, beacause you are not. It’s like being on a budget then. I like the satisfaction of knowing that I can enjoy eating all week long, knowing that at the end of the week, I’ll show a weight loss, just by staying within my points. Being weighed publically (no one sees the numbers) holds me accountable, so that during the week, when my will power lessens, I think about that weigh-in at the meeting. Just like with money, we have to manage our weight too – something very difficult since eating 100 extra calories a day will amount to a 10 lb. weight gain in a year’s time! I was like you – not really getting anywhere on my own, and I don’t mean that badly, it’s just because you gained a pound; that is what was happening with me. Intellectually we both knew what to do re #of calories equal a lb. etc. but it is the ACCOUNTABILITY that gets results.

@CleverDude – Thank you very much. I’m trying to keep the weight loss going but it has been tough lately.

About the sodium- I agree, it is a major hazard these days. I didn’t really become aware of it until recently and I was shocked to see how much sodium I was typically consuming. The health effects of too much sodium were rather frightening too. Being fat AND consuming too much sodium is a major recipe for disaster.

One thing to note about Subway’s claims is that they never talk about the amount of sodium in their subs. They trumpet about their low fat compared to McDonald’s, etc., however all but 2 of the 8 subs on the 6 grams or less menu have over 1000 (often over 1200) mg of sodium. You’re only supposed to have about 2500 in a day! Get the 12″ sub and you need to drink water and eat lemons for dinner!

Watching fat and calories is important, but one way that restaurants, and any other food maker, adds flavor to a low calorie item is by adding salt. It’s a killer, literally, if you already have problems with high blood pressure. And don’t get me started on retaining water!

Good tips, especially about condiments and the like. I knew Ranch had calories, I didn’t realize how many!