I travel for my job, I travel a whole bunch and I eat horribly. Not bad tasting food but rather tons of things that were high in fat and calories. At least I did eat like that until I found out that I have type two diabetes. For five years I’ve traveled all over the country and when I was running late for a flight or a demo I would make the poorest choices around. I’d eat at those large chain fast food restaurants. You know the one, with that crazy clown or demented fake royalty pushing his burgers and all. I’m not saying that eating there gave me the disease because that is not how things work but all that garbage in my system contributed to making me fat. Ultimately it was my own fault and my own choices of course but my choice to eat fatty greasy food is what helped to put on 50 pounds quickly when I started traveling. I told myself that I could have a meal from those burger joints once in a while. Eventually it became something I did every trip and then multiple times on the same trip. I convinced myself that that was the best option for me because of how pressed for time I was.
I was wrong.
My lab results and bathroom scale proved that. So now I am eating healthier and making sure that I think about the things that I eat. I got some coupons in the mail for SUBWAY® the other day and it got me to thinking about Jared Fogle. I had been to SUBWAY® many times in the past and even wanted to try to do what Jared Fogle did. You know, the guy who ate at subway twice a day and also began a healthy lifestyle of walking and other exercise. The guy is inspiring because he was just some guy at 425lbs that decided to take a step in the right direction. Jared has even written a book, “Winning Through Losing” and you can read the first chapter of it on the SUBWAY® FRESHBUZZâ„¢ page. I was reading the first chapter and I can see how I was very much like Jared in grade school and high school. I would come home and polish off a sleeve of Ritz crackers or Premium saltines or even Chips Ahoy and Oreo cookies. And then I would play Nintendo for hours. I still like my Ritz but now I only have 5 at a time with some Smart Balance peanut butter on them to get some Omega 3s. I could certainly sympathize with Jared’s story about the pizza he ordered as a kid. I’d like to continue reading that book.
As a kid, one thing that I really looked forward to was a happy meal. I think about that now and while it may make my kids happy to have one and heck it may make me happy to have one on the road, I know it isn’t something I want to make me or my kids happy. All of the fat and calories in such a small meal is no good for me or my kids. Kids are becoming more and more obese and so are adults. I know I am not a model of health and fitness but I have a choice to stay fit and while my daughter cannot make her own choices on meals for quite some time to come I can at least make healthy choices for her. Healthy choices can include the new SUBWAY® FRESH FITâ„¢ meals for kids. There are many choices that kids and parents have for their SUBWAY® FRESH FITâ„¢ meals. And I mean many choices. Get this there are eight sandwiches to choose from with less than six grams of fat. Less than 6 grams of fat, that is a very significant number. And you can get great tasting sides like yogurt, Baked Lays, raisins, and apples, and to drink, ice cold water, 1% milk, or diet soda. Many choices and each one makes you come out a winner.
When Eva is old enough to eat a sandwich I can take her to SUBWAY® and we can order some SUBWAY FRESH FIT™ meals. One of the fun things about this Father/Daughter trip will be picking our fresh and healthy toppings for our sandwiches. I am a fan of pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, and green peppers and you can load up on those and still be healthy. Mustard is also a tangy and delicious alternative to the added fat from mayo. But if you are not a mustard fan SUBWAY has some fat free toppings like the Sweet Onion sauce. That sauce is delicious. Today I asked Allison to take the coupons that we got in the mail and go to SUBWAY® and get me a 6 inch Sweet Onion Chicken Terriyaki on whole wheat, a Dasani Water and some Baked Lays. Here is my delicious lunch.
If you haven’t been to the SUBWAY® site in a while or ever before you have to see the SUBWAY FRESH FITâ„¢ website and you have to stop at Burger Town. With choices like “Muffin Top”, “Manboobs” and a “Spare Tire” you will certainly think over your next choice for lunches and dinners at fast food places. You can even compare how much fat is in the SUBWAY FRESH FITâ„¢ meals vs. the meals from McDonald’s and Burger King. The Sweet Onion Chicken Terriyaki that I had today has 5 grams of fat. A McDonald’s Big Mac has 30 grams. That is six times more fat. And you don’t even want to know how many calories or grams of fat are in a Whopper.
Get out, exercise and eat right. Adding some SUBWAY FRESH FITâ„¢ to your diet instead of greasy burgers and fatty sides is a step in the right direction.
Hi Drew,
Stumbled across your blog and read that you were diagnosed with type II diabetes.
Since I have been diagnosed with high blood sugar, I was wondering if the change in diet has been helpful for you?
My problem has been lack of eating a healthy breakfast, going without lunch, and having a late evening dinner (8 or 9PM). Did you have this same unhealthy way of eating as well.
Are you on an exercise program?
Thanks for sharing something very personal with us netizens.
Hi Glenn,
first off thanks for taking the time to comment on this blog post. I was warned that I had high but normal blood sugar a year before type II diagnosis. So what I am going to say is this. Take action now, don’t let this get out of hand.
I am not an expert by any means I am just some guy going through this issue in his own life.
Eat breakfast, even if it is a bowl of Cheerios. They will do you more benefit throughout the day. I like to have a bowl of cheerios with sliced strawberries or some blueberries mixed in. Then I drive to work (1 hour). When I get to work I had been eating some low fat yogurt and cottage cheese (believe me I thought it was gross at first but you have to power through it) I would also put in some blueberries and strawberries. This would get me through to later in the morning and I would have a granola bar. Then I would have lunch. Lunch has been tough because the things that you often have at lunch, sandwiches and whatnot are going to contain my downfall, bread. Bread is a real sugar spike.
As for exercise, I have to admit it is terrible, I will exercise for a bit and then fall off the wagon, for the past few months I have been off the wagon with exercise because of all the things I’ve needed to get done because of the baby.
Dinner has been better, it is about portion control with me, smaller portions of meals, less frozen pizzas, another killer.
I also try and avoid high fructose corn syrup, it is in everything. I am still having a difficult time finding a proper balance but everyday I have to work at it. Do something about your high blood sugar before it becomes full blown Type II. Lose weight, exercise, power down veggies and fruits. Avoid candy and High Fructose corn syrup. I’ll be doing the same.
Hi Drew,
Thank you for continuing to share with me your experiences.
Portion control for dinner is hard for me too. I do try to eat salad, veggies and fruits before, during and after the meal.
My wife does get a high fiber bread for my sandwiches, don’t know if that is good or not. My doctor explained to me that pizza is not good along with white bread, but he said that I needed to avoid those foods with starches – rice, pasta, potatoes, etc.
What I did find interesting though is he did not refer me to nutritionalist. How about your doc?
Hi Glenn,
I did meet with a nutritionist. You might want to ask for a referral. Hopefully your Doctor’s office has one on staff. Mine does and she was really good. I couldn’t see myself eating the things she suggested and I loathed giving up the things that are not good for me (Pizza is pretty much my favorite food ever). I haven’t had White bread in a long time. I get the whole grain breads but even that isn’t the best for me. Pasta is a killer and white rice is as well. Starches do tend to spike my sugar.
If you haven’t yet you might want to get a meter to track what things make your sugar go up and down. It is good to know.
Stop that, your making me hungry!
Sorry Tricia. Hope you liked my Blog Battle Royale entry.
The after school snack thing I can really relate to. My grandmother would give me a sleeve of crackers, maybe some cheese or even cream cheese … or even worse half a bag of chips and half a container of dip. Is it any wonder I learned bad eating habits?
I used to love having Premium Saltines at my grandmother’s house with ginger ale. And Cheez-its. I love Cheez-its. They and M&M’s are my downfall.