I love nuts. They’re a great source of protein and rich in fiber, making them relatively low carb in small amounts. Nuts are also high in fat – but mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (omega 3 – the good fats) that have all been shown to lower LDL cholesterol. In 2003, the FDA approved the following health claim for 7 kinds of nuts: “Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 oz per day of most nuts as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease.”I don’t know about you, but I can eat a can of nuts in one sitting. That’s six or more servings depending on what the packager considers a serving. Why do they have to taste so darn good? Is it the salt? Whatever kind of nuts I buy, I tend to eat them right out of the can, mindlessly munching away until they’re gone. Bad, bad, bad.
In the last couple years, Blue Diamond came out with a line of flavored roasted almonds, and they’re delicious. I’m a coupon clipper, and last week there were a couple for these treats in the paper. Knowing it was wrong because I shouldn’t be buying them, I clipped the coupons anyway. When I did my grocery shopping that day, I was horrified to find they were on sale to boot. What to do, what to do? I bought four cans.
Now, what am I going to do with four cans of low carb, high fat, high calorie nuts that I know I have trouble restraining from eating in one fell swoop? First thing, after shopping, I hid them in the car I drive to work. No reason for the wife to know I bought them, she’d only wag her finger at me and tell me I have no control.
Now what? Driving around every day with four cans of one of my favorite snacks is going to be like poking a sleeping bear with a sharp stick.
“Maybe I don’t have to eat them,” I told myself the next day on the way to work, “maybe just having them with me will be enough, like Linus’ security blanket in Peanuts (why did I have to use THAT strip as an example?!)
Somewhere in the back of my mind I heard old Megamas telling me to take a can into work with me; I could handle it, just a few now and then. Right. I know me. So I got out of the car at work and told them (the nuts) to have a nice day. I passed the parking lot several times during the day and considered going out in the snow to get a can, but I stayed strong and resisted (the snow helped).
At the end of the day, I approached my car with trepidation. I wanted those nuts! As I sat waiting for the car to warm up a little, I pulled out a can of my favorite flavor, ‘Salt and Vinegar,’ and read the nutrition label.
Serving size: 1 oz (28g, about 28 nuts)
Servings per container: 6
Calories per serving: 170
Total carbohydrates: 5g
Dietary fiber: 3g
Hmm. 2 net carbs per ounce. Not bad, but how am I going to eat just one ounce?
And then inspiration hit me. 28 nuts to an ounce (thanks, Blue Diamond, for that info; I don’t have a food scale in the car). I opened the can, smelled the glorious odor of vinegar, and felt saliva building. I took my empty coffee cup from the morning commute out of the holder and plunked 14 almonds into it, closed the can and put it behind the passenger seat again. I divided the time it takes me to get home by 14 and figured if I ate just one almond and then counted to 120 and repeated, I’d be eating the last one as I pulled into my driveway. I popped number one into my mouth, put the car in gear, and munched away.
When I got home, I was amazed I did it. I’d had only half a serving of almonds, one measly net carb and only 85 calories, and what’s more, I felt satisfied despite the small quantity of the snack. I felt… empowered; in control of myself. This was barely going to make a dent in my daily intake (I’d advise if you’re starting out on Atkins that the plan says not to have nuts in the first two weeks; this was my fourth week.) I did this same routine for the next two days and then HAD to let my wife in on it (so I could rub her nose in it, mostly). She pooh-poohed my resolve, saying I couldn’t keep it up, and that I should never have bought them in the first place. Oh, now it is on, babe, it is ON!
So that’s what I’ve been doing the past week on the ride home. Oddly, I think I’ve learned to enjoy them more, because I have a bite and then contemplate the flavor, the texture, the aftertaste, for two full minutes, instead of semiconsciously chomping a handful and repeating. I can even do this with other things I eat without thinking about.
I have my nuts and eat them too, and that’s why I say, “Nuts to YOU!” Maybe you have this problem as well, or have a similar food to which this might apply. You can use your mind to be in control of your impulses if you just believe in yourself.
Sometimes it takes simple little routines like this; whatever works for you, just do it.
You have the power!
Filed under: Atkins, general health, Induction, Megamas, Mindset, Personal Journal, Starting on Low Carb
This made me laugh! I am so addicted to nuts and I love the Blue Diamond Smokehouse almonds I buy the giant container at BJs because they are so expensive in the supermarket. But I have NO willpower and always eat more than I should. I will have to try that counting out servings thing. Thanks for the tip! Hope it works for you on the rest of those cans.
Scalemistress, you mean the cans that are now a two month supply? (LOL) Years ago I tried the trick of bringing the can home, weighing out one ounce portions and putting them in little baggies. Then I’d wind up eating more than one bag anyway! So hard to stop eating them. This sale was terrible, they are usually upward of $4 a can, but they were on sale for $2.39, and I had two coupons each worth 75 cents on two cans that got doubled, so each can netted out at $1.64… so you can see why I HAD to buy them!
By the way, this is my first crack at using the XHTML tags, so if anything winds up being goofy looking instead of BOLD as I wanted, that’s why.
Yep, that’s what I thought.
Thought might like this link to a deal on almonds.
LOL this is a good one!!
I am also a major nut lover and have then probably at least 5 days of the week (including peanuts). In the past I’ve bought several bags, cans, of different nuts and mixed them myself. I split them into batches of 4-6 servings and vac wrap them and freeze. I get only the nuts I want and it’s less expensive. When I’d open a bag of them, I’d put them in a plastic freezer container and keep them frozen, I don’t care for most nuts frozen, so I always had to thaw them before eating.
The only frozen nuts I’ve run into are the ones here in Western New York! BBRRRRR!
I’ve restricted myself so far to Cashews (too expensive, so hubby won’t let me buy them), Macadamia (WAY too expensive, but since Atkins mentions them I’m allowed to get them LOL), and sunflower seeds. I’ve been doing exactly what you did, counting out the serving (1 oz is 16? 14? pieces, can’t remember off hand) and putting away the rest. It works! As for the sunflower seeds, I only put 1 or 2 tbsp on a salad. If I ate them out of the bag, they’d all be gone.
Frozen nuts in Western NY! LOL!