How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle.

To be a Pullman Porter in the late 1800s and early 1900s was a coveted occupation. These were the employees of the Pullman Palace Car Company, owned and operated by George Mortimer Pullman. He was born on March 3, 1831, in upstate New York. His father Lewis was a carpenter who developed a mechanism for lifting buildings up off their foundations. George attended school up to 4th Grade, and then went to work. The family moved so that Lewis could work on the Erie Canal moving houses that were in the path of the canal. When his father died, George took over the business. Pullman then went to Chicago. He worked raising buildings as the city streets were built up higher than the previous grade to avoid flooding. After a stint in the gold fields of Colorado — where he made money not from gold but from the miners — Pullman returned to Chicago with money and backers to fund his big idea — a rail car where people could sleep comfortably and eat well while they traveled. He built the Springfield and the Pioneer in 1863. When President Lincoln was assassinated, Pullman offered the use of one of his rail cars to transport the coffin and the family from Washington to Illinois. Orders soon followed for Pullman’s unique cars. They were luxurious, and railroad companies would lease them from Pullman’s company. The cars came equipped with a small army of employees, the Pullman Porters, who carried luggage, showed customers to their compartments, served the food, shined the shoes, and turned down the beds. Pullman hired only Black men, and Black women as maids to assist female travelers. His idea was that these employees had been trained as house slaves prior to the Civil War, and would know how to give good service. At its peak, Pullman employed 7,242 porters and maids, making him the largest employer of Blacks in the country. Train passengers called them all “George”, as if they were the property of Mr. Pullman. Although they were underpaid, being a Pullman Porter was the best job a formerly enslaved man could get, and they became the foundation of a Black middle class. Pullman became exceedingly wealthy, traveling on his private rail car with his family among his mansions in three states. He died in 1897, and when he was buried, his coffin was encased in three feet of concrete, to deter grave-robbers and others who might defile his final rest.

The food served in the Pullman dining car was as good as that served in the best hotels. Eggs were often on the menu for breakfast, and salmon could be ordered for dinner.

Shirred Egg: 147 calories… 8.5 g fat… 2 g fiber… 10 g protein… 10 g carbs… 106 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF – if using GF bread  I learned to prepare this dish when working on my Girl Scout ‘Cooking’ badge. I still eat it because it tastes so good. Easy to serve to guests, as well.

++ One 2-oz egg ++++ 1 Tbsp half&half/whole milk ++++ salt & pepper to taste ++++ 1½ tsp Parmesan cheese ++++ half a slice of 70-calorie whole-grain bread, toasted ++++ 1 oz melon ++++ Optional:  blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++++ Optional:  5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] ++

Heat the toaster oven to 325 F. Spritz a 1-cup ramekin with cooking oil or spray. Break the egg into the cup, and pour the half&half on top. Sprinkle with cheese, add salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 12-15 minutes, then let sit 2-3 mins. Plate with the toast and fruit. Serve with your choice of beverages.

Salmon with Roasted Tomatoes: 269 calories… 9.6 g fat… 3 g fiber… 33.5 g protein… 10.5 g carbs… 93.6 mg Calcium…  PB GF One of the earliest meals we made when starting the Fast Diet, this recipe hails from the Fast Diet book in a slightly altered form. Still a favorite. Quick and delicious.

++ 4 oz salmon ++++ 10 cherry tomatoes [5 oz] ++++ 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated ++++ 3 oz green beans or 2 oz sugar snap peas ++++ seasonings to taste ++

Spritz a small oven-proof pan with olive oil or non-stick spray. Put the salmon in the pan and sprinkle with seasonings of your choice. Arrange the tomatoes on/around the salmon. Sprinkle with parmesan. Bake at 400F for 10 minutes. Meanwhile steam the green vegetables. So easy. So yummy.