# Being on a diet = smoked chicken



## hickorybutt (Jan 18, 2015)

Well the wife and I are trying to drop a few pounds over the next couple of months.  She is also working towards a half marathon (I'll leave that to her).  Being on a diet means no ribs, pulled pork, beef, or sausage - which is basically my usual menu.  So in light of trying to eat cleaner, I'm gonna live off smoked chicken.

My inlaws have a farm down in GA and we got a bunch of chickens from them back in November.  I smoked five this evening.  One was seasoned and consumed for dinner (we had guests over).  The other four were pulled and put away for meals throughout the next two weeks.

Here is the pregame:

Smoker- offset reverse flow
Brine- 4 gallons of water, 2 cups of salt, and a little garlic/onion powder.  Pretty basic.
Rub seasoning- black pepper, salt, garlic, onion, paprika
Wood- cherry and pecan mix (thanks Dirtsailor for the recommendation!). Cherry was from a fallen tree and pecan was from WesternWood.  I have some of my own pecan currently seasoning.  The cherry/pecan combo was out of this world for chicken.
Temp- 280 to 300
Time- it finished in 2:10, pulled at 170 IT

Here are the birds that just came out of the freezer yesterday:












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Got my ingredients for the brine:












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Making the brine in a concentrate:












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Added brine concentrate and rest of water to the plastic buckets I bought at Sam's - perfect for brining:












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Chickens in the brine and into the basement fridge last night to go for 18 hours:












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Sunday approx 3:15 pm EST, starting my charcoal...












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While the smoker heats up, I prepare the birds - again, seasoned one of them for dinner this evening:












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Smoker up to my temp range:












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On the birds go:












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Now I just have to watch a fire for a short while:












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Look at that thin blue smoke.  If you can hardly see it, that's because it's thin and blue:












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These girls are just about ready to be let out:












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Here is supper - mmhmm man was it tasty. I broke the "diet" and had some bbq sauce with it.  Carolina sauce to be exact - love mustard sauce with chicken.












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And here is our meal staple for the next couple of weeks...












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Thanks for looking.

James


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## gary s (Jan 19, 2015)

Great job James, Chicken looks very tasty, Sorry to hear that you have the diet bug , maybe you will recover soon.

I have to say, I remember when you started on this forum, and asking questions on how to do mods on your smoker, and now you are posting regular great looking smokes.








             
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Gary


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## hickorybutt (Jan 19, 2015)

gary s said:


> Great job James, Chicken looks very tasty, Sorry to hear that you have the diet bug , maybe you will recover soon.
> I have to say, I remember when you started on this forum, and asking questions on how to do mods on your smoker, and now you are posting regular great looking smokes.
> 
> :Looks-Great:             :points1:
> ...



Thanks Gary - really appreciate it.


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## themule69 (Jan 19, 2015)

That is some fine looking yard bird. Good luck on the diet. Remember smoked fish and other seafood is also good. Then all of the smoked veggies.

Happy smoken.

David


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## hickorybutt (Jan 19, 2015)

themule69 said:


> That is some fine looking yard bird. Good luck on the diet. Remember smoked fish and other seafood is also good. Then all of the smoked veggies.
> Happy smoken.
> David



Thanks David.  I actually do grilled vegetables when I get a chance.  Haven't ever smoked any fish before, but it's bound to get done as long as I stick to this diet.


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## Bearcarver (Jan 20, 2015)

Awesome looking Chicken, James!!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Just Beautiful !!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





All looks Mighty Tasty!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





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Good luck to you on your diet !!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





BTW: That TBS looks Perfect !!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Bear


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## hickorybutt (Jan 20, 2015)

Thank you Bear!


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## seenred (Jan 20, 2015)

Nice job, James!  The smoked chicken looks delicious!  Another menu item to consider smoking is pork tenderloin.  Very lean and fairly low-cal compared to many other meats.  

Red


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## gary s (Jan 20, 2015)

Hey Hickory, how is the UDS coming ?

Gary


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## hickorybutt (Jan 20, 2015)

gary s said:


> Hey Hickory, how is the UDS coming ?
> 
> Gary



Gary - haven't started yet really.  Had a few things come up this past weekend (when I had planned to start).  I'm hoping to drill my holes and burn it out this weekend if I get a chance.  We'll see.  Thanks for asking.  



SeenRed said:


> Nice job, James!  The smoked chicken looks delicious!  Another menu item to consider smoking is pork tenderloin.  Very lean and fairly low-cal compared to many other meats.
> 
> Red



Red - love the idea!  I sure miss my pork, and that will add some variety.  Love it.


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## noboundaries (Jan 20, 2015)

Another great way to use smoked meat on a diet is to make soups.  That way you can have your beef and pork too  You can load the soup up with veggies and smoked meat.  Brown rice, barley, and/or quinoa are good additions if you don't overdo it.  Same with beans.  No dumplings though.  I like to make big pots of soup for just my wife and me and we always lose weight when that's what we eat for the week.


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## hickorybutt (Jan 21, 2015)

Noboundaries said:


> Another great way to use smoked meat on a diet is to make soups.  That way you can have your beef and pork too  You can load the soup up with veggies and smoked meat.  Brown rice, barley, and/or quinoa are good additions if you don't overdo it.  Same with beans.  No dumplings though.  I like to make big pots of soup for just my wife and me and we always lose weight when that's what we eat for the week.


Agree - soups are good for a diet if you proportion veggies higher than you normally would.

My wife makes a great chicken tortilla soup, and I plan to put some smoked chicken in there.


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## rgautheir20420 (Jan 21, 2015)

hickory, good luck on your diet and the chix look real good. My wife and I are also healthy eaters and as such watch what we eat. The key to an effective diet is portion control and healthy(er) eating. There's no need to deprive yourself of the things you love. You could very well do a pulled pork salad or lots of soups like others have suggested. Although I do love some pulled chicken with a bit of BBQ sauce!

Good luck and feel free to PM me for extra support and recipe ideas as you and your wife go through the diet!


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## hickorybutt (Jan 21, 2015)

rgautheir20420 said:


> hickory, good luck on your diet and the chix look real good. My wife and I are also healthy eaters and as such watch what we eat. The key to an effective diet is portion control and healthy(er) eating. There's no need to deprive yourself of the things you love. You could very well do a pulled pork salad or lots of soups like others have suggested. Although I do love some pulled chicken with a bit of BBQ sauce!
> 
> Good luck and feel free to PM me for extra support and recipe ideas as you and your wife go through the diet!


Thank you for the support rgautheir.  That is one of my biggest problems - portion control.  If I do pulled pork, I gotta have two sandwiches plus some meat on the side with no sauce or bun.  If wife makes a cake, I gotta have either a huge piece or just nibble on it all day.  My goal is to lose a few pounds and once I get to a comfortable place, try and be moderate moving forward.  Its a tough thing when one of your hobbies involves making food!


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## gary s (Jan 21, 2015)

Portion control, you hit it on the head.  

Gary


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## rgautheir20420 (Jan 22, 2015)

hickorybutt said:


> Thank you for the support rgautheir.  That is one of my biggest problems - portion control.  If I do pulled pork, I gotta have two sandwiches plus some meat on the side with no sauce or bun.  If wife makes a cake, I gotta have either a huge piece or just nibble on it all day.  My goal is to lose a few pounds and once I get to a comfortable place, try and be moderate moving forward.  Its a tough thing when one of your hobbies involves making food!


You are indeed correct. It's very hard to loose weight let alone maintain when good food is sort of what you do. I'm a sausage fanatic...if you couldn't tell...so I've just had to make some more chicken based stuff to still get my fix. However, I still do some pork also.

One of the best things that's help me and my wife be aware of what we are eating, is weighing and counting everything we eat. It's a shock at the beginning because like you said, gotta have 2 sammies. But then you see just how many calories are in that and it's a bit frustrating. After a few days of counting calories and weighing your portions, it becomes second nature. In my opinion, a great way to hold yourself accountable is to be counting your calories. If you go over, it was your decision, and the next day when you look at what you ate, you'll realize it wasn't worth it when you're not loosing the weight you thought.

We use My Fitness Pal for counting the calories btw.


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## backyardsmokin (Jan 22, 2015)

I am right there with you and support you hickory.  Having a energetic 3 yr old takes a lot out of my wife and I so we are trying to lose weight as well.  Portion control is one our hardest parts as well.  I have done a couple of things to help me that might be able to help you as well.

The first thing I did was when my smoking session is finished I break it down to 3-4oz portions, vacuum seal each portion and then into the freezer it all goes.  This way when I wan some I have pull out just what I need and that is it.

The other one is that since I love smoking, my smoker has become the communal smoker.  My neighbors and I all pitch in for fuel and various cuts, then we take turn watching the smoker for those extra long smokes.  Once everything is done we all take some of this and some of that, but I don't take as much as others.  This allows me to continue smoking and not having to eat everything that I smoke.

On a side note,  I have found that counting the calories is not everything.  My wife is also on weight watchers and using their points calculator there are times that the low-cal/diet item winds up being worse off than the regular product.  

I hoped something in my ramblings made sense.  

I wonder if we could get a forum section on healthier recipes/eating.


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## Bearcarver (Jan 22, 2015)

BackyardSmokin said:


> I am right there with you and support you hickory.  Having a energetic 3 yr old takes a lot out of my wife and I so we are trying to lose weight as well.  Portion control is one our hardest parts as well.  I have done a couple of things to help me that might be able to help you as well.
> 
> The first thing I did was when my smoking session is finished I break it down to 3-4oz portions, vacuum seal each portion and then into the freezer it all goes.  This way when I wan some I have pull out just what I need and that is it.
> 
> ...


We have one, and you are already a member.

It's called YAWYE (You Are What You Eat), and it was started by "Pops".

Here ya go-----A Link to *"YAWYE"*:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/groups/show/15/yawye

Bear


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## backyardsmokin (Jan 22, 2015)

Thanks Bear.

Something about being at work makes my brain shut down


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## Bearcarver (Jan 22, 2015)

BackyardSmokin said:


> Thanks Bear.
> 
> Something about being at work makes my brain shut down


LOL----Been there!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Bear


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## ibbones (Jan 22, 2015)

BackyardSmokin said:


> I Portion control is one our hardest parts as well.


I am with you as well.  It's the hardest thing for me.  I pull something off the smoker (or anywhere from the kitchen) and eat, then nibble nibble nibble until I am really full.  Then cleaning up from supper, I still nibble.


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## gary s (Jan 22, 2015)

In my case it's CRS    Can't Remember S_ _ t   or Stuff 

Gary


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## bluewhisper (Jan 22, 2015)

No burger, no fry.
No burger, no fry.

No burger, no fry.
No burger, no fry.


Said said

Said I remember when we used to snack
on the hot hamburger, and the french fry.
Before all the doctors warned us off the fat,
and it would mingle with the good flavors we had.

The weight we gained, the weight we lost, along the way...
In the low-fat future, you can forget your past.
So dry your chin, I say.

And, no burger, no fry.
No burger, no fry.
Dear little darling, don't shake no salt.
No burger, no fry.

Said I remember when we used to snack
on the hot hamburger, and the french fry.
And then Georgie would get the fire lit
and it was lump wood burning through the night.
Then we'd cook a meal on it
(of which I've had a few)
My diet is my only plan now,
and so I've got to push on through, and while I'm on

Everything is gonna be low-fat.
Everything is gonna be low-fat.
Everything is gonna be low-fat.
Everything is gonna be low-fat.
Everything is gonna be low-fat.
Everything is gonna be low-fat.
Everything is gonna *be* low-fat.
Everything is gonna be low-fat.

No burger, no fry.
No burger, no fry.
Pretty little woman, don't shake no salt
No burger, no fry.


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## Bearcarver (Jan 22, 2015)

Blue Whisper,

Sounds like "Smoking Rap"!!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






Bear


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## bluewhisper (Jan 22, 2015)

Bearcarver said:


> Blue Whisper,
> 
> Sounds like "Smoking Rap"!!!





Bearcarver said:


> Blue Whisper,
> 
> Sounds like "Smoking Rap"!!!
> 
> ...


Listen to this while you read it:


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## hickorybutt (Jan 22, 2015)

BackyardSmokin said:


> I am right there with you and support you hickory.  Having a energetic 3 yr old takes a lot out of my wife and I so we are trying to lose weight as well.  Portion control is one our hardest parts as well.  I have done a couple of things to help me that might be able to help you as well.
> 
> The first thing I did was when my smoking session is finished I break it down to 3-4oz portions, vacuum seal each portion and then into the freezer it all goes.  This way when I wan some I have pull out just what I need and that is it.
> 
> ...



I like your ideas.  Honestly I rarely ever smoke anything just for the two of us (unless it is a meal prep kinda thing like these chickens).  We more often than not have friends or family eating with us if I'm cooking food on my pit, so I'm right there with you.  That's one of the greater things about cooking bbq - it provides a community with food.  And I like to give, so I always make sure everyone has more than enough to eat.  Unfortunately for my belt notches, that includes me!


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## dannylang (Jan 24, 2015)

good looking chicken, sorry you are on a diet.


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## welshrarebit (Jan 24, 2015)

I'm on a seefood diet! If I see it I'm gonna eat it... ;)

If I want to lose weight I drink less beers!


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## hickorybutt (Jan 26, 2015)

dannylang said:


> good looking chicken, sorry you are on a diet.


Thanks danny.


Welshrarebit said:


> If I want to lose weight I drink less beers!


Cutting alcohol out of my diet is rough man...


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## dannylang (Jan 26, 2015)

how about a straight alcohol diet, then a little smoke meat every once in a while.


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## fendrbluz (Feb 1, 2015)

Good job I got that dang bug also and I love smoked fish especially Wa-Hook down 11lbs in 2weeks :)


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## hickorybutt (Feb 2, 2015)

Fendrbluz said:


> Good job I got that dang bug also and I love smoked fish especially Wa-Hook down 11lbs in 2weeks :)


Nice job dude!  I'm down 9 pounds over 4 weeks.  About 25 more pounds to go and I'll be back to my 2013 weight, which is the goal.  Hoping to get there before summer time.

Keep pushing on!


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## dannylang (Feb 2, 2015)

hickorybutt said:


> Nice job dude!  I'm down 9 pounds over 4 weeks.  About 25 more pounds to go and I'll be back to my 2013 weight, which is the goal.  Hoping to get there before summer time.
> 
> Keep pushing on!


good job with loosing the weight, only 25 to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!you will get it.


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