Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Counting Calories

When I was a kid I wasn’t much of an eater. In fact, my parents tell me that they used to routinely find candy bars in the back seat of our car with a single bite taken out of them that I had left behind.

Well, all of that has changed these days because now I really, really, really like food. I’m not quite sure when the transformation happened but it probably had something to do with marrying a great cook. I’ve been a “Good Eater” ever since.

My eating habits aren’t a problem when I’m in full out cycle training mode but we I hit the off season the “reserves” start to build up. Out of curiosity I decided to document what I ate yesterday and I’ve made a couple of conclusions about it. First of all here is my consumption list.

5 am
1 cup of homemade Granola
1 cup of skim milk
Eating pretty darn healthy so far – this could be a great eating day.

9:30am – really hungry but I don’t want to break into my lunch yet so I dig through my wallet to look for money to feed the candy machine. No money in my wallet so I dig through my pockets only to find one penny, seriously, ONE PENNY! I go back to work and count down the minutes until lunch time. I can feel the good eating habits slipping away.

10:45am – I can’t stand it anymore and head to the break room early to heat up my meatloaf sandwich in the microwave. Oh yeah, it was good. That hit the spot but I also remember that my coworkers have a cabinet full of chips that are free for the taking so I grab a bag of Fritos.

3pm - Leave work and drive home. Grab a hand full of Smarties on the way out the door to keep me awake on the way home. That works and I survive the drive.

4pm – walk in the door and have a couple fun size candy bars from the left over Halloween candy jar. Then I eat two pieces of cream cheese frosting covered pumpkin bars. I told you it was dangerous to have a good cook for a wife.

5:30pm – eat two Navajo tacos which if you haven’t had them before they are deep fried yummy goodness. I’m done eating for the day and feeling very satisfied.

I originally started counting calories for the day but by the time I got to the bag of Fritos I decided ignorance was bliss and stopped the counting madness.

Now there are a couple alternatives I could take here to stop the eating madness.

1. If you notice, my vegetable intake was next to nothing unless you count corn chips, pumpkin bars and salsa as a healthy dose of vegetables. Maybe I should replace some of the garbage that I eat with low calorie vegetables. Not really an option unless someone were to stage some kind of vegetable intervention on me.

2. I could eat smaller portions of sensible food more often during the day so I don’t get as hungry. Probably a good idea but I just don’t see that happening.

3. I could kick my cycling training back into gear and burn up most of the junk calories that I eat.

Looks like I’m going to hit the cycling training again real soon. But first I think I’ll have some pie.

6 comments:

JoLyn said...

Maybe you should put a little fridge in your Bike Room...then you're prepared for anything!

jeff said...

I learned riding through South Dakota that cycling and pie go together wonderfully!

Jenny-Jenny said...

Yes, I think that we should definitely ride more. But a few more vegis wouldn't hurt either.=]

DC said...

Just found your site this afternoon!

Are you saying that my breakfast of Cherry Coke and carrot cake does not count as one serving each of fruit and veggies?

Sour Cream and Onion chips and a Bud lime not cutting it either?

Jeff said...

Wow, I couldn't stand eating so little during the day. I have at least one snack in the morning and indulge in something after lunch.

Mike J said...

Jeff, there just aren't enough pie and cycling events. Tour de Pie. I'd ride in that one.

DC, I totally agree that Cherry Coke and Carrot Cake qualify as fruits and Veggies. That actually a great combo. Almost health food in my book.

Jeff, I would have eaten more but I was having an "out of money experience" while limited my trips to the candy machine.

Thanks for all of the comments everyone.