FAUX SHOPPING SPREE

On Thursday night I visited a convenience store and I used my myfitnesspal app to record the calorie content of much of the 'snacks' that I have been enjoying for the past year.... Even I never had all from this list in one day - but I surely had much more than than this list in a week.  Hmmm, I wonder why I gained so much weight in the past year.  Mystery Solved. I am disgusted with myself. Actually, I am not disgusted at all.... I just finished my 9th day of not eating anything even remotely from this list... It does not take too long to start feeling better as I do. Yeah, I know... shocking

I have not completely removed sugar from my diet. It is hard.  There is some sugar in many restaurant prepared foods. But I have decreased my sugar intake by a factor of alot.

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AN AMAZINGLY STUPID WAY TO SPEND $1.50

Yesterday, March 18, was the 85th day since I made a snap decision to reverse the direction of my life with regards to my overall health.  Eighty-five days have passed and I have managed to avoid any sweet treats.  I have committed to eating breakfast, lunch and dinner...and that's it.  I have not had a snack in nearly 3 months. A couple of things continue to amaze me about this - and that is, that I am not craving anything in this arena.  I do not plan to go through the rest of my life completely avoiding chocolate.  I do not plan to go through the rest of my life never having a snack. Nevertheless, for the past 85 days, I have not even snacked on a healthy fruit, vegetable or nut.  I was a guy, who is embarrassed to admit that I might have had 5 or 6 different high calories snacks in any given day prior to December 24.  And I don't know, maybe I had more - I am sure that I did not have too many less.

A quick snack that costs just $1.50 - the cost to your health is exorbitant.

'nutritional' information for the 'Little Debbie' CRUNCH DONUTS

'nutritional' information for the 'Little Debbie'  NUTTY BARS

Although I have not had any cravings for all the cakes, cookies, and chocolate bars that I was eating seemingly 24 hours per day, I do occasionally pick up one of these snacks to examine their 'nutritional information.'  (Nutritional information for a chocolate bar is an oxymoron if there ever was one.)

Yesterday, while shopping I passed a display of 'Little Debbie' brand snacks.  Each of the two 'treats' was priced at just 75 cents each.   The two snacks together would set you back just $1.50. That would be a very expensive $1.50 with regard to all those empty calories.

NUTTY BARS                  460 CALORIES      CARBS 49 GRAMS      SUGARS 30 GRAMS 

CRUNCH DONUTS         380 CALORIES      CARBS 55 GRAMS      SUGARS 30 GRAMS

TOTAL BOTH ITEMS   840 CALORIES     CARBS 104 GRAMS   SUGARS 60 GRAMS

840 CALORIES!   THIS IS VERY CLOSE TO THE TOTAL THAT I HAVE BEEN CONSUMING EACH DAY FOR THE PAST 85 DAYS!  In fact, yesterday, I had breakfast lunch and dinner and consumed only 860 calories.

As you can see, this is an amazingly stupid way to spend $1.50,  and yet I used to do it all the time.  I can not change history, but I can chart the course of my future.

The mystery is NOT how I became 309 lbs - the mystery is how I didn't become 400 lbs.

I am a lucky man.  I am lucky that I stopped eating like this before it was too late.

I will take the advice of both of my brothers.  They are both fit, thin, and healthy.  They both will have a chocolate or sweet treat from time to time.  But they make it count. They eat the finest chocolates and gourmet desserts.  I do not think either one of my brothers has eaten a snack like a 'Little Debbie' in at least a decade, most likely even longer.

WEDNESDAY MENU

breakfast  SUBWAY SUNRISE MELT (turkey, ham, bacon & egg wrap)    240 calories

lunch        PANERA  cup turkey chili, 1/2 smoked turkey breast sandwich   410 calories

dinner       SUBWAY double chicken spinach salad w/tomato & onion         220 calories

total calories consumed   860 calories

CALORIES BURNED

630AM  SUPER 8 ELLIPTICAL MACHINE  40 minutes     553 calories

Wednesday Net Calories    307 calories

PANERA BREAD 1/2 SANDWICH & SALAD

 CUP TURKEY CHILI & 1/2 SMOKED TURKEY BREAST SANDWICH

410 CALORIES