Dental courtesies paid

I skipped breakfast, so as not to present the hygienist at my morning dentist appointment with too daunting a challenge. I did have a bottle of lemon-flavored Poland Spring Sparkling Water, zero calories.

For lunch, I had  selection of salad bar and hot bar items from Star Market, coming in to a little less than a pound of food. As such: two ounces of mashed potato, 90 cals; one chicken wing, 100 cal; one half-ounce of pot roast, 100 cals; two ounces of penne with chicken and broccoli, 320 cals; three ounces of marinated mushrooms, 30 cals; one hard-boiled egg, 80 cals; two ounces of grilled chicken, 70 cals; two ounces of baby arugula, 20 cals; less than two tablespoons of bleu cheese dressing, 100 cals; a half-ounce of bacon bits, 10 cals. Total, something like 900 calories.

As an afternoon snack, I chomped down two Sweet Crunchy Rice Snacks by Jay-One (80 cals. total), a can of Arizona zero-calorie Half & Half (Iced Tea/Lemonade), and a snack square of Cabot Seriously Sharp White Cheddar Cheese, 80 cals. (Happy 100th birthday, Cabot. Why do I know cheese things? One likes to learn about the target of one's ardor.)

Dinner was a slice of leftover chicken alfredo pizza; one and a half fried chicken tenders with garlic-parmesan sauce; a bowl of chopped salad; maybe eight french fries; and a slice of cheese pizza, when after finishing the rest of the meal I decided I needed a splurge.

I've been drinking water all evening.

Pizza, fingers, puttering

Started the day with a medium hazelnut iced coffee with skim milk and two Splenda, and a glazed stick, from Dunkin.

At work, I drank water in the morning.

For lunch, I had a junior cheeseburger at Wendy's, and a large diet Coke.

For a snack, I had a serving of watermelon (85 cals) and some mango (120 cals).

Dinner was quite an indulgence; I picked up a chicken alfredo (!) pizza from Doughboy's, along with an order of 10 boneless fried chicken strips with a garlic parmesan toss and sauce. I had two slices of pizza, and perhaps four fingers, along with ten or so french fries. I drank Coke Zero.

After dinner I went to my weekly writing session at Strong Style Coffee, and ordered a large iced cold brew, with milk and two Splenda.

At home, puttering around, I drank water.

It took about 4 minutes to record this; but of course, I didn't run through the calorie counts. I'll do that when I'm online, later this morning. 

In which a food diary is reawakened

This boring game again? Sure. It serves as a kind of mindfulness; as long as it does not devolve into an act of self-supervision and reproach...

The day began non-ominously but nom-nom-inously with a glazed stick donut (440 cals) and an iced hazelnut coffee with skim milk and two Splenda (30 cals). Then a lunch at Starbucks. One string cheese (80 cals) and a tall (small) S’mores Frappuccino (320 cals). In the afternoon, I had five peanut butter pretzels from the massive barrel we keep in the reception area of our department (80 cals). On the train ride home, I had a Diet Mountain Dew (10 cals) and an almond Nature Valley Sweet & Salty Granola Bar (160 cals).

For dinner, I sautéed kale with onion in olive oil, and added chicken and some leftover garbanzo bean salad, to make a warm dinner salad. For one serving, say: 600 cals? On the side, half a round of grilled pita with homemade zaatar: 130 cals. Drank water. (On reflection, I did not drink enough water this day.) Dessert was a Hannaford’s ice cream sandwich: 160 cals. Had a glass of water at bedtime.

For the day, a calorie total of 2010. For a person of my size, and for someone who has been overeating the past few weeks, that’s good! But still, that’s not a loss figure, especially considering how sedentary I am during the work week...

Post-Thanksgiving recovery, Day 1

Breakfast: a meal of bitter herb and salt tears. Just kidding. But really, the night before I had Second Thanksgiving with the sister-in-law and her husband, and went nuts, capping off four days of going nuts. So I was glad to skip a meal. I drank water, and meditated repentantly.

Lunch: two fun-size bags of M&M's Milk Chocolate Candies: 150 calories.

Dinner: Snack upon arrival: crackers, cheese, and pepperoni. The meal itself: Thanksgiving leftover meal of ham, yams, mashed squash, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, gravy, and green bean casserole, in a take-out container so I know it totals 1 meal ... plus 1/3 of Jenna's same. Half a cream horn pastry for dessert. Let's say 2,000 calories all told. That's a lot. And not because I was achingly hungry; just because I was inattentive to how quickly the shoveling and munching was going. Sigh.

Friday.....

... and I'm back to paying attention to what I jam in my gob-hole, thanks to a nudge from a friend who's being supportive.

Breakfast: a Mary Jane peanut butter taffy, shared with the dog: 25 calories.

Lunch, a Bacon Clubhouse Burger from McDonald's: 740; large fries (ordered thoughtlessly, rather than impulsively):510; diet cola; a pumpkin pie: 240 calories (the second pie, offered for only a few cents more, I declined; for that, at least, I was mentally alert).

Total so far: 1515.

I ask myself at 1:27 in the afternoon: WILL I BE ABLE TO AVOID GOING OVER 2K for the day?

Let's see...

LATER: Okay, the night was a bust. J and I went on a date to Legal C Bar. We didn't eat extravagantly, but of course we blew past my daily limit.

(My decision not to record the particulars of this evening's dinner is short beer compared to my decision not to record Wednesday evening's dinner at Alden & Harlow with Ryne. Among the dishes we enjoyed: a "Pilgrimage" cocktail, duck heart spiedino, smoked beef tartare, fried brussels sprouts with a cheese sauce, diet Coke, roasted Japanese yams, a rum-based Beachcomber's Punch, pickled corn pancakes, pork belly, a chocolate bread pudding. THIS was an extravagant meal. It makes me want to get this diet business locked down, so that I can enjoy this kind of indulgence from time to time.)

Tuesday when I ate my lunch for breakfast

Lunch Breakfast: baloney and cheese sandwich on white bread with mayo, 300 calories. I drank water.

Snack: one Butterfinger cup, 115 calories. One execrable Hershey's Candy Corn Creme Bar: 67 calories.

Dinner: reheated Chinese food -- orange chicken (300 calories), beef with broccoli (120 calories), a little lo mein (210 calories), a little pork fried rice (300 calories), three crab rangoons (210 calories), a few spare ribs (180 calories). Diet Coke to drink.

Total for the day? 1802. And yet, I feel super gross. Hmm.

Back on the horse.....

... after a long break from thinking carefully about what I'm eating.

Breakfast: Chef Boyardee pasta, 190 calories. A bottle of diet Mountain Dew: zero calories, zero shame.

Snack: Reese's Peanut Butter Pumpkin, 85 calories. A bottle of diet Mountain Dew: zero calories.

Dinner: Knorr Smokehouse Bacon Parmesan pasta side, split with J: 250 calories. A chicken breast sauteed in olive oil with thyme and lemon, which is, and I did not know this, about two servings of protein: 230 calories. With three slices of Gruyere cheese: add 250 calories. Green Giant Steamers Healthy Weight Vegetable Blend, split with J: 100 calories. Diet Pepsi to drink: zero calories.

Bonus dinner! Jenna came home with leftover Chinese food pilfered from her parents' fridge, and I'm not proud that I was very glad to tuck in. That means I have to add to my daily total: 1 egg roll, 157 calories. Two pieces of battered fried chicken, without the usual sweet-and-sour sauce: 300 calories (!). Half a cup of chicken lo mein: 140 calories. A teriyaki beef skewer: 210 calories. One fried shrimp: 40 calories.

Total for the day: 1952 calories. Holy hell, those calories pile up quickly! I thought I'd had a day of rather low consumption. This number check is a very sobering way to get back on the mindful eating wagon.