For anyone trying to lose weight, this is sobering.
It’s an illustration of how easy it is to eat a thousand calories. Here’s an example you might have had for lunch today—a ham and cheese sandwich, a soda, and some chips:
Bread = 200 calories
Mayo = 115 calories
Cheese = 212 calories
Ham = 183 calories
Soda = 150 calories
Chips = 155 calories
It’s one thing if you’re a lumberjack, or a 6’4″ athlete—then it’s a mere snack, a small portion of the fuel needed for a normal day. For the rest of us it’s trouble.
I don’t eat that way, of course (of course!). But it’s not at all hard to rack up the calories nevertheless.
But don’t despair. Never despair. It turns out that being skinny isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. At least, if you’re Japanese.
Previously a lifelong Democrat, born in New York and living in New England, surrounded by liberals on all sides, I've found myself slowly but surely 
June 22nd, 2009 at 6:02 pm
I have long suspected that the middle-age spread is the banking of calories for the coming great final struggle. Skinny doesn’t lend itself to the siege of drawn-out illness.
Isn’t there a political thrust in NYC to do something about 1000 kcal meals? Think I read that in my peregrinations.
June 22nd, 2009 at 6:29 pm
I need calories.
The definition of a calorie is the amount of energy required to raise one cubic centimeter of water one degree Celcius.
In my case, I’ve been eating like a horse and losing weight these last few months because I’ve been working like a dog on a new home.
That all ends on this Friday.
So I can save money on Food starting Saturday…
June 22nd, 2009 at 6:29 pm
That is because the tenant is moving in on Saturday.
June 22nd, 2009 at 7:38 pm
That’s why I drink diet pop (not “soda,” “pop”) and of course ham, or for that matter ham and cheese–trefe.
June 22nd, 2009 at 8:34 pm
Trefe? There’s not Trefe to ham and cheese. It was a mistranslation, that’s all. The discovery of The Deli Scrolls in the sub-basement of Zabars in 1987 cleared all that up. I’m surprised you haven’t heard.
June 22nd, 2009 at 9:09 pm
Skip the soda and chips and go real easy on the mayo. It’s much better for you, and a tastier lunch, too. Some club soda with a dash of (oversweetened) cranberry juice coctail will go nicely with it.
June 22nd, 2009 at 10:06 pm
I know Rush Limbaugh is not big on exercise for weight loss. He’s bragging about the close to 60 pounds he’s lost on this diet he’s on. Hey, I commend him. I’ll never, ever criticize what works for others. But, for me, once I get into a regular exercise routine and cut back *some* on my portions I begin to see progressive diminution of my gut. Muscle burns fat more efficiently. Works for me. Typically, one of my meals will be smaller (usually lunch) and I cut back on ice cream. I almost never go to fast food places.
Neo, I’m finally back into regular exercise after weeks of hours every day consumed with visiting the hospitals in Exeter and then CMC in Manchester to check in on Mom.
Regular exercise, cardio and weights, will benefit anyone. Combine it with fewer calories, even if you consume a few more than you should, and the long-term prognosis is good.
June 22nd, 2009 at 10:11 pm
Beer. That’s where the “Deekagut” comes from. The “Tavern Tumor”, the “Sheboygan Goiter”. What is the cure? The Bicycle (oh, and a wife who says, “Hey..go easy on that beer”).
June 23rd, 2009 at 12:14 am
Mustard instead of mayo, add in some veggis for extra flavor and crunch, use less cheese… I can’t stomach normal soda, so that’s out (tonic water lemonade though– yum!) and I’m amazed chips are that little…..
June 23rd, 2009 at 12:56 am
Since I have Meniere’s Disease, I am on a strict diet to limit salt in my diet. I rarely eat potato chips. When I eat out, I am careful of where I have french fries. Some restaurants notoriously use too much salt on them.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:01 am
Agree with Foxfier on the mustard, I also opt for iced tea (with Splenda/Equal instead of sugar) or diet pop, as we native Michiganders call it. That knocks out 265 calories right there. Pretzels instead of chips would cut the calories down even more, and probably be a wash with the chips on the salt.
My sister has worked in a hospital ER for over 3 decades, and she says in her experience, she sees more skinny people in there than fat people, including for things like heart attacks (for the record, neither of us is overweight, so she’s not saying it just to feel good).
June 23rd, 2009 at 10:24 am
Baklava: From Wiki, ” in terms of nutrition, the terms calorie and kilocalorie(kcal) are used interchangeably”. You are of course correct that 1 cal raises 1 gm of water 1 degree C as a unit of energy, though joule is the preferred energy unit.
A 1000 kcal meal provides a lot more energy than required to heat 1 kg of water 1 degree!
June 23rd, 2009 at 10:56 am
huh…. you went over my head.
I simply repeated what my chemistry teacher taught us back in high school 23 years ago.
I’ll take your word for it. The big mac is back! The joule is not cool.
June 24th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
But those numbers are predicated on a whole Tbsp of mayo on each slice of bread. I’m sure somebody out there actually uses that much mayo, but ick! Even with really good homemade mayo, that’s an awful lot for one sandwich!
And that sandwich also overdoes it on both the ham and cheese for my taste, too. Surely I can’t be alone in finding the examples given on the linked page a little unrealistic?
June 24th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
Actually, that’s conservative for the mayo, though still way too much for me. There are people who like to have their sandwich contents float in mayo, and too many of them are making sandwiches in restaurants and delis (but not paying for the mayo).
June 26th, 2009 at 3:09 am
Of course (of course!).
Just one more clue that the unaccounted-for mass in the universe is not dark matter but Neo fans!