Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Day 250 - Starbucks: The Thorn in My Fleshy Side

Update: 50 lb Goal Reached Day 124. Current weight - 206.6 lbs - 8.6 lbs to 60 lb goal.

The wetter and colder weather is quickly moving in, and we are officially entering my favorite time of the year, from now through Christmas.

One of the things I love the most about this time of year is enjoying the foods and drinks of the season. One cool and cold mornings and evenings, I love me some coffee, and in the past this time of year starts the official Treat Season as well. Fall Festival candy and cupcakes, pumpkin patch donuts and ciders, Thanksgiving banquets, every kind of pie imaginable, and then into Christmas candies and cookies and of course, more meals. When it's cold outside, the warm glow of a comfy fire, or even just the warm glow of a oven knocking out some sugar cookies has always made me happy. This year, it just makes me nervous.

I have already begun to think about how I can try to limit the damage of the impending holiday season, and one way I've already determined is to cut down the amount of time I spend at the Starbucks counter. Don't get me wrong, I'll still swing by for some drive-through coffee, or conduct my meetings at my favorite office away from the office, but I've got to avoid that glass case with all kinds of temping sorts and sundries. If you haven't been to a Starbucks during this time of year, then you may not know of what I speak, but there was one item in particular that just did me in last year, and I need to avoid making eye contact with it this year if at all possible.


I'm speaking about the Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin. This little baby, with it's pumpkiny goodness, sweet cream cheese swirled through it all, and one little walnut atop the whole thing weighs in at 500 calories, and goes down like just a few M&Ms before I even know it. I think last year I easily consumed.....well, I'm not going to even guess how many I ate, because it's probably just embarassing. I ate them with abandon. Suffice to say that you could probably just paste a couple boxes of those babies around my waste and know why I had the 50+ pounds to lose that I did.

And if the Muffin wasn't bad enough, I was also tempted by every kind of holiday drink I could imagine there. White Chocolate Peppermint Mochas, Peppermint Lattes, Pumpkin Spice Lattes, Eggnog Lattes, Raspberry Mochas, Paddingtons Humdinger Lattes....ok, well that one doesn't really exist, but if it did, I'd be in trouble. Toss in any of these drinks, in any of the medium to larger sizes, and add another 300-500 calories without thinking. 1000 calories to be had between a muffin and a drink, without even trying!

I'm feeling strong about this one. I've seen the Muffins the last few times I've been in and a happy to report that I've resisted so far. Doesn't mean I won't have one at all this year, but the longer I can hold out, the better chance I have of being labled the Muffin Man when I start packing it back on. If you see me making a mad dash for the counter, knock me down before I get there...you'll be doing me a favor.

Beware the Starbucks glass case, it is not your friend!

Hasta

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I used to frequent my favorite Tex-Mex place "Baja Fresh" until I got on-line and discovered how many calories I was actually consuming. Their quesadillas and tostadas average nearly 2000 calories, if everything on the plate is consumed. Even my favorite Burrito Ultimo was well over 1000 calories. I'll drop in every great once-in-a-while. I started Nutri-System last month. It's actually the first diet/diet I've every been on. I've lost around 10lbs. and will continue doing the System for another month. After that, it's off to portion-control land and a little more daily exercise for my complacent bones. I guess what it boils down to, is that our choices have consequences.

Paul said...

Mick,

That's what got me going in the first place back in February. I got online and found out that a typical day for me might be anywhere from 3000-4000 calories! Cereal and toast in the morning, 500-800 calories. Just about anywhere for lunch 1500-2000 calories. Starbucks and a snack 500-1000 calories. Dinner 1000-2000 calories. Evening snack....well, you get the idea.

After just trying to hit 1500 calories a day for a long time, and having great success, I had to add in the excercise, but now just love getting out on my bike and putting the pedals down for an hour or two. Great to see the heart monitor say I've burned 800-1600 calories after a ride and know that I've got a little wiggle room. Course, I've been taking a little advantage of that wiggle room, and that's why I'm just maintaining...but, I now know how the math all works.

Great job on the 10 lbs, that's awesome.

Paul

Jen said...

I saw the pumpkin muffin today. I longed for it. The cream cheese was oozing ever so slightly out of the top. I could almost taste it through the glass. I ordered my usual, a grande drip with room, and looked again through the glass at the muffin of champions. The muffin that could bring a palette such joy, that one could write about it in books. The muffin of Paul's choice. The great Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin.

Then I remembered...500 calories. Thanks to you Paul, I walked away...with a banana nut loaf instead. I'm sure it was of equal significance in the calorie department, but not as significant in the addiction department.

Thanks Paul, for giving me the strength to walk away from the beast...Jen

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