100 Calories? You're kidding!

Bob reminded Amanda that unconscious calories count. Amanda replied, nodding, "Like when I grab a handful of cereal." Bob said, "Yeah, that's 100 calories right there."

Shut your mouth.

Bob--as you probably know--is one of the trainers on The Biggest Loser. Amanda is one of the 4 semi-finalists. Amanda is 19 or 20 and has fought obesity her whole life. She's doing great, but she's struggling with the daily demands of real world eating.

So I'm watching this "reality" (yeah right) TV show and I'm blown away. I'm thinking, no flipping way! I shove a handful of cereal into my mouth several times a day. 100 calories?! Be real.

Being me, I had to get proof. (Not that I don't love ya Bob, if you're reading . . .) I figured I could get about a fourth of a cup of cereal into my hand on a quick grab. Now 1/4 cup is NOT 100 calories--at least not on any of the cereal boxes I checked. So shame on you Bob for exaggerating. (Amanda and I are about the same size now so I guess her hands hold about as much cereal as mine do.)

But a handful is probably 50 calories. Seeing that in print, I don't want to believe it. So let's go 35. Yeah, that's better. Okay, 35 calories in a handful of cereal. Take that and multiply it by the number of handfuls per day. YIKES! Shoot. That's where the 100 calories (okay, "plus") comes in. Bob may have exaggerated on the one (wait for it) hand, but on the other, he was right on target. I could easily consume 100 uncounted calories in cereal.

Shut my mouth.

An "Aha" moment. An epiphany. A dadgum shame.

Guess I better start keeping up with my handfuls, huh? That is, if I want to decrease.

Increasing Eating Awareness, Decreasing Mindless Consumption,
Aileen