A Coke Product, for fat people in denial.

It's a total fat-person's move to fill their cup at the soda fountain with half diet soda and half regular. You're in the thrall and addiction of carbonated sugar water, and can't quite let it go, so you literally half-ass it by watering it down with carbonated artificially-sweetened water. So it's no wonder that the slowly-dying corporate monolith that has millions and millions of dollars to study their shrinking consumer base to make it just a little bit easier to be half-assed. Ladies and Gentlemen, "Coke Life."

The drink contains Truvia, a branded form of stevia extract. Stevia has no calories. Truvia is currently an $80 million product, as of 2014.
Coca-Cola Life is the first branded Coke product to use stevia leaf extract. However, it is not the first product owned by the Coca-Cola company to use stevia. Vitamin Water and Seagram's Ginger Ale both use it.
Coca-Cola Life contains sugar, but uses less sugar than traditional Coca-Cola. An 8 US fluid ounces (240 ml) serving contains around 60 calories, 17 grams of carbohydrates of which 17 grams is sugar (equals only 1/3 less sugar than traditional Coca-Cola). The list of ingredients is carbonated water, cane sugar, caramel color, caffeine, phosphoric acid, and stevia.

Though I've never seen this product, it was introduced in 2014. The only reason I'm hearing about it now is that is being declared a flop by the media and the beverage industry. It has sold less every month than the month before for the entirety of 2015. Coke Life is the first new Coke since Coke Zero in 2006, also a product that aimed at the health-conscious consumer. (Do you remember Coke Lemon and Coke Lime from the early 2000s, which solved the problem of putting a wedge of fresh citrus in your drink by dosing it with weird overpowering fake lemon and lime flavors?)

And now they are reducing the amount of sugar in the product from 45% of full-sugar coke to 33%. It's like an abuser saying, "I know punching you in the face repeatedly is not good for you, and I already hit you 45% less. But because I'm such a swell guy, I'm only going to punch you in the face 33% as much, ok? Still love me?"

Selling sex has been in the news recently as Playboy just rolled out a relaunch that takes away the full-frontal nudity. Look at these two images side by side...

Not to be too obvious or pointy-headed on y'all, but both are selling the same old crap by wrapping them in the sheen of barely post-teen sexuality. Covering up the naughty bits, whether it's a bra or diluting the sugar with chemicals, is lame half measure that really doesn't address the fundamental issues of what is wrong (or what was originally great at a previous time) about the product. Ick ick ick.

As I've written before, corporate food monoliths of my youth are starting to realize the ground they stand on is quickly turning into a dinosaur graveyard, and it's fascinating to watch them thrash about trying to deny the inevitable. Coke's concentrated calories has contributed greatly to wrecking our nation's health, using food scientists to build the perfect mousetrap and psychologists and strategists to sell it to us. Now that the obvious truth (coke is BAD for you) is leaking out despite their best efforts, they are trying to trick us into thinking that they aren't the problem, but part of the solution. As long as your locality doesn't cheap out on basic civil works like the water supply (hello, Flint!), the solution largely comes out of your tap.

WEEKLY AVERAGE: 2810

Surprised how high this number is, but making progress in eating a little less sweets and little things like swapping out a regular slice of pizza with a handful of cashews. Little things will start adding up.

-----

MONDAY COUNT: 2690

SLEPT: 8am - 5am, 9 hrs

AM SNACK: 5:30am, iced black tea


BREAKFAST 1 : 9am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 10:30am, steel cut oatmeal, 450 cal

LUNCH: 1:45pm, beef patty, chicken soup, momma salad, pickles, 600 cal

PM SNACK: 3:45pm, poppa salad with dressing and veggie straws, 330 cal

DINNER: 5:15pm, vegetarian ethiopian food, +/- 800 cal

EVENING SNORT: 7pm, whiskey, +/- 150 cal

EVENING SNACK: 9:30pm,  small bowl of special K and whole milk, +/-200 cal

-----

TUESDAY COUNT: 2690

SLEPT: 10pm-5:30am,  7.5 hrs

AM SNACK: 5:45am,  iced black tea

BREAKFAST: 11:30am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

LUNCH: 1:45pm, madras lentils, steamed string beans, chicken meatballs, pickles, 720 cal

PM SNACK: 4pm, momma salad, cheezits, 310 cal

PM SNACK: 4:45pm, poppa salad with dressing, 200 cal

DINNER: 5:15, vegetarian dim sum, +/- 1000 cal

EVENING SNACK: 7pm, popcorn, +/-300 cal
-----

WEDNESDAY COUNT: 2870

SLEPT: 9:30pm-12:30am, 3:30am-6:45am, 6.25 hrs

AM SNACK: 7am, iced black tea

BREAKFAST 1: 10:15am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 11:45, fruit smoothie,  450 cal

LUNCH: 2:45pm, sauteed shrimp and mushrooms with shiritaki noodles and oyster sauce, poppa salad with dressing, 660 cal

PM SNACK: 5:15pm, momma salad, pirate booty, 230 cal

PM SNACK: 5:45pm, cashews, 250 cal

DINNER: 7:45pm, burrito, diet coke, 920 cal

EVENING SNACK: 9pm, kind bar, 200 cal
-----

BIKE CREDIT: 720 cal
THURSDAY COUNT: 2840

SLEPT: 10pm-3:30am, 5.5hrs

AM SNACK: 3:45am, iced black tea, 150mg caffeine

BIKE SNACK: 7am, homemade granola bar, 300 cal

BREAKFAST 1: 10:30am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

PM SNACK: 12:45pm, kind bar, 200cal

LUNCH: 1:45pm, ramen with extra noodles, shumai, moki, +/- 1200 cal

DINNER: 6:30pm, homemade pizza, wine, a little ice cream, +/- 1200 cal

EVENING SNACK: 8:30pm, nutella, 500 cal
-----

FRIDAY COUNT: 2960

SLEPT: 10pm-6am, 8hrs

AM SNACK: 8am, iced black tea

BREAKFAST: 11:30am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 1pm, fage with honey, vanilla, almonds, 450 cal

LUNCH: 2:30pm, bacon with poppa salad with dressing, 440

PM SNACK: 3:45pm, momma salad, cheezits, 310 cal

DINNER:5:15pm, fish and chips, +/- 800 cal

EVENING SNACK: 7pm, potato leek soup with bialy, herring canapés, fried babka and a little ice cream, +/- 800 cal

Slowly turning the wheel

207.0-->214-->216.6

Well, I could see this as the ship turning, just not as fast as I'd like, but when it comes to things like weight gain and loss, slower is always better. As my bike riding has taken a back seat to the weather, I've restarted lifting free weights twice a week this past month, and truth is I feel good, a littler firmer in the right way. I'm healthy.

It's been a bit tough because my freelance dance card has been slow last month, and I suspect February will also be a slog, but truth: it's so much better than where I was last year. I may be fatter, but I'm also happier with how my life is with my family, personal affairs and day to day management.

Though my calorie consumption was pulled back a bit, sweets continue to bleed over from the weekend and into my weekdays. Rather than take this new number as a discouragement, I'm going to take it as an encouragement to stay the course on exercise -- the weights and limited riding do me good, not as a weight loss tool but literally as a mood-elevating drug. But again, truth: I need to refocus on habits that need to last me the rest of my life, not a "diet". I remember my body reacting to my weight loss at the bottom of the curve above by getting ravenous all the time. I need to lower the boom....slowly. Steps for this month:

• Target a calorie cap of 2750 every day
• Limit deserts to Fri night-Sunday afternoon
• Cook more, aim for 5 dinners a week at home.

I have other ideas, but I think taking too much on at once would be a recipe for getting lost in the details -- all those "diets" with a zillion rules and strict meal plans for limited time are all guaranteed to fail. Just retain my mindfulness and don't beat myself up when I backslide a little -- it's the bigger picture that's important, but the big picture is made up of a string of little pictures.

WEEKLY AVERAGE: 2682

Not bad, improving, pat on the back for steering this ship BEFORE weighing in on Friday.

-----

MONDAY COUNT: 2870

SLEPT: 9pm - 6am, 9 hrs

AM SNACK: 6:30am, iced black tea

BREAKFAST 1 : 10:15am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 11:15am, steel cut oatmeal, 450 cal

LUNCH: 1:30pm, beef patty, pickle, split pea soup, health salad, momma salad, pickle 640 cal

DINNER: 6pm, grilled pork tenderloin, roasted brussel sprouts, poppa salad with dressing, 720 cal

EVENING SNACK: 7pm,  kind bar, popcorn, handful of animal crackers, nutella, +/- 900 cal

-----

TUESDAY COUNT: 2660

SLEPT: 9pm-6am,  9 hrs

AM SNACK: 6:15am,  iced black tea

BREAKFAST: 10:15am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 11:15am, fage with honey, vanilla, almonds, 450 cal

PM SNACK: 3:30pm, momma salad, cheezits, pickles, 330 cal

DINNER: 5:45pm, burrito, ice cream, +/-1320 cal

EVENING SNACK: 7pm, kind bar, small bowl of cereal and whole milk, +/- 400 cal
-----

WEDNESDAY COUNT: 3340

SLEPT: 9:30pm-1am, 2am-6am, 7.5 hrs

AM SNACK: 6:15am, iced black tea

BREAKFAST 1: 9:30am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 11:30, fruit smoothie,  450 cal

LUNCH: 1pm, grilled pork tenderloin, roasted brussel sprouts, poppa salad with dressing, shortbread, +/- 820 cal

PM SNACK: 5:15pm, momma salad, cheezits, 310 cal

PM SNACK: 6:15pm, streetza, +/- 300 cal

DINNER: 8:15pm, lamb sausage poboy, fries, pudding & pie, +/- 900 cal

EVENING SNACK: 10pm, shortbread, +/- 400 cal
-----

BIKE CREDIT: 500 cal
THURSDAY COUNT: 2290

SLEPT: 11pm-6:30am, 7.5hrs

AM SNACK: 6:45am, iced black tea

BREAKFAST 1: 10:15am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 12:45am, steel cut oatmeal, 450 cal

PM SNACK: 2pm, momma salad, veggie straws, 230 cal

BIKE SNACK: 4pm, homemade granola bar, 300 cal

PM SNACK: 5:15pm, kind bar, 200 cal

DINNER: 6pm, lemon sole, asparagus, poppa salad, ice cream & short bread, +/- 1,500 cal
-----

FRIDAY COUNT: 2250

SLEPT: 9:30pm-6:30am, 9hrs

AM SNACK: 6:45am, iced black tea

BREAKFAST: 11:30am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 1pm, fage with honey, vanilla, almonds, 450 cal

LUNCH: 3:45pm, bacon with poppa salad with dressing, 440

DINNER: 7:15pm, burger and fries, +/- 900 cal

EVENING SNACKS: 9pm, shortbread and ice cream +/- 300 cal

Chiptole's Troubles

Chipotle has been recently recurring in the news cycle because of repeated food-born illnesses affecting swathes of customers from locations all over the map. They're soon to close every shop for a morning to institute some new rules about food safety, which is about as loud as you can get in the media to say, "Yes, we are doing something." This is not really surprising, as their sales figures and stock prices are tanking rapidly, partially due to the Feds starting up an investigation into just what the hell is going on with all the people puking, pooping and some even nearly dying because of their burritos.

It's tempting to regard this as a symptom of a lack of social and economic justice -- I've spent some time in restaurants as an adult. There was an incident where I visited a friend in a hospital, it was sudden and the reasons a little mysterious, but it all turned out fine and no big deal. However, a few days later I got a call from the local Center for Disease Control, that while I was in the room where my friend was, there was an recently immigrated African patient who turned out to have a very dangerous, air-borne communicable disease that could be fatal to kids, oldies, etc. They strongly recommended I quarantine myself for 2 weeks - I realized quickly no work for 2 weeks is no pay for 2 weeks, and the CDC wasn't going to cover my bills. I called up the owner of the restaurant and told him exactly the situation -- it was unlikely I was infected, but if I was, the restaurant could potentially become Ground Zero for a plague. Did he want me to stay home or (chortle) offer to pay me to stay 2 weeks at home? I was at work that day, fortunately no one got sick.

The outbreaks at Chipotle could potentially be from a sick or sloppy poppy-handed employee, but it's not certain. However, Chipotle covered those bases in the media this past June, before it could be ascribed to a reaction to the sickenings:

 Though Chipotle has always shown more of an interest in employee retention than many of its competitors (by their own metrics, 95% of all managers are promoted from within), much of their talk of treating their employees well has been more buzzword than actual fact. In moving to allow part-time hourly employees to accrue sick days and paid leave, they appear to be taking a tangible step in the direction of actually backing up their talk.

I guess that's a result of a conflict of their model and the model of the food producers at large -- Chipotle aims to deliver less processed food stuffs more directly from the farm's dirt to the customer's mouth, and our food chain supply system has learned to depend on processing to keep food safe, unspoiled through longer channels and cheap.

Real talk: Chipotle is fast food working in a capitalist system whose marketing works harder than anyone else's to convince you it values YOU equally or more than it's profits. Don't believe it, the only people who value you more than money is yourself. (And maybe your parents and kids, if they're not complete a-holes.)

WEEKLY AVERAGE: 2744

An ok eat week, getting a little better, hopefully I can keep pushing in this direction slowly without evoking a counter reaction in my cravings and appetite.

-----

MONDAY COUNT: 2120

SLEPT: 10:30pm - 7am, 8.5 hrs

AM SNACK: 9:30am, iced black tea

BREAKFAST 1 : 11am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

LUNCH: 2:30pm, beef patty, pickle, split pea soup, health salad, momma salad, pickle 640 cal

DINNER: 5:30pm, lemon sole, asparagus, poppa salad with dressing, 750 cal

EVENING SNACK: 6:30pm, pocky,  570 cal

-----

TUESDAY COUNT: 3330

SLEPT: 9pm-6:30am,  9.5 hrs

AM SNACK: 6:45am,  iced black tea

BREAKFAST: 10:30am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: noon, steel cut oatmeal, 450 cal

PM SNACK: 12:45pm, momma salad, 100 cal

LUNCH: 3pm, steamed string beans, mushroom curry, chicken meatballs, pickle,  630 cal

PM SNACK: 4pm, veggie straws, 130 cal

DINNER: 6:30pm, French bread pizzas, poppa salad with dressing, 1060 cal

EVENING SNACK: 8-11pm, kind bar, popcorn, special k and milk, +/-800 cal
-----

WEDNESDAY COUNT: 2480

SLEPT: 11pm-5:30am, 6.5 hrs

AM SNACK: 5:45am, iced black tea

AM SNACK: 8:30am, 2 turkey sausage patties, 1 small whole wheat pancake, +/- 200 cal

BREAKFAST 1: 11am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 12:15, Greek yogurt with honey, almonds, vanilla,  450 cal

LUNCH: 3pm, bacon, poppa salad with dressing,  400 cal

PM SNACK: 4:45pm, momma salad, pirate booty, 170 cal

PM SNACK: 6:15pm, streetza, +/- 300 cal

DINNER: 7:45pm, ramen, pork meatballs, +/- 800 cal
-----

THURSDAY COUNT: 3080

SLEPT: 10pm-6:30am, 8.5hrs

AM SNACK: 7:15am, iced black tea

BREAKFAST 1: 10:15am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

LUNCH: 1pm, fishball hand pulled noodle soup, vegetable dumplings, +/- 500 cal

PM SNACK: 2:45pm, momma salad, cheezits, 310 cal

PM SNACK: 5:15pm, poppa salad with dressing, veggie straws, 370 cal

DINNER: 8pm, skirt steak, mashed potato, string beans, potato pancake, bread, chicken & hummus, chocolate bread pudding, +/- 1,200 cal

EVENING SNACKS: 10pm, nutella, 540cal
-----

BIKE CREDIT: 575 cal
FRIDAY COUNT: 2710

SLEPT: 12am-5:15am, 5.25hrs

AM SNACK: 5:30am, iced green tea

BREAKFAST: 9:45am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BIKE SNACK: 11:30am, homemade granola bar365 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 1:15pm, steel cut oatmeal, 450 cal

PM SNACK: 3pm, momma salad, cheezits, 310 cal

PM SNACK: 3:45pm, kind bar, 200 cal

DINNER: 5:15pm, chicken cutlet with mashed potatoes and mushrooms, +/- 900 cal

EVENING SNACKS: 6-8pm, M&Ms, 2 slices streetza, handful of animal crackers, +/- 900 cal

Loaf, Revisited

Cult of the Hamburglar

I wrote about prison loaf a few years ago, and it's been back in the news recently.

Under an agreement announced on Wednesday, the loaf’s long reign as the worst food in the worst corners of New York prisons came to an end, a symbolic victory for inmates’ advocates and state officials seeking more humane, and more appetizing, treatment for prisoners.
“We will eliminate the loaf,” said Alphonso B. David, the chief counsel to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.

Any society can be measured by how they treat their least powerful -- children & old people, the sick & handicapped, poor & unlucky, minorities & prisoners. This is a small but notable move in the defense of some of our most powerless, when the trend in this country has been to let prisons veer towards becoming post-apocalyptic hellholes, defund education, allow healthcare costs to balloon on the "free" market, cut welfare and role back voting protections.

Still, in the annals of food justice, this isn't just low-hanging fruit. This is fruit that fell off the tree decades ago, is well-rotted, and should have been collected a long time ago. I understand that the NY Times prints articles like this because it is news, not opinion or pushing a particular agenda, but I wish these random stories were somehow connected to the bigger world at large. As the rich get very richer, the middle class disappears and the ranks of the poor balloon, literal bread-and-butter issues will come to the fore. Government largess for radicalized idiot rancher-terrorists out west need to go away and targeted government support for unprofitable but healthy foods need to tip the scales. We can do better.

WEEKLY AVERAGE: 2714

My eating tapered off later in the week, capped by a good bike ride mid-day. Just didn't find myself as hungry, not sure why. Maybe the good sleep I've been having? Or something more nefarious?

-----

MONDAY COUNT: 3010

SLEPT: 11pm - 6am, 7 hrs

AM SNACK: 6:15am, iced green tea

BREAKFAST 1 : 10:30am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

LUNCH: 1:30pm, beef patty, pickle, tomato soup, health salad, 540 cal

BREAKFAST 2 : 3:30pm, steel cut oatmeal, 450 cal

PM SNACK: 4:30pm, momma salad, cheezits, 310 cal

DINNER: 6:45pm, lemon sole, asparagus, poppa salad with dressing, 750 cal

EVENING SNACK: 7:30pm, popcorn, bowl of cereal and milk, kind bar  +/- 800 cal

-----

TUESDAY COUNT: 3210

SLEPT: 9pm-6am,  9 hrs

AM SNACK: 6:15am,  iced green tea

BREAKFAST: 10:30am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 11:45am, Greek yogurt with honey, almonds, vanilla,  450 cal

LUNCH: 3pm, steamed string beans, lentil curry, chicken meatballs, pickle,  670 cal

PM SNACK: 4pm, momma salad, veggie straws, 270 cal

DINNER: 6:45pm, French bread pizzas, poppa salad with dressing, 1060 cal

EVENING SNACK: 8pm, kind bar, special k and milk, animal cookies, +/-600 cal
-----

WEDNESDAY COUNT: 2520

SLEPT: 9pm-3am, 6 hrs

AM SNACK: 3:15am, iced green tea

BREAKFAST 1: 11:30am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 12:15am, fruit smoothie, 450 cal

LUNCH: 3:15pm, bacon, poppa salad with dressing,  440 cal

PM SNACK: 4:30pm, momma salad, veggie straws, 270 cal

PM SNACK: 6:15pm, streetza, +/- 300 cal

DINNER: 7:45pm, Japanese BBQ, 1 beer, small amount of ice cream, +/- 900 cal
-----

THURSDAY COUNT: 2710

SLEPT: 10:30pm-6:30am, 8hrs

AM SNACK: 8am, iced green tea

BREAKFAST 1: 10:15am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 11:15am, steel cut oatmeal, 450 cal

LUNCH: 2:45pm, chicken and haloumi sandwich, small side salad, water, +/- 500 cal

DINNER: 7:30pm, homemade meatballs with sauce and whole wheat pasta +/- 1,100 cal

EVENING SNACKS: 8pm, peanut butter pretzels, pocky, +/-500cal
-----

BIKE CREDIT: 650
FRIDAY COUNT: 2120

SLEPT: 9:30pm-5:30am, 8hrs

AM SNACK: 5:45am, iced green tea

BREAKFAST: 9:15am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: noon, Greek yogurt with honey, almonds, vanilla,  450 cal

LUNCH: 4:15pm,  sardines and avocado on whole wheat toast, health salad, momma salad, pickle, 660 cal

DINNER 1: 7:15pm, saag paneer with  little rice and a naan, vegetable samosas, pocky +/- 1500 cal

The Restaurant Con

In all the lazy media noise leading up to the new year, one story caught my attention. It's about a small NYC restaurant chain called Tad's that is nearly extinct. They used to be all over the place back before I was born, and there was one off Union Square when I was in high school, but now there is but one left, in mid-town. It s a restaurant concept that in all my days of culinary school, it would never occur to me -- the budget steak house.

Steak houses were anointed as money spinners in class because even though the menu was limited and such high end prices don't end up being for the masses, the mark-up on everything (think sides and drinks) are so high that you end up doing pretty well in that realm. The idea of Tad's runs contradictory to that -- it moves LOTS of cheap meat, fast, and things are sold in combos that destroy possible high mark ups on sides and sodas.

Cheap meat, post-Tad's

But the part that really resonated with me was how the author summed up the shift in the (restaurant) culture -- going from a short con to a long con.

As I ate, I experienced a certain elation, as did my lunch companion. And I wondered why I was so happy at Tad’s. I realized that it was the short con, of old America.
Anyone familiar with con-man movies knows the difference between the short con and the long con. The short con is a cheap steak, but extra for onions. The long con is artisan hamburger buns. The long con is artisan anything, it’s the big lie that special, expensive food can impart sophistication, instill morality and forestall death. The short con is the carnival midway, the long con is the totalistic impulse towards ideology, it’s Whole Foods and, ultimately Jonestown.


One con or another is unavoidable. Every nickel, on its way to becoming a dime, must pass through some trickery. Until the Rapture, there will always be opposition and a cash register to help us navigate it.
Tad’s way—the short con—may seem unpleasant or confrontational to people used to the cloying smarm of our current slate of Olympian “established brands.” But I find it less insulting.
At Tad’s, there are no adjectives on the walls, no promises that the cows have been “grass-fed” or that their flesh is “char-sizzled,” and no aspirational exhortations that you be a better you. It’s just a steak.
Tad’s Broiled Steaks may or may not make you a better you. But it will fill you up. And they will leave you alone, in almost every sense, which is nice. The steak may or may not be juicy. They never said it would be. But they'll ladle on some extra juice, no extra charge.

In a way, expensively produced food like cow flesh sold cheap IS a long con -- cattle prices (and grain and sugar prices) propped up artificially by government largess makes steak (and many other processed, unhealthy foods) artificially cheap, leading our diets away from "expensive" veg and whole foods and towards cheap, high-processed, health-harming but profitable dreck.

Hey Ratso, let's go to Tad's!

Tad's is a relic of a cheaper, down-on-it's luck city, as well as of a culture that still found novelty and excitement in cheap food done good. The long con of small batch artisanal everything has been upon us for a while, but it comes at a price. Literally -- who can afford a $20 baggie of granola? As the wage gap widens and more and more of us find us on the poor side of things, I wouldn't be surprised if the cheaper short-con came back in fashion (think fast food, minus the Chipotle-pretense) and Whole Foods devolves into something cheaper.

WEEKLY AVERAGE: 2812

Not as dramatic a drop  in increase of consumption and increase in vegetables as I hoped, but better to ease in than freak out.

-----

MONDAY COUNT: 2780

SLEPT: 10pm - 6am, 8 hrs

AM SNACK: 6:15am, iced green tea

BREAKFAST 1 : 10:15am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2 : 1pm, steel cut oatmeal, 450 cal

LUNCH: 3:30pm, beef patty, momma salad, tomato soup, health salad, 710 cal

DINNER: 6:45pm, French bread pizzas, poppa salad with dressing, 1060 cal

EVENIGN SNACK: 7:30pm, popcorn,  +/- 400 cal

-----

TUESDAY COUNT: 2750

SLEPT: 10pm-6am,  8hrs

AM SNACK: 6:15am,  iced green tea

BREAKFAST: 10am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 11am, Greek yogurt with honey, almonds, vanilla,  450 cal

LUNCH: 2pm, steamed string beans, lentil curry, chicken meatballs, pickles,  680 cal

PM SNACK: 4pm, momma salad, cheezits, 310 cal

DINNER: 6:45pm, lemon sole, asparagus, poppa salad with dressing, 750 cal

EVENING SNACK: 7:30pm, peanut butter pretzels, rice crispies and milk, +/-400 cal
-----

WEDNESDAY COUNT: 2870

SLEPT: 9:30pm-6am, 8.5 hrs

AM SNACK: 6:15am, iced green tea

BREAKFAST 1: 10:15am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 12:15am, fruit smoothie, 450 cal

LUNCH: 3pm, bacon, poppa salad with dressing,  440 cal

PM SNACK: 5:15pm, momma salad, 100 cal

PM SNACK: 6:15pm, streetza, +/- 300 cal

DINNER: 7:45pm, Chipotle Burrito, 920 cal

EVENING SNACK: 9:30pm, chocolate chip banana bread, +/- 500 cal
-----

THURSDAY COUNT: 3320

SLEPT: 11:30pm-4:30am, 5hrs

AM SNACK: 4:45am, iced green tea

BREAKFAST 1: 11am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 12 noon, steel cut oatmeal, 450 cal

LUNCH: 1:45pm, shrimp and mushrooms with oyster sauce and shiritaki noodles, poppa salad with dressing, 550 cal

PM SNACK: 3:45pm, momma salad and cheezits, 310 cal

PM SNACK: 4:30pm, cashews, 250 cal

DINNER: 5:45pm, mixed fried perogies, saur kraut, +/- 800 cal

EVENING SNACKS: 8pm, peanut butter pretzels, nutella, +/-800cal
-----

BIKE CREDIT: 660 cal
FRIDAY COUNT: 2340

SLEPT: 9:30pm-6:30am, 9hrs

AM SNACK: 6:45am, iced green tea

BREAKFAST: 9:45am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BIKE SNACK: 12:30pm, homemade granola bar, 370 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 2:15pm, Greek yogurt with honey, almonds, vanilla,  450 cal

PM SNACK: 4pm, momma salad, veggie straws, 270 cal

DINNER 1: 5:15pm, fish and chips, hot dog, ice cream, +/- 1000 cal

DINNER 2: 9pm, steak, potatoes, cheese & tomatoes, bread and oil, olives, 1 beer, +/- 750 cal

Reckoning

206.8-->207.0-->214
Well, this is a reckoning. This past month has been firing on all cylinders - work and money, women and relationships, children and family, friends and loved ones, all have been going really well. But upon reflection, a new imbalance has emerged. I recently got a cat to keep me company at home, as I've been working from home pretty constantly since June. (Sure, it was a gift and a companion to my kids but get real, it's for me.) The numbers at the end of the month indicate that December was successful, and I really have been enjoying my work....but there is a cost. Looking back over my food diaries, I've been indulging in more sweets, more restaurant foods and less good stuff as a way of stress management. I guess "stress" is usually looked at as a bad thing, but the kind of work stress I've been undergoing this past month has been the best kind -- the kind that makes you challenge yourself and results in surprises of what you can actually do.

But bottom line -- it was more calories in, less calories out. I expected the weather to get colder, and work made it easy to schedule less bike rides, allowing me not to sacrifice any time with my kids. Thanks to the WARMEST DECEMBER EVER, I could have extended my ride season but ended up being pretty physically complacent. Clothes don't lie -- I wore a suit last night and while it wasn't ridiculous, it clearly said "OH HELL TO THE NO" as I got it on.

I've done this before. I've been here. But it's different now: I'm not lost in a fuzzy cloud and life is good. Starting right now (and not next week or next month), I'm increasing my vegetable intake, both raw and cooked. I'm bringing back weight lifting once or twice a week. I'm decreasing my sweets and restaurants during the week. I won't be recording or posting during the next week -- I'll take this as an opportunity to shift gears without over-thinking it, just see how it makes me feel, and return to obsessively writing down my sleep, eats and random reactions to food-related media in the new year.

To my 2.5 readers, happy new year and thanks!

WEEKLY AVERAGE: ...

Too distracted.

-----

MONDAY COUNT: 2600

SLEPT: 10:30pm - 5:30am, 7 hrs

AM SNACK: 5:45am, iced green tea

BREAKFAST 1 : 9:30am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2 : 11:30am, steel cut oatmeal, 450 cal

LUNCH: 2:30pm, beef patty, momma salad, chicken soup, pickles 640 cal

DINNER: 6:30pm, grouper, asparagus, poppa salad with dressing, 750 cal

EVENIGN SNACK: 7pm, popcorn, pocky, +/- 600 cal

-----

TUESDAY COUNT: 3090

SLEPT: 9:30pm-3:45am,  6.25hrs

AM SNACK: 4am,  iced green tea

BREAKFAST: 9:15am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 10:30am, Greek yogurt with honey, almonds, vanilla,  450 cal

LUNCH: 2pm, steamed string beans, lentil curry, chicken meatballs, pickles,  680 cal

PM SNACK: 4pm, momma salad, 100 cal

DINNER: 5:30pm, shwarma platter, ice cream, +/- 1000cal

EVENING SNACK: 7pm, pocky, rice crisps & milk, one brownie, +/-600 cal
-----

WEDNESDAY COUNT: 3060

SLEPT: 9pm-2:30am, 5.5 hrs

AM SNACK: 4am, iced green tea

BREAKFAST 1: 9am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 11am, fruit smoothie, 450 cal

LUNCH: 2:15pm, bacon, poppa salad with dressing,  440 cal

PM SNACK: 3:30pm, momma salad, cheezits, 310 cal

PM SNACK: 5:15pm, cashews, 250 cal

PM SNACK: 6:15pm, streetza, +/- 300 cal

DINNER: 7:45pm, Chipotle Burrito, ice cream, +/- 1200 cal
-----

THURSDAY COUNT: 3090

SLEPT: 9:30pm-5:30am, 8hrs

AM SNACK: 5:45am, iced green tea

AM SNACK: 9:30am, pickle, a small piece of brie, 50 cal

BREAKFAST 1: 10:30am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 11:45am, 3 meatballs, +/-450 cal
Just baked off a bunch, had to make sure they were done...

LUNCH: 2:45pm, poppa salad with dressing and veggie straws, 330 cal

DINNER: 5pm, chinese brick, ice cream, +/- 1500 cal

EVENING SNACKS: 9pm, pocky, pringles, 400 cal
-----

FRIDAY COUNT: x

SLEPT: 10:30pm-5am, 6.5 hrs

AM SNACK: 5:15am, iced green tea

...

Nigella vs Clean Eating

Guy Fieri's inner child.

When I went to culinary school around 2008, the idea of the celebrity chef still felt relatively new and exciting; the Food Network was hitting it's stride. Unfortunately, most of these celebrity chefs seem to be celebrities first and chefs second. Big personalities who could burble about food are great for housewives (and househusbands) and shut-ins, but none seemed to speak to us, ye mighty culinary students.

Rachel Ray is more of a morning host, Sandra Lee more of a home maker, Gordon Ramsay more of a Trump-like a-hole,  Paula Deen more of a hostess, and Guy Fieri, more of a douche's douche. But there was one who spoke to us: Anthony Bourdain.  Not only was he an old crusty kitchen-dog who had credit from a long established place in NYC, he had a big NYC mouth which would freely rag on each and every other celebrity so-called chef. As a an indiscreet culinary student looking for someone to be MY champion, Anthony was the man. And rather than focus on being a personality making comfort food, he seemed to indulge his own drive by making his shows about traveling the world and eating everywhere and anything, and not just because it was weird or disgusting, but because it was good on it's own level.

Anthony loves the cock.

But that was then, and this is now. I don't cook in restaurants or run a knish business anymore, and my thoughts on food have less to do with the popular celebrity driven media and more with concerns for me and my children's health. So it was with some amusement when I caught this piece come in over the wire this week:

Nigella Lawson is not down with the clean eating trend. The British chef and author, famous for such decadent recipes as her Chocolate Guinness Cake, does not mince words when it comes to the healthy eating craze. At the JW3 Speaker Series in London earlier this week, Lawson said, “People are using certain diets as a way to hide an eating disorder or a great sense of unhappiness and unease with their own body.”
Lawson continued: “There is a way in which food is used either to self congratulate — you’re a better person because you’re eating like that — or to self-persecute, because you’ll not allow yourself to eat the foods you want.” According to People, this isn’t the first time she’s criticized the lifestyle. In October, she told the BBC she thinks “the notion of ‘clean eating’ is an implication that any other form of eating is dirty or shameful.”

Lawson herself has had experience with eating disorders earlier in her life, and has made it through. Her mother also dealt with these issues. For her to call it out so clearly is not a common thing, as everyone is trying to make a buck and there is a hesitance to criticize a fellow traveller. Bourdain doesn't seem to give a f@ck because that's part of his shtick, but Lawson has less to gain from placing herself in this firing line. Except maybe for a sense of duty to help those suffering, as her mother did and how I'm certain she does not want her own children to suffer.

Mmmm muffins.

I've been close to people who have extreme diets by conventional standards -- some have said I am extreme myself by virtue of keeping a food diary and counting calories. But I've seem to be puzzling a difference out that puts people into two groups. One group rigorously thinks about their food and acts on evidence both personal and from the ideology we choose to subscribe, and the other group just kinda "feels" like how they eat is the right way, taking a little bit of this and a little bit of that but not really having the time, energy or thoughtfulness to see it through.

So many vegetarians who eat chicken and fish. So many vegans who make exceptions for dessert. So many people who make themselves less healthy and refuse to credit their diets. This is where "clean eating" falls, and the emotional charge of rewarding/punishing yourself by way of your diet is the dominant guiding light. Diet should be a part of your self-worth, because food is wonderful and it fuels us. And that's where it ends. Thank you Nigella for calling out some the BS that the last decade or so's obsession with food has helped to develop.

Eating, disordered.

WEEKLY AVERAGE: 2798

Intense week, for the best of reasons, but didn't get a ride in due to technical, weather and work factors.

-----

MONDAY COUNT: 2360

SLEPT: 10pm - 5am, 7 hrs

AM SNACK: 5:15am, iced green tea

BREAKFAST 1 : 11am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2 : 1:45pm, steel cut oatmeal, 450 cal


LUNCH: 3pm, beef patty, momma salad, tomato soup, pickles 550 cal

DINNER: 6:30pm, 2 vegetable samosas with chickpeas,  poppa salad with dressing, banana bread, +/- 1200 cal

-----

TUESDAY COUNT: 2780

SLEPT: 8:45pm-4am,  6.25hrs

AM SNACK: 4:15am,  iced green tea

BREAKFAST: 9:15am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 10:30am, Greek yogurt with honey, almonds, vanilla,  450 cal

LUNCH: 1:45pm, scrod, asparagus, poppa salad with dressing, 750 cal

PM SNACK: 4:30pm, momma salad, veggie straws,  230 cal

DINNER: 5:30pm, veg dim sum, ice cream, +/- 1000cal

EVENING SNACK: 7pm, pocky, 190 cal
-----

WEDNESDAY COUNT: 3090

SLEPT: 9pm-5am, 8 hrs

AM SNACK: 5:45am, iced green tea

AM SNACK: 7am, small piece of c-chip banana bread, +/- 100 cal

BREAKFAST 1: 10am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 11:15am, fruit smoothie, 450 cal

LUNCH: 1:45pm, steamed string beans, lentil curry, chicken meatballs, pickles,  680 cal

PM SNACK: 2:45pm, momma salad, cheezits, 310 cal

PM SNACK: 6:15pm, streetza, +/- 300 cal

DINNER: 8pm, shoyu ramen with extra noodles, gyoza, mocha, sake, +/- 900 cal

EVENING SNACK: 10pm, pocki, 190 cal
-----

THURSDAY COUNT: 2250

SLEPT: 10:30pm-5am, 6.5hrs

AM SNACK: 5:15am, iced green tea

BREAKFAST 1: 10:45am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

LUNCH: 1pm, sautéed shrimp & mushrooms in oyster sauce and poppa salad with dressing, 670 cal

PM SNACK: 3pm, momma salad, veggie straws, 230 cal

PM SNACK: 4pm, pocky, 190 cal

DINNER: 6pm, falafel platter, mousaka, ice cream, +/- 1000 cal
-----

FRIDAY COUNT: 3210

SLEPT: 9:30pm-5am, 7.5 hrs

AM SNACK: 5:15am, iced green tea


BREAKFAST 1: 9:45am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 11am, steel cut oatmeal, 450 cal

LUNCH: 1:30pm, beef patty, tomato soup, poppa salad with dressing, 600 cal

DINNER 1: 5:30pm,streetza, ice cream, +/- 800 cal

DINNER 2: 9:30pm, chicken shnitzel, brocollini, mushroom & pepper, whiskey, wine & song, +/- 1200 cal