What’s Really Amazing

We tend to overlook the little things, which is unfortunate, because oftentimes it’s the little things that matter most. Whether it’s a crisp fall morning, a beautiful flower, or simply matching six tiny numbers on a lottery ticket: the small things make a difference.

calorieTake, for example, the calorie. It’s little. In fact it’s so little, it’s very easy to overlook. I would even bet most of you don’t even realize that a real calorie is actually 1,000 times smaller than the thing we call a “calorie” in everyday use. No joke! First, a quick definition: a calorie is a unit of energy. Precisely, it’s the amount of energy need to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius. When we talk about food, however, we’re actually talking about kilocalories. That’s the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of a kilogram of water by one degree.

As Ben Stein would say, “Wow.”

So what does the tiny, overlooked calorie have to do with my Return to Onederland? Well, everything. It’s the small, slow build-up of these guys which is specifically preventing me from reaching this goal. And do you want to know where calories like to hang out most? Well, I’ll tell you.

In peanut butter.

I have a particular fondness (er, weakness) for peanut butter. I love peanut butter on sandwiches. I love peanut butter on apples. I love peanut butter on cashews. I love eating peanut butter straight out of the jar using special spoons made out of peanut butter. I’m an addict.

This would be all perfectly well and good if a single jar of peanut butter didn’t have enough energy in it to launch a small missile into sub-orbit. One breakfast a few months back, after slathering yet another apple with enough peanut butter to blanket eastern Canada, I decided to see how much I was actually eating. So the next day I weighed the jar, ate my normal apple with flavor, then weighed the jar again.

As Keanu Reeves would say, “Whoa.”

Let’s just say the peanut butter energy consumed would have been enough to raise nearly 1,800 pounds of water one degree. In more close-to-home terms, based on the human body being about 80% water, that would have been enough energy to raise me about ten degrees. That’s when I realized I had a problem.

What’s Really Amazing? I actually did something about it. I quit. Cold turkey. Just like that. And I did it without the use of vast quantities of alcohol. I’m going on about two months now without the butter (save for once or twice where it’s found its way into a normal dish). I’m sure I won’t be able to keep it up forever, but so far I’m doing okay.

As I would say, “Woot.”

Onederland Update

Day 56
Starting Weight 224.0
Lost So Far 12.0
Pounds To Go 13.0

Down another pound from last week. (And for the third week in a row I was actually lower the day before the Sunday weigh-in.) Still, as usual, I’ll take what I can get. Here’s hoping the overall trend continues. Have a good week, all.



8 Responses to “What’s Really Amazing”

Biz said
on
September 22, 2008 at 1:20 pm

Wow Charlie – that has to be a record of no peanut butter!!

JC said
on
September 22, 2008 at 2:04 pm

Great Post. I came over from Patty’s site. Have you ever heard of PB2. It is a great product. Powdered peanutbutter from Bell Plantation in Tifton, GA. I love it and really takes care of that PB craving. Two tablespoons of power with one tbsp of water = one serving of peanut butter, 54 calories and I’ve forgotten the fat and fiber content.

joni said
on
September 22, 2008 at 5:54 pm

Um.. Charlie, this is how I feel about oreos. In fact when I bought my new scale, the fancy one that tells you that you are both fat AND dehydrated, it said, and I’m pretty sure it was outloud, “GET OFF ME BE-ATCH you are 42% oreos. I’m dying under your elephant size, oreo-filled feet”

This is when I gave up my affair with oreos. It’s been 84 days since I have indulged in my oreo lust. I love peanut butter too but I’ll allow an occasional invisible smear on a piece of wheat flavored cardboard. It’s only 18 WW points. I think if you put it on celery it negates the PB calories because it takes about 784 calories worth of expended energy to chew celery.

Charlie said
on
September 22, 2008 at 7:46 pm

Oreos, as insanely popular as they are, are one treat I never understood. I’ve eaten them, of course: who hasn’t? But they just never did anything for me.

Though that does remind me of one of my favorite Stephen Wright jokes, “My dental hygienist is really pretty so before I go in to get my teeth cleaned I eat an entire box of Oreos. Sometimes they have to cancel all the rest of the appointments that day.”

Jessica Pauline said
on
September 23, 2008 at 8:20 pm

Prefer peanut butter and jam sandwich. I also like Oreo.

Vicki said
on
September 23, 2008 at 10:42 pm

“peanut butter on cashews”?
Did I read that right?
Or did you type it wrong?
I just know there is something wrong somewhere!!!

rhodeygirl said
on
September 24, 2008 at 9:08 am

i FINALLY, after 5 days of checking out ur website, figured out how to get away from the fridge and to your writing. I’m not too smart I guess haha.

I can’t believe you quit PB. It is my favorite thing to eat. and goes with so many foods. I am seriously impressed. I have never thought to eat it alone though, and am always surprised when I hear that people do it. I think PB needs some crunch to be amazing

Charlie said
on
September 24, 2008 at 9:25 pm

RG: Don’t feel bad, you’re not the first who has mentioned that. Whether I thought the layout was obvious or not doesn’t matter if it keeps people from getting inside. I’ll get a bandaid on it tonight or tomorrow. 🙂

V: Just run a cashew through peanut butter, like Ruffle’s chips in sour cream & onion dip. Double nutty goodness.