It Can Be Done!

On Wednesday, I took it upon myself to try eating 1,800 calories as recommended by my Doctor. (Which, you should talk to your own). By the end of the night, I had done it! I had only eaten approx. 1,800 calories. I was a little hungry, and I felt like I was eating all the time because I was breaking it up into smaller meals. Here's how my meal plan pans out:

Breakfast: 400
Snack: 200
Lunch: 500
Snack: 200
Dinner: 500.

A couple observations. First, this was one of those 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. kind of days. Not that I'd never done it before, but it is a bit exhausting. And, I hadn't packed enough food. So an extra $5 was spent buying a large salad, money that could've been saved.

Second, once I got home, the stress of the day caught up to me, and I proceeded to crash through the 1,800 ceiling with chocolate milk and some Better Cheddars (tm). But at least at this point, I knew that I was stress eating, because technically I didn't need those calories. I just wanted to taste chocolate-y goodness, and the cheesy-salty wonderfulness that is Better Cheddars. Over, and over, and over again. Which tasted good, and made me feel good. Now I understand stress eating.

So, with the help of MyFitnessPal, which is both a website and an awesome phone app, I now know it is possible to eat 1,800 calories during a 14-hour law school day. I know there are things I can do in the future to make it easier to manage. For example:

• Actually packing 1,800 calories, rather than realizing 20 minutes before the lunch cart closes that you're 400 calories short.
• Drinking a lot of water. I managed to drink 6 cups of water yesterday, and not only did it help me feel better, it helped me avoid the calories I would have otherwise drank had I not brought my water bottle.
• Avoiding "invisible" calories. Do you really need a 80 calorie piece of cheese on your Subway sandwich? Unless you had it toasted, you probably won't even miss it. Just let it go. Salad dressing can get dangerous too - and you probably won't even use the whole packet. Pour the dressing out on the side, and dip your fork in it before plunging into your lettuce. You'll be amazed at how much you don't use. 
• Fruits and Veggies. Low in calories relative to their volume. I don't have to say they're good for you. From a 2L perspective, most fruits are easy to carry with you on a long day. I've yet to figure out how to transport veggies, because I typically like my veggies cooked. I'm open to suggestions, readers!

What, no snarky stupid photos? No, alas, I am too tired. But I will share a ProTip with you all. 

ProTip #1: If you are the type who loses weight when your stressed, and you meet someone overweight like me, just... keep it to yourself. #ImJustSayin. 

See you on the rebound.