Nom nom nom...

Calories = energy.

It's a simple enough equation, but one that I am still continuing to struggle with. In the real world, after all, calories are something we tend to avoid. Given the excessive amounts of 'diet' products for sale and women's magazines hawking "Top Ten Tricks to a Skinnier You!" it's no wonder I can't get the food thing right. Now, don't get me wrong: I am not out here to lose weight (although I definitely have. Hello, legs that I don't recognize!) and I love eating whatever I want (Hello, ice cream for second breakfast!), but finding the balancing point between starving and gluttony is hard.

The past few days I thought I had been doing well with food, eating just enough to keep me motivated and feeling good, while not carrying too much weight (food is HEAVY). When I arrived at Bear Mountain Recreation Area and saw a consession stand, I decided to pick up a snack to get me through the remaining six miles. It was late in the day and the only thing left for sale at the concession stand was chicken tenders, and since I've stopped being fussy about meat for the duration of the trail, I bought them.

There must have been about 2 pounds of breaded and fried meat in the carboard tray I was given, and I remember thinking that there was no way I could eat that much food, as I had eaten lunch two hours previously. The daily recommended portion size for meat is about the size of a deck of cards; this was the equivalent of four or five decks.  While figuring out how to pack out my leftovers (emergency ziploc bag located in hidden top flap pocket of my backpack) I ate the whole thing. In ten minutes. Without even noticing.

I took that as a sign that I haven't been eating enough.

Yesterday I ate an entire pizza for dinner. This morning I finished off a jar of Nutella that was supposed to last a week (it lasted three days). I'm currently at a deli, resupplying (and eating second breakfast), because I've eaten all the food I had figured would get me to CT.

As it turns out, when I have enough food in my belly, I can MOVE. (Which is what I need to do if I'm going to make it to CT tomorrow afternoon... once I pick up an ice cream treat for the road, that is.)