Did I really just eat that?!

I used to despise counting calories.  I would put pen to paper after each meal or snack and it would drive me to binge eat.  Seriously.  Too much thinking about calories and what I was consuming would stress me out.  But now I have MyFitnessPal and I pretty much love it.
It is fun, at the end of the day, to enter what I have eaten and what workouts I have completed.  It is a great way to keep tabs on how much I am consuming and if I am getting enough calories on days when I teach a lot.
So what's the drawback?  Well...it's right there.  In front of my face.  The handful of M&M's.  The cookie that I popped in my mouth while cooking dinner.  And the numbers don't lie.
It also has been VERY shocking to see how many calories and fat are in restaurant items.  Hidden fillers, sodium and cooking products really add up.

I had one of those shocking moments on Sunday.

Before I begin, I would like to ask you to suspend all judgement on the food, and the name of the food, that I chose.  Take it easy on me, okay? :)

Photo from Perkinsrestaurants.com

We had a very busy weekend so when Sunday morning rolled around we headed to Perkins for brunch.  I ordered the Country Cookin' Benedict.
I am a huge fan of Eggs Benedict and this menu item is English Muffins topped with sausage patties, cheese crumbles, gravy (duh!) tomatoes (for health) and cheese crumbles.  Add a side of country potatoes to make it a meal.  I did choose fresh fruit instead of a Mammoth Muffin.  *pat on the back*
Okay.  So I knew I wasn't ordering health food.  Anything that used a dropped G in the menu name is bound to be packed with fat and calories.  However, it wasn't until I had entered it into MyFitnessPal that I really felt the pounds packing on.

1,561 calories
91 grams of fat

EXCUSE ME?!  That is more calories than I typically take in, after exercise, in a whole day.  And the fat?  That is probably about 3 days worth for me!  Turns out it is under the "Over The Top Specialties" section, so, I mean...I really should have known.


I felt horrible.  Not just after the meal, which I did have a food hangover from until about 7:00 that evening.  But for not being more aware of what I was eating.  I am a Pilates instructor.  A personal trainer.  A fitness blogger.  I should not be eating things smothered in gravy, right?

But.

It was good.

And I don't eat like that every day or even every week or month.

So what is the moral of this tale?

It is horrendous that foods like this exist.  If I wanted a big breakfast, I should have made it myself for less calories and fat and definitely less chemicals.  But it is life.  And we all have moments when we indulge, right?  Will I order that again?  Maybe.  Next year.  Did I let it ruin my week?  No way!

Monday I jumped right back into a banana and peanut butter for breakfast, a green smoothie for lunch and as many veggies as I could eat.

So.  Indulge.  Occasionally.  One meal won't make you fat.  But be aware of what you are eating and how often you are taking in the bad vs. the good.  And make sure you will really enjoy what you are indulging in so that you feel satisfied instead of just wanting more.

Have you ever ordered something and searched it later, only to find out it was a calorie monster?

Do you allow yourself to order gravy covered breakfasts?

Do you count calories?  Do you use an app for it?

It's Day 2 of the Green Smoothie Challenge!  How are you doing?

Today I had one of my favorites:

1 bunch kale

1 bunch spinach

4 strawberries

8-10 grapes

1 cup COLD water

Blend until smooth for a refreshing, energizing drink!