Given the opportunity, I’ve realized that I will choose interesting, less healthy for me food.
Yesterday, on our way to CT we drove through Pennsylvania. Taking backroads spotted with farms, farm stands, and best yet…Sheetz.
We’ve always been Wawa people, mostly because there’s one in our backyard in Annapolis. Apparently you’re either in the Sheetz camp or the Wawa camp. You can’t really be both. So on our way up we tried Sheetz for a light snack.
Rather than pick up veggies or fruit or hummus…
I went for one of the less healthy choices…if only because it sounded oh so delicious, hearty and just..nom.
That my friends…is fried Macaroni and Cheese. Or mac and cheez if you want to spell it the Sheetz way.
Hubs chose the wings. Speedily fried for your enjoyment. Both of us immediately regretted the greasy choices we had made. Mostly because following, there was a lump of lard just sitting in our gullets for a good 100 miles. Gross.
The next time we stopped because someone (not me) was still hungry. We again stopped at Sheetz – I had to pee. But this time I went for the veggie pack with only 100 calories – there were cherry tomatoes, snap peas, and carrots and ranch dressing with a side of string cheese. I should have made the healthy choice to begin with. But we were trying something new. Shiny and new does not have to mean unhealthy all the time.
Listen, I’m not perfect. There’s a reason why after college I gained just about 35 lbs. I enjoy food. I enjoy trying new foods. But ultimately, I’m finding more and more, that the life I want to lead – a healthy one at best – comes with sacrifices and consciously making those healthy choices. Beth and Gretchen both wrote excellent posts recently about the struggle of choosing to be healthy and how the journey of being healthy and losing weight is constant. Once upon a time, I had an amazing metabolism when I was running 5 miles a day with my cross country or track teams and I didn’t have to think about what I ate but that was at least ten years ago (closer to 11 or 12). I didn’t always have this struggle. Similarly, if I make these bad choices, I have to sacrifice sleeping in and cuddling the husband and get myself out of bed to get in that 4 mile run in the morning.
Some may say everything is okay in moderation, well…most everything. And I agree, I do abide by the 80/20 rule for the most part. but I’m pretty sure fried macaroni and cheese bites from Sheetz don’t fit into the 20 part of the 80/20 rule anywhere.
On that note, I’m off to bed for an early rise…tomorrow, I become a triathlete!
