That Great Big Chocolate Mountain
February 18th, 2007Unfortuntately I cannot afford to relax my vigilence in this area as much as I have, particularly since the only way I lose any weight is by training for a marathon. I am characterized by very spotty self-control (subject to be covered in a future post).
As always, Kiki’s questions inspire my posts.
I watched people buying slices of mile-high chocolate cake in Chicken Out last night, and I wanted a piece. Lately my top favorite dessert idea has involved a dense chocolate brownie with a thick layer of chocolate frosting. I too crave Chocolate Volcanoes!
Of course the answer is moderation. The instant I say, “Chocolate Volcanoes as big as your head are SINFUL!” I am drifting dangerously close to legalism. But if I am eating a Chocolate Volcano now, and I had a Chocolate Volcano yesterday, and another one on Wednesday after I ate the bag of peanut-butter m&m’s, well, then I am guilty of gluttony.
So of course we are all asking, “How often can I have that Chocolate Volcano?”
Some things to think about:
I spent 118 minutes running 10 miles yesterday at just under a 12 minute pace. According to an online calorie-burning calculator, I burned 1444 calories. I need something like 2200 calories in a day given my current level of training. I located a recipe on the internet for Death by Chocolate Cake (address withheld to protect us from further weight gain). It is listed as containing 1226 calories per serving.
If I had one piece of Death by Chocolate Cake per week I would have to cut approximately 175 calories per day (8% of my daily limit) that week in order to make up the calories. In addition, I would likely be replacing 175 healthier calories with 175 empty calories, which will have other implications for my overall health.
Those numbers get better as I eat my Death by Chocolate Cake (store bought in one serving slices…never, never, NEVER make this!) more infrequently.
Here are some other dangers:
1) I am usually not training at my current level. My calorie intake might be more like 1900 per day.
2) Female Chocolate Volcano lovers easily lose track of their most recent Volcano. My last Volcano was February 7. In addition I made a third of a batch of blondies last week, most of which I ate. I had an apple fritter at school last week. I had to work to remember all of that.
In conclusion: Chocolate Volcanoes require large numbers of calories that, unlike Clementine, are lost and forgotten. You can’t always recognize gluttony because you feel sick from eating too much. It may be ocurring on a small scale over a long period of time. I am 17 pounds heavier now than I was 13 years ago. I will try to hold off my next Chocolate Volcano until March 3.
Kiki, your question really dealt with praying over it. If you are eating the Chocolate Volcano, it is appropriate to give thanks for it. Of course the “bless it to my body” phrase is not necessarily all that meaningful, but the image of Jesus “giving thanks” everytime He ate is rather powerful to me.
I think some foods should not be eaten, period…not even in moderation. Trans fat, certain fast foods. But then, eating them isn’t sinful. It’s bad stewardship at worst.
((And of a body which God is actually in charge of sustaining for however long He wants to…))
Did you ever hear CS Lewis’s interesting take on gluttony?
P.S.
I always love when you start analyzing the data. (e.g. “8% of my daily intake”) I wish you’d put in a pie graph or two.
I much prefer to have everyone visualize a pie graph….
And as for trans fats…they have only become uncool recently, it seems to me. I always wonder how bad they really are.
What other fast foods shouldn’t be eaten?
And what about CS Lewis? I am all ears! (Picture THAT on a pie graph!)
I much prefer to visualize pie.
Chocolate cream pie.
(I guess I’m not helping much.)
It depends on the type of crust, etc. But it sounds promising…
CSL said something about the person who *has* to have their toast *just right* with the *exact* amount of butter….he classified that kind of behavior as a kind of gluttony. I’ll try to find the passage if you want more detail.
The fast food:
I saw a movie called Supersize Me. This guy Morgan Spurlock ate nothing but McDonald’s for a month. He gained weight, raised cholesterol, even got some ‘fatty liver’ condition.
I recommend the movie. I got a book called “Fast Food Nation” because it was mentioned in the commentaries. It’s more political and less interesting to me. ((Fast food industries suppressing facts because of the $ involved…the cattle industry and how gross it is…I classify these kinds of problems as “Nuclear War Bad” because of the futility of worrying about it.))
What a subject. At this time it is my biggest problem. I am not sure it is not a sin to overeat anything. If we are to care for our bodies as God’s temple shouldn’t we then care for them.
Just this week I was VERY stresssed about one of my children and before I knew it I was eating a large slice of bread. I didn’t want it, didn’t need it and ate it without thinking. When I realized what was going on I asked God to help me pray instead of the stress eating. Then there is the problem of just eating and not stopping. Chocolate is a perfect example of not being able to stop when one once starts. I think this is a major problem among Christians. WE don’t drink, smoke, sware, etc etc but we sure eat.
Anyway I am REALLY trying to let God have the power in this area of my life. I also saw Supersize Me and it was very eye opening. But I can drive by McDonalds I just can’t stop eating carbs or use them in moderation.
I don’t think the food is a sin but isn’t lack of control a sin? Should you be counting the days to the next “treat”?
Really 13 pounds is far below the national average.
So now I said something on your home page. I am so wise (but fat!)
Thanks for the comment, WAJ!
WAJ,
You say that 13 pounds is far below the national average.
Does that really matter? Is the guy who only murders one person really any better than the one who murders two?
Are we saying that murder and excess lbs are both sins and therefore equal?
There are many causes for obesity not all manageable. Are you 13 lbs. over where you want to be or 13 lbs. above the proper weight for your size and age?
I find the murder analogy a little extreme. I think you were trying to show the lack of distinction between doing something wrong just a little bit and doing it a lot - that it is not a question of scale. If I only cheat on my taxes a little bit, I’m still cheating on my taxes.
Thanks, CJ…that is absolutely what I was trying to do.
Oh, WAJ,
I forgot to answer your second question. I believe the number I gave represented the number of pounds I am over where I was in high school.
I think both numbers are in the acceptable range, but the current weight is on the higher end.
Maybe we could end the chocolate problem with just deciding if over eating is a sin. Cheating on ones taxes is. Not weeding ones lawn is wrong but is it a sin?
Jim just completed a race in Japan in almost 4.5 hours-about as bad as he has ever done–too much chocolate.
I have not been visiting this sight because I am trying to keep up on all the address changes in this family-Tara, Dorinda. John, Delaine, –I am sure you are painting to get ready for a move? Its the in thing.
I think overeating is a sin…it’s gluttony.
I think not weeding one’s lawn is not a sin in itself.
Would it make Jim feel better to know his worst time is still better by a half hour than my best (and only) time? I’m thinking of running Baltimore this fall.
Oh, and we have no intention of moving. We think moving is a pain.
C’mon! Moving is marriage building!
I’m sure we can all find creative ways to build our marriages.
So how did you gain weight? Was it sinning? Why then is it one of the top sins of Christians?
I think Jim did the Baltimore one. I don’t know how much better it would make him feel. I think just finishing at his age is good because he does have trouble with his knees at times.
So Shannon what is another way to build a marriage besides moving and building a house and writing a book together?