Jon Kidwell Fitness: A Day in the Life of a Texan

A day of food in the life of a Houstonian.

Breakfast- Traffic is bad so you leave early and pick up 1 Texas Hot Polish Sausage kolache and coffee from The Kolache Factory on your way to work.

470 calories
21 grams of fat
51 grams of carbohydrates
970 milligrams of sodium

Don't forget the cream...

38 calories
4% of your daily cholesterol intake
4 grams of fat (3 grams from saturated fat) PER OUNCE!!!

...and sugar.

15 calories
4 grams of sugar PER TSP!

When is the last time you saw someone use 1 ounce and 1 teaspoon of cream and sugar?

You arrive at the office and see that your coworker brought in Shipley Donuts. You don't want to be rude so you only have 1.

Don't forget about the one you sneak when no is looking

217 calories (100 from fat)
11 grams of fat (3 grams saturated fat)
16 grams of sugar

Lunch- You take an out of state client to lunch and they want some Texas BBQ from Goode Company BBQ! (Rightfully so!)

The beef brisket sandwich...(with no sides)

647 calories
25 grams of fat (10 grams saturated fat)
750 milligrams of sodium
1 case of heartburn

It's not a true Texas meal without SWEET iced tea! (only 20 ounces...no refill)

200 calories
50 grams of sugar or 20% of your daily value

True story- Once saw a man add sugar to an already sweetened iced tea batch (5 gallon jug) by using an ice scoop. He did it twice!

FULL...no HEAPING with sugar!

Dinner- On the way home from work the Texas fast food staple Whataburger is calling your name!

The Whataburger Patty Melt (voted best sandwich) is what you're craving-

Voted Texas favorite coming in at 1710 calories

1100 calories (840 from fat!)
75 grams of fat (26 grams from saturated fat and 1 gram from trans fat)
1410 milligrams of sodium
54 grams of carbohydrates

but wait...Why not get the meal with fries and Dr. Pepper? Add an extra-

610 calories
20 grams of fat
300 milligrams of sodium
130 grams of carbohydrates
86 grams of sugar

At home you finally get to relax with a Shiner Bock!

142 calories

The nightcap, of course, is a bowl of Blue Bell Ice Cream and you keep it simple with Homemade Vanilla. Have you ever had an actual serving of ice cream....a 1/2 cup?

A bowl of ice cream (1.5 cups)

540 calories in a 1/2 cup (240 from fat)
24 grams of fat (18 from saturated fat)
63 grams of sugar

The Grand Total

3979 Calories
180 Grams of Fat
248 Grams of Sugar
4000+ Milligrams of Sodium

That is ONLY 1 Serving of each!!!
*Note: Sides not included at lunch nor are refills on anything*

The scary part is this is not an exaggeration for some. This story is not just a Houston story. Not just a Texas story. It could be told for Chicago, Philadelphia, or rural Montana. The idea of what is an okay and appropriate diet in America is devastating. People want food to be cheap, delicious, and instantaneous. The question is... At what cost?

I cannot give you all this negative information without leaving you any hope.

Tips for toppling the "typical" diet

Buy fresh fruits and vegetables from your local grocer and use those as snacks and sides
Wash, cut, and portion your veggies all at the same time (Takes me 30 minutes a week)
Plan ahead- Make a dinner calendar to avoid the temptation of the drive-thru
Pack a lunch the night before
Skip the extras- Added sugar, salt, and sauce (Chances are there is already plenty)