Spills and calories?

jess1992uga

So I have a crazy question. And this may be borderline my old eating disorder creeping in, but here goes.
So tonight I was re-heating my oatmeal and I stepped away for a sec and when came back it was spilling over edge of bowl. I stopped the microwave and couldn't do a new batch because had already eaten some of it and had mixed my banana in it. I am on a required minimum intake because of health issues and didn't want to underdo it either. So without thinking I took some of what spilled in the microwave (on the microwave plate thing) and put back in bowl. Well now I am freaking out. Can the calories from the microwave plate...like from when other people used microwave....have gotten in my oatmeal. Also concerned because I have food allergies and what if there are allergens that were on the plate. I know this sounds crazy, but seriously....could calories from the plate have been transferred? I was debating adding cals to my later snack to make up for spill, but now I am thinking I may have gotten extra calories from pouring it back in!

envy09

I don't think you have to worry about calories from the microwave. However, I do think you need to take a moment and examine the irrationality of your thoughts. Just think of it this way: it probably took more calories to clean up the mess than the amount of calories added from the plate. Keep in mind, however, that there were no actual calories added from the plate and that this is just your disorder talking.

jess1992uga

Really? Yeah I know, it's hard. Had this thing since I was 6 yrs old and probably earlier because was raised by anorexic mom. She wouldn't even let her foods touch and would only use plastic utensils at some points because scared of calories spreading. But how about if someone else's food spill on plate? Then poured in...wouldn't their spill and calories from that food go into mine. Seems logical. Of course plate looked very clean...

envy09

What kind you food are we talking about? Soups or any other kinds of liquids would dry and become flaky and definitely be visible to the naked eye. The same can be said for any solid that made it on to the plate.

I think you need to remember what a calorie actually is. It is not some kind of virus that can move from one surface to another. Calories are not sentient and they are certainly not out to get you. All food calories do is allow us to measure the amount of energy we get from the foods we eat--nothing more.

Similarly, food is not our enemy either. Food gives our bodies energy to grow, repair and move itself. Food, eaten in a healthy amount, is almost like our body's copilot. We get to take care of the fun stuff like thinking and dreaming while it gets stuck with the boring stuff, like mussel repair and cell formation.

Just take a moment to situate yourself within the world. We are the only animal on earth capable of our level of thought. Humanity has the ability to dream up universes, write novels that live for ages and send itself into the stars. And you are a part of that. The fact that you even have the ability to understand what a calorie or a microwave is is an amazing thing. You, a beautiful and intelligent woman, know more about science than millions of human beings that have come before you and yet you're taking time out of your amazing day to think about a few (imaginary) calories on a microwave plate.

I know you can do better.