Dirt speedway concession stands are too yummy to resist!

jayne12469

Well, some of them are…others leave a lot to be desired. Anyway, those concession stands are only a fraction of my problem, even though I’m usually grabbing a meal from them two or three times a week.

I’m a 43 year old woman who sits behind a desk for 40 to 60 hours a week, and my weekends are spent at local dirt speedways all over eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey, mostly as a spectator. There is also a giant black hole in my living room that sucks me in for hours on end…others tell me it’s only a couch, but I’m convinced that it’s some sort of time/space anomaly with its own gravitational pull.

I’ve been overweight my entire life, and my family history is riddled with diabetes, so my doctor and I have been monitoring closely for the last 15 years. Over the last two years, things have been a little shaky, and three months ago, blood glucose and A1C levels had risen alarmingly. It had been a very busy and stressful period at work, so it was decided that I would work on my food choices and get more exercise and we’d re-check in three months. Three months fly by, less processed food has been ingested, better food choices have been made, and I’ve been walking two miles several times a week. Off to the doctor I go, somewhat optimistic. Optimism is quickly dashed when I see the look on her face...and then she speaks. Not only have my levels not dropped, I haven’t even maintained…they’re all elevated, and to add insult to injury, I’ve even gained a few pounds!

A co-worker uses MFP, so I signed up immediately upon return from the doctor’s office, and logged all my food for that day. Wow, what an eye-opener that was! I was completely stunned to see how many calories I ate that day, but it was so easy to zero in on which foods were either not my best option or my portion size needed some adjustment.

I’ve also been logging my exercise, thanks to my new and nifty little pedometer. 10,000 steps a day…yeah, not even close without a two mile walk after work. I feel like I shouldn’t even use the word “sedentary” to describe my activity level…it’s probably more accurately described as “sloth”.

And so begins my journey to being healthier. The first goal I’m setting for myself is to get my calorie intake under better control. MFP is already helping me make a better grocery list, so first goal, here I come!

ChappyEight

Well, at least you know what REAL racing is!

Good luck on your journey.

kazoooo8

I agree.... there are sooooo many temptations out there!!! I went camping this weekend and everyone is roasting hot dogs and eating s'mores and here I'm trying to eat salads and fruit!! Yep, I caved by the second day! Back on MFP today tho!! We get knocked down (cuz its going to happen, we are human) but we CAN get right back up, brush it off and go at it again.

I think this is a great site to for the very reasons you talked about. Seeing the calories and how much everything has, is a huge eye opener. Not only has it made me think before I put it in my mouth, its making me make better choices. If I have this instead of that, I can have a snack later also.

TheyCallMeTaterSalad

Hi there! Nice to meet ya & glad you joined MFP. It has been a huge help for me when it comes to tracking calories, exercise, etc. There is also tons of support here when ya need it.

I spend quite a bit of time at dirt tracks as well & I know how tempting the concession stands can be. I swear I can smell the nacho cheese a mile away. Oh, and ugh my couch is also a black hole. I know when I sit on it my *kitten* becomes glued to the seat. :P

Anyways glad to have you here!

jayne12469

Well, at least you know what REAL racing is!

Good luck on your journey.

Despite living in an area that's predominantly "modified country" (Teo, Troyer, Bicknell...I think people in other parts of the country might refer to them as "Northeast Modifieds"?), I'm a late model girl at heart! The words "Rocket" and "MasterSbuilt" are part of my regular vocabulary!