Budgeting the Calories

Yesterday was my 14th wedding anniversary. Since next year is a milestone year we are planning to go to Vegas to celebrate our 15th. So far the plan is to renew our vows with an Elvis impersonator.

John and I planned to go to Applebee’s for dinner and have a meal sans being glued to the TV or being surrounded by begging dogs. While I waited for him to get home from work, I went on calorie king and planned what I was going to eat. I budgeted in the augratin soup, sirloin steak, with veggies, and rice and one of those dessert shooters they have there.

When John got home he had a sack from my favorite mom and pop grocery store. I knew what was in the sack before he even told me. A few nights ago we were talking about cravings and I said that I was hungry for a Ric’s brownie (hands down the best brownie ever! In the old days I could eat an entire pan single handedly in a couple of days). I had said I just wanted one, not a whole pan. So he stopped and got me one brownie. What a treat!

Here is the great part: old me would not have adjusted my dinner plans to work in the calories the brownie held, rather old me would have just ate the brownie in addition to the dinner and justified it as a special occasion. Not anymore. I cut out the augratin soup and the rice and did not get a dessert shooter to offset the calories. It was so nice to be able to savor the brownie and not feel guilty afterwards. That brownie was so good. It was just as decadent as I remember.