10 Things I Learned in 2010

1. Cigarettes are not a substitute for food. Well actually they are, but I have to keep reminding myself that I don't smoke anymore. In 2011 I will stop claiming smoking doesn't count when I am drunk. In 2011 I will stop claiming a lot of things don't count when I am drunk.

2. A serving of peanut butter is 2 tablespoons. Two tablespoons of peanut butter barely covers a quarter of an apple in my book. That's why I like to eat 4 tablespoons of Better'n Peanut Butter instead.

3. It is completely possible to gain 10 lbs in 2 weeks. Sadly, it is extremely difficult to lose 10 lbs in 2 weeks. This may be the definition of irony.

4. You should never drink until 4am the night (morning) before a 10K. Some people might find this obvious. I, however, did not.

5. The calorie counters on cardio machines grossly overcalculate the number of calories burned. Buy a heart rate monitor.

6. Do not agree to date a person that compliments your form in spin class. You will have to change gym locations.

7. Gyms do not clean yoga mats daily. Scabies can be transmitted through yoga mats. Once your skin stops crawling, you should go out and buy a mat immediately. Make sure it's wrapped in plastic.

8. Even rigorous sexual activity does not burn a significant amount of calories to be considered your daily cardio. This was heartbreaking.

9. Running uptown on the East River Esplanade is superior to running downtown. This actually only applies if you live in the 70s or above, but it was mindblowing for me. I used to live in Murray Hill and running downtown was pretty much the only option.

10. People actually read this blog. Who knew?

Better'n Peanut Butter: Friend or Foe?

12 Grain bread with Low Sodium Better'n Peanut Butter and banana slices

So apparently Better'n Peanut Butter put peanut butter on a low-fat diet (their slogan, not mine). My co-worker introduced me to the low sodium version of this diet nut butter at a recent meeting. I have to admit - I like it better than Skippy. If it came in crunchy, I'd drink it. As much as I love fresh grind almond butter, fresh grind peanut butter kind of skeeves me out and leaves me feeling more unsatisfied than waking up naked next to a super hot guy still fully clothed from the night before. Waste of time. 

Better'n Peanut Butter is damn tasty, but Jillian Michaels has burrowed into my brain and the first thing I thought of as I tasted this delicious treat while reviewing Grade 4 New York State math standards was, "How many chemicals in this crap are wrecking havoc on my metabolism and going to make me fat?!" However, this concern did not prevent me from purchasing Better'n Peanut Butter that weekend.

Click on the image to enlarge and read nutrition information.

Curious about the newest addition to my refrigerator, I went onto the website to do a little research.







Apparently it's "all-natural" and I can pronounce every ingredient on the label. Who knew?  It's still not as clean as fresh grind, but I think it's safe to eat instead of Skippy, Jiffy, et cetera.

As I gather more information, I will keep you informed.
Verdict: FRIEND