Modifying The Plan

On Saturday, I wrote a little bit about my plan for Chicago.  That plan included going back to most of the places I went to two weeks ago to do a redo of that trip and see how good I could have been.  I gained 4.2 pounds on that trip.  Believe me, I have done much worse on other trips.  I have also done a little better.  My plan was meant to keep me from doing the same thing on this trip.

Fifteen days ago, I went to a Chicago Bulls game with a friend.  I wasn't that hungry while at the game. So, I decided to wait until the trip home to grab something.  My options late at night on a Monday, even in Chicago, were relatively slim.  I then saw the lights still on at the Billy Goat Tavern.  So, I wandered in and found that they were open.  And, they had burgers!  In what can only be labeled as gluttonous, I ordered a triple bacon cheeseburger, French fries, and a Coke.  I don't even want to guess at what the calories were.  It was good.  But, it also kept me up all night... as triple bacon cheeseburgers at 11 PM are bound to do.

Flash forward to last night, exactly two weeks later.  My plan included going back to the Billy Goat Tavern because that burger was excellent.  But, my plan called for me to eat a single cheeseburger, sans bacon, with French Fries and water.  I thought this would bring my calories down dramatically while still enjoying a burger.  

At some point during the day, possibly shortly after enjoying an excellent salad at lunch, my plan changed.  I ended up at Chik-Fil-A.  Let me add that I have never eaten anything else but chicken sandwiches at Chik-Fil-A.  Chik-Fil-A, and the chicken sandwich specifically, are part of my holy trinity... along with Five Guys and Qdoba.  But, last night, I ordered the Market Salad with grilled chicken.  To make that choice even better, I ordered a packet of the Light Italian dressing, a dressing substantially lower in calories than any of the others.  The best part?  The salad was very good.  The salad was very filling.  In fact, I didn't quite finish it.  And, the salad only had 180 calories with an additional 25 for the dressing!  A total of 205 calories!  Heck with 30-40% reduction in calories!  I  bet this meal was about 10% of the calories of the meal I had two weeks before.

I finished off the night by walking on the treadmill.  I think the Hyatt was ready for me.  It was the first day open for their new fitness center and I had it all to myself.  Great finish to a great night and the first time I have exercised in a hotel in three years.

Here's to making improvements to the plan and finding different ways to eat at Chik-Fil-A...