Feb 9 (edited) • General discussion
🤯I don’t always practice what I preach.
Hey everyone...confession time. Last night was the Super Bowl, and I went off the rails with my dinner. Normally, I stick to around 2,800 calories per day, with dinner being my biggest meal at 1,500–1,800 calories. But between the game excitement and all the tempting snacks, I overdid it on some not-so-optimal foods.
Let’s break it down calorie-wise first, then adjust for digestion costs, and dive into the health impacts.
Calorie Breakdown and Excess Calculation
I estimated calories based on standard nutritional data for similar items (portions are approximate, as these can vary by prep method and size):
• 4 fried wings in buffalo sauce: ~150 cal each = 600 cal
• 3 fried wings in garlic parmesan seasoning: ~180 cal each = 540 cal
• 2 brownies: ~200 cal each = 400 cal
• 3 pieces of cheesesteak egg roll (each ~half a full egg roll): ~85 cal each = 255 cal
• 2 pieces of stromboli: ~350 cal each = 700 cal
• A few carrots: ~50 cal total
• Chips and salsa (a moderate serving): ~400 cal total
Total dinner calories: 600 + 540 + 400 + 255 + 700 + 50 + 400 = 2,945 cal
Excess over my average dinner: 2,945 - 1,650 = 1,295 cal
To figure out the potential fat gain, we need to account for the thermic effect of food (TEF)—the calories your body burns digesting, absorbing, and processing the meal. TEF varies by macronutrients: ~20-30% for protein, 5-10% for carbs, and 0-5% for fats. This meal was high in fats (from fried items and sauces), moderate in carbs (from dough, brownies, chips), and decent in protein (from wings, meat), leading to an estimated TEF rate of ~8% (calculated from approximate macros: ~123g protein, 244g carbs, 164g fat).
TEF calories burned for this meal: 0.08 × 2,945 ≈ 236 cal
Net calories from meal: 2,945 - 236 = 2,709 cal
Assuming my normal dinner has a similar macro mix and TEF rate (for simplicity; if it’s healthier with more protein, TEF could be higher at 10-15%, reducing net excess further), normal TEF: 0.08 × 1,650 ≈ 132 cal. Net normal: 1,650 - 132 = 1,518 cal.
Net excess calories: 2,709 - 1,518 = 1,191 cal
Not all net excess goes straight to fat...some may replenish glycogen stores, fuel minor activity increases, or be offset by metabolism. But over time, consistent surpluses contribute to fat gain. It takes ~3,500 excess calories to add 1 pound of body fat (a rough estimate, as efficiency varies).
Pounds of fat potentially added: 1,191 / 3,500 ≈ 0.34 pounds
Oof...not catastrophic, but a reminder that indulgences add up quick, even after digestion costs. Now, let’s talk about why this meal wasn’t longevity-friendly. In our community, we often discuss avoiding inflammatory foods, processed sugars, red/processed meats, and fried items to support anti-aging, reduce chronic disease risk, and promote cellular health. Here’s a quick rundown of the culprits in my meal and their downsides:
• Sugar (mainly from brownies, plus any in sauces or stromboli dough): High sugar intake spikes blood glucose, leading to advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) that accelerate aging by damaging proteins and DNA. It also promotes inflammation via cytokines, contributing to insulin resistance, which shortens telomeres and increases risks for diabetes, heart disease, and cognitive decline.
• Red meat (in cheesesteak egg rolls and likely stromboli with pepperoni or similar): Red meat contains heme iron and compounds like Neu5Gc that trigger inflammation and oxidative stress. Processed versions (common in stromboli) add nitrates, worsening gut microbiome disruption and increasing TMAO levels, which promote atherosclerosis.
• Fried foods (wings, egg rolls, chips): Frying creates acrylamides and trans fats that cause oxidative damage and endothelial dysfunction. The high-heat oils promote lipid peroxidation, leading to systemic inflammation and impaired mitochondrial function. On longevity and health: Regular fried food consumption is associated with shorter lifespan; it also raises LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, and obesity risk.
• Other elements: The garlic parmesan sauce adds saturated fats from butter/cheese, which can elevate cholesterol if overdone. Buffalo sauce has some capsaicin (potentially anti-inflammatory in moderation), but the fried base overrides that. Stromboli dough is refined carbs, spiking insulin. Chips are salty, potentially messing with blood pressure and hydration. Salsa and carrots were the redeeming bits—antioxidants from tomatoes and beta-carotene from carrots support eye health and immunity, but they couldn’t offset the rest.
Summary of Impacts in Bullets
• Inflammation upregulated: From sugar (cytokine release), red meat (heme iron/Neu5Gc), and fried oils (acrylamides/trans fats)—could lead to chronic low-grade inflammation, a key driver of aging.
• Glycation and aging accelerated: Excess sugar from brownies promotes AGEs, damaging collagen and accelerating wrinkles, joint issues, and vascular aging.
• Gut and microbiome disrupted: Processed meats in stromboli and cheesesteak may increase harmful bacteria, reducing short-chain fatty acid production essential for anti-aging.
• Oxidative stress increased: Fried components generate free radicals, overwhelming antioxidants and harming cells/DNA, shortening telomeres.
• Cardiovascular strain: Saturated fats, sodium from chips/sauces, and TMAO from red meat raise risks for hypertension and plaque buildup.
• Metabolic disruption: Refined carbs and sugars from dough, brownies, and chips spike insulin, promoting fat storage and potential insulin resistance over time.
• Minimal positives diluted: Carrots and salsa added some vitamins/fiber, but the overall meal skewed heavily pro-inflammatory.
All of this to say, you don't need to worry about once in a while. .3 lbs of potential bodyfat and one meal contributing to increased aging will not do any permanent damage. Normalize this and eat more regularly like this and you will have issues. Enjoy your time with family, lower the stress, and appreciate life my friends.
4
14 comments
🤯I don’t always practice what I preach.
powered by
skool.com/how-to-live-longer-3388
Be stronger, feel better, think smarter, kill cancer, dodge alzheimer's, and live to see our great-grandchildren. Book coming out soon.
Suggested communities
Powered by