Fast Food Gluttony

Eric administers the SATs every year.  And every year, he goes to BK to get a Whopper, Shake, and Fries.  This year, I thought I would commemorate the event with him, but I suggested we get fries from McDonald's, because everyone knows Mickey D fries rule.

While Eric was getting himself a Double Whopper with Cheese and a Whopper with Cheese for me, I drove out to McDonald's for two large fries.  When I got there, I took a look at the fries sizes and I thought, you know, why be so gluttonous?  I'll get myself medium fries instead.  I know - it's like deciding to get the diet coke instead of regular...

The last time I had a burger and fries as a meal was in the Chicago airport on a layover with Eric like a year ago.  I got a regular hamburger and small fries.  When I unwrapped the hamburger, the patty was so puny I got rid of half the bun because gosh darn if that was going to be all I tasted.  That's all I had, and I was perfectly satiated.

This time around, I was partaking in some serious fast food, man.  And I'm not talking about the 6 grams of fat in a 6-in Subway sandwich.

The first bite was, I must admit, incredible.  I could see why someone would want to eat this everyday, every meal.  But by the time I was 3/4 way through the burger, I was, I must admit, a little bloated.  And then I poured out the rest of my fries and was feeling completely uninspired.  Those fries are the BEST when they've just come out of the fryer.  Saturated in its full fat glory with salt galore, it's perhaps the most heavenly thing I can think of to eat.  But give it 10 minutes, and it's not unlike the fry you find on the car floor.  It looks amazingly fine, but there's no glistening fat sheen or granules of salt for that glorious hit of savoriness.  Instead, it's kinda blah.  The external layer is no longer crispy, the inside is no longer hot and soft.  It's all reversed - spineless outside, hard inside.  Despite all these thoughts going through my mind, I just had to see if every single one of them were like that, so yes.  I ate them all anyway.

I'm glad to say that Eric and I took a walk after that monstrous meal.  But we suffered because of it.  The spring in our step was gone.  We trudged around the neighborhood feeling like ogres, if we didn't look the part.  I think we may have shuffled, for actually lifting our feet would have been asking for way too much.

Hours later now, I think I'm finally getting over it.  But just to make sure I never do this again, I took a look at the Nutritional Value of those Whoppers on the BK site.  A Double Whopper with Cheese is a body-slamming 950 calories.  Eric's large chocolate shake was a godzilla-sized 960 calories.  McD's large fries are a mammoth 500 calories.  Eric's intake of food was an awesome 2,410 calories.  One meal!  Add to that his beer, and I don't care how tall he is.  No one should be eating like that.  Mine was a bit better, but I don't feel better.  My Whopper with Cheese is 710 calories and the medium fries is 380.  I had half a beer, and that is basically my caloric allotment for the entire day.  Boy I'm glad I didn't touch any kind of shake.

So this was my first and my last time celebrating the SATs with Eric.  It's just not worth it.