Ever since Nespresso figured out that they couldn’t shove small Ristrettos down the American general public’s throat and gave in to extra big coffee capsules to satisfy big gulp size coffee portions, their US business has taken off. Chocolatier Lindt has a duty free store at Zurich airport and for the first time last week I saw oversized Lindt truffle balls, oversized Easter bunnies and oversized chocolate bars. When I say oversized, I mean soccer ball sized Lindt truffle packaging (not the regular pack with about 12 quarter of a golf ball sized truffles), bunnies 1.5 feet tall and the chocolate bars must have weight tenfold the regular bars. Yieks.
Here we are in the US screaming for ways to counter our obesity epidemic, while Lindt and Nestle spoon (sorry ladle) feed us jumbo sized portions of chocolate and 16 oz latte’s with whipped cream, syrup and skim (!) milk at over 600 calories a pop.
I am a proponent of free market trade, I believe that the market regulates itself (to a certain degree) and I certainly believe in the freedom of (advertising) speech. In other words: if Nestle and Lindt have figured out that Americans love their portions oversized and that’s how they can bring their quality products to market, then so be it. But it’s the Cosco-Syndrome. You buy it because it’s bulk and a good deal – if you need it or not – and then it sits around your house, is huge and needs to be eaten. Where does that leave us with our waistlines?
Case in point: I love nuts. And I rather buy them in small quantities, but often. Why? If I buy bulk I eat them – all, immediately, period. Counting is how I survive the choices and gluttony of today’s never ending food train. I use apps. I count calories; count portion sizes, miles, steps, ounces (food), pounds (mine). It’s a never-ending job – like brushing your teeth, just that it takes a lot more effort. Sometimes I wonder why I bother, but it’s obvious. I want to keep doing what I love, and biking, hiking, swimming, and xc-skiing is a lot easier with lesser weight.
All the counting has also made me aware of how little calories I expend when sitting at my desk all day. So now, as I write this, I’m at my hydraulic desk, walking on my desk treadmill going 2.4 miles/hour. Just enough to burn some calories, be active and still be able to type and take an occasional sip of Nespresso coffee (skim milk, hold the syrup and whipped cream).