Diner's Journal - The New York Times Blog on Dining Out
April 15, 2010, 1:30 am
My Life in Food
By SAM SIFTON
Illustrations by Kate Wilson

So this is what it looks like in black and white: a week’s eating and exercising as the restaurant critic of The Times. It is not entirely representative of everyday life for me. I was on the road from Wednesday on, eating in a city not my own. (Guess which one.) But the amounts I consumed match up to my duties here in New York City, and if there was more running than gym work than there usually is, I imagine the calories burned through exercise are about the same. The stats: 24,560 calories consumed; 4,180 calories expended through exercise.
Magazine Salad Day

How does a restaurant critic stay slim (and alive) on five meals a day?

    * Read the article »

It is a fairly terrifying document to me. It may raise some questions in your mind as well. In this space over the next few days, I will be taking questions from readers about the intersection of eating and health, at least in the life and from the perspective of a professional restaurant critic. You can ask them by emailing me, or by commenting below.
Sunday

6 a.m.

    * 3 pancakes with butter, maple syrup, chopped pears (940 calories)
    * 3 cups coffee, cream (70 calories)

12 p.m.

    * Bagel, light smear of cream cheese (340 calories)
    * Chopped herring in cream sauce and onions plus chopped herring (115 calories)

7 p.m.

    * Maple-glazed ham, sautéed potatoes, green beans in beurre blanc, Boston baked beans, strawberry ice cream (900 calories)
    * 2 glasses of white wine (170 calories)
    * 1 tumbler of bourbon (100 calories)

Total Calories Consumed: 2,635
*All calorie counts are estimates based on serving sizes.
Monday

7 a.m.

    * Fried eggs on toast with salsa verde (390 calories)

9 a.m.

    * Ran 3 miles (360 calories)
    * Pull-ups (3 sets of 12) (30 calories)
    * Push-ups (3 sets of 40) (55 calories)
    * Situps (6 sets 20) (55 calories)
    * Various exercise machines (3 sets of 12) (100 calories)

12:30 p.m.

    * Spicy chicken shawarma with hummus, hot sauce, salad (470 calories)

7 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

    * Poached duck egg, cheese (230 calories)
    * Pieces of raw fish, assorted: lobster, scallops, yellow-fin tuna, salmon, steelhead roe, paddlefish roe (350 calories)
    * Pieces of cooked fish, assorted: clams, prawns (180 calories)
    * Cheese (110 calories)
    * Bites of pasta with sea urchin (125 calories)
    * Bites of pasta with mushrooms (125 calories)
    * Lamb chop (190 calories)
    * Three slices of sirloin steak (470 calories)
    * French fries (420 calories)
    * Bites of panna cotta, chocolate, parfait (200 calories)
    * 2 glasses of red wine (175 calories)

Total Calories Consumed: 3,435
Total Calories Burned Through Exercise: 600
Tuesday

6:30 a.m.

    * Oatmeal with cream, maple syrup (370 calories)

9 a.m.

    * Walked five miles (500 calories)

12 p.m.

    * Turkey and swiss on a roll with lettuce, tomato, mayo and mustard (360 calories)

8 p.m. – 10:45 p.m.

    * Chicken soup (210 calories)
    * Mortadella sandwich (290 calories)
    * Rice ball (300 calories)
    * Sausage with lentils (325 calories)
    * Spaghetti with crabmeat and jalapeños (270 calories)
    * Tagliatelle with lamb ragout (350 calories)
    * Grilled lobster (150 calories)
    * Bites of a veal shank (150 calories)
    * Bites of some lamb chops (140 calories)
    * Chocolates (160 calories)
    * Pineapple cake (270 calories)
    * 3 glasses of red wine (260 calories)

Total Calories Consumed: 3,605
Total Calories Burned Through Exercise: 500
Wednesday

5:30 a.m.

    * Plain doughnut (200 calories)

7 a.m.

    * Ran 5 miles (600 calories)
    * Pull-ups (3 sets 12) (30 calories)
    * Push-ups (3 sets 40) (55 calories)
    * Situps (6 sets 20) (55 calories)

12 p.m.

    * Bread and butter (230 calories)
    * Oysters Rockefeller (275 calories)
    * Two-egg omelet (200 calories)
    * Crabmeat sautéed in butter with mushrooms, artichoke hearts (340 calories)

8 p.m.

    * More bread and butter (230 calories)
    * Sautéed shrimp (100 calories)
    * Large pork chop (200 calories)
    * Pieces of fried fish, grilled sausage (340 calories)
    * Banana cream pie (330 calories)
    * Two beers (300 calories)
    * 1 tumbler of bourbon (100 calories)

Total Calories Consumed: 2,845
Total Calories Burned Through Exercise: 740
Thursday

5 a.m.

    * 3 cups of coffee with cream (70 calories)

11:30 a.m.

    * 1/2 platter duck salad: duck meat, lotus root, cucumber, cilantro, carrot (500 calories)
    * 2 fried spring rolls (150 calories)

12 p.m.

    * 1 serving barbecued pork and noodles (580 calories)

12:30 p.m.

    * Beef-and-onion meat pie, the size of a pack of cigarettes (290 calories)
    * Barbecued pork pie, same size (200 calories)
    * 1/2 barbecued pork steamed bun, same size (300 calories)

3 p.m.

    * Ran five miles (600 calories)

8 p.m.

    * 2 fried rabbit livers on toast with pepper jelly (360 calories)
    * 3 pork ribs with watermelon pickles (320 calories)
    * 1 baked pork cheek, with peanuts, radishes, turnips (180 calories)
    * 2 fried oysters and one piece of bacon on white bread with mayonnaise and slaw (380 calories)
    * 1/2 serving roast pork and fried pork rinds (305 calories)
    * 1/2 serving shrimp and andouille gumbo (100 calories)
    * 1 serving red beans with pork and andouille over rice (300 calories)
    * 4 beers (600 calories)

Total Calories Consumed: 4,635
Total Calories Burned Through Exercise: 600
Friday

6 a.m.

    * 3 cups coffee with cream (70 calories)

6:30 a.m.

    * Bowl plain yogurt with cut fruit (200 calories)

10 a.m.

    * Banh mi sandwich with pork meatballs (300 calories)

10:30 a.m.

    * Bowl of pho with beef tendon, noodles (350 calories)

10:45 a.m.

    * Banh mi sandwich with pate, pork roll (310 calories)

11:30 a.m.

    * 1/2 order salt-and-pepper shrimp (100 calories)
    * 1 Coke (140 calories)

4 p.m.

    * Ran five miles (600 calories)
    * Pull-ups (3 sets 12) (30 calories)
    * Push-ups (3 sets 40) (55 calories)
    * Situps (6 sets 20) (55 calories)

9 p.m. – 11 p.m.

    * Small bowl andouille and chicken gumbo (100 calories)
    * Four pieces grilled steak (580 calories)
    * 1 crepe with rabbit meat (150 calories)
    * Three bites grilled fish with sausage (150 calories)
    * Three bites roasted pork (90 calories)
    * Four pork ribs (500 calories)
    * 1/2 bottle red wine (250 calories)
    * Half-dozen oysters (80 calories)
    * Strawberry ice cream (240 calories)

Total Calories Consumed: 3,610
Total Calories Burned Through Exercise: 740
Saturday

7 a.m.

    * 2 cups coffee with cream (45 calories)
    * Bread and butter (140 calories)

8 a.m.

    * Cut fruit (100 calories)

11:30 a.m.

    * One 10-inch roast beef hero with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, gravy (750 calories)

12 p.m.

    * One 10-inch hero with fried oysters, bacon, Cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise. (850 calories)
    * 1 Coke (140 calories)

3 p.m.

    * 1 hour on elliptical machine (900 calories)
    * 100 push-ups (50 calories)
    * 100 situps (50 calories)

8 p.m. – 11 p.m.

    * One tablespoon caviar (25 calories)
    * One tablespoon scrambled egg (50 calories)
    * One glass vodka (65 calories)
    * 1 order gnocchi with Parmesan and cream (310 calories)
    * 1 duck leg, confit (200 calories)
    * 2 foie-gras dumplings (250 calories)
    * 1/2 order moo shu duck (120 calories)
    * 1 grilled-cheese sandwich (350 calories)
    * 3 oysters (50 calories)
    * 1/2 order simply sautéed fish (100 calories)
    * 1/2 bottle red wine (250 calories)

Total Calories Consumed: 3,795
Total Calories Burned Through Exercise: 1,000
Weekly Calorie Totals

Consumed: 24,560
Burned Through Exercise: 4,180


    * Copyright 2011 The New York Times Company
    * Privacy Policy
    * NYTimes.com 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018