Sweet and Salty Popcorn

I had three six-packs of Diet Sprite in hand, and I was heading to the grocery store checkout line. I needed to replenish my soda supply which had become a pantry staple during Covid to ensure that I could have my nightly 7 & 7.

An end-cap display of bags and bags of popcorn caught my attention when I left the soft drink aisle. It was 2pm, lunch was a distant memory, and this wasn't just any popcorn, it was Sweet and Salty Popcorn.

I grabbed the package and checked the calorie count; the ratio of calories to deliciousness seemed good. Two cups of popcorn were only 140 calories, and I told myself that 2 cups would be the perfect snack. But one full bag--and over 1000 calories later--I was drunk on Sweet and Salty popcorn. Who does that? Who consumes 1000 calories of junk food in a few hours? I was embarrassed, discouraged, and would need to record this in the Noom app.

I had recently bought the Noom app in an attempt to lose the 10 pounds of baby weight I put on almost 40 years ago. (Thanks, Evan, Alex, Chet, and Logan). Noom is much like online Weight Watchers or any other health tracking system where you record your activities and log in your meals (and snacks).

For the first time in my life, I am actually recording ALL the food I eat. I didn't want to record this snack, but I had made a promise to myself that I wouldn't cheat (and Noom prompts me to record everything I eat... even Sweet and Salty Popcorn). With this app, I'm forced to NOTICE the calories associated with my food choices.

I need to record and understand what I am putting into my mouth since change can not occur without first noticing what's habitually happening. I now notice every meal and snack, so I am armed to make new choices.

Now, if only Noom could keep me from grabbing bags of popcorn.

What do you need to start really noticing in your habits?