A couple times a week I fall into the “I’m too busy/tired/lazy to cook” zone. I find myself stranded with my debit card, knees-deep in the whole “French fries count as vegetables and anything that says ‘organic’ is good for me” internal reasoning that often comes along with ordering take-out food. Even though I eat really well 75% of the time, the other 25% usually consists of unconscious eating decisions that not only have an affect on my daily energy, but also come with those unwanted, invisible ‘extras’ like fat, preservatives, mystery ingredients, and, eventually, an extra notch on my belt buckle.

To give myself a clear picture of what these quick decisions really mean for my fitness goals, I have decided to use them as currency. What do I mean by that? It looks something like this: “You want to eat a donut? That’ll cost you a 5 km run, 20 push-ups, 20-squats and 40 sit-ups!” In other words: eat this, do that.

If you find yourself in the same boat, whether it’s due to long work hours or a general lack of motivation to get busy in the kitchen, try these tips for keeping yourself in check:

That quick breakfast you grab on the way to work:

Medium Latte
135 Calories – 5.51g of Fat – 12.5g of Sugar – 12.4g of carbs

Trade-off: 24 minutes of aerobics, 32 minutes of walking, or 30 minutes of cycling

Breakfast Sandwich
330 Calories – 15g of Fat – 3g of Sugar – 33g of Carbs

Trade-off: 24 minutes of aerobics, 32 minutes of walking, or 30 minutes of cycling

---

You forget your lunch and grab…

Fast Food Combo (burger, fries, med soda)
900 calories – 63g fat – 64g sugar – 146g carbs

Trade-off: 90 minutes of jumping rope or 60-90 minutes of moderate-high intensity running or in-line skating or 90 minutes of vigorous biking

3 ‘Carne Asada’ Food Truck Tacos
550 Calories – 18g of Fat – 22g of Sugar – 34g of Carbs

Trade-off: 60 minutes of stair master or 60 minutes of squash or 120 minutes of easy-moderate hiking

---

Your 3 o’clock snack:

Frappuccino (without the whip)
293 Calories – 9.6g of Fat – 45g of Sugar – 43g of Carbs

Trade-off: 60 minutes of quick-paced dog walking or 45 minutes of tennis or 60 minutes of Pilates

Cookie from that bakery you can smell from your desk
160 Calories – 8g of Fat – 14g of Sugar- 21g of Carbs

Trade-off: 28 minutes of stair climbing, 20 minutes of running, or 45 minutes of gardening

---

Your late-night office dinner:

Sushi Combo (2 rolls, 1 miso soup, 2 sashimi)
736 Calories – 26g of Fat – 4g of Sugar – 70g of Carbs

Trade off: 45 minutes of continuous swimming or 60 minutes of rowing (30 second sprints, 1 minute rest) or 60 minutes of weight-lifting

Soda
140 Calories – 0g of Fat – 39g of Sugar – 31g of Carbs

Trade-off: 14 minutes of salsa dancing or 11 minutes of squash or 60 minutes of canoeing

The next time you indulge in a quick meal or snack that might not be in line with your health and fitness goals, don’t beat yourself up! Just tack a few extra moves onto your workout and you’ll balance it out just fine.

What are your tricks for staying on track? Share them in the comments or over on Twitter at @luvoinc.

 

Pssst: Just a little reminder to consult a physician before you rigorously climb up the side of a mountain (or any of the other things I’ve suggested) post burger. Also, these calculations and suggestions are based on my calorie intake of 2200-2400 calories/day.