That meal really stuck with you, not just because you were physically full, but because it quickly turned into judging yourself and feeling like you needed to “walk it off.” I’d keep that honesty in the post, while being a little kinder to yourself. One unexpectedly huge burger doesn’t define you or undo the walking and running you’ve been doing.

The Burger Was Bigger Than I Expected

Today had quite a bit packed into it.

This afternoon, Kim and I celebrated her getting a keyworker position, which was definitely worth celebrating. I also had a doctor’s appointment, and afterward I was on a bit of a high coming home. I probably overshared a little, but sometimes that happens when I’m feeling good and have a lot going through my head.

For our celebration meal, we went to Smitty’s.

I ordered a double-patty jam bacon burger.

Now, I knew I was ordering a burger. What I didn't quite appreciate was just how much burger was about to arrive at the table.

This thing was loaded.

I ate almost the entire burger, leaving just one bite. It wasn't that I physically couldn't have eaten that last bite. Honestly, I probably could have. But I was already really full, and looking at how big the burger was, I thought maybe finishing absolutely everything would be a little much.

I left some fries too.

Walking away from the table, there was no question about it: I was full.

Very full.

Maybe ordering such a big burger was a mistake, maybe it wasn't. It was a celebration meal, and I enjoyed it. But I also learned something fairly simple from it. Next time, I'll probably get the grilled cheese. That burger was just more food than I needed.

Later, I wasn't really planning a serious walk. I thought I'd just take the dog out for a little one.

Then I started thinking about that meal.

Unfortunately, some of those thoughts weren't particularly kind. I caught myself calling myself “chubby” and asking why I had eaten that much. Before long, my little walk had turned into a much longer walk because I had this feeling that I needed to walk off the meal.

My watch recorded 1.8 km in 20 minutes, but that wasn't anywhere close to the whole walk because I didn't start the watch until I was already halfway through. Altogether, I was probably out there around 40 minutes, and it could easily have been closer to 50. I'll have to check the camera to see when I actually left and when I came home.

By the end of the day, I'd reached 7,100 steps.

And maybe the better thing to take away from tonight isn't that I ate too much.

I had a big celebration meal. I discovered that the double-patty jam bacon burger is simply too much burger for me. I got full, I stopped eating, and I left food on my plate.

Then I had a good long walk with the dog.

I don't really need to punish myself for the burger.

Next time I'll order something smaller.

And tonight?

7,100 steps is still 7,100 steps.

Sometimes that's enough.

What I changed: I kept the honest parts about being extremely full, questioning the burger choice, and feeling compelled to walk afterward, but softened the self-criticism. The walk becomes part of the evening rather than a punishment for eating, which I think makes the ending both more truthful and kinder to yourself.

Camera says I was gone for 42 minutes ✅