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



