Never trust the obese chef!

Starting tomorrow, guests are back on board, so yesterday I took advantage of the beautiful weather and, naturally, popped over to Hamburg to see The Twelve Chairs. I’ll write separately about that trip and those chairs because it’s part of a bigger idea I’m working on… You’ll read, you’ll see. But it's a damn important topic, especially right now.
On the way back, I stopped into Rossmann at Hamburg Central Station to grab some vegan protein bars. The WellMix vegan bars from Rossmann rule, and they only cost 99 cents.
I also picked up a WellMix vegan protein drink to test on the go. Doesn’t blow my mind, but it’s drinkable.
Perfect for trips like yesterday’s: 20 km on foot and 1,400 kcal burned during activity. YEAH! That’s how you cut weight!
Lately, my weight’s been creeping back up, so I’m returning to counting calories —
With the caveat that I don’t count calories on days like yesterday.
My total calorie requirement for that day was over 3,000 kcal, and there’s no way I could’ve eaten that much while walking around. Breakfast, lunch in the city, maybe a snack.
The downside is, when I get home, I tend to eat a heavy dinner. Unless I’m too tired and go straight to bed. Either way, I’m still in a calorie deficit.
When you're cutting weight or running a calorie deficit, it's important to consume plenty of protein. So I’m bringing protein bars back in, returning to protein powder (which I couldn’t handle at one point — but now I add it to my yogurt desserts), and using drinks like these.
One drink is 200 kcal with 25g of protein.
The bars have just under 200 kcal and 12g of protein.
These little trips with long walks are a great way to stay in shape, even better for people who have desk jobs rather than physical ones like mine.
Very important: remember to bring something to drink, especially in this hot season. An isotonic drink is best.
And obviously, don’t jump into a 20 km hike on day one — especially if you lead a sedentary life. I think 4 km is a perfectly fine starting point.
The goal isn’t just to rack up steps or obsess over how many calories you've burned. That’s pointless.
Yesterday I went to Niendorf — a district of Hamburg I hadn’t been to before. I love discovering new places, but also wandering around St. Pauli for the 50th time, admiring the Elbe and Speicherstadt. I like heading to a new restaurant for me, 2, 3 km away. That’s what matters in physical activity: it should bring you joy.
It shouldn't be some imaginary reward, like “When I lose weight, then I’ll finally get laid” or “If I get fitter, I’ll work so hard I’ll earn the honor of shaking the CEO’s hand.”
Ugh. And who knows where that hand’s been...
The activity itself *should* be the reward. It should be something you enjoy, your way of spending time, your hobby.
It’s like with cooking — if I didn’t have to work, or if I did something else for a living, I’d still be cooking and feeding people. I love it.
If I didn’t have to worry about fitness and weight, I’d still go wandering around Hamburg or whatever city I’m in for an hour on foot — because I just love doing that.
So it's worth choosing a form of activity that’s enjoyable in itself and feels like a reward.
No, masturbation doesn’t count.