My theory on studying and food

During my freshmen year of college, I LOVED to snack on frosted raspberry poptarts while studying. I would use my Big Red Bucks and buy a package of 2 at the convenience store when leaving the all-you-can-eat dining hall and eat them for dessert while highlighting my textbooks. Ok fine, they were my second dessert, the soft serve ice cream bar was my first dessert at the end of my all-you-can-eat meal.

Sidenote: When I came home for Thanksgiving during my freshmen year, my best friend's mom (really my "second mom" growing up) asked, "Are your wisdom teeth acting up again?" She was referring to the fact that about 15 months before I had my wisdom teeth out and subsequently got an infection causing my cheeks to balloon for days. "No. It's called the Freshmen 15."

So. That was the end of the raspberry poptarts. However, I still have a problem with snacking while studying! I cannot stop eating when my brain is working so hard! Therefore, my theory is: Studying really hard is very similar to running a marathon (like I would know.....), you use energy rapidly and get very hungry very quickly.

Last week: Me: "Matt, we have no more chex-mix." Matt: "REALLY? I just bought that bag!"

Two days later: Me: "We are out of rosemary and garlic triscuits." Matt: "I know. You ate ALL the snacks."

I don't actually know if using your brain burns calories, but I did a tiny bit of research and found this article which is slightly off topic, but interesting: "The energy expenditure of using a “walk-and-work” desk for office workers with obesity" by James Levine and Jennifer Miller out of the Mayo Clinic. Hm... what a workplace that would be.