There were exactly twelve donuts on the counter in the kitchenette. A kind coworker brought them in as Valentine’s Day treats for the staff. Gwen passed them on her way to the refrigerator shortly after she arrived to work on Monday and passed them again on her way back to the office. In between the two trips, Gwen managed to hover over them for a few seconds to contemplate the state of ecstasy promised with each bite.

Last week, cupcakes were in the same spot on the counter. Gwen managed to talk her way out of snatching one, convincing herself that because they were vanilla, they couldn’t possibly be tasty. This, of course, was a lie, but she managed to convince herself that this was the case, at least long enough for them to disappear into someone else’s stomach.

Gwen lived through two torturous days of cupcake passing.

The fare on this particular Monday was chocolate, Gwen’s favorite. Gwen has priorities, namely the pile of reports sitting on her desk. Still, she quickly looked up the calories online. The first site quoted 370 calories in one chocolate creme-filled donut.

That can’t be right, she thought. That is almost her entire lunch allotment.

A second search ended in 221 calories per donut, which seemed much more reasonable, and, therefore, she thought, more accurate. Yet, that was still a substantial amount of calories, and at 5’0“ in height, Gwen didn’t have a lot of caloric ”wiggle“ room…unless she wanted to ”jiggle“ instead of ”wiggle.“

Gwen’s salvation had always been exercise. She power walks on the treadmill at least five days a week and participates in strength training an additional three of those days. In the spring and summer, Gwen can be found on a trail most weekend days. And given that muscle is more metabolically active than fat, her active lifestyle has helped her keep the added pounds at bay.

At 221 calories, given Gwen’s height, weight, and typical exercise intensity, she thought an extra thirty minutes on the treadmill was a small price to pay for the indulgence. She consumed the donut in a matter of seconds.

Did Gwen rationalize her way to donut consumption, or was her decision an exercise in problem-solving? Is there a difference? Does it even matter? Is it possible to rationalize our rationalizations to avoid guilt? Why feel guilty? It is only one donut. Right?

If only life were so simple. Health is more than a question of math. Still, we are missing the bigger picture. There are different questions in need of answers. If we ask them, can we change the way we think?

To begin with, why are donuts tempting? What if the foundational questions were more about the value of the person, instead of the lowly donut?

I tried to locate Gwen for answers, but she ended up working late to clear that pile on her desk. There will be a treadmill waiting for her after work. It will be up to her to decide if the cupcake was worth the price.