Fortified Candy Bars redux

I mentioned my favorite protein bar in a post earlier this year.  I take them traveling, so I packed some for my trip to the USSSA Worlds in Orlando, FL last weekend.  Never mind how we did, I'm here to write about the protein bars.

When I ran out of the bars I brought, I picked up some more at the Publix in Kissimmee.  Or maybe it was the Walmart.  No, I think it was Publix.

Anyway, I noticed it seemed to have a much darker color than I was used to, and was dryer and tougher to chew. I'm guessing it was closer to the expiration date than what I had been used to.

When I came back, I remembered a similar experience when I bought some of those bars on clearance at the local GNC a couple weeks ago.  Lo and behold, I found the wrapper to one of those.  The photos below show the wrapper of the "clearance" bar, and the freshly-opened bar I just purchased at the local Walmart earlier this week.

The difference in freshness was obvious.  I wish I could show you how the older bar looked. (Well, "wish" is putting it a bit strong; "would like to but can't" is more accurate.) Their expiration dates, excuse me, "sell by" dates, are a year apart.

I saw a teaser on CBS This Morning about sell-by, use-by, or make-banana-bread-by dates and what they really mean, if anything (teasing an old bit, apparently).  I didn't get the least bit ill from eating the old bar, but eating it was nowhere near as enjoyable as the fresh one I bought this week.

Generally speaking,  that is what companies will tell you the dates are meant for.  You don't have to pour out that expired-yesterday milk (sniff it first), nor the bread (check for mold, though), or toss out that MetRx bar.  Just don't blame the company if it isn't as good as you expected.

Bowling balls and fortified candy bars

My equpiment is all set, and the latest changes to my game are in place, so all that is left is the packing and anticipation. I look for a much better USBC Open Championship than last year's debacle in Baton Rouge. Team event is Saturday the 27th; S&D on Sunday.

Yes, I've bought new equipment before.  Yes, I've made changes to my game before.  So I will not post on those until after I return from Reno.

I'm munching on a MetRX protein bar right now, and will be packing plenty for my trip. I'm trying to budget well, so I won't be doing to many traditional meals in Reno.  Although it's a relatively expensive bar at $3.49 at my company store and other convenience stores, Walmart carries them for $1.98/bar.  Cheaper than Micky D's in Reno for sure.

Hard to believe MetRx has been around for over 20 years now.  So many supplement companies come and go, primarily because people eventually realize the latest and greatest is nothing but the same stuff (or no more effective than the stuff) that other companies are selling.

I've seen so many of these companies come and go, and many of them went with some of my money.  Cybergenics. Hot Stuff. Weider, back when he was king. EAS is barely hanging on, or so it seems.

I like protein bars only for the convenience.  It's too inconvenient to get my daily intake of protein, so there you go. But I do laugh at the mere thought of them selling what is basically a fortified candy bar, or clump of cookie dough in the case of my personal favorite offering.

When MetRx first came out, it was as a powder that came in two parts, perfectly formulated so that you mix them together to form the perfect food and only supplement you would ever need. My bullshit detector was not as sharp back then, so I only questioned to myself casually why, if this was the perfect combination of milk and whey protein, was it OK per the directions to mix it with either water or milk?

Anyway, now it's a sugar-sweetened clump of cookie dough, so perhaps the original product wasn't so perfect after all.  And of course, Bill Phillips, of Body-for-Life fame, who co-promoted the product, spun off his own company and competitive product (EAS/Myoplex), and touted his as the superior product. My naivete of yesteryear was a trigger point to future financial issues.  I bought over $500 of the stuff on a credit card, back when I was a rookie DJ making $6/hour.  I justified it by kidding myself into believing I would hardly need any other solid food, so the cost would be offset somewhat. The credit card balance would grow and grow for more than just a few years, and led to some seriously lean and turbulent times ahead for me and my soon-to-be first wife.

I have never tried, nor intend to try, recreational/anabolic steroids, but I've spent many a dollar trying to find the perfect natural supplement.  Hint: It doesn't exist.  I still like to try new products, but more for the convenience of them, and the workout energy. Nothing works anywhere close to steroids - a lesson I wish I had fully learned many years and dollars ago.