Is working out easy?

I cannot believe this is my last week of the quarter before finals! School has whizzed by this grading period (due to the constant heavy workload no doubt). All I have left is a big paper due Friday, an essay test on Thursday, a small paper at the beginning of next week, and a final next Wednesday- Hooray! Then Mikey and I are off to (hopefully) sunny and warm Florida to visit my family/friends. I. Can. Not. Wait!!!
Anyways, after class today Mikey and I went to the UVillage to grab some grub before I had to go back to campus for a conference with one of my professors (regarding my paper due on Friday). We first went to Starbucks to get some warm drinks because, get this, it freakin' snowed today! It didn't really snow all winter and then OUT OF NOWHERE it snowed today, really, really bizarre. I got my fave coffee drink ever:

• Tall nonfat Caramel Machiato (140cal)

Then we headed over to Specialty's Cafe for lunch where I ordered a sandwich I have been eying for forever, but have always been afraid of the calorie count:

• Peanut Butter & Stuff Sandwich: whole wheat bread (I got mine toasted) with crunchy peanut butter, cranberry sauce, banana, and granny smith apple (854cal)

I only ate half of it as it was super dense, but my god was it amazing! Peanut butter is quite possibly my all-time favorite food, and this sandwich let it shine! I could honestly eat one every single day for the rest of my life and die happy.

=567 calories

A bit later I had the rest of my sandwich, which I warmed in the oven for a few minutes to get the peanut butter all gooey, from lunch to amp my energy (don't want a repeat of yesterday), then we headed to the gym! By the way, I am convinced this is one of the best sandwiches ever created and I wish I could eat it all over again.

• 1/2 Peanut Butter & Stuff Sandwich (427cal)

I did 51 minutes on the elliptical (my machine of choice), resulting in 5 miles and 571 calories burned :). 

One concern I have is my heart rate. I'm beginning to think I should see a doctor because when I work out, my heart rate is normally in the 190s, sometimes going up to 202 or so. I work REALLY hard when I work out (tend to feel like I'm going to die afterwards) because I feel I get the most out of the workout that way. I know that keeping it between 140 and 160 BPM is optimal, and that working out at such a high heart rate burns less fat, but I don't feel like I'm trying at all if I keep my heart rate there. 

I tried really hard to keep my heart rate down this time but could only keep it below 180 (a big deal for me). I honestly felt like I could keep going for at least another hour. It seemed too easy. Is it supposed to feel like I'm not working hard at all?

After we got home, it was time to make dinner!

While I was thinking about what to have, I munched on a juicy, sweet Pink Lady apple and a small handful of cashews:

• 178g Pink Lady apple (92cal)
• 3 tbsp salted, roasted cashews (170cal)

=262 calories

I finally decided on tomato soup topped with cheese and saltines with a side of applesauce:

• 2 cups Pacific Natural Foods Creamy Tomato Soup (200cal)
• 28g reduced fat Mexican cheese (80cal)
• 5 multigrain saltines (60cal)
• GoGo squeeZ applesauce in "appleapple" (60cal)

=400 calories

=1656 calories - 571 burned

=1085 net calories for the day