Today we went to lunch at a friend of my husband’s (new, through work). They were a nice couple (my first time meeting them) and the wife made quite a spread. First off, let me say how happy I am not to be dieting. I was able to enjoy the food without worrying about ratios, points, calories, what have you. I was also able to not Last Meal it as well. No stuffing my face because this will be “the last time” I may ever eat a deviled egg.
We took Z and she had a blast. The place was full of shiny objects, snow globes, candles, breakables - all within reach of her excited little hands. She did pretty well there but, of course, needed to be watched like a hawk. No accidents, thankfully.
So mid-meal, I got up to explore with her, keep her tiny fingers at bay. Once I was able to sit back down I realized I was full. I had eaten enough of the meal that (I hope) it wasn’t insulting but I did not eat as much as I know I would have given the chance pre-fullness.
I enjoyed some chocolate mousse for dessert - just enough to satisfy the mouth hunger. And I was good to go. Full the rest of the day until this moment. Hmmm, what should I eat for dinner?
How do I replicate this experience? How do I get in to the habit of stepping away from my meal midway? And how do I do this without making it feel like a should or a rule. I am so good at that, it’s hard to let go of the habit. I want to make it a natural part of me. But do I go through some behavioral conditioning first? I feel like I need a timer or some sort of visual reminder at every meal. That seems a bit diet-y to me, though. Or is that just my diet baggage whacking me in the head?
I enjoyed this post and reading others in your blog! You have so many interesting thoughts about eating and body image and everything relates back to our daily lives. I love the ways you have come up with for eating in a healthier way.
I have found I am much more able to control myself outside of my home. During my WW days, fellow dieters would complain about how hard it was to eat out, but I always did better eating out, and now I find it easier to eat intuitively when eating out. I;m not sure why. Maybe because there in only a limited amount of food at the restaurant as opposed to my house where there is a whole grocery store-full of food! Make sense?
I think maybe you just need to remember how good you felt about your decisions and just go with that. Next time, remember that it feels like crap to stuff yourself silly, and don’t worry about making it a rule - because rules are made to be broken!