As I mentioned in my Hunger vs. Appetite post, social eating is something that can get a little out of control for me. My mind and mouth are too busy talking and listening to think about what food I'm putting in. I knew this would be a problem last night as we were doing a girls night. But, I can't just stop being social and I don't want it to feel like deprivation. Weekends can truly sabotage all of your efforts from the week so go into it with a plan.
I ate smaller meals for breakfast and lunch yesterday knowing that my calories would be up last night. I can't say I did great on portion size...lime tortilla chips are addicting and I'm sure I grabbed out of the bag a few too many times. But, when I logged most of what I ate, I wasn't in the "gain weight" zone. I was probably in the maintain weight. That's good, but not great. I'd like to get better about portion sizes of junk snacks.
One thing that I try to do when I know there will be a "buffet" of junk is I try to figure out what I am really wanting to eat and pick my top 2 or 3 things from the table instead of trying them all. That way, I can hope to satisfy the craving, social eater in me and not go too overboard. Eating from a plate is the best (unlike me eating out of the bag). That way, when loading the plate, you are fully aware if you go back for seconds and it might bring your mind back into the game helping you to make better choices. Then, throw it away after the food is gone from it! No plate, no more eating.
If I had been on my best behavior last night, I would have gotten my plate, picked my 3 favorite things and taken a small portion of each. I would have grabbed my big water bottle and enjoyed the things on my plate while chatting with my friends. Just so you know, I didn't do that and I hope that makes you feel better. I was holding the baby, swaying back and forth and eating with 1 free hand a few bites here and a few bites there. Someone asked me if they could help me dish up a plate about an hour later and it was too late. Oh well.
Even though I wasn't perfect, a few things to celebrate is that I didn't overdo it and I had a great time with my friends. Now to let go of the perfectionist in me and not beat myself up for it. I know many girls do this too and then we swear that our pants fit tighter the next day. I would have had to eat 3600 EXTRA calories on top of my normal 2200 last night in order to have gained 1 pound. That doesn't mean I'm not retaining a bit of water from all of the salt on those yummy chips, but I'm quite positive I didn't gain a pound.
Life is to be enjoyed and if I'm thinking too much about what I'm eating or not eating, then I'm thinking too much about me. I'm pretty sure life isn't about me either! Food and friends are not the enemy.
No comments:
Post a Comment