Looking For Insight
As I’ve talked about several times, restaurant eating can prove challenging to me. I’ve spent countless hours mulling over why I showed up at a restaurant with the best of intentions to eat the healthier, lighter meals and found myself instead swimming through the most calorific meal on the menu. But here’s the thing, why haven’t I spent the same amount of time analyzing the times where I went to a restaurant and made fantastic choices? Why the focus on the negative and complete ignoring of the positive? We ate at the Olive Garden this weekend and I had the Minestrone soup, a serving of salad, and a breadstick. It totally hit the spot and I stopped eating because I was satisfied and full. For a dinner, it was more than within calorie range and it fit perfectly into my food plan for the whole day. Why did this time (and many of the times lately) go exactly according to schedule? Why am I not tempted to gorge myself lately when other times I find myself weeks into a binge that doesn’t have any end in sight? Even though I’m doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing, I’m not sure why. I just feel like if I understand it, then I’ll be able to keep doing it.
posted by Lynne @ 12:47 AM
5 Comments:
Honestly, I avoid restaurants as much as I can. It just isn't possible to get a healthy meal in most, and when you can, it's by limiting your choices so severely there's no point in being at a restaurant. I'm in no way criticizing your choice, but for me I wouldn't be willing to pay restaurant prices for a bowl of soup and a salad: I can make that at home cheaper and probably better. It's sort of black-and-white to me: either eat good food at home or overeat in restaurant. So I limit eating out to special occasions. So I guess that's my mindset with it: if I'm going to be in a restaurant and paying the prices, then I want to "get my money's worth."
You're in the zone! I know exactly what you mean, and it's a total mystery to me. I think it is something like rolling downhill: the hard part is getting started, you've gotten a good start, you're halfway down the hill, and you just keep picking up speed, and you're seeing all this progress, and the progress is more important to you than the food.
Which would imply that when you hit your goal weight and are just trying to maintain, it becomes much harder. So, your question is a great one, how do I keep this up, especially when the weight has all come off? I sure don't know the answer. I hope some of your other readers do and will share it with us!
I dont have the answers either, but I will keep reading in case another poster drops by with them :-) Sounds to me that you are doing pretty well here though, good for you.
I so wish I had the answer for you to the incredibly complex question...but I don't. I'm still trying to figure out the same thing. I can go weeks on end, doing the "right thing" and then just as quickly it goes out the window. I think that's why being mindful of our choices, environment, body's feelings, etc. is so important. I'm convinced that it's only through analyzing these things (keeping a food diary, journaling, whatever) that we can create an accurate enough record to reach the moment where we one day will say, "AHA!" and really get it. In the meantime, enjoy those moments where you're making healthy choices and feeling good about yourself. That, too, can be a powerful motivator to continue doing the "right" things. Either way, I'm proud of you! Keep up the great work!
If you figure it out, please let me know!!! I am horrible in any situation that requires resisting temptation. I only do well when I'm at home, in total control of my environment. Alas life is more complicated than that, and so I'm running into all kinds of trouble. If I could learn to manage eating out etc, I'd be THRILLED! Good on you for doing so well lately!
Post a Comment
<< Home