Week 6: The Complacency Challenge

Today begins week seven of following Shirley, and thanks to my husband John and his nutritious dinners, I continue to stick pretty close to my eating plan. (I'm losing weight too, but that's beside the point.) In fact, I'm doing so well that I'm in danger of getting complacent.  I'm forgetting to write down my food each hour, having to catch up at the end of the day, or even occasionally the next day.

Is it really necessary to record all consumption? Yes, I think it is, because it keeps the reality in the forefront.  I don't want to start losing track of what I eat again.  That's unconscious eating, which leads to trouble. 

Speaking of unconscious eating, I've been having trouble practicing the Thin Gourmet technique, and until I can do that consistently, I refuse to move on to the next step.  What's difficult about the TG technique is its slowness, I think.  It's hard to put the fork down, chew slowly and with awareness, all while conversing.  And slowing down means the food gets cold sooner.  I don't like cold food, so sometimes I warm it up in the microwave halfway through the meal.  But I do find that I get full sooner, too.

But that's another challenge: stopping when full.  I've done it a few times, but it's not easy.  I feel that tiny bit of fear that if I don't eat it now, I won't have it later.  Of course, that's irrational.  No one will eat the food if I put it in the refrigerator.  And even if someone does, what have I lost?  Two ounces of meat or starch that I could easily do without anyway.  There must be something primal about cleaning one's plate--a survival instinct born of scarce food and occasional feasts that make it a good strategy to pack it away when the opportunity presents itself. 

But that doesn't explain how my slender friend can stop eating when full, put the food in the refrigerator and forget about it until it's gone bad.  I guess she must be missing that instinct.  If we ever have to go back to hunting and gathering to obtain food, she'll be in trouble! Meanwhile, however, she's the same size she was when she was a teenager.

So this week my goal is to practice TG at every meal so that it eventually becomes a habit.  Wish me luck!