The First Taste

Almost always, the first taste of anything is the most satisfying. This is especially true of ice cream and beer, but also works for most sweets and many other dishes. Never-the-less, I can't be trusted around certain kinds of sweets and I will simply keep on until whatever-it-was is gone.

I've learned that I have to plan treats into my eating. I'm not going to completely change my diet and eliminate all forms of treats. So instead, I need to work on planning them in, and then portion controlling them so they don't throw me completely off.

This may have been some of what worked for me in the Big Loss several years ago. The eating plan I was following was basically no carb during the day, but an evening meal that could contain any food, in balanced portions and consumed within an hour.  That one-hour limit also really worked to keep out the late night snacking.

Portion control. Allow a taste. Allow a few bites. But what are the strategies to make it only a few?

If buying something, buy things that only come in small sizes. A single tiny candy bar. A single mini-cupcake.  This works for treats I keep at my house, but doesn't work for family treats. Buy only enough for everyone to have that evening's portion, with no left-overs for picking at later.

If serving something, use the smallest bowl or plate I can find, and eat it with the smallest spoon or fork.

Share a beer, or pour the other half down the drain.

No eating ice cream from the container while standing in front of the freezer!

Buy incredibly expensive treats that only come in small portions. There is a pie shop down H Street from the pharmacy that sells individual pies for - I kid you not - $28 each.  (My boy the pie fan gets one when he turns 16 next month, and probably never another till he can vote!)  Cupcake shops are also ridiculously priced.

Today was an ooky day overall. Feeling dissed and taking the whole government shut down thing very personally. Little work done as everyone cleaned the fridge and watered the plants and worried about when they would be able to get back to doing what needs to be done. I stopped at Whole Foods to pick up supper for just me because the kids were off doing things with their friends.  I cruised the bakery shop and eyed many many good things, but rejected everything that required buying more than a single thing. They didn't have any blueberries - must finally be out of season in the southern hemisphere - and none of the other off-season fruit looked good. I ended up with a single "jumble" cookie - raisins and chocolate chips and different nuts all together in one. Sadly, it was a medium (but not enormous) cookie. I could have been satisfied with half, but I ate it all.  So kudos for me for all the things I didn't buy (carrot cake donut holes! cinnamon swirls! my absolute favorites - apple turnovers!)  but its a shame there wasn't a single smaller option.  Look for the small, good treat.