The Slimming Pool Weight Loss Blog: Hey, I was Eating That!
Sunday, February 01, 2004
The Super Bowl of Eating
Second only to Thanksgiving Day, Super Bowl Sunday is the biggest eat fest of the entire year. It's not about turkey and dressing but snacks, snacks, and more snacks. "Get your hot-n-spicy wings while you can for tomorrow we diet," they cry.
I'll admit, I'm not a sports fan -- don't throw things -- it's just that I've got too many other things going on and don't have time for watching games. I know, it's un-American, in fact the political police may just pay me a call now that I've admitted I don't watch the Super Bowl. If I hear everyone cheering I might peek in for a minute or two though, I'm not stupid.
Doesn't mean I don't think about having a Super Bowl party though. My husband joked he'd have a big bowl of rice and invite everyone over (he eats primarily a Macrobiotic diet). I bought an enormous sandwich that I don't know who will eat. I'll have some but frankly, this thing is huge, and the bread? It's about 6 inches thick. I'll have to use a knife and fork. But it's Super Bowl Sunday and ever I am in the party mood.
Speaking of a knife and fork, did you know you can drive a teenager insane by eating pizza with utensils? It's true, try it.
The eating today is "party eating" to the extreme. Finger foods, greasy, dippy stuff. Fun food. On my "Calendar of Excuses" this is a red-letter day. I'll bet the Sweet Potato Queens go all out today.
How you handle a food fest says a lot about your potential to kick your weight issues out of your life forever. Go ahead and eat, enjoy, and do not for one tiny second feel guilty or mad at yourself. A party day is for enjoying yourself. Don't gorge - that's not necessary. There's always the next meal. This won't be your last chance to eat chicken wings, even if you've resolved to start a diet tomorrow.
What's the difference between stuffing yourself and gorging? To me gorging means stuffing it in as fast as you can because you're afraid there won't be enough. Gorging is out-of-control, frantic wanting and no matter what, it's never enough.
Stuffing on the other hand simply means you're full, and you're still reaching for more. Stuffing is a choice, gorging feels as if you're choice has been taken away.
Today, while you're eating, or tomorrow if you're reading this after the Super Bowl of Eating, just know you're okay even if you're overeating. Some occasions call for it, some days you just feel like it. It's okay. You're okay.
Feeling okay with your choices goes a long way toward getting you past the sticking points - sometimes can even lead to a decision to make better choices. It's what you do the majority of the time that matters, not the occasional overindulgence.
I gained weight over the holidays because I ate chocolate much more often, and I ate desserts more often, and I over ate much more often, so naturally, I gained some weight. Now it's a month later, and nothing changed except I went back to my usual eating habits and now that weight is gone. Easy and painless.
BTW, I still have a few chocolates left over, my favorite Joseph Schmidt truffles. Why haven't I eaten them? I ate so many over December and the first week of January that I grew satisfied. I know they're there, and I think about having one occasionally but I'm usually already full or don't feel any hunger, and I'd rather wait for hunger. Then what happens when I do get hungry, I think of real food, not chocolate, so there they sit. That can happen to you too when you start to listen to what you're body wants and stop being afraid to eat an apple or an orange. Fruit is good, fresh is good, clean food is good. Try eating for appetite control. It works, and you just might like it.
