The Art of Snacking

The snack. It sneaks up on you and, I know for me, it's hard to keep track of how much you're actually eating. The snack is a sly guy, but it will no longer outsmart me. 

Recently, my amazing mom won a fairly prestigious award. It was commanded by the Queen! So, she had a party. And, as any good party should go, there were snacks, and cake, and alcohol. All good things. I had determined that I wasn't going to gorge myself. I was going to attack that food with a well laid out plan. The quiche, shrimp, bread, dips and cake would not win this battle. And, it didn't! 

Here's how I did it: I honed in on my top items. The things I was not going to leave behind. There was lots to choose from, leek and brie quiche, veggie quiche, salad rolls, fresh bread with hummus, tapenade, shrimp, pizza, and cake, and more I'm sure. I tried not to think about it. I gave myself a number (Now I hadn't had dinner, so I was generous here). I grabbed my small little plate, grabbed a couple pieces, and ate one at a time, rinse, and repeat, until I hit my quota. I got to go back to the food table quite a few times. I felt like I had eaten a ton! But, the next part was the hardest. 

You're at a party, you're socializing. Food and drink are par for the course in these kinds of situations. You almost look out of place if you don't have one or the other in hand. But there I was; I had hit my self imposed limit. I wasn't going to eat any more. But how was I going to overcome that temptation? Easy. Put the plate down, Porky! And that's just what I did. Threw my plate in the sink, and called it a day. Now clearly, this step seems kind of obvious. But for those that struggle with snacking, you know what I'm talking about. It's hard to stop unless the temptation is taken away. Now, there was still a table full of food, and I couldn't exactly clear it away. So I just avoided it. Got myself into a conversation and BOOM! It was time to go home and there was no more food temptation. And I felt really good about what I had accomplished. Point: Maren.

I have talked about it before. This whole thing is mind over matter. Tricking yourself into thinking that you're eating more than you are, and that you actually want less, until your body finally figures it out. Now, I'm not perfect. Almost, but not quite. The Chicken on the Way I had for lunch today was to die for. Just so greasy and good. And the corn fritters...Oh.My.God. I regret nothing. But it's the understanding that it's okay to have a treat like that every once in a while. There is no shame in having a cheat day, because there is no good reason to deprive myself of delicious food, whether it's good for me or not. I have my whole life ahead of me. And not enjoying it just isn't an option. Especially, since I can snack and eat Chicken on the Way and still lose 7.5 pounds!