A Mixed Bag: 95% Full

Baltimore, MD--Perhaps last night was a mixed bag, but I choose to view it as a victory, perhaps a 95%-full victory.

I'm definitely not perfect--I'm still a hara hachi bu person in training. I enjoyed last night's meal immensely, some favorite foods served, but I did leave food on my plate. For me, that's major, though I ultimately consumed 1,700-1,800 calories for the day--maybe more. I did notice something interesting: I was not hungry today until lunchtime, though I had awakened at 8:00 a.m. So my body seems to be learning the signs of hunger/overeating.

I ate very moderately at lunch, perhaps about one-half of my food, one-third of my dessert.

For me, that's progress.

I suspect that most normal weight people don't even think about consciously leaving food behind, but I'm not normal in the way I relate to food, and, so, I must make a conscious decision to stop eating--that's the reality, and I can't deny that flaw in my psychological makeup.

I realized that I was probably full, and, yes, 20-30 minutes later, I was content and full.

Interesting observation, though: I had to talk myself out of feeling guilt for eating "forbidden" food--another lesson to be learned--that no food is truly forbidden, just to be taken in moderation. Thin people don't obsess over these matters.

Crucial elements of my training:

--Eat what I like.
--Eat in moderation.
--Stop eating when I'm 80% full, but don't beat myself up when I "slip." Even thin people slip sometimes, and they think nothing of it.

Why should I?