[One Small Bowl] Buffet

[Guest guest]

Yesterday, I got the call at a little after 3am, husband just pulled into town. I got dressed, grabbed the large tub and headed to the place he parks the truck when home. It was kinda creepy driving that early in the morning, I had to go pass the cemetery and I felt a little twinge of creepiness not seeing any cars or signs of life. It was less work than usual, only one set of bedding to remove and I filled the tub with one set of eating utensils, his computer bag, laundry bag, shaving kit and the left over fresh foods which was just 2 packs of sausages and 2 bricks of cheese. We got home and I made him a hot and hearty breakfast and off to bed he went, bleary eyed. He had not slept at all, with a delivery at midnight and the 2 hour drive afterwards. By 5 am, and I already had his laundry in the washer. Wow, I am surprised that it was a breeze to get this all done so soon. I guess with me being home, it is only his stuff and not mine too. BG was 90!!!!! WOW! I am getting back down again! I wanted to weight yesterday morning, but in my hurry, forgot to. I want to weight every day until I leave, I want to monitor it more closely right now. Yesterday's meals: 4am plate: 2 sunny side up eggs, a few strips of bacon, coffee and half & half [the eggs had a rich taste, the yolks were done to perfection. The bacon crisp and tasty. This will always be one of my favourite breakfasts. Even with my husband present, I ate slowly and savoured the tastes. The coffee was excellent, I enjoyed every sip] 12pm Buffet: 1-1/2 plates: seafood salad: this was my favourite of all. It tasted fresh, was not overly sweet. I ate the most of this, about 1 cup. I was aware of the carbs in this dish in the surimi. broccoli salad: also my favourite, the raw broccoli, bacon and raisins. I was aware of the sugar content of this dish and kept the portion very small, about 2 florets and a T of the raisin/bacon mixture. orange chicken: I really liked this too. It was crispy with a corn starch coating, but not a batter. I ate 4 pieces about the size of a large marshmallow. bourbon chicken: normally a favorite, today I found it too rich and overpowering in flavour. I ate 3 bites and left the rest. southwestern chicken: normally a favourite, today I though it too spicy and not the taste I liked. I ate two bites and left the rest. sausage: this was very good, it seemed to be more of a boudain type sausage, very tender, 4 bites were just right. creamed spinach: not good at all. Sauce was too thick and the flavour was flat. I ate 2T and left the rest. brussel spouts: Good. I enjoyed 3 of them. guacamole: bland and tasteless. A disappointment, I ate 1 bite and left the rest. sour cream: I adore sour cream, but with so many flavours going on, I missed out on it's special qualities. 1T and left the rest. cheese sauce: Not at all good. Tasted like it came out of a can. 1T and left the rest. I stopped eating at the halfway mark on the second plate, leaving the food there and did not want any more. I felt too full and it was interesting to me to watch my husband struggle to stop eating, but finally, the forth plate did him in. He had ice cream and 6 or so chocolate truffles on his 4th plate, and he could not finish off the last three truffles, he was shuddering from the sweetness. I had really debated on whether to have a coconut macaroon, but when I saw the effects on him of one bite too many, I reminded myself how I felt last time when I pushed my limits to have the desserts. This time, I was not falling into the same well. As I had two successes, I also realized that I could have done better. As we left, I saw a stack of small bowls. It did not occur to me to use one for my food and I could have easily done so. I also recognized my anticipation of eating was high as I first approached the buffet. This is the moment that is almost frightening, knowing one is just about to swirl out of control. It was a very brief moment, because I took a deep mental breath, stopped my thought process by making choices. I would stay on the lower carb side of the foods, balancing it with eating foods I normally do not, which to me is the point of paying money to eat outside of the home. I don't freak out if choose the seafood salad over the baked fish, or the broccoli salad over the romaine. I did pass by all the breads, the battered foods, the pizzas, pasta's and the dessert table. The only thing I would re-do if I could while there is simply to choose the very best and not have such a variety. I am finding through mindfulness that it soon gets overwhelming to have too many flavours at one sitting. BG 1 hour after buffet: 123, 2 hours: 117. Not as bad as I thought it would be. 7pm plate and bowl: buttermilk chicken with spinach, salad with bleu cheese dressing, 2 glasses of wine. [Dinner was good, the chicken still tender and moist and the amount I put on my plate was the amount I would have put in my bowl. The wine most excellent. The salad was delicious but too much] 9pm coffee, cream and 1-1/2 squares of 90% cocoa chocolate. [absolute heavenly, but I felt too full all day with all this food]. Husband was happy to be home, I felt happiness with him here. I don't like how I feel from the food, though. I need to listen to this, it is my body being very vocal. Husband was feeling bloated and uncomfortable too, but then he ate 3 helpings of dinner and lots of candy afterwards. What I see is that we both put way too much emphasis on food. I knew I ate too much at the buffet, I knew that the salad at dinner was too much, and when I had coffee, the thought crossed my mind that I didn't need it. I really miss eating from my bowl, the feelings of eating just the right amount. --

Posted By One Small Bowl to One Small Bowl at 4/12/2011 07:40:00 AM