Everyday Systems

Drat. Day 2 and I have put myself in a compromising position. Great breakfast and lunch. Went out to dinner. Ordered chicken strip dinner which came with a cup of soup and coleslaw on the side. Chicken and sweet potato fries on the plate. So I ate the soup and had a few bites of the slaw. Saved the rest of the slaw and half the chicken and sweet potato fries for lunch tomorrow. I was starved but found myself feeling very full much sooner than anticipated. That's the good part.

So was today a success? Or a failure? Or if I have to ask.....then maybe that's not a good thing, huh?

I would say that sounds like a green! You were very smart to save some of your food, and to stop when you were full.

Sound like success from here.

Sounds like a success to me Why would you think it's a failure?

Thanks for the positive comments! I did feel success in the way I handled the food and really did save quite a bit. (Just finished it for a satisfying lunch!) I also did not end up blowing the rest of the day - which would have been a past reaction.

But, I feel like I broke the one plate rule with the cup of soup and the side of slaw. But eating out....soups and salads are always like an appetizer or a side dish. Thats what had me confused. The meal I had last night included both the soup and salad. Maybe I should have ordered something different???

suz wrote:Maybe I should have ordered something different???

Maybe, but don't overthink it.

For the first year or so I did this I didn't realize there was a one-plate rule. I ate one serving of whatever was being served (with the exception of very obvious things, like appetizers or desserts). For me it's usually salads or soups that are "on the side" and I don't worry about them.

The purpose of the one-plate rule (in addition to portion control) is to alert you to exactly how much you're eating. If it's all in front of you at once and you SEE it, there's less room for self-deception.

And.. you can "virtual plate" -- that is, leave something on the plate to account for something you ate on a separate plate, so that the total space is about what would have fit on a plate. Which is what it sounds like you intuitively did.

You do have to be careful with virtual-plating so that you don't fool yourself, but when you eat out, there's often no other way to handle the way the food comes to you.

(And I agree with everyone else... definitely green! )