Red or Green?

No Snacks, no sweets, no seconds. Except on Days that start with S. Too simple for you? Simple is why it works. Look here for questions, introductions, support, success stories.

Moderators: Soprano, automatedeating

Post Reply
User avatar
suz
Posts: 17
Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2010 12:31 am
Location: Michigan

Red or Green?

Post by suz » Wed Feb 24, 2010 3:13 am

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 love food but want to change my relationship with it. Instead of the food controlling me, I want to be in charge!

clarinetgal
Posts: 1709
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 4:16 am
Location: Western Washington State

Post by clarinetgal » Wed Feb 24, 2010 7:47 am

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.

ThomsonsPier
Posts: 321
Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2006 2:18 pm
Location: Reading, UK

Post by ThomsonsPier » Wed Feb 24, 2010 10:12 am

Sound like success from here.
ThomsonsPier

It's a trick. Get an axe.

wosnes
Posts: 4168
Joined: Mon Sep 18, 2006 3:38 pm
Location: Indianapolis, IN, USA

Post by wosnes » Wed Feb 24, 2010 12:20 pm

Sounds like a success to me Why would you think it's a failure?
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

User avatar
suz
Posts: 17
Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2010 12:31 am
Location: Michigan

Post by suz » Wed Feb 24, 2010 6:21 pm

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???
I love food but want to change my relationship with it. Instead of the food controlling me, I want to be in charge!

wosnes
Posts: 4168
Joined: Mon Sep 18, 2006 3:38 pm
Location: Indianapolis, IN, USA

Post by wosnes » Wed Feb 24, 2010 7:00 pm

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.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

kccc
Posts: 3957
Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2006 1:12 am

Post by kccc » Wed Feb 24, 2010 7:56 pm

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! :) )

Post Reply