• A few weeks ago, an old friend invited our family over for dinner, which turned out to be a festive cultural experience. It was during their holiday of Succoth (the Jewish holiday of Tabernacles), so we got to eat in a Gilligan Island-style hut called a Succah, in his backyard. One of the lessons for this Holiday is to get you out of the comfort of your home and remind you that others might not be as fortunate or have the basic necessities of food, shelter, clothing and etc. It was a great change of pace for us and the kids had fun eating under the stars.
    The only downside was having to bring all the food outside for the meal. No biggie, I figured. It’s just like a barbecue. However, that day there were quite a few bugs flying around, so they served the food, buffet-style, inside. I don’t know about you but I don’t do well with buffets. I always tend to overeat. So, we filled our plates and sat outside to eat. At first it seemed a little inconvenient. But soon I appreciated the byproduct of the hassle. After I finished my plate, I was still a little hungry and would normally have gone back for seconds. Howerver, I was too embarrassed and perhaps tired (or lazy) to walk back inside for seconds. Then, by the time I thought it over, my food had settled and I was no longer hungry. Of course, I mustered up the energy to go back for desert.
    I always knew that it was important to eat slowly and let your food digest. However, the reality was that I’d always go back for seconds since I love to eat. So, it got me thinking that creating that distance or delay right after eating is a great way to control my food portions. Let’s face it. I’m weak and may never have complete self-control When it comes to food. So, why put myself in a bad situation. I’ve now committed to creating safeguards by preparing appropriate portion-sized meals that I can eat at work and home. It’s easy with pre-sectioned Tupperware containers. Then I make it inconvenient to access more food. I can’t eat what isn’t there. We love the outdoors, so our family now schedules at least one meal per week outdoors. The kids love it and I get to control my food intake. Just being able able to take the time to think about allowing my food to digest is a good start. Now if I can just stay away from fast-food and those vending machines at work, I’ll be in great shape!