portion control

No, I'm not on a diet.  I'm far from that.  It's more like I'm controlling my diet.  I work hours that require me to either eat right before leaving for work (which almost never happens) or pack my food with me, as well as provide for my second meal.  Many of my coworkers eat out for their lunch or dinner, filling the office with smells of fatty-, salty-, or sugary-goodness.  I have been strong in my resolve to not fall into the trap of running to McDonald's for "something small," mostly out of the inability to sustain such a practice financially, but also in an effort to not increase my girth to the size of a small yak, and have been successful in fending off the urge to indulge "just once cause it's Friday and I've earned it."

Me if I'm not careful.

And so I pack my meals to work, usually whatever is handy in the refrigerator on my way out the door, which makes for less-than-healthy eats.  And usually I grab large quantities of whatever it is, enough for three or four meals plus snacking, if I'm honest with myself, and then I scarf it all down in a stress-and-boredom-induced feeding frenzy around 2 p.m. then go home hungry again and eat junk food well past when I should be eating.

Well, no more!  I'm trying to keep my portions down.  A lot.  My guide is "a handful."  A handful of green beans, a single small slice of meatloaf (which, incidentally, was tonight's dinner), a handful of grapes, etc.  I don't feel stuffed, but I don't feel hungry either (mouth-hungry is a different story).

I'm also trying to eat healthier foods.  Nothing crazy, just forcing myself to take a vegetable with me more often and not take a handful of M&M's.

What are my expectations for this?  Well, I expect to drop thirty pounds over the next couple weeks.  Let's see how this goes...