Sinful Sunday?

Thanks for the advice on dealing with major food events. Perhaps I'll try some of those tips and see if they work.

I know one trick I've read about many, many times that I've recently started to implement is to use a smaller plate. When I set the dinner table I give hubby and daughter the regular dinner plates and I give myself one of the -- gee, what do they call them, dessert plates, bread plates? Whatever the name, I've quickly grown used to it and it does give the impression you're eating more. There's something pleasing to the eye when you have a full plate, whereas a big plate with little portions of food on it can quickly bring on feelings of deprivation.

Well, I managed to survive Saturday without blowing my calorie count out of the galaxy. I did eat a lot, though. For lunch I made another batch of the Chinese cabbage I cooked a few nights ago with the infamous Vietnamese porkchops. I ate the entire thing, which was a lot of volume, but in adding up the calories it only amounted to a tad over 300 calories.

Then supper time came along. Hubby's parents asked us out for dinner, and they wanted to go to Pizza Hut. Normally I'd groan and after much wailing and gnashing of teeth I'd get there, eat to excess on their buffet and feel really badly about it afterwards.

But instead I hopped on the Internet and checked out the restaurant's website. Did you know they have a new Fit 'n Delicious menu with a Low Fat Pizza? The crust is very thin (which is my preference anyway), they use less cheese, more sauce, and you can pick up to three veggies or lean meats for your toppings. I went with diced tomato, green pepper and mushroom (although someone did sneak a few red onions on there, too), and it was quite delicious. In fact, I ate four pieces! If the nutrition information on the website is correct, I had a 600 calorie meal and left extremely satisfied.

So I managed to finish the day guilt-free yet with a happy tummy. You gotta' like those days.

Then this morning came. I felt the old "I want to eat but I shouldn't" anxiety, and I've been doing my best to keep it from pushing me to the refrigerator. The last two weeks I've had "Sinful Sundays," where I ate more than I should have, and lots of calorie-dense foods to boot. There were "excuses" for each of those Sundays, but it still didn't give me a pass on the consequences of my actions.

This Sunday there are no excuses. Oh, I could quickly make some up. In fact, just a few minutes ago Mabel was requesting chicken noodle soup from one of her favorite all-you-can-eat buffet places. How easy it would be to take her there and then eat myself into a tizzy. But that doesn't mean I have to give in to her -- or me, for that matter. Sometimes you have to be the adult and use some tough love, even when the demanding child is the one inside of you begging for the bread pudding.

Instead of another Sinful Sunday, how about I make this a Strong Sunday? I don't have to deprive myself and let myself go hungry, but I don't have to clean out a quart of ice cream, either. I still have half of that yummy pizza in the fridge, as well as a freezer full of some new veggie combinations I found on sale at the grocery store. I can still have my love affair with food, but I need to learn that my attraction to the "bad boys" always leaves me burned -- and heavier -- in the end.