Just because you can, doesn't mean you have to!

Hello everyone. It's Monday morning and here I am back at my computer. Catching up on all of the blogs, remotivating myself for the week to come....forgiving myself for the week that past.....planning for the day ahead.

For those of you who post your meals for the day, I want to tell you that I find it very helpful. I have to work on doing that. I love the style of blogs like Rosalie and Kay where they write about their day, their meals and what's going on in their life. I like to hear about the ideas of what others are eating and doing for exercising. It give me motivation and keeps things fresh for me. I am going to work on doing that.

Mostly when I sit down to write on my blog, something has popped into my head and I just want to share it with you. The title of the blog today, is something I picked up somewhere along the way, while reading posts on facebook. Someone posted that statement in their status on facebook. It really made me think a bit about what that really means. There are lots of things we can do....are allowed to do.... can do.....but should we?

The other day I had brought home leftovers from a dinner at a small Italian restaurant. The portions are huge and portion control has always been a problem for me. However in this place, even I know I can't, and shouldn't be eating all that they give me. So I took home half of my chicken dish. It was a delicious dish with spinach, ricotta cheese, tomatoes and eggplant. Pretty good for the BFC I thought. I asked for extra veggies instead of the pasta and they threw some broccoli in there too. So the next day I'm thinking what a great lunch this will be.The portion was still probably more than one serving, but into the microwave it went.

So I'm eating and eating, and for some reason that fullness cue, you know the one that tells you that you are getting full and may have had enough to eat, kicked in. I usually eat right past that feeling, but I stopped and thought  'I feel satisfied.' The earth shook , the sky opened up and a triumphant music started playing!!! Not really, but it was an impressionable moment. I felt satisfied and there was still food on my plate!!!! But then I said to myself.....' I can eat this....it's okay on the plan....there is little sugar and carbs in it....it's practically a 0/0....I should finish it up'. But I didn't. That was huge. If you don't have the portion control problem or know when to say I've had enough, then you are probably bored reading this right now. But this little moment stuck in my head. I didn't finish my meal. I was satisfied and there was still food on my plate.

I didn't grow up in a clean plate family....but I always eat everything on my plate. My husband said I would probably lick it if I could, and when I'm alone I sometimes do!!!! He on the other hand, did grow up in a eat everything on your plate family. But he always leaves something, at least a few bites on his plate. I read somewhere if we just would leave two bites on our plate at every meal we would save several hundred calories in a week. You only have to decrease your calorie consumption by 3500 calories to lose a pound. So if you left a couple of bites, maybe totaling 50 calories at each meal, you could save 150 calories a day, or 1050 calories a week. That would be about a 1/3 of a pound a week and alittle over a pound a month. Not alot, but every little bit helps. I know we don't count calories on the BFC, but just trying to make a point about eating just to we are satisfied, even if it means leaving a little behind.

So as I start this Monday, full of good intentions and fresh goals, I think I will try the leave a few bites behind method this week. I'll try to be more present to what I am eating and notice the feeling that says I've had enough.  I think it will help me to appreciate and notice what I'm eating. Then maybe I will remember to post it the next day! Until next time!

Thought for the day:  If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking. ~Buddhist Saying