Trying out a new way of eating

My parents are on the Suzanne Somers diet, which seems fine and all, but they don't have all her books, and the diet doesn't really suggest eating a proper amount of greens to meat etc. etc. balance, at least in the books they own.

Plus, I swear the people who wrote these cookbooks were meat cooks. The rest of her recipes for veggies and anything else are bland or bitter, but all the meat is amazing. The only good thing I've had that they made was meat. The veggies they made from one of her recipes was so soaked in oil and there was basically no nutrition left in it. :O Yuck!

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just a question, what do you have against meat? any reason you chose to cut out this macro-nutrient? do you consume other complete proteins? like dairy or eggs?

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I've been LOVING this. I'm losing weight slow, but that's alright, because that's not what this is about. :) I've been FEELING better. My skin is clear and I have a healthier glow. Because of that, I even look much thinner, even when I've only lost twenty pounds. I'm not sick all the time anymore and I don't struggle as much to get things done throughout the day.

Because I haven't lost as much weight as them(though they ARE larger than me, by a lot, which I think is part of it, along with simply eating far less than normal and completely cutting out pasta which was a very common food here) my mom believes my diet is a failure and that I should switch to hers. She constantly claims that I am low on iron and protein despite the fact that I DO eat meat--as much as every other day, or as little as once every two weeks, but I do eat it. Along with beans, nuts, spinach, broccoli, etc. I am not nutrient deficient there. And when I eat a salad with fruit mixed in it, she warns me that THAT is the reason I haven't lost weight. Because of the fruit mixing thing her diet says.

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That's awesome you feel better! Have you tracked how much protein you get in a day? and tell them that the larger you are the quicker the weight will and should come off. And the fruit fear thing is just plain ridiculous, do they know why they are avoiding fruit? I hope the answer is not fructose. why would you cut out one of the most nutrient dense foods around.

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It's frustrating, to be honest. She doesn't really respect my views because she thinks you are supposed to lose weight fast. I don't want it all to fall off, because I know if that happens, it's all too easy for it to jump right back on. Not to mention, extreme weight changes(higher OR lower) are ALMOST ALWAYS dangerous.

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like I said, its all based on how high your body fat is when you start. and all of them could benefit gaining some weight... in the form of LBM.

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But it's been hard getting her to let me buy the veggies I want and need. She wonders how I can spend so much on vegetables, even though a weeks worth of my food is far less than hers. Because she still thinks of the veggies as side dishes. It's really frustrating at family occasions, when I'm not able to make my own food(school or something unavoidable) and I want to eat no meat. I'll end up with an entirely empty plate with a spoonful of broccoli, because that was all that was left for me. Then she'll tell my family I'm on a starvation diet and have them freak out about me. Uhhh...WHAT?! :O

I know, I shouldn't rely on them for my stuff--but the thing is, I never got to get my driver's license. My parents were too busy to teach me, and then I left for college where there were busses between buildings. Now I'm back home and I finally got my permit, but I still haven't been taught how to drive. My grandma says she will teach me, but it's all about finding time when my parents will take me over there to actually learn. Honestly I'll probably have to get my boyfriend to take me. Point of that is, I can't drive, and our grocery store is not in a safe walking distance. Every time I've been able to go to get my own veggies, it's been when a friend or Nathan took me. They usually go on their way home from work, so they don't generally pick me up. It just..makes it really difficult. They know I can't transport myself, they know I can't get my own food. Part of it IS mom trying to switch me to her diet, she always mentions how I'd do so much better on it. It's so weird, it feels like peer pressure the way she acts about it, all sneaky like. I know it's because she really thinks it's the best and because it's working for her--which I don't question, it really is. But she doesn't respect that it just didn't work for me. I got so dang sick doing it.


Actually in the past month, I have been unable to get any new fresh fruits and veggies. We have some frozen ones--frozen spinach and carrots. I have potatoes too, I like to cook some mushrooms and stuff the potato with the mushrooms. Thankfully Nathan's parents feed me good veggie food when I'm there, or else I'd really be out.


So.. I guess it's been going well, but there have been some struggles. I hope when I get my license soon and get this job(was offered a job at an aquarium store) things will look up. I'm not able to rely on them to help out with this, so I've got to get it all together myself.

But.. I have lost twenty pounds, and like I said, I feel great and happy.

One thing I LOVE about this, is I am able to choose more humane meat easier. When meat is a rare occasion, I can wait til I know I get organic, awesome fresh meat from healthy animals that weren't stuffed with antibiotics and fed nasty stuff. Honestly, the meat tastes better, and I feel a lot better. :)


This next summer I am planning on growing my own zucchini, since I have discovered it is my FAVORITE! :D Delicious!!

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congrats on the weight loss so far! :gj:

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I'm getting my masters in the next year and a half and becoming a registered dietitian. I have lots of nutrition training and am currently involved in a dietetic internship.

There is no reason to cut out lean meats and fish from your diet. Other than that, you sound like you are on the right track. As JLC said, tis the right balance of low fat dairy, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and I'd like to add lean proteins such as chicken/turkey breast, fish, beans, and nuts. And cutting out pre-packaged/processed foods when possible.

As others have mentioned, "diets" are a bad idea. It's a way of life, which you seem to understand, but I wouldn't be following any type of diet as much as understanding the food pyramid and balancing out healthy foods along with allowing yourself to have a treat here and there.
Also, I advise against "cheat days" as they can make a lot of progress disappear fast. You need to have treats in moderation. Portion sizes are imperative. Cheat days, no. Treats here and there in moderation, good.

And remember to balance calories in with calories out.

Good luck.

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Originally Posted by Jessica Loesch

I'm getting my masters in the next year and a half and becoming a registered dietitian. I have lots of nutrition training and am currently involved in a dietetic internship.

There is no reason to cut out lean meats and fish from your diet. Other than that, you sound like you are on the right track. As JLC said, tis the right balance of low fat dairy, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and I'd like to add lean proteins such as chicken/turkey breast, fish, beans, and nuts. And cutting out pre-packaged/processed foods when possible.

As others have mentioned, "diets" are a bad idea. It's a way of life, which you seem to understand, but I wouldn't be following any type of diet as much as understanding the food pyramid and balancing out healthy foods along with allowing yourself to have a treat here and there.
Also, I advise against "cheat days" as they can make a lot of progress disappear fast. You need to have treats in moderation. Portion sizes are imperative. Cheat days, no. Treats here and there in moderation, good.

And remember to balance calories in with calories out.

Good luck.

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That's awesome your an actual dietitian (or going to be).
Out of curiosity, what are your recommendations for daily protein intake in a non-athletic individual?
and do you have any issues with the current food pyramid?
and what is wrong in regards to "cheat days"? are you ok with "cheat meals"? is it the overall caloric surplus or probability of low nutrient density?

good luck with your new lifestyle choice. it isnt always easy to eat healthy with all the unhealthy fast food restaurants around. a couple months ago i completely cut out soda and gatorade and pretty much anything else other then milk, i love milk lol, and drink just water 90% of the time. partially for reasons of a diet but also because its cheaper, ive cut down on eating in general, i started eating some fruits that i like and stopped eating out and one day went in and weighed myself for the first time in forever and somehow 10 lbs was gone. a month later ive lost another 10 and am still going.

i dont workout at all and actually spend most of my time in front of the tv/computer, i know its bad but its what i do. i have a 40+ hr per week job that keeps me on my feet and walking around, seriously its a stupid amount of walking, and moving heavier objects. i do have my weak moments when i get some mcdonalds or something whenever im out but thats maybe once a week so its kind of a treat.

like the OP i havent seen the low side of 200 in years but i think if i got down to 210 id be happy as thats a lot smaller than where im at now but still some meat on the bones. i dont want to be skinny i just want to be more fit then i am now and hopefully i get there.

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Originally Posted by djansen

That's awesome your an actual dietitian (or going to be).
Out of curiosity, what are your recommendations for daily protein intake in a non-athletic individual?

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The ADA's recommendation is to get .8g/kg of body weight.

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and do you have any issues with the current food pyramid?

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The food pyramid currently is set just fine. It even works for vegetarians as the dairy group includes soy milks and almond milks and the protein group includes beans, eggs, etc.

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and what is wrong in regards to "cheat days"? are you ok with "cheat meals"? is it the overall caloric surplus or probability of low nutrient density?

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The whole notion behind "cheat days" can overthrow a week's worth of progress. It of course is okay to have a day where you just overeat here and there, but we are talking holidays, far and few in between.

If you have 1500 calories daily on a weight loss diet, and you are working out, and then all of the sudden you have a cheat day. Let's say you have a large dinner and a large dessert, totaling about 2000 calories (that is being generous for today's portions in restaurants). If you eat healthy the rest of the day, it won't hurt you a ton, if you say have a 200 calorie breakfast and a 300 calorie lunch (eating a little light to make up for your cheat meal, which is still a bit overzealous). I would also recommend a good workout session before dinner on these kind of days, to help your metabolism burn through those extra calories a little more efficiently.

Now, let's say you changed this to a cheat DAY. You have a 1000 calorie all out breakfast and a 1000 calorie all out lunch (again, I'm being generous here, you'd be surprised. And this is assuming with no snacks). That puts you at at least 4,000 calories. While this is not a true overhaul on your diet, it is a lot for your body to handle. Especially as your body adapts to your healthier diet, your body will not react as well to this "cheat day." It would most likely result in gas, upset stomach, lethargy, and the effects will most likely last throughout the next day as you work through your food coma.

In a bigger sense, you are allowing yourself to regress and have bad eating habits. And by allowing yourself a cheat day or even a cheat meal, you are putting on the notion that these foods are cheat foods and are off limits, when really you should just be concerned with moderating portion sizes so that you can still be enjoying them here and there without ruining your diet.

For example, instead of finishing off your cheat meal with a cold stone creamery ice cream in the biggest size (this is trend for cheat meals, ordering the biggest and the best), you have a nice healthy dinner and allow yourself a small portion in a bowl, not offsetting your intake. You worked out hard earlier in the day to make up for it. You feel great. If you had your cheat meal, you will most likely feel awful and stuffed and completely full.

As I mentioned, holidays are the exception, and that is why we only have so many throughout the year. Allow these to be your "cheat days" and don't consider them that. They are holidays, where food is being celebrated instead of being used in a negative tone of voice ("cheat").


I feel like I'm rambling here, but I hope you get what I am trying to say.

It is much more feasible in a healthy lifestyle to allow yourself a treat here and there in a small, reasonable portion size instead of going all out. It is much harder on your body to do that and it is much easier on you to allow yourself to have the foods you like more often, as long as you moderate how much you eat and work them into your calories.

The ADA's recommendation is to get .8g/kg of body weight.

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I see. I could make a case for higher in trained individuals but I tend to agree here. though, I see no downside to increasing it.

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The food pyramid currently is set just fine. It even works for vegetarians as the dairy group includes soy milks and almond milks and the protein group includes beans, eggs, etc.


The whole notion behind "cheat days" can overthrow a week's worth of progress. It of course is okay to have a day where you just overeat here and there, but we are talking holidays, far and few in between.

If you have 1500 calories daily on a weight loss diet, and you are working out, and then all of the sudden you have a cheat day. Let's say you have a large dinner and a large dessert, totaling about 2000 calories (that is being generous for today's portions in restaurants). If you eat healthy the rest of the day, it won't hurt you a ton, if you say have a 200 calorie breakfast and a 300 calorie lunch (eating a little light to make up for your cheat meal, which is still a bit overzealous). I would also recommend a good workout session before dinner on these kind of days, to help your metabolism burn through those extra calories a little more efficiently.

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so in this scenario you only be about 500 cals above maintenance providing you were running a 500 cal deficit. if you stuck to your diet the rest of the week the impact would be nothing.

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Now, let's say you changed this to a cheat DAY. You have a 1000 calorie all out breakfast and a 1000 calorie all out lunch (again, I'm being generous here, you'd be surprised. And this is assuming with no snacks). That puts you at at least 4,000 calories. While this is not a true overhaul on your diet, it is a lot for your body to handle. Especially as your body adapts to your healthier diet, your body will not react as well to this "cheat day." It would most likely result in gas, upset stomach, lethargy, and the effects will most likely last throughout the next day as you work through your food coma.

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again, provided I stuck to my 500 cal deficit the rest of the week even taking 2000 cal above maintenance on one day would be harmless (minus the discomfort lol.

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In a bigger sense, you are allowing yourself to regress and have bad eating habits. And by allowing yourself a cheat day or even a cheat meal, you are putting on the notion that these foods are cheat foods and are off limits, when really you should just be concerned with moderating portion sizes so that you can still be enjoying them here and there without ruining your diet.

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I totally agree here, avoid food avoidance.

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For example, instead of finishing off your cheat meal with a cold stone creamery ice cream in the biggest size (this is trend for cheat meals, ordering the biggest and the best), you have a nice healthy dinner and allow yourself a small portion in a bowl, not offsetting your intake. You worked out hard earlier in the day to make up for it. You feel great. If you had your cheat meal, you will most likely feel awful and stuffed and completely full.

As I mentioned, holidays are the exception, and that is why we only have so many throughout the year. Allow these to be your "cheat days" and don't consider them that. They are holidays, where food is being celebrated instead of being used in a negative tone of voice ("cheat").


I feel like I'm rambling here, but I hope you get what I am trying to say.

It is much more feasible in a healthy lifestyle to allow yourself a treat here and there in a small, reasonable portion size instead of going all out. It is much harder on your body to do that and it is much easier on you to allow yourself to have the foods you like more often, as long as you moderate how much you eat and work them into your calories.

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I agree fully with what you are saying. I think the idea of cheat meals or days is where you go all out and binge is a problem. That said, I think it is fully reasonable to allow yourself to have full meal of whatever you enjoy like maybe a burger and fries once a week or even more frequently. If you understand your caloric intake and expenditure it should not be an issue. But overall, I think your suggestions are perfect for majority of the population.
thank you for addressing my questions.

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after re-reading I think I may have echoed some of what you said lol.

What you are saying is a little bit off of the point I Was trying to make. When people say "cheat meal" they tend to binge. If you just have a bit larger meal of burger and fries at mcdonalds and don't follow up with a large dessert, of course that is easier to rebound from. However, it would be best to get a small fry and a cheeseburger rather than a triple stack and a large fry with a milkshake, and you would probably be just as satisfied without the feeling of lethargy or self-regret.

Your 500 deficit theory is correct per regular cheat meal, where I theorized a 2500 calorie day, you would be at 500 surplus, which is correct. Of course this won't kill you, but there is no reason not to get smaller portions as they will satisfy you and avoid you discomfort.

The 2500 surplus however, with your 4000 calorie day (opposed to the theorized 1500 "limit", which isn't really a good way to put it as you should listen to your body and eat a little if you're hungry), will cancel out every other deficit you had that week except for one. Worth it? Not really.

I think most people would be surprised how fulfilled they feel if they would opt for the smaller portions of what they consider a "cheat meal" and realize there is no need for these terms at all.


PS
excess protein CAN be a bad thing, if you aren't using it. It is great to increase protein to 1-1.5g/kg (note, I said KG not LB), if you are healing through an injury, and it is recommended to not really go above 1-1.2g/kg for lifting as excess protein will not help you any beyond that. It is hard on your body to eat excess proteins unless you need them for healing (muscle, injury, etc).

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Originally Posted by Jessica Loesch

What you are saying is a little bit off of the point I Was trying to make. When people say "cheat meal" they tend to binge. If you just have a bit larger meal of burger and fries at mcdonalds and don't follow up with a large dessert, of course that is easier to rebound from. However, it would be best to get a small fry and a cheeseburger rather than a triple stack and a large fry with a milkshake, and you would probably be just as satisfied without the feeling of lethargy or self-regret.

Your 500 deficit theory is correct per regular cheat meal, where I theorized a 2500 calorie day, you would be at 500 surplus, which is correct. Of course this won't kill you, but there is no reason not to get smaller portions as they will satisfy you and avoid you discomfort.

The 2500 surplus however, with your 4000 calorie day (opposed to the theorized 1500 "limit", which isn't really a good way to put it as you should listen to your body and eat a little if you're hungry), will cancel out every other deficit you had that week except for one. Worth it? Not really.

I think most people would be surprised how fulfilled they feel if they would opt for the smaller portions of what they consider a "cheat meal" and realize there is no need for these terms at all.


PS
excess protein CAN be a bad thing, if you aren't using it. It is great to increase protein to 1-1.5g/kg (note, I said KG not LB), if you are healing through an injury, and it is recommended to not really go above 1-1.2g/kg for lifting as excess protein will not help you any beyond that. It is hard on your body to eat excess proteins unless you need them for healing (muscle, injury, etc).

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yeah, it was a little off point. But, saying that small portions will satisfy you is kinda a blanket statement. I personally don't get satisfied by small portions, that's why I tend not to eat high "junk" (for lack of a better word) food because a small serving like a small fry and single burger wont cut it. And yeah, the 4000 cal day is prob not worth and I am not arguing with you here, going on an all day binge is never a good idea.

And, excess protein is hard on your body how? kidney concern? bone density?
I am not taking about an extreme amount but quite a bit more then the RDA .8g/kg. I understand we are talking about sedentary individuals and not athletes but depending on the individual and how long they run a caloric deficit that range could be too low. Also, I am assuming that the individual is healthy and has no signs of renal failure.

It won't hurt you to eat excess protein for a little while, but I wouldn't exceed 1.5g/kg unless you're hurt really badly. They found no benefits to exceeding 1.2g/kg, I believe it was, in a study that was done. I believe it was published in ACSM journals.
Yes, it is a renal concern.

Of course, this is a longterm thing.


And I still have to disagree, a high fat meal like cheeseburger and small fry should at least satisfy you. If it doesn't, then that is odd. You don't need to feel full to feel satisfied. Of course that's a mentality thing.


Small portions ONLY apply to energy dense foods.
You can have very large portions of high nutrient dense low energy dense foods and be fine, of course. It's much better to eat a large bowl of salad with chicken breast and tomatoes and peppers for example, than to eat 3 double cheeseburgers, but if you were to eat one double cheeseburger, it would be a better choice. However I'd rather eat a huge salad that one cheeseburger.

Too much meat really makes me feel bad honestly, same thing with dairy (lactose intolerant)
I've just always prefered eating small bits of meat--light chicken sliced up in a salad rather than a huge steak cooked in butter. I'm 'cutting back on meat' to what I think is a more normal serving.. I don't think 80+% of the diet should be meat. And that's all I see with people around me :O not even an exaggeration.

Yeah, the fruit avoidance IS the fructose. They will eat it, but only alone and on an empty stomach. They also don't eat avocado, squash, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc. The idea of the diet is to prevent the body from being able to absorb any fat by completely forcing your insulin to never spike, and if it does spike, have nothing else to 'feed' the fat. So fruit would cause an insulin spike, so eating anything with fruit would cause weight gain.. And then all the other weird mixes they aren't allowed. Makes it tricky for my picky eater of a mom. Not to mention they just get lazy and just don't buy the stuff. I haven't seen my mom touch a fruit in about 2 months now.

I've always been raised on a really, really, REALLY high protein diet. Breakfast would be sausage and bacon, lunch would be something like barbeque, dinner would be a steak. That was pretty much every day. Rarely ate veggies as sides, maybe those soft cooked baby carrots or green beans. Our usual side was mashed potatoes or fries or, maybe even a side of more meat. Fruit was never a big deal in the family. Other than meat was of course breads and pastas, boy don't those do a body's waistline wonders, LOL. But basically..I dunno. My doctor told me I had developed irritable bowel syndrome and I always grew up feeling sick after I ate. Just a lot of meat and a lot of oil and a lot of heavy foods that just affected my digestive system poorly.

Even the way I eat now I still get the recommended amount of protein, and a lot of it is still from meat. Some people think I've gone full veggie, I just..need a break!! :O I don't want to end up hating meat, I actually do quite love it. I just am about to get sick of it, so I need a little rest for my system...

Not to mention, one thing I do like about deciding meat doesn't HAVE to be the main course is it not only has helped me branch out(I've learned to love so many new fruits veggies now that they are no longer that side dish that can be ignored and are now forced to be the 'star' of the meal!) but I also get to pick healthier meats. I can afford to spend a little more to get a nicer pick of meat because I'm not spending all that money on it every day. I can afford to eat meat from more humane meat companies or just try out something new, cause it's a treat! :)

Honestly it is a lot more than just the meat. It goes into nutrients, portion control, exercise, all that and more. But that's just really what got me started. I just got tired of feeling sick, and I knew I felt sicker the moment that veggies and fruits were almost completely cut out from my life, and I just..Wanted to see if I could try something to make me feel better. So I focused on nutrition. I actually talked to the doctor to see where I was at. Turns out I had hemochromatosis (Iron overload), even though I had always guessed I must have had iron anemia. They both have some similar symptoms (fatigue, weakness, etc.) that was quite a shock. I had always tried to eat more iron when I felt bad, clearly I was doing the very worst thing i could do! :O Seriously, get checked out by a doctor, don't try to self diagnose or have others try to figure it out. That was horrifying. Other than my iron overload, the rest of my nutrients were just sort of pathetic. Nothing awful like I was about to keel over or anything, but I definitely wasn't doing myself any favors.

Another thing is, I want to get away from total food avoidance. I'm cutting back on meat, yeah, but not depriving myself. If I want it, I'll eat it. I just don't feel like eating it as much because..I just don't? My parents diet is ALL about food avoidance. They just can't eat anything and just about every event we go to. Even eating a single bite would completely throw off the entire diet and cause them to absorb all the fat they should have absorbed all day. Their diet you cannot cheat on, or you will not lose. But it cuts out so many GOOD foods and just.. Well, I felt deprived on that diet. I couldn't eat foods--good foods, not like "Boo I can't eat my lasagna", but "What, I can't eat a fresh winter squash? This strawberry will cause me to gain tons of weight if I don't wait 3 hours after eating?"

When I eat like I do now, I never feel like I'm not getting what I want, which I like. I just..am eating better and making better choices. If my friend comes to town and wants to go to a steak place, I can go eat steak that night. I just watch myself later, as I would when eating any higher calorie meal. It's just a hell of a lot trickier to eat 4000 calories in straight up raw veggies haha! So if I've been eating bad, loving and eating these veggies lets me feel full and still keep my weight down.

So right now I'm sort of working like this--first thing I do is make sure I get ALL my nutrients I need in the day. I get all the veggies, fruits, nuts, beans, whatever it takes. I make my food from what I need. I like to start with vegetables because I can fill myself up on them while they are super low in calories. It's hard to get fat on veggies LOL.. I eat my fruits through the day as snacks as well as for breakfast, being a light enough food I feel good eating it in the morning without feeling sick. If I want to eat some meat I'll usually do that for lunch, cause I like my 'big calorie' meal to be earlier in the day. But I'm flexible, if we have a guest over for dinner I'll eat with the family and guest. Sometimes that means I'll end up eating lots of meat just like I used to because the day just ended up that way, sometimes that means instead i just eat vegetarian all day(and cook myself up an awesome roasted butternut squash or something. Delicious)

Thankfully a lot of my now favorite foods are also super super nutritious! If I'm going to blow a bunch of calories on something, it might as well be stuff that does good stuff for me! If that means it's a unique salad with avocados and flax seeds, bring it on. If there is meat on that plate, that's fine. I'm just..not eating as much as I did. Maybe I've been scarred. It was a messed up diet. A big plate of brown with a side of brown. :O No thanks!

I know my parents are getting their nutrients, just through taking vitamins instead. I still don't know how I feel about that, but I am glad they are still losing weight. They've each gone down nearly 100 pounds now! It's very impressive. I just hope things stay good, it just freaks me out sometimes. For a while they started to get very weak. They bought fruit again to make smoothies in the morning and got a lot stronger and better and it was awesome. But now they slacked off again and haven't been buying anything, it's just too much of a hassle since they go bad so fast and all that. I think they just care more about the weight loss than the health factor. I just hope that doesn't mean yo-yoing back up or anything worse.


Still losing slow and steady here. Been able to kick it up a couple notches since it's gotten so cold! I can go out running more often without wanting to pass out from the Texas heat! Also just doing anything and everything to be active. Instead of just watching tv, I'll use our little 'on demand' program list and find a short 10 minute work out video or dance tutorial to get moving. I also am playing DDR, which I LOVE, and play extreme level songs for about 30-50 minutes(or, well, longer if there is a song I REALLY must conquer and have trouble with it..lol. I'm very stubborn) I also love the work out program on our DDR. I don't know how accurate it is, but according to their method of calorie counting(about 2 calories a step depending on the weight you entered) I am burning about 300-400 calories each DDR session. :D That plus just walking and getting around. Trying so hard to put together a regular workout routine, but it's hard without someone there telling me what to do, or without a video to watch. There are just so many different types of workouts and and stretches, it's just easier to watch and do it, haha!

Thanksgiving is going to be interesting. It's going to be fine now. I'm going to kick butt and still rock eating right. I don't need to eat like a piggy to enjoy delicious food. :gj: I want to prove this to myself that I can go to a big food based event and not just eat. I'll just pick out my favorites, eat just a little of them so I can really appreciate the taste and get myself to be not hungry and head back home feeling like I'm on top of the world! :D :D That's the plan!