On Eating...
One of my friends recently asked what folks do to practice counting calories.
I prefer to avoid activities which my obsessive side can breed anxiety out of, but I definitely have been working on a finessed way to eat luxuriously & gently.
Here are some of my favorite rituals around eating with gusto; without overdoing it.
(I once, at age 16, rationalized the Zone diet out of such proportion that I went from 145lbs to 185 in 2.5 months.)
So, for me, I need it to be extremely simple and, as a lover of fine tastes, very enjoyable.
I'm trying to rebuild my sense of serving proportions; here are my favorite tools:
1.) French Women Don't Get Fat 
2.) New Bowls
3.) If I get the feeling that I've been overeating for a week, sometimes I try to "leave one bite." Funny how it seems tough, but after 3 days, I realize I'm eating with less compulsion to FINISH, and with more attention to how my feelings of satisfaction are. The entire process of eating becomes much more satisfying.
4.) Put your fork down between bites. It totally helps with being able to enjoy your food, digest better & sense your satisfaction.
5.) If possible, sit up straight while you eat. Making eating an active ritual of enjoyment can help with eating the right amount.
6.) Booze: I love booze, and I often choose it over dessert. I prefer wine or vodka. I stay away from over-sugary drinks. Club Soda has no calories (tonic does, but half of what is in coke), and a butt-ton of squeezed lime juice has ... what... ten? Go crazy with the fresh ingredients!! WHOOOT FLAVOR!
7.) I try to stay away from soda (coke, etc.) On the other hand, I do have a hard time drinking enough water, so I compromise & let myself have diet sprite/cherry soda rather than not drinking water. I try to just keep the water/aspartame in balance. But better aspartame than no water.
8.) I love sugar, but it needs respect & as little processing as possible. I try to stick with raw sugar in my hot drinks, honor & respect my desserts, and to steer clear of high fructose corn syrup at all costs (except for fake blood). That stuff is everywhere... even in freaking salad dressing. It's insane. Stupid government-funded overabundance of corn... we should run cars with it instead!
9.) Salad! Like crazy! Nothing makes my skin as nice as some baby spring greens every day. Seriously; that's my skin secret. No zits when I eat salad.
10.) Don't beat yourself up(see the French book on balance and ease)!! Stress causes your body to release cortisol, which tells your body to buckle down and protect itself from danger (i.e. famine). Permitting yourself to behave in a stressy manner about what you eat will prevent your body from using up your fat stores; in fact, you'll depress your immune system and store more fat.
Just be nice to yourself!!
<3
