Size Really Does Matter

The main thing I have learned on this diet program is that size really does matter. In this case, smaller is better.

As far as I can tell, the underlying tenet of the program is portion control. You actually get to eat quite often during the day (breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner and dessert) and get to eat most foods (e.g., lasagna, pizza, pot roast, meatloaf, brownies), but it is all teeny tiny portions. The entrees are about the size of the meals you get on an airplane, maybe even smaller. The beef stew is about a cup. They also, in my opinion, cheat a little. One meal that was billed as home style noodles with chicken and gravy, was mostly gravy and had maybe a dozen little thin noodles (and, of course, I can't honor my Italian roots and use a nice piece of crusty bread to sop up all that remaining sauce). Another meal that was supposed to be green pepper steak with rice had - without exaggeration - a tablespoon of rice.


So far, I have found this a little frustrating. Yes, you do get to eat as much salad - including what I refer to as the water vegetables - as you want, but there is only so much lettuce, cucumbers and celery a girl can eat. Add in that I have stepped up my workouts, and I am always just a little hungry. Not starving mind you, just hungry enough that it is bothersome. I am sure it is at least 50% psychological. The program has supposedly figured out how much food your body needs, not how much you might want, but I feel like I am not eating enough. Especially the carbs. I love carbs and have come to learn that I don't feel full unless I have eaten carbs. As exemplified by my description of the two aforementioned meals, the program is very low on carbs. Again, I know in my head that that is largely psychological, but that doesn't help the tummy from feeling empty.

Another factor is boredom. Since I am trying to stick to the plan 6 days a week (allowing one cheat day) and cut out a lot of the alcohol I used to drink, I am trying to go out only once a week. That means spending a lot more nights sitting around at home watching TV. Plus, I am not spending the time that I used to spend cooking meals or cleaning up after which means, yup, you guessed it, more time sitting around reading or watching TV. I suppose, to some, that would sound heavenly, but what it really means, for me, is more time to think about all the food that I am not eating. Even being busy with work doesn't help. I have never been one who "forgets" to eat. Quite frankly I always wanted to slap people who said that. I mean, come on, who the hell "forgets" to eat.

I am hoping that eventually I will get used to it and not feel, or I guess more accurately, think I feel hungry. And it is definetly a food lesson that can be used beyond the length of the program and hopefully help keep the pounds off when I start eating "real" food again. For now though, I guess I will just continue to be a little hungry.