For my entire adult life, I've been an irregular eater. Breakfast is standard, but lunch is a constant search for novelty (or comfort, depending on the day). Dinner, well, that's wildly variable. Sometimes it's a large meal out, sometimes leftovers from lunch, sometimes a bowl of cereal or an egg sandwich, and sometimes it gets entirely forgotten. What I'm saying is, I have no idea what my "regular" eating habits might be--I just haven't been paying that much attention.
This is making the early days of eating half my regular amounts very fraught. Would I regularly have a snack on a Sunday afternoon? Well, if I was hungry. But this time I think I'm hungry because of the half portions, which means that it's probably not allowable to have a snack. Or, is it cheating that two days in a row I've chosen half a meal from the larger end of my usual scale? And what if I'm craving noodle soup with fishballs, but know that half a bowl of that will leave me headache-y and starving by 4:30? Is it okay to avoid it in favor of something more filling?
Trying to keep up with the thought-circles is making me feel a little like a gerbil on a wheel.
The day is capped off by this:
A really nice coworker brought me back two bite-sized duck gizzards from Li Feng in Shanghai. It's a favorite of his. I'm pretty sure I'd normally try it. So if I have one, is that half?
Welcome Kim!
ReplyDeleteI think you're asking exactly the right question: what do I "normally" eat? Before long you won't even remember!
Hi Kim - welcome to the PCP! I also struggled during the first week, mostly because my eating habits were all over the place previously. But, the week goes by fast, and soon enough you'll know *exactly* what to eat when - so enjoy the relative freedom of halfsies and just make it up as you go along!
ReplyDeleteI'm an irregular eater too, but I'm more of skip breakfast type of person. Some days I wont snack at all, but other days will be almost entirely little snack-like meals. It looks like from the comments that our "regular" eating pattern will come together over time, but I'm still trying to wrap my mind around what half of my diet is.
ReplyDeleteYeah I love the very special minutes of sacred sleep that skipping bfast allows. All around im pretty finicky. The half meals are actually making me a more regular eater. Duck gizzards are good, but Chicken hearts are amazing!
ReplyDeleteDay Two Complete!
Ramiro
welcome on board!
ReplyDeletemy breakfast used to consist of coffee and a biscuit. or 4. at my desk in office in front of screens.
now.....only 30 days in...breakfast is my favourite meal! really, it gets me out of bed in the morning when my muscles are sore from workout!
(but dont EVER take away my coffee. i dont know how i would cope. )
enjoy the half week while you can!
halving bfast is so tough! for about 6 months now i've been enjoying a single slice or toast or 1/2 a cup of granola. I mean - halving that is craziness, right? anyways, it's easier for the other meals. way to restrain yourself on the duck gizzards, i'm not sure i would've been that strong with something so small (at least i'm guessing they're small, right?)
ReplyDelete-Nathaly