Fri 18 Jan 2008
I was telling my floating reporter today about a food revelation I had last week. Our floor does birthday celebrations. The courtroom that the birthday person works in sponsors this cookie/pie/cake/coffee/dessert/snacks/cheese-n-crackers/cupcakes feast for the day, and invites everyone else on the floor to come and sing happy birthday and pig out. Last week, I attended one such shindig, and for the first time ever, looked the free lemon cake, strawberry-topped cheesecake, coconut cake, and chocolate chip cookies in the eye(s), and reached for a cup of coffee. That was it. I hung out, wished the birthday girl well, chatted with some coworkers, drank my coffee and left. I felt so good about that.
The unexpected thing is that the “good” I felt at walking away was better than the “good” I feel eating yummy desserts. I usually eat the food just cuz it’s there and it’s festive to participate, but I have to deal with the guilt of the excessive calories and that really kills the enjoyment of the food. Plus, sometimes it doesn’t even taste good enough to be worth the subsequent guilt. So why eat the crap?
I don’t know why that’s never occurred to me before. Why I robotically eat the fat-loaded desserts just because that’s what everyone else is there for. My floating court reporter agreed with my revelation/theory. She said that yesterday, she wolfed down a leftover donut and not only did she not enjoy it because she ate it so fast, but it was too sweet and made her sick to her stomach. AND she had to deal with the guilt that night and didn’t eat much when she was out with her family for dinner.
Yesterday, Mr. W and I met up with commenter ‘a’ at The Curry House in Irvine for dinner, and I brought my leftover curried rice with me for lunch, which I ate at my desk before leaving for the gym. A reputedly tactless coworker came in, saw my food, and said, as if astounded, “You eat rice?”
I didn’t know how to take that, cuz do I not look Asian? “What do you mean?” I asked her.
She said, “I didn’t think you ate any carbs because, you know,” she pointed to my body up and down. I guess it’s a compliment.
Isn’t white rice good for you? I thought that’s why Asians used it so much? It’s not like a doughnut carb or anything.
I have found that some of the office party food isn’t worth eating either…I try not to eat to be polite, but then I have the hardest time throwing my plate away in front of people when it’s filled with food.
I’m BAD about passing up the festive food… I thought this past holiday season would get me in trouble because there is usually SO much stuff in our breakroom during this tiem… but I only gained 1 pound. I was surprised because I ATE the crap. So the rice comment… is that like saying to a Mexican “you don’t eat tacos?!!”
not all of us have the self-control that you do! rather than passing up the tasty treats, i take one tiny little sliver of everything that looks yummy. and since the tiny little sliver is less than 1/2 a serving, i round down, and it therefore has no calories or fat content =) see, a guilt-free way to partake in the celebratory spread! (for this reason, i also only eat broken potato chips — never a whole one!)
Interesting! I just did the same thing!!! 🙂 ANd went to the gym instead. My pants are getting VERY tight and I have let myself go a little bit! So I told everyone I was going to skip it. Funny how people still push you to eat, tho! Where’s the support people???
Flat Coke – in the spectrum of “good/bad for you” things with deep-fried twinkies at one end and ice water at the other, white rice falls more toward the “good” than the “bad” side of the scale. But for the health-conscious food consumer, a better alternative to white rice is brown rice, quinoa grain, mixed whole grain, etc.
Yeah, I can’t throw a food-filled plate away, either. Not just in front of people, I can’t do it even when I’m alone.
Jordan – 1 pound’s not bad! It may even be water weight. Your body bloats with overly sweet things just like it does with overly salty things.
Yeah, she made her own example later in the conversation with soul food and collard greens.
Flip Flop Girl – I don’t normally have that much self-control. Must’ve been a good day. I like your math formula for my regular days, tho. If a cookie is broken, all the calories must have fallen out, so it’s no longer bad for you!
Vanessa – How can your pants be tight when you’ve been hitting the gym so much more lately? It’s probably tight from the muscle you’ve put on. 🙂 I know, people TOTALLY push you to eat. I think they feel bad if we’re good cuz it just reminds them that they’re not being good.