Moderation.

Moderation according to Merriam-Webster is: avoiding extremes of behavior or expression : observing reasonable limits.

I am a person that likes specifics. When I go to people for advice, I much prefer them to tell me exactly what to do, because left to my own devices I am a danger to myself and sometimes others. So, when the ever cliche dieting mantra of "everything in moderation" crops up I tend to cringe a little inside, if not outside as well. Moderation is not a specific measurement by any stretch of the imagination. But, I do feel like I am beginning to get a grip on its meaning. When it comes to eating, especially good food, the kind I personally prefer, I don't have much in the restraint department. I tend to test the limits of my stomach and down as much as I possibly can in a relatively short amount of time. As a side note, I think that is another fat kid trait, eating fast, like maybe so fast it isn't even happening, won't count 'cause it happened so fast. But, back to moderation. So, what happens if I don't test the limits of what I can hold? What if I slow down long enough for my stomach to tell me I am full? What if I incorporate other activities into my eating that will slow me down, like talking? Or if I am alone, reading? What if I pay closer attention to portion size? These are things I have been focusing on lately. Its not easy, its takes effort, and yes, its dumb that I have to be conscious of this every time I eat, but that is the cards that have dealt to me, its up to me as to how I want to play them. I pack my lunch 90% of the time. I prefer to take lunch for budget reasons, and more importantly for health ones. Contrary to the best decisions that you can make at fast food places, that food is not good for you and often times doesn't even qualify as food nutritionally speaking. Lately, I have two containers that I rotate for taking my lunch. They are perfectly sized to the volume that I should be eating. So, to make it easy for me to stay in control, if it doesn't fit in that container, it doesn't go in my mouth. Keep it simple. I have been on vacation this last week and am still managing to lose weight despite going out to dinner and having a few evenings of drinking. But, in true moderation fashion, I am not finishing my plate. Does it stink that others seem to be able to and maintain their lovely physiques, sure it does, but maybe they have six toes on one foot, or three nipples? Maybe their cat coughs up hairballs all over their house every night. Maybe they are color blind. I don't know their plights in life, controlling how much I eat is mine, could be worse. So, when I think I am full I push away, give it a minute, see where  I am at. Moderation. Last night we were served a delectable dessert. It was a warm, dense chocolate brownie filled with ganache and topped with pure unadulterated vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of carmel. Did I eat that? Did the eternal fat kid dare partake? You bet your hiney I did. It was sweet, rich, creamy, and divine. I ate less than half of it. I ate it slow, relished in the taste of it, and knowing that I was full from dinner, I pushed it away when my taste buds said, "hey, thanks for the treat, we're good!". Moderation.