Tuesday, November 16, 2004

an observation (snacking)

I had a ziploc bag of pecans in my tote bag. They are a great low carb snack, and legal on the LID as well, and very portable. So I have been putting a couple of handfuls into a baggie and just keeping it in the tote.

This afternoon when I got back from the hospital I wanted a snack and found those first, so I nibbled away at them while I surfed the web.

I ate the entire bag.

What's weird is that, I buy the pecans in a one-pound bag from Trader Joe's all the time. I want a snack, I go to the pantry and get a handful, and eat it. I can't remember going back for another handful -- usually one is enough to do the trick. I certainly could never polish off the whole bag!

But if I've got 2 or 3 handfuls in a smaller bag, I just keep eating until they are finished. It's as if I have some weird internal wiring that says "small bag = individual serving, large bag = grab a handful," even when it's obvious that I should be taking just a handful out of the smaller bag, too.

I've done this 2 or 3 times recently, so it's not just that I was distracted this afternoon, either. I think it may have something to do with when and where I am eating the small-bag pecans vs just having the luxury of walking over to the pantry for a handful.

I also think I need to start just putting one handful into those ziplocs, no matter how pitiful it looks. I know it's enough. I've been allowing myself a bit of emotional eating these past few weeks since the surgery and especially on the LID, and it is not helping!

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