194.0 The Cake Conundrum

Today I went to PVCC to teach my ESL class. Once I arrived in the classroom one of my new students presented me with two slices of gorgeous looking bundt cake. I thanked her and was really touched by her overture. During the two hours that I taught, I would glance over and see the little baggy with the cake in it wondering how I was going to handle this. After class I thanked her once again and went to the kitchen area where I had to sign out. By now it was 12:15 and I had been working hard for two hours, and yes, I was hungry. Maybe you'll laugh, but I asked my inner spirit how in the world I was going to deal with this cake, and I heard that I should taste it, and then decide what I was going to do with the rest of it. So, I took a bite and slowly chewed it. It was delicious. Although I had thought it was simply chocolate and white cake, it was much more. I could taste cinnamon, I could taste nuts, and I could taste orange. And then I knew that one bite was just the right amount. I threw the rest away and haven't thought about it until now.

What's really cool is that in the old days I really wouldn't have even experienced the flavors until I had eaten most of it, if then. I would have taken large bites, chewed it quickly and swallowed it, ready to take another bite. This small bites and chewing slowly way of eating has real benefits!

What makes this way of losing weight different from other weight loss programs is that it is not about depriving myself of any food. I feel free to eat whatever I want, but the questions I always ask are how much do I want it, and how much am I going to eat. It's working!