Confessions of a Healthy Dater

I’m a healthy eater. I eat “bad” foods in moderation. I load up on vegetables and fiber and lean proteins. I read labels and try to stay away from trans fat. I drink alcohol occasionally, and water all the time. I am good with my portion control. I have moments of weakness when high fructose corn syrup is calling to me but for the most part I am a pretty good example.

Unfortunately, I have found that I am not very good when it comes to keeping all these good habits intact while I am dating.

The Bodybuilder

Shawn and I were living together and it was great, we worked out together and came home and made the most amazing über healthy meals full of whole grains, chicken, salads, pasta and soups. He was a fantastic cook and I felt blessed and excited about my perfect life.

Unfortunately in my perfect life I had gained 15lbs in what seemed like an evening.

The trap, I was eating the same amount as Shawn. We would cook and then dally out the food equally. He weighs around 65lbs more than me. I do not need to eat as much as him.

The fix: I put half the amount of the same food on my plate and supplemented the feeling of less food with more salad.  I also started eating slower and tried to make sure we finished at the same time. It was like a game. After the gym he would munch a power bar and I nibbled on a couple saltines. As he sucked down Gatorade, I guzzled water.

The Couch Potato

Robert watched a lot of TV. I have never been a fan of the television and so I am rarely in front of it. Not only did my love for Robert turn me into someone who knew what happened last night on Survivor, it also turned me into a TV snacker. It is truly amazing how much food can be consumed while watching a 30-minute sitcom. I wanted to spend time with Robert and do the whole after work cuddle thing and so I continued to watch TV with him, but we negotiated a deal. If he wanted to continue to have a girlfriend with a waist then he needed to let me bring the snacks. I would make bags of low cal popcorn, apple slices and vegetables. We would then have Doritos once in awhile as a treat.