oye vey

So much food this weekend. I feel a bit guilty considering I probably could have fed all of Africa with my feasting, but sometimes, I just can't help myself. Or maybe it's I don't want to help myself.

Fact: I can eat. Like REALLY eat. I may pretend to not be hungry or eat like a bird at times, but the truth is I am almost always hungry, and even if I am not, I can probably still make room. I come from a large extended family that loves to eat. Food is central to all of our gatherings. Also, when I was growing up, it was a really special occasion to go out to a restaurant. Our family always went to Old Country Buffet (don't judge) for every birthday. This was partly due to the fact that you could satisfy picky children that didn't have patience to wait for food to be brought to them, and it was more economic for a family of six with a limited income. I also had a mother who was an excellent cook. So from an early age, I learned how to eat a lot and how to appreciate quality, home-cooked meals. I also eat really fast, which sometimes tricks my stomach into thinking it is still hungry. In reality it is just catching up to my impatience. I also feel weird leaving food on my plate. I either have to save it for later or just finish it all right there. I can't stand just throwing food away.

Sometimes I regret having this habit, okay maybe more than sometimes--okay maybe like all the time. It's kind of embarrassing especially when someone points it out. One time a sister of a roommate said out of the blue, "wow, you are always eating."

It's a habit that I'm trying to...tweak. I think it's good having a healthy appetite and not wasting food, but the purpose of eating should be to sustain my physiologic demands--no more, no less.

It's a work in progress I guess.