IE at the Cheesecake Factory

[Guest guest]

Yay for you Cheesecake factory is one of my favorite places though I don't go too often because we don't have one here. Eva

Last night I got to practice IE eating at a "fancy" restaurant. (Yes, I know that The Cheesecake Factory is hardly fine dining, but with three kids it's the best I get these days...LOL)I looked at the menu before I got there, and am aware that they give obscenely large portions. I was thinking of just getting an appetizer or two, but everything was too "appetizery." I was not in the mood for nachos, kwim? So I decided to wait until I got there to see what I wanted.When I am out, I like to get food that I do not make for myself. I often make steaks, ribs, pasta, shrimp at home... so I chose Chicken Madeira. I wouldn't make that myself because I'd have to go buy an entire bottle of madeira wine for a dish that only I would like.Sure enough, the plate was the size of Montana. I was a little nervous. But then I remembered that I know how to honor my fullness and that I could take the rest home. I ate, chatted with the handsome man across the table who just actually happens to be MY husband!, and sipped a glass of red wine. Sure enough, about 1/4 way into the plate I got that oh-so-familiar feeling of fullness. I stopped, chatted with hubby a bit, ate a couple more bites and yep, I was done.Well, the restaurant IS called the "cheesecake" factory, so I asked DH if he would split a piece of cheesecake with me. So we split a piece of heavenly dessert, took a few bites each, and then were done.I packed up the rest of the food to go. What a fabulous experience to eat exactly what I wanted (including dessert) and leave a restaurant without feeling like I need a crane to get me out of the chair!!Another wonderful bonus was that the whole meal only cost a little more than $50 for the two of us!!!AND I have some amazing leftovers.Life is gooooood....

[Guest guest]

Last night I got to practice IE eating at a " fancy " restaurant. (Yes,

I know that The Cheesecake Factory is hardly fine dining, but with

three kids it's the best I get these days...LOL)

I looked at the menu before I got there, and am aware that they give

obscenely large portions. I was thinking of just getting an appetizer

or two, but everything was too " appetizery. " I was not in the mood

for nachos, kwim? So I decided to wait until I got there to see what

I wanted.

When I am out, I like to get food that I do not make for myself. I

often make steaks, ribs, pasta, shrimp at home... so I chose Chicken

Madeira. I wouldn't make that myself because I'd have to go buy an

entire bottle of madeira wine for a dish that only I would like.

Sure enough, the plate was the size of Montana. I was a little

nervous. But then I remembered that I know how to honor my fullness

and that I could take the rest home. I ate, chatted with the handsome

man across the table who just actually happens to be MY husband!, and

sipped a glass of red wine. Sure enough, about 1/4 way into the plate

I got that oh-so-familiar feeling of fullness. I stopped, chatted

with hubby a bit, ate a couple more bites and yep, I was done.

Well, the restaurant IS called the " cheesecake " factory, so I asked

DH if he would split a piece of cheesecake with me. So we split a

piece of heavenly dessert, took a few bites each, and then were done.

I packed up the rest of the food to go. What a fabulous experience to

eat exactly what I wanted (including dessert) and leave a restaurant

without feeling like I need a crane to get me out of the chair!!

Another wonderful bonus was that the whole meal only cost a little

more than $50 for the two of us!!!

AND I have some amazing leftovers.

Life is gooooood....

[Guest guest]

PS: I think that part of the reason that things went so successfully

last night was because I was not overly hungry. Normally, I would

have " saved up " my calories for dinner by eating lightly all day. In

fact, we went to a children's museum in the afternoon, and the voices

in my head kept saying, " You should save your appetite for dinner. "

But, I was hungry then, so I had... chicken nuggets!!! I don't

remember eating chicken nuggets for myself before. All the time I kept

thinking, " what are you doing eating chicken nuggets when you are going

out in three hours? " but I ate them, enjoyed them, and figured, what

the h*ll, I want these.

So, for me, the lesson was that if I eat intuitively all day long

rather than starving myself out until dinner, it makes it much easier

to eat intuitively at dinner. And I get the pleasure of eating what I

want all day long. Seems like a win/win to me!

[Guest guest]

I can picture you moving your tassle over on your moldboard hat

(graduation!). That sounds like a perfect definition of IE - you have

a right to be proud of yourself Katcha

>

> Last night I got to practice IE eating at a " fancy " restaurant. (Yes,

> I know that The Cheesecake Factory is hardly fine dining, but with

> three kids it's the best I get these days...LOL)

>

> I looked at the menu before I got there, and am aware that they give

> obscenely large portions. I was thinking of just getting an appetizer

> or two, but everything was too " appetizery. " I was not in the mood

> for nachos, kwim? So I decided to wait until I got there to see what

> I wanted.

>

> When I am out, I like to get food that I do not make for myself. I

> often make steaks, ribs, pasta, shrimp at home... so I chose Chicken

> Madeira. I wouldn't make that myself because I'd have to go buy an

> entire bottle of madeira wine for a dish that only I would like.

>

> Sure enough, the plate was the size of Montana. I was a little

> nervous. But then I remembered that I know how to honor my fullness

> and that I could take the rest home. I ate, chatted with the handsome

> man across the table who just actually happens to be MY husband!, and

> sipped a glass of red wine. Sure enough, about 1/4 way into the plate

> I got that oh-so-familiar feeling of fullness. I stopped, chatted

> with hubby a bit, ate a couple more bites and yep, I was done.

>

> Well, the restaurant IS called the " cheesecake " factory, so I asked

> DH if he would split a piece of cheesecake with me. So we split a

> piece of heavenly dessert, took a few bites each, and then were done.

>

> I packed up the rest of the food to go. What a fabulous experience to

> eat exactly what I wanted (including dessert) and leave a restaurant

> without feeling like I need a crane to get me out of the chair!!

>

> Another wonderful bonus was that the whole meal only cost a little

> more than $50 for the two of us!!!

>

> AND I have some amazing leftovers.

>

> Life is gooooood....

>

[Guest guest]

Mmmmm! I love the cheesecake factory!

Congrats on your wonderful evening! I find that I do a better job of honoring and listening to my satisfaction/fullness levels when at a restaurant. I don't know if it's because I really work at relishing in the ambiance of the restaraunt and enjoying who I am with. But I have no problems eating a protion of what I order and actually look forward to taking some home for lunch the next day. When I did WW and it was recommended to always order a take home box at the beginning of your meal, I never did it. Maybe it was the rebel in me rebelling against the stupid diet! It is nice to be able to listen to your body and trust that you will honor it's fullness.

--Alana

-------------- Original message --------------

Last night I got to practice IE eating at a "fancy" restaurant. (Yes, I know that The Cheesecake Factory is hardly fine dining, but with three kids it's the best I get these days...LOL)I looked at the menu before I got there, and am aware that they give obscenely large portions. I was thinking of just getting an appetizer or two, but everything was too "appetizery." I was not in the mood for nachos, kwim? So I decided to wait until I got there to see what I wanted.When I am out, I like to get food that I do not make for myself. I often make steaks, ribs, pasta, shrimp at home... so I chose Chicken Madeira. I wouldn't make that myself because I'd have to go buy an entire bottle of madeira wine for a dish that only I would like.Sure enough, the plate was the size of Montana. I was a little nervous. But then I remembered that I know how to honor my fullness and that I could take the rest home. I ate, chatted w

ith the handsome man across the table who just actually happens to be MY husband!, and sipped a glass of red wine. Sure enough, about 1/4 way into the plate I got that oh-so-familiar feeling of fullness. I stopped, chatted with hubby a bit, ate a couple more bites and yep, I was done.Well, the restaurant IS called the "cheesecake" factory, so I asked DH if he would split a piece of cheesecake with me. So we split a piece of heavenly dessert, took a few bites each, and then were done.I packed up the rest of the food to go. What a fabulous experience to eat exactly what I wanted (including dessert) and leave a restaurant without feeling like I need a crane to get me out of the chair!!Another wonderful bonus was that the whole meal only cost a little more than $50 for the two of us!!!AND I have some amazing leftovers.Life is gooooood....

[Guest guest]

Traci Vujicich wrote:

>What a fabulous experience to

>eat exactly what I wanted (including dessert)

>

oh Yum!

>and leave a restaurant

>without feeling like I need a crane to get me out of the chair!!

>

>

>

oh Yea!

>Another wonderful bonus was that the whole meal only cost a little

>more than $50 for the two of us!!!

>

>AND I have some amazing leftovers.

>

>Life is gooooood....

>

>

>

Oh joy!

Good for you Traci! I'm salivating!

Alison

....must wipe drool off keyboard now.... glub