Un-learning the past

I've been thinking today about all of the eating habits that I have developed over a lifetime, and how I need to start to 'un-learn' some of them. For instance, we all learn from a young age that it is 'normal' to have breakfast first thing in the morning, that lunch is taken at around midday and that evening meal is at x o' clock. (I put 'x' o' clock because people get into their own habits about evening meal time. Because of my work patterns we have eaten evening meal at around 8pm for years - but I know this is considered quite late by most people.). I suppose I have also got into the habit of believing that a meal is of a certain size, and includes some starch, protein and veggies.

Since my last fill, however, I am trying to undo some of these basic beliefs, habits and traditions. Take last night, for example. I'd had my evening meal and was sitting up late-ish watching a film. I got hungry and thought about what I could eat. In the past I would have made up a huge cheese sandwich or a toastie or eaten some chocolate (if there was any left!). Last night, however, I looked at my food diary for the day to see if there were any food groups under-represented and saw that I hadn't really had much protein during the day. So my late-night snack? I ended up with a scrambled egg and melted cheese!! It wasn't just delicious, but also very filling.

[As an aside - I have recently discovered Rosemary Conley's mature low fat cheddar cheese - it's only 189 calories per 100g - which is only a little bit more than Philadelphia Light!!! - and it's luvverly!!].

Then as another example, I have been trying really hard to eat when I am hungry and not just eat when it is 'the right time'. This means that on the one hand I have found myself snacking on yoghurt mid-morning, but I've also sometimes had lunch at 3pm and several days have split my evening meal into two and had half at about 6pm and the other half at 9pm! Odd those this may all sound, it really does seem to be working. The result is, of course, that I am never hungry - because as soon as I am, I eat! Of course I have to stick to eating healthy foods but I don't really find this a problem most of the time.