Once upon a time, I ate chocolate and cake, and ice cream by the pint or a partial dive into a gallon. Purchasing two bags of chocolate chips, one for baking and the other for snacking, was normal. Frito chips and clam dip, deep-fried mozzarella sticks, and Twinkies were just a few of the staples in my food groups. My salivary glands were activated by simply typing these words made of sugar, cheese, and carbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Calories, like time, catch up with people (except those lucky people with a type A metabolism), and I was front of the line. Middle age had crept up on me while I had been enjoying the excesses, and all that junk food was padding parts of me that didn\u2019t need it. Rubenesque was not \u201cin.\u201d Cholesterol was the thing to watch. Grown-ups eat vegetables roasted with a drizzle of olive oil, not drowning in salad dressing. It was all about balance; I\u2019d never been balanced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou can eat everything you want in small portions,\u201d my doctor advised. \u201cCut out the bread. Wrap your tuna salad in lettuce leaves,\u201d she suggested with enthusiasm. \u201cDrink a glass of water when you are hungry. Have a bite or two of those rich foods you can\u2019t pass up, but eat it slowly and enjoy the heck out of it. It\u2019s all about moderation and balance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unfortunately, I\u2019d never been balanced. It was a skill I needed to learn. I did try to stay within the guidelines of healthy eating, but I found myself wanting to dip my carrot sticks in caramel and fudge sauce. I decided to try the popular no-carb diet. I ate cheese, meat, and lots of Dr. Atkin\u2019s pretend \u201cchocolate bars.\u201d I whipped heavy cream with sugar substitute and plopped a dollop (larger than the cup) on top of my coffee several times a day. I gloried in bacon and eggs four days a week. The pounds melted away, and for a while, I convinced myself that I felt healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Suddenly, I started craving broccoli, cauliflower, beans\u2013any kind of rabbit food. I could have them on the Atkins Diet but only in small portions. I had to laugh at the irony. So, mother nature stepped in. That balance I never had asserted itself. I thought about the effects of yo-yo dieting, of eating mostly carbs, of eating no carbs. Slowly, I began to eat like a grownup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No one tells you that managing weight gets harder as you get older. I finally understood what I needed to do, and now, my caloric intake limit had taken a plunge. Yet again, I had to adjust. Was this healthy-eating thing ever going to get easier?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last week was a real test. My favorite holiday party of the year at a five-star Italian restaurant was approaching. I spent most of the day of the event getting ready. It was one of the few times of the year that my husband donned a suit, and I applied full makeup. My dieting enabled me to get into the dress I had purchased for the party last year and never wore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My husband and I arrived at the restaurant and found our place at a table. The white lights of a dozen decorated trees radiated Christmas cheer. I checked the individual menu at my place setting. It described the special five-course dinner, and I feared a five-pound gain as I calculated the ginormous caloric dump. My new\/old dress began to tighten around my waist without lifting a forkful of food to my mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My anxiety eased when the waiter served the I\u2019 Antipasto: a lovely poached pear, mixed lettuce salad topped with sliced grapes, Pecorino cheese, and a drizzle of lemon dressing. Healthy and light; I ate every bite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next came, Course II Primo\u2026 a house-made pasta (oh my!) with grilled sausage, roasted tomato, and Tuscan kale. And, more Pecorino cheese\u2013am I in heaven? I ate very slowly. I loaded my fork with a piece of sausage, a thick layer of pasta, and a liberal number of vegetables in one bite. I remembered my doctor\u2019s suggestion and let the forkful sit in my mouth, saturating my taste buds. I wished I could ask for a doggie bag for what I would leave on my plate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As soon as I was done, it was time for I Secondi: roasted salmon encrusted in whole grain mustard and braised New York strip steak in a Barolo wine reduction. Think protein. Lots of delicious, blood-enriching protein. Yes, it was a good thing that I ate every bite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I Contorni Scarola e Fagioli\u00a0(sauteed escarole and cannellini beans) accompanied the beef and fish. Okay, not my favorite. I could save a few calories here, I thought. So why did it taste so darn good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To fill out the dish was\u00a0Vegetali Padice Al Forno con Erbe Aromatich e Zenzero: delicious oven-roasted root vegetables with a touch of grated ginger. Oh, so healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was proud of my restraint. I enjoyed this incredible meal without overindulging. I savored the smell, texture, and presentation, as well as the flavor. I appreciated this savory food without a side of sugar. I decided Italian food was my absolute favorite cuisine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And finally, the course I\u2019d been waiting for all night\u2013dessert: Salame del Papa\u2013two slices of the most elegant, buttery, dark chocolate concoction laced with crumbled amaretto cookies, raisins, rum, and other bits of goodness served with a spoonful of Zabaglione gelato. Need I say more? I ate every bite and would have licked the plate if I wasn\u2019t in public!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
***<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The holidays are over. A lonely, boiled egg, half an English muffin, and a handful of blueberries sit on my breakfast plate. I lightly salt and pepper the yolk. I eat slowly and sip my sugarless coffee.\u00a0It\u2019s very tasty, I convince myself. I can do this. Three hundred and fifty days to go. Balance? Hmm, it seems awfully lopsided to me!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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