Save the Date: Meatfest 2008

I'm not really hungry...I'm not really hungry...

Maybe if I keep repeating this over and over, I'll start to believe it. Objectively, there's no way my body should be feeling hunger right now. I ate a nice lunch, and just had some oatmeal for a snack.

Someone here at the office brought treats. Again. There is a table full of cookies, cinnamon twists, and some other pastry-type thing. Those cookies are calling my name. They're the big Kirkland chocolate chip cookies. You know, the kind you get from Costco. Back in the day, I would have cruised by that table 2 or 3 times to grab one. I'm really tempted to do that right now. I made the mistake of walking over there and just looking at them. I checked the box for nutrition information, and there was none. That's a bad sign. That means I should stay the hell away.

I really need to keep things in check, because there will be much indulging this weekend. My birthday is Saturday, and then Angie's is on Sunday. We're planning what people in my office refer to as "MEATFEST." Here in Kansas City, we have a couple of those Brazilian restaurants where they keep bringing huge sticks of meat over to your table and slicing off portions until you explode into a million bovine pieces. I'm looking forward to it. We've wanted to try this place for a long time, but never had a special enough occasion to break the diet in such a blatant manner. Turning 30 (or 31, if you're Angie) is the best excuse we'll have for a while, so I'm going to live it up and try not to feel guilty. I plan on writing a whole blog post about this experience, so tune in Sunday if you're interested.

Also on Sunday, my parents are taking us to brunch.

But wait! There's more! After brunch, we'll be heading to the nursing home so my grandmother can enjoy some cake and ice cream with us.

Needless to say, it's going to to be a diet disaster this weekend. I know that actually planning a diet disaster isn't the smartest idea. For those of us who struggle with losing weight (or maintaining weight loss) it's kind of like planning to get your car repossessed, or planning to fail an exam.

I'm hoping that when the time comes, I'll have the good sense to stop when I'm full. To tell the truth, though, that's usually not what happens when I'm confronted with "all-you-can-eat-ness." What is it with Americans and buffets? Seriously. It's baffling. Do we stuff ourselves because we want to get our money's worth? The Brazailian place isn't exactly cheap, but is that an excuse to keep shoving beef in my face until my pores are oozing cow babies?

Looking back on past buffet experiences, I think I kept eating because it was there and it tasted good. That's all there is to it. John Travolta said it best in Pulp Fiction: "Bacon tastes good. Pork chops taste good."

Thankfully, my body and psyche have changed, and these days my brain is much better at telling me when my stomach is full. Of course, I don't always listen. We'll see what happens. May the meat...er, force...be with me.