Table for One

I find one of the hardest times to eat right is when I'm eating alone. My football coach once told me that you show your true character when you act when nobody is watching. When it comes to consuming food, I find temptation is at its greatest when your sitting at the table by yourself. It makes me think about all the situations that usually involve a singular dining experience. I make bad choices when I eat emotionally. I eat comfort food alone, because there's an element of shame there. I'm not proud to eat a crunchy peanut butter sandwich that's slathered so thick with PB it clogs your arteries just to look at it. But if no one is around to see it, no one to judge it, then its much easier to eat it, and enjoy it. Its so much easier to do anything slightly unscrupulous, such as have an extra slice of pizza, when you're the only one around around, after all, no one else is going to eat it, right? However, the opposite is true, as well. How would you act if you constantly had an entire crowd of people watching your every move, judging everything you did. It would certainly make you question your food choice, if not every other action you did. A couple weeks ago I was having dinner at that most decadent and genteel of establishments, the Texas Road House, and the wonderful young lady acting as our server very gracefully offered to add cheese and bacon atop my french fries. Now there's something to make an entire crowd gasp in horror. I dare to think how many points that would up the ante on my steak fries. I was ready to deny the offer in disgust, however I was also eating with a small crowd. To my shock and dismay I was peer pressured in to partaking in the evils that cheese and bacon bring. It goes to show, that every so often the crowd can turn on you. But like the sword, a crowd can be used for good and evil. One of my favorite memories from high school was the Match Wrestling Meet against North High. I was facing the cross town rival in my weight class with the bleachers much more full than usual. The match ended with me pinning the boy in blue and the whole crowd going wild. Talk about empowering; that was a great feeling. So eat for an audience. If you find yourself reaching for a cookie you shouldn't really have, then imagine a whole bunch of people with their eyes on you questioning your actions. On the other hand, if you're unmotivated to eat those vegetables, think of a a crowd of fans, waving banners with your name on them, screaming you encouragement as you pick up the carrots and broccoli, and win the day.