This strategy is for use during a restaurant meal.
The next time you go out to eat:
- Order the meal as usual. But ask your server for a take-home box along with the order.
- When the meal arrives, don’t start eating. Instead, immediately put half of everything in the take-home container. Set the container aside and eat the other half of the meal.
- It will help if you eat the remaining food mindfully. Use small bites and pay attention to the food as you eat it. Don’t hurry. Enjoy each bite. Use the Basic Mindful Bite strategy. Take time between bites. Put your silverware down as you chew.
- Remember---you’re not necessarily giving up any food. You can have the other half of the meal later.
Most restaurant servings nowadays are so big that they can easily and comfortably feed two people. You just may be surprised how satisfying it can be to eat only one-half of the meal. And if you find yourself still hungry later on, you have more food to eat!
BOUNDARIES
When you use this technique, you create several important boundaries for yourself:
- You create a boundary when you divide your food. You make the decision of how much to save until later. This division marks an important shift in attitudes: you don't have to eat all your food right away.
- You create another boundary by hiding the rest of the meal from sight. This barrier helps you concentrate on the remaining food, helping you to see it as adequate for the moment.
- You also create a large physical boundary: the food gets moved away from the point of service when you leave the restaurant. Taking the food out creates a boundary of actual distance.
- You also create a boundary of time. You may have the rest of the food hours or days later. This empowering technique allows you to decide how to spread out the energy of the food in your food economy.
