Scorecard

[cjsmith]

Last Wednesday's random offering: sweets (mostly hard candies) from, I think, Brazil.
Last week's happy hour: nachos and margaritas.
Friday's random offering: nuts coated with toffee and chocolate.
Monday's free lunch: burritos, tacos, and enchiladas, with nachos.
Tuesday: I think they had bagels but I honestly cannot remember for sure.
Today's random offering: enormous sticky pastries.

I don't know why this gets to me, because I firmly believe it is not anyone else's job to change anything just because I happen to have a really annoying restriction. (Why make more people miserable?) But it's just so bloody RELENTLESS. Is this really how Americans eat? All the TIME?? Is this really how I used to eat, all the time? With my family history of Type II diabetes? Why yes, I just might be a moron. (Right now I'm an annoyed moron.)

I do realize that the frustrating day I had yesterday probably has as much or more to do with my reaction to those pastries this morning as anything else does.

Comments

[jcgbigler.livejournal.com]

But it's just so bloody RELENTLESS. Is this really how Americans eat? All the TIME??

Yes.

Taste and smell are the two senses that don't need any processing. Taste data goes directly to the "pleasure/not pleasure" decider. Willpower requires processing. The reason Americans can't diet is because they're trying to stop a low-level urge with a high-level decision. Unfortunately, the decision never actually makes it to a high enough level in the brain soon enough for the willpower to do any good. Usually it's more like this:

t=0: "Look! Food!"
t=1 second: "Yum!"
t=5 seconds: "Damn, I shouldn't have eaten that."

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I wasn't even talking particularly about amount, just type. Americans are a diabetic's nightmare! I'm starting to think we almost never eat anything but wheat, corn, and sugar, washing it down with a Coke or a beer.

I do think brain processing can sometimes win. In the last couple months I haven't eaten a single one of these things.