…I feel like a turkey on Thanksgiving: STUFFED! It’s 1 pm and I’m still feeling overly full from last night’s dinner. With the way I’m feeling now, you would think I ate like it was my last supper or something (which I didn’t, I promise 🙂 ). This uncomfortable feeling is quite surprising especially as I normally wake up famished and more than ready for breakfast. Not only that, running for an hour usually works up somewhat of an appetite for me but today- ZILCH. All I’m saying is that I’m glad it’s a Monday***.

Am I the only one who always feels so FULL after a Chinese meal out??…like so much fuller than from an Italian meal, for example. I’m guessing it’s because the former normally involves family-style ordering rather than individual dishes which makes it all the more fun. Especially when faced with a huge variety of delicious sounding menu options, family-style ordering makes it easier to sample a bit of everything (and hence solve one of the bigger dilemmas of life i.e. what to order ;)). Let’s be honest, what good is a Chinese meal without dim sum, corn & crabmeat soup, seafood lettuce wraps, prawns in garlic chilli sauce, seafood lettuce wraps, stir fried greens, noodles…do I dare continue? And the best part is, ordering an array of dishes allows for a balanced meal. By choosing wisely, you can easily get a good mix of protein, carbs and veggies. As for fats, I think you’re covered with the oil used in cooking ;). As long as you avoid overeating, you’re good to go.

I suppose portion control is sometimes easier said than done. Ever heard of the buffet effect? You know, where you just can’t stop eating because there are oh so many options and you just HAVE to try them all. We’ve all been there, done that (I’ve even got the t-shirt as proof)! A study supporting this idea actually revealed that when participants were offered 10 different colours of M&Ms, they actually gobbled up 77% more than when they were offered just 7 colours. Hence when people ask me whether I like Chinese, I answer : “I love Chinese but it’s not a cuisine I can/want to eat regularly”. On that note, roll out the red carpet, for my hunger has now kicked in :).

***For those who don’t know me too well, I fast every Monday. Although it’s not too rigid. Fortunately I’m allowed to have nuts, fruit, yogurt, and beverages and can break it any time after 7 pm.