Watching Thin People...

Talking about taking control made me remember the Christmas party we went to two years ago for hubby’s work. We ended up assigned to a table with a woman everyone called Sergeant Major. She was in charge of the accounting department, retired military and very controlling and bossy. She was about 45 years old, 5’9” and thin and fit.

The food at this party was phenomenal. Appetizers of bite size Beef Wellington, puffed pastry filled with crab and cream cheese mixture, shrimp cocktail. For the buffet style main course dinner, a phenomenal salad with gorgonzola, toasted walnuts, mandarin orange, red onion and spring mix greens, I make this often. There was poached salmon, chicken breasts stuffed with sundried tomato, spinach and parmesan cheese, roasted pork, chicken picatta, beef in a merlot sauce. For side dishes, rosemary and citrus roasted potatoes, wild rice pilaf, a vegetable medley, glazed baby carrots, green beans with almonds and of course there were piping hot fresh rolls on every table with butter. For dessert there were pies, cookies, Belgian chocolates, chocolate turtle cake or cheesecake.

I indulged in at least two of each of the appetizers…just in case I didn’t like what would be offered for the main course. Then the buffet was present, I was so overwhelmed by choices I took a small portion of almost everything, as did most everyone else at our table. We passed the rolls and butter and endulged in a feast of feasts. When dessert was offered, hubby and I each picked a different dessert and shared.

The one thing I noticed during this meal is what Sergeant Major chose. She had one beef wellington appetizer, she had a portion of salad, steamed salmon, vegetable medley, green beans and about a ½ cup of rice. For desert she took one bite of cake and enjoyed conversation with everyone as she sipped her coffee sweetened with splenda.

This still stands out in my mind over two years later. Not the details of the food, I confess I looked them up on the country club’s website to refresh my memory on what was served. But I recalled exactly what she ate. What this tall thin, fit and healthy woman ate. To her this wasn’t a special occasion meant to indulge. To her it was eating to meet her nutritional needs and a bite of cake. She stands out in my mind as someone who isn’t controlled by food.

I’ve let food control me for so long I didn’t know there was another way. I grew up a family that used food to celebrate everything. I used food to celebrate when I was happy and I used food to console me when I felt down. Learning to let go of “using” food is the first step. I feel like I finally get it.

I feel like the story of “Sergeant Major” stuck in my mind for a reason. Food isn’t a reward it’s something we need to meet our bodies nutritional needs. This is something I’ve come to terms with. I know it, I get it. Now I have to hold on to it for dear life and never forget these lessons I’ve taken so many years to learn.