Sunday, August 23, 2009

Bon appetit

I have been out of town (hence the missing blog posts from the last couple of days). However, I have been thinking about what I would write when I returned — so here it is.

Before my dog gets her breakfast, we usually take her for a walk around the block. Before she gets her dinner at night, she has to wait until my fiancé and I finish our meal. Before we actually set the bowl of food down in front of her, she has to sit or lie down or do whatever other cue we ask of her. Before she gets a treat, she has to perform a cue or a trick. You get the idea.

So, why don't I treat myself the same way? Why don't I make myself take a walk or clean the kitchen or wait until I am truly hungry to earn my grub? If I did, I would appreciate my food more, I would get more exercise, and I would reduce overeating.

The idea is not original, of course — my brother told me the very same thing recently but I dismissed it. And no doubt many other people have had this idea before he did. But now the idea has had time to percolate in my mind, and it just struck me the other day as being an especially good suggestion. So, I am going to try it.

We just returned home from our trip out of town, and when I came home I was tempted to do my usual habit — grab a snack even though I am not really hungry but rather am looking for a way to occupy myself. Instead, I decided to put a load of laundry in the washing machine and work on my blog for an hour until I am truly hungry.

4 comments:

Mark said...

The food really tastes better, doesn't it? It means more when we've worked for it. "Hunger is good discipline," says Ernest Hemingway. Also this weekend is the beginning of Ramadan, which at its heart is the same idea.

I'm really enjoying your posts, Tara. Bon appetit!

Courtney said...

Hi Tara! I'm glad you're back, and I also wanted to say thanks for following my blog.

This post is giving me a lot to think about! I've been trying to eat when I am actually hungry, but I haven't thought about making myself do a task until that hunger comes.

And lately I've been wondering if dogs would actually eat forever if they had food constantly available to them. I keep food out for my cats, and one is kinda skinny while the other is kinda fat. (I'm rambling. I mostly just wanted to say hi!)

Tara & Bernard said...

Hi Mark! Thanks for the Hemingway quote; I always like his quotes.

Tara & Bernard said...

Hi Courtney,

I think some dogs -- Labradors in particular -- would definitely eat forever if they could. My dog is one of those!!

I've never had a cat but my friend has one who she leaves food out for as well, and the cat starts meowing loudly as soon as she sees the bottom of the bowl -- so she demands to always have enough food in there to cover the whole bowl. And yes, she is a fat kitty! :-)