..Not ordering anything during a midnight run to Charlie’s Grind and Grill when everyone else gets a burger, fries and buffalo wings. Well, I had one wing and a bite of a burger because my sister got upset when she asked if I was on a diet (I’m not… yet). Everyone in our house is in love with food, so when someone has to lose weight, it’s a real morale sinker at the house. However, I also came from a food review at Adarna Food and Culture (highly recommended, make sure to try the Felicidad milk), so I stuffed myself this afternoon.

I’m tired of the cycle of stuffing myself and feeling guilty and overdoing things at the gym, so I decided to step back starting tonight. Tomorrow, I’m meeting with some friends for lunch at Chicken Charlie so maybe I shouldn’t have had that buffalo wing, but at least I’m trying. It’s a conscious effort to push back from really scrumptious food, but if I want to fit into my clothes without killing myself at the gym or starving half the time, I have to learn how to say no.

Saying no had always been a problem for me. I have a hard time turning down assignments and I almost never refuse to help out friends, even at my expense. Food reviews are the same thing: it’s hard to not devour a dish, especially when the chef eagerly watches me eat the whole thing.

I wish there was a compromise somewhere. For burgers, it means going for a healthier option instead of scarfing down a hefty all-meat Godzilla. Don’t get me wrong, I love meaty burgers, but going for veggie patties sometimes fulfills that need for a burger while staying relatively healthy.

Healthy Kitchen's Boca Burger. Too bad it recently closed down, it was one of the best veggie-friendly restaurants in town. Photo by Ryan Fernandez

But what about non-food related matters? How do you find the equivalent of a veggie burger to some of life’s bigger issues?

Goodness, I really eat too much. Even my metaphors are food-related.

(Day 7, 30-Day Blog Challenge)