Reflections: All You Can Eat

All You Can Eat Buffet. Those words were completely foreign to me until I moved to America and visited my very first buffet in 3rd Grade. Buffets didn't exist in the Philippines. In fact, I don't think buffet restaurants exist in a lot of countries besides America, which makes sense. Wealth is often exhibited by excess and an abundant supply of resources. Once we discovered "The Buffet" my parents used to always take us to Hometown Buffet, which I hated because everyone from high school would go and I would just die if the boy I had a crush on saw me with my family. I was terrible teenager. Anyway, to me whenever I went into a buffet it was to see how much food I can stuff myself with until I felt absolutely miserable. Not to sound like a snob, but I started getting really turned off by buffets when I started to notice little kids with dirty hands (and adults) touching food and putting the food back into the large pile. My point in all this is that what is it with people's obsession with buffets? I know a lot of people who love anything that says all you can eat buffet, as if abundance of food made it taste better-- which is actually the complete opposite.

Anyway, with that said, I went to a buffet restaurant called the Golden Corral for my stepmom's birthday. This place was like the mother of all buffets. There was a bakery, a pasta station, an Asian food station, southern food station, sea food station, donut maker, chocolate fountain.. anything you can think of. My head was spinning and I had no idea what to eat. When there are too many choices that are all within access, I immediately had to dismiss my mentality of having to try every single food. I guess I was sort of successful except I couldn't stay away from the cheesy garlic biscuits. 

Last winter, probably around November through February, I am pretty sure I had gained around 5-10 lbs. just from the Holidays alone and I think that is when I weighed the most I have ever weighed. I'm going to try really hard not to gain any weight during the Holiday season. I still want to be able to enjoy all of the wonderful food but I know I have to limit myself. Ever since I started on this weight loss journey, there is this dialectic -- a constant battle going on inside my head. I love food (particularly gourmet food) but I also love clothes and fashion and I like looking better in my clothes now that I have lost weight. I also like the sense of comfort I feel that if I eat healthy, I am healthier but at the same time I think what is the point of a long healthy life if you can't enjoy the things you love the most. This is what keeps me up at night. Just kidding. Heartburn keeps me up at night.