To eat or not to eat??

Today, 3 co workers and I went out for lunch to celebrate a shared birthday between two of them. We ordered 4 fabulous sandwiches and shared them .They all came on grilled bread with French fries and a salad. We ordered a tasty, fattening dipping sauce for our French fries and each one of us cleared our plates check out the restaurant here . The abundance of food and the female company prompted me to consider the differences between men and women in regards to our relationship with food. 

 An upcoming trip to Hawaii has encouraged me to cut down on some of the refined carbs that I eat. I wouldn’t call it a weight loss plan, but I have no plans to gain weight before frolicking around in a bikini with the one person I would like to look good in front of.  My attempt at decreasing my sugar and breads has created awareness for me as to how many grams of carbs are in what I normally eat. A candy here, a piece of white toast there, topped off with  a white chocolate mocha and whatever free tidbits I can get my hands on, all adds up… I think I was eating on average over 150 grams of carbs a day! I still eat pretty much whatever I want, but paying attention to carbohydrates ensures me that I will be taking in more nutrients, through whole grains, rather than empty refined calories that temporarily spike blood sugar and eventually lead to type 2 diabetes…  Anyways.. this is not a nutrition lesson, this paragraph was just meant as a background as to why I decided to write about  food.

Very few men out there have an accurate measure on what they eat; how many calories come from fat, protein or carbs, etc. For them, it is simpler. If they're hungry, they eat. If they're full, they stop eating. If they have had half a loaf of sourdough bread earlier, and someone offers them a piece of pie, they eat it. However, if a man is kind of full and doesn't  really want the pie that badly, he doesn't eat it.

Women, for the most part, are completely different; Today, as the 4 of us ate our lunches, cleaning our plates with impetuosity even though we already had ingested more than enough food, we found ourselves making fun of our male manager who usually saves his french fries for us (who proceed to eat them even though we have already eaten our lunches). As we were ridiculing him for being such a pussy and not finishing his food, we started talking about how men eat: they require more calories than us and most aren’t as concerned with their BMI as we are, so why don’t they always clear their plates? Why do they often decline pie and cookies?

I have come to a conclusion, and discussed it with those colleugues, as well as the said male manager (who isn’t really a pussy). It is because men do not have the same body issues as women that they eat less. It seems like a paradox, I know, but it does make sense.  When women go out to eat, participate in office pot lucks, attend an event with food stalls, etc., it usually means that we are allowing ourselves a treat. We are damn well going to enjoy this treat. Even if we have had enough food to fill our stomachs, our taste buds do not turn off. This is our big chance to indulge, and indulge we shall. Consequences, schmonsequences! This is my fucking pie! Yes, I would like that extra scoop of ice cream, this is my treat! After I eat this, I am going back to chicken and salad and less than 50 grams of carbs a day, so don’t judge me! Many women are guilty of “comfort eating”. I had a bad day so I deserve a treat… I have PMS so I will have a treat, I feel like I’m fat so I think I should have a treat… We can blame chromosomes for that; women are naturally emotional, and usually react to all of the emotions we feel in one way or another.

You may have noticed my use of the words “guilty” and “judge”. Considering that food is mandatory for survival, we shouldn’t feel guilty for enjoying it, should we?  I regularly see men walking down the street eating hot dogs, drinking Big Gulps, etc. with zero fear of judgment. Women are usually less likely to do so in fear of being held accountable for our less-than-perfect physiques. Many women will eat before going on a date, then order a salad, or just order the salad even thought they’re starving!

Of course, this by no means applies to everyone. I do know a few men that are meticulous in their daily caloric calculations. My co-worker, Edward, has taught me most of what I know about carb intake, metabolism, blood sugar, fiber, etc. One of closest girlfriends and I enjoy food as an activity, refusing to even consider the caloric content and then ordering dessert after and then maybe having second dessert later on. I just think that in general, men and women view food differently, and that these differences are cultural as well as natural.

Now, I’m going to go to Starbucks and try one of the new Cake Pop things!

Cheers!