My travels began with a three day meeting of the American Academy of Family Physicians Commission on the Health of the Public. Nice opportunity to consider my OWN health while discussing issues and initiatives important to the American people!
Since we had nearly three weeks of travel ahead, I decided to try to stick to my usual eating habits as much as possible when possible and save my “eating for fun” for when it mattered. I held my breath as I surveyed the breakfast offerings. All too often conference breakfasts consist of just Danish and coffee. That always struck me as odd since they need attendees to be alert and productive all the way until lunch. Luckily at this meeting there was a nice spread of other breakfast choices each day including eggs, fresh fruit, cereal and skim milk so that meal was easy.
They did an equally good job with lunches – salad with chicken one day and pasta with a nice tomato-based sauce loaded with vegetables the other. Even the dessert was a light angel food cake with strawberries. However, it’s still easy to overeat at conference banquets unless you stay conscious. They serve warm rolls with butter while you’re waiting to be served. They spoon way too much dressing (if you don’t say “enough!”) on your salad topped with croutons, cheese and bacon. The servings are usually too large, especially the inexpensive fillers like pasta and rice. And the icing on the cake (literally) is some type of dessert (though I love it when it’s already on the table rather than surprising me with it when I am already full!).
I don’t know about you but that’s way more than I usually have for lunch. So why would we suddenly throw our common sense out the window? Because meetings and conferences are loaded with triggers for overeating. You sit through long meetings so you may subconsciously feel like you’ve “earned” it. Then suddenly there’s all this free food just sitting in front of you. When you become distracted by socializing or networking during the meal, you lose track of how much you’ve eaten.
Meeting Tip: The key to handling the abundant food at meetings and conferences is to remain selective and mindful. Don’t abdicate the responsibility for how you’ll feel all day to the meeting planner or hotel staff who selected the menu. Choose the items and the portions that nourish you rather than mindlessly eating whatever is offered. That doesn’t mean “Don’t eat the roll and butter.” It means decide consciously. If you eat the roll, all the pasta they serve you, AND all of the dessert, how will you feel in an hour? Probably uncomfortable, drowsy, and foggy. But don’t worry; you’ll probably wake up in time for the afternoon cookie break!
For more, read my article “Three Questions to Make the Perfect Food Choice Everytime.”
Hi Michelle,
Those are some good suggestions for those long meetings and conventions. Unfortunately, my biggest challenge is dealing with those bowls of candy that every exhibitor seems to want to put out on their tables at tradeshows and consumer expos. I feel like it’s Halloween at every event lately. It’s a crazy, lazy habit because attendees just grab a handful of chocolates and run (I am guilty). The exhibiting business gets nothing from it except the pleasure of feeding the audience. Stop being lazy exhibitors. Get rid of those calorie laden snacks you are substituting for a warm body with a nice smile that will engage the attendees in conversation about what you do and what you sell.
I’m on a diet!
Susan
http://www.exhibitexpertsaz.com
Michelle,
That’s an interesting comment about the triggers that lead to more eating. I’d never thought about “earning” my meal at a meeting, but that makes sense. In my line of work, I can sometimes be bombarded with delicious meals–and large spreads on the buffet table–from the B&Bs I visit or the new restaurants I write about. It doesn’t take much energy for me to realize I can’t eat it all. But I do sometimes have the fight the guilt that comes with not wanting to eat all the food that is placed in front of me, because I don’t want to hurt the cook’s feelings. I have to fight sometimes to let that feeling go. It seems like there are lots of triggers that can lead to overeating. Your job to educate us must be a tough one.
Keep it up, though.
Jackie
Michelle, I am rereading this blog today after a night of most unconscious eating at my favorite greasy food place on earth! Luckily, since I have the opportunity to eat there just a few times a year, I can recover with some exercise and light eating over the next few days. It’s hard to remember as I am having “just one more” fried shrimp or finger steak (this is in Montana….so they’re finger steaks, not steak fingers!) that I won’t like the way I feel afterward. There must be something to the idea of taking time during the meal to let the sane inner voice of possible consequences be heard above the din of momentary self gratification! For the rest of my vacation, (maybe my life if I read enough of your work!) I will practice the art of mindful and intuitive eating thanks to your good advice!