Toward the end of her life, G'ma's appetite waned. One small chicken cutlet was enough for both lunch and dinner. How can four bites be enough for you? became a commonplace comment. Her response never varied; Where will I put the rest of it?
Now, as TBG and I explore the changes our eighth decade of life is bringing, we're finding ourselves following the same path. A mini sandwich from Jersey Mikes is more than enough for lunch. We share one steak for dinner, accompanied by eight green beans each.
What has my life become when I'm counting the beans in the grocery store so we don't waste them at home?
When my mother could no longer manage I became responsible for feeding her and she soon had lost a lot of weight. He doctor assured me it was not a reflection of my culinary skills but a natural part of aging to eat less as "a survival mechanism" because "you rarely see obese people in their 80's and 90's." I don't know that is true because he was kind of a strange man but I did stop worrying about my mom's diet so much and she lived ten more years, into her 90's.
ReplyDeleteI eat less. I weigh more. I exercise just as much as I ever did. My doctor said not to worry, so I gave away my belts :-)
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Terry has never been a big eater, but his appetite is good and he wants all of his three meals each day. I, on the other hand, would be happy with breakfast and an early dinner. I often fix us separate meals for dinner as I'm not hungry enough to eat what Terry is having. We have a wonderful bakery/cafe in our neighborhood that makes lovely meals and all we have to do is reheat them. Makes my life so easy.
ReplyDeleteWe had a grocery store in Marin that served up fabulous dinners in reheatable containers. Especially after the kids left, our eating habits have kept evolving, but the need for good carry out/bring home and heat up meals has been a constant.
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I have always been a big eater, but recently I find that I am eating less and eating more slowly. Tom hasn't slowed down much.
ReplyDeleteI could eat all day and not gain a pound. Then my metabolism decided to retire and I realized that eating more slowly filled me up more quickly. I often eat two meals and a light snack without feeling hungry.
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