Day 5: Date Night

Join associate editor Tami Fertig on a 7-day challenge to reset her sense of proper portions. Sign up to receive daily challenge newsletters here and be sure to read the magazine story that inspired the challenge here.

I have a habit of eating dinner on my couch.

It’’s not my fault. I don’’t have a kitchen table or a dining room, so the living room couch is the only suitable place for me to eat in my apartment. It also happens to be right in front of the television, which I often turn on at mealtime. I know I shouldn’t do this, but I sort of think of it as double-tasking. In reality, it probably just leads to mindless noshing.

Last night, in an attempt to mend my ways, I had a relaxing, romantic dinner with my boyfriend, no TV allowed. I knew the Pistachio-Crusted Eggplant Cutlets with quinoa wouldn’’t take very long to make (hooray for 30-minute meals!), so I had plenty of time to set the scene. I dimmed the lights, lit candles, and set out flowers. I also wore a dress, which is really unheard of for a weeknight.

Normally, by the time I get home from work, I’’m so hungry that I’’ll scarf down my dinner without even looking at it. Sometimes, I don’’t even make it to the couch. I just open my fridge and stuff myself silly with whatever I can find.

Knowing this, I made sure to eat my snack of a cucumber topped with cream cheese late in the afternoon yesterday so that I wasn’’t famished by dinnertime.

Instead, I took my time eating and chatting, enjoying the meal in the company of my sweetie.

Tomorrow, I think I’’ll bike to work. I know this will make me hungrier than usual, but I’’m willing to take the risk. I have not been getting enough exercise lately (unless you count chopping and grating as exercise).

How’’s the challenge going for everyone else? Join the chat to compare notes!


—To sign up for the 7-Day Portion Control daily newsletter, visit the main page.

—Get the full 7-day meal plan.

—Read the magazine story that inspired the challenge, The Get Real Diet.

—Check out the Serving Savvy Cheat Sheet.