Ed Levine's Serious Diet, Week 72: I Couldn't Finish 2 Hot Dogs; Does That Make Me a Wuss?
I've been doing some serious hot dog eating for an upcoming post, and today at lunchtime I headed to our local Papaya King for some purely academic, tube steak-eating research.
I ordered one with mustard and sauerkraut, and one slaw dog with pickles. Eating kosher-style hot dogs with mustard and sauerkraut always sends me hurtling back in time to my childhood, when I would effortlessly polish off a pastrami sandwich and two hot dogs at a single lunch at our local deli, Wilshire's. Talk about establishing damaging, self-destructive eating habits early.
I first ate half of the hot dog with mustard and sauerkraut and then moved on to the slaw dog. I was enjoying both immensely when my brain sent a signal to my stomach: ENOUGH! How could this be? How could anyone who considers himself a serious eater not be able to finish two Papaya King hot dogs, which are certainly not oversized.
Is this my official wuss coming-out party?
Once I got over the shock I realized that it was okay. In fact upon further reflection I decided it's positively grand. I guess my stomach has strunk to the size of a normal person's. That fact doesn't negate the pleasure I derive from eating something seriously delicious. In fact I think it enhances my enjoyment.
I'm happy to let Kobayashi and company do the competitive-eating, stomach-stretching thing. If that makes me a wussy serious eater, I'm down with that.
The Weigh-In
I've done a lot of serious hot dog eating this week, but I don't think I've taken more than three bites of a single hot dog. So, I'm thinking I should be all right. The interim weigh-ins have been very encouraging. Here we go:
209. Wow, I lost five pounds this week. One of those weird, equilibrium-busting weeks. Down to 2 and single digits for the first time in way more than 25 years. Man, that feels good. Maybe I should call it the shrunken stomach, half a hot dog diet.
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18 Comments:
you're not alone, ed. i have a tough time finishing 2 entire hotdogs too.
there's nothing wussy about not eating an arm and a legs worth of food.
frankly, i think it's gross and unhealthy to shovel mass quantities in your face.
the hotdogs you had sounded wonderful! congrats on the weight loss!
gastronomeg at 8:29AM on 06/19/09
Way to go, Ed!
When my stomach "shrinks" a bit when I spend time eating less, it's always a little sad--"But I want to be ABLE to eat a large ice cream!" I tell myself. But in the end, it is rewarding. You CAN have your cake and eat it too!
veggieout at 8:29AM on 06/19/09
That is a dieting landmark! Hopefully a few more pounds will slip off before your next dieting plateau.
tomthewombat at 8:44AM on 06/19/09
Hardly a wuss! It means your brain and stomach are communicating, and you're paying attention. That's healthy and awesome.
savecara at 9:11AM on 06/19/09
Congratulations! Serious Eaters know when to stop. You'll be fitting in your skinny jeans in no time :)
soyviz at 9:31AM on 06/19/09
It's funny, but when I was a 'fat girl' who dieted in high school, I think one of the things that kept me going back to bad habits was that nostalgia to be able to eat huge amounts of food. I came from a family where quantity and quality were seen as the same thing.
Now, it seems like madness to think that way--when you are overfull, food does not taste good. I really think everyone needs to get past the 'don't waste food' mantra. Out of respect to the goodness of food and to your own body, you have to say it is okay to stop.
HeartofGlass at 9:50AM on 06/19/09
"my brain sent a signal to my stomach: ENOUGH!"
Actually, biologically it's the other way around.
simon at 11:11AM on 06/19/09
Hi Ed, thanks for your diet-blog, it's inspiring. From Jim Harrison's food memoir, The Raw and the Cooked . . .
"Jack Nicholson once said to me, and it bears repeating, that “only in the Midwest is overeating still considered an act of heroism.”
I imagine Jack patting Jim on the shoulder as he rolled out the front door after surviving one of Harrison's feasts, growling that bit of evolved, Left Coaster advice at our nation's most unregenerate Midwestern eater . . . and I laugh. I'm more Harrison in habits, but have had to take Nicholson's point to stave off my own incipient diabetes.
That doesn't stop me from a near-panic attack when ordering a smallish/reasonable amount of food, though. Heroic eating is a hard habit to break ;-)
Julia Bustelo at 11:18AM on 06/19/09
Thanks, Simon. I stand corrected. Biology was never one of my strengths.
Ed Levine at 11:19AM on 06/19/09
Congrats Ed!!! Just remember being a serious eater has nothing to do with how much you eat. I've had to learn to really think about what I'm putting in my mouth, I can only eat a very small amount at any given time, and I think that made me even more interested in good food, rather than just anything to fill the void. You should be very proud of yourself!
huneybumper at 11:45AM on 06/19/09
Real men control their appetites, Ed. Congratulations.
Grumpy Old Man at 1:45PM on 06/19/09
Go Ed!
rachelb at 2:30PM on 06/19/09
I didn't make it past "tube steak eating research".
spazgrrl1974 at 3:31PM on 06/19/09
First, let me say congrats! You are doing a great job! :-) Let me also, say, though, that two hot dogs does not seem like too much for a man of your size to eat. I am 5 foot 1 and 107 pounds...and I can eat two hot dogs. Maybe these were extra large??
RJ Foodie at 7:52PM on 06/19/09
Hmmm...now that I keep thinking about it...maybe just because you can doesn't mean you should. Guess you are in a farther place than I am regarding how much one should eat. :-) Keep up the great work!
RJ Foodie at 8:05PM on 06/19/09
Couldn't finish 2 hot dogs? I've heard of that.
hotdoglover at 5:11AM on 06/20/09
Some days are hungrier than others (or you have a big breakfast or a long run or anything else that can affect appetite). That's why all this babble about how much people should eat is silly - listening to the stomach signals ends up feeling far better and is healthier in the long run.
tangledgray at 1:16PM on 06/22/09
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Todd29 at 8:14PM on 07/05/09