Eating Out

For almost 10 years my life has been so constrained that I eat out almost constantly and don't have time to prepare food at home. Ergo, I never considered dining out to be a guilty pleasure; it was simply a fact of life.

Four days ago Weight Watchers became an integral part of my day-to-day agenda. Preparing foods at home is now necessary. Even though I could dine out, I would have to starve for two meals to compensate for that one restaurant meal.

It is also somewhat strange: up until this week, I opened my wallet several times a day, swiping the debit or pulling out some bills, all for the purchase of food. Since going to the grocery Tuesday, I haven't bought an ounce of food since, and here it is Friday afternoon.

Now I recognize that restaurants, diners and fast food joints are wasteful due to the cash and calories consumed. But there is something of merit in having someone else take your order and deliver your food, plus wash the dishes later on. Therefore, effective today, eating out moves from a necessities column to a Today's Guilty Pleasure column. Bon Appetit!