The gym has been packed lately, and we all know why…the dreadful, hellish act of penance we call New Year’s resolutions. I make them and then forget about them in the same instant.
Ok, ok I have one resolution and that is to eat six small meals a day. Personal trainer’s orders. He was horrified when I confessed my terrible meal habits. I usually eat a small breakfast followed by a small lunch, maybe some chocolate in the afternoon and then a HUGE dinner with a HUGE cocktail. I’d say 75% of my calories are consumed after 7pm. Isn’t this the way of the common (albeit obese) man?
“Eating smaller meals throughout the day will speed up your metabolism,” he admonishes as I roll my eyes, “and you’ll have more energy.” He’s pushing a bunch of diet jargon on me and it feels totally disingenuous.
“Yeeeaaah, I know, but I already have a fast metabolism and more than enough energy,” I reply all cocky.
“And you won’t binge at night because you’ve been starving yourself all day. That’s why you exercise to the point of exhaustion…you are compensating for eating so much damn food the night before. It’s called ‘exercise-bingeing’ and I see it all the time!” He’s almost shouting at this point. Deep breath. He’s right. So the real resolution is not to eat six small meals a day but to break this overeating – overexercising habit I’ve developed for god knows how long, and eating small meals is part of the solution. He also insists that I work out less, going from 6 days per week to 4, maybe 5 max. Less guilt, less exercise, more freedom…?
I have no idea how to eat six small meals. How many almonds or trail mix or veggies with hummus or cheese and whole wheat crackers or protein bars or yogurt with fruit can one eat before turning into a gerbil? It sounds so tedious and boring. The only way this is going to work is if I make amazingly delicious portable snacks. I start off my New Year’s resolution with a big pan of luscious spanakopita oozing with cheese under a bed of flaky buttery layers. Cut into small 4-bite squares, I eat them 2 or 3 at a time. They freeze well which makes them a fantastic emergency mini-meal. My trainer didn’t say the meals had to be diet-friendly; he just insisted that they be small and frequent. More to come…
Making the spanakopita became a kind of meditation…
The spinach and cheese layer…
The top filo layer with a light dusting of sesame seeds…
Scored in cute little squares and ready to bake…
Six small meals here I come…
