FullaBella's Journal, 31 January 2020

In no time it will be an ingrained habit that you won't have to consciously think about. I don't know why it isn't automatic to put the dressing on the side and make ppl request to add. I mean, french fries don't come with the ketchup already on them (shrug)??? 

And if I am being completely honest with you - I would like to see you do more "Yay" posts. You strike me as an mmmmazing woman, yet, I feel like you put yourself down a lot even if behind jokes.  

Do you not eat the dressing? I like mine on the side because I use half of it and give the other half to my kids to dip their chicken strips in. Works well for us :). I wish restaurants had light Italian. 15 kcal a serving and I’m beginning to prefer it to ranch. 

Great job bella! Let’s try to limit those liquid calories 😃 #foodies 

dressing on the side is the way I like it too. I don't like my lettuce swimming! :) 

Love love love it. I eat my dressing on the side too. XOXO 

Yay for you! I hate when I forget to get dressing on the side...looks good girl!🥬🥒🍄🥕💜💜💜 

Showmar's, a Greek family diner in Charlotte (and I think a few other cities) has wonderful Greek salads, and the Greek oil-based dressing is always served on the side. It's the only place that I eat the bread -- a whole-wheat pita that I split with my husband, very lightly dipped in tzatziki. I've made "authentic Greek tzatziki" at home from https://thewanderlustkitchen.com/authentic-greek-tzatziki/ and it's turned out great, but it's way too much for us. Since I eat almost no dairy (to keep my arthritic pain in check), but I make an exception for Showmar's! "Oopah!" 

You may have saved hundreds of calories with that simple request❣️😋😋😋 

Everything looks delicious! 👌😋 

That looks awesome. Dressing on the side is a normal for me. Yay for you 

That’s a great take out meal, looks good 

Thanks everyone. I hate that I'm about to discount much of your praise but the 'yay' was for 'remembering' to tell them, otherwise, I always prefer my dressing, all 200 or so calories, on the side. Years ago I learned that by dipping the tine of the fork into the dressing and then spearing the salad I get a better blend of the taste compared to when the salad is swimming in dressing resulting in huge 'globs' in some bites and none in others. I dined at this same restaurant last week and forgot to tell them 'on the side'. 

NOW - before you turn your backs on me completely,the meal does come with a LOADED baked potato (sour creme, cheese, bacon bits, etc) and I didn't eat that - they subbed out extra squash/zucchini for it. NOTHING wrong with potatoes (so back off Idaho farmers) I just knew that with every thing else on the table I was going to need to make some exchanges so that I could HAVE the dressing.  

I knew that potato would add another 700 calories or so onto my meal - and if I were really really hungry & wanted more volume it would have been the way to go but I LIKE blue cheese dressing more than potatoes so that was my mindful way of eating last night.  

I'm still going to praise you Bella. You did great 🤗😊💚💙 

Also - I did not eat the bread. Nothing wrong with bread so back off Mrs. Bairds but again - I already had steak, stuffed shrimp (( which, I don't know why for the life of me I didn't think were going to be breaded & fried because I was envisioning grilled but I ate two of them anyway)) plus the veggies & salad... so I had more than enough food and in the plan of 'how to spend my calories' I chose the parts I wanted & could afford. 

Thank you Tata.. I realize that explanation / confession wasn't required but I wanted to share the 'budgetary thought process' that went into the meal. And this is why y'all will never see me at the final table on the World's Series Of Poker because I like to be up front about what I'm doing. 

ONE last thing FOR NOW - I wasn't aware that I was being perceived as putting myself down. I can assure you I do NOT. So... yay me, right? 

It would be nice if we could just eat and not have to put so much thought into the process. I am the type when I eat out..... I eat it all and would likely have asked for extra sour cream for the loaded potato. You made great choices !