Battle of the Bulge: One Portion is Enough

My life seems to be the same exact cycle. 

I'm careful the whole week, weighing myself, watching what I eat, and find scale nervana on Friday morning. 

Then there's Shabbos. More importantly, Shabbos meals. 

If it's just me and the folks, the damage isn't too bad; I have my weekly cake visit following a larger than weekday lunch. But if there are guests, or if I am invited out, oh dear. 

And then it begins again. 

Frank Bruni makes it simple in "Hard Truths About Our Soft Bodies." In a nutshell, the reason for American obesity is that we go über-portion. The middle path has been outsourced for limitlessness. 

The Italians cuddle up with pasta, but they aren't overweight, despite the fact that we all "know" that noodles are a perfect storm of pound-packing carbs. With this land of bounty, we have lost the talent to cease and desist when nearly full, as opposed to unbuckling belts to make room for more. 

It concerns me since we Jews have super-sized Shabbos to such unnecessary lengths. We troll the supermarket aisles to buy all those items that we think we "need" to have. We take a number and patiently wait by the ready-made foods counter. Just an hour after a lunch of all-you-can-eat proportions children expect "Shabbos Party."

Here's a tip: Let's see what happens if we cook for a Shabbos geared towards satisfaction, not leftovers. If the family asks for thirds but the pot is empty, that's okay. No one is hungry.