Concealing Your Manly Appetite While Dating - Appealing or Revealing?
Have you ever been on a dinner date early in the relationship - maybe even a first date or blind date - and you were afraid to order what you really wanted? In my case, I have been on several of those. I am a female who has been stricken with a trait that might not appeal to some men out there : I eat like a guy. I have what I like to call, a “MANppetite”.
My favorite foods are the ones that are typically associated with being most enjoyed by men - pizza (with meat toppings only), buffalo wings, beer and my favorite, bacon! And not only do I enjoy those foods, but I have a tendency to consume them in larger quantities than many other females. I have been blessed with great metabolism, but not with a lot of more feminine and daintier eating habits. So I always kept in mind that ordering what I really wanted at a restaurant could very well be embarrassing for me on a date. Do I really want a new guy knowing right away that I can probably eat as much or more than he does? Historically, that has been my dining dilemma.
One time when I was in college, I went on a date with a guy who took me to one of my favorite Italian restaurants. It was all I could do to ignore the fact that my plate of pasta was “all you can eat” and could be filled again as fast as I could clear it. Instead, I chose to have some salad (which is really not a favorite of mine) and then modestly eat only half of one plate of pasta. I played it as “girly” as I possibly could, but I must admit that I was not comfortable on this date. I never quite felt like myself and wondered if it was obvious to him that I was trying really hard to be something that I am not. In the end, we only went out a couple more times.
A few years later after college, I started dating a guy who took me to a place with a pizza buffet. It was only our third date (and yes, it was my idea to go for the all-you-can-eat buffet)! His father joined us that day for lunch. I felt very comfortable with this guy, so I didn’t hesitate to stuff myself with pizza and out eat him by at least two slices. Apparently it was so much that his father issued a warning to him about my “overeating habits” and suggested he keep an eye on it! Nice huh? But this relationship was meant to last. I am now married to the man who was brave enough to take me to the pizza buffet that day. He accepts my MANppetite - even though he occasionally gives me a hard time about it.
So what’s the best technique for dating – being yourself and devouring that buffet, or gracefully picking at a fruit bowl that you would rather wear as a hat than eat? If you look at my example, it would seem that the honest approach is the best one. My husband appreciated me despite my significant MANppetite, while the man I reluctantly shared lettuce with amounted to nothing more than a few boring dates. In my opinion, it is probably best to be yourself, while also practicing moderation. Looking back, I probably should not have eaten so much pizza at that buffet, but the fact that I did speaks volumes about the comfort level I felt with the man who I would eventually marry.
So if you find that you tend to drop your guard and reveal your hearty MANppetite to the guy you are dating, perhaps this indicates that you feel a true connection with him? It could even mean that you are dining with your lifetime soul mate.