Or rather, I've avoided them like the proverbial plague.
I ate when I felt like it. As it is with emotional eating. I rarely experienced true hunger.
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| Hungry. December 2009. |
Since overhauling my eating/exercise habits two years ago, I changed to eating when I schedule it.
It still isn't about need. Well, it is in a way. I know that my body needs food every 2-3 hours to keep me from getting hungry. I also need to fit in a certain amount of fruits, veggies, lean protein, and dairy in my day, not to mention a specified calorie total. So I schedule my meals. Down to each individual calorie.
My hope is that once I have reached my goal weight, I will maintain my weight through a combination of scheduling and eating when I need to - when my body tells me that it's hungry.
Here's the problem: I don't always know when I'm hungry.
My body often mimics hunger pains when I know I shouldn't be hungry. Or should it? I eat about 100-150 calories every 2-3 hours. Dinner usually takes up more of my allotted portion. So maybe my body is hungry an hour after lunch, which is to say, whatever snack-meal I ate between noon and 2pm.
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Bowling. And hungry. August 2009. |
Since starting this weight loss journey, I have heard (and tried) many tips to do with hunger pains. If you know you shouldn't be hungry/need more food: Wait 15 minutes. Drink water. Go for a walk. Call a friend. Drink more water.
Many of us who have dealt with overeating and unhealthy weight can often lose our ability to self-monitor our eating. It isn't just about self control, it is a learned habit, one that is very difficult to change. Our relationship with food has become unhealthy and unnatural. That is why we have "tips and tricks" of all sorts. That is why we read countless blogs, articles, magazines, and books about losing weight. We have to get rid of hurtful habits and learn helpful new ones.
After reading one of my favorite blogs a while back, though I can't remember the specific post, I got to thinking about hunger pains. Yes, a rumbly tummy can be a body's way of telling its owner that it needs food (or a quick trip to the restroom, though that would just be inappropriate for me to allude to here). But does that rumble mean you need to eat immediately? Is hunger bad?
What does the rumble mean?
Does it have to be a hated occurrence dramatically equated to near-starvation and the stress of all things food related? (As it can be in my case....)
Many of us who have dealt with overeating and unhealthy weight can often lose our ability to self-monitor our eating. It isn't just about self control, it is a learned habit, one that is very difficult to change. Our relationship with food has become unhealthy and unnatural. That is why we have "tips and tricks" of all sorts. That is why we read countless blogs, articles, magazines, and books about losing weight. We have to get rid of hurtful habits and learn helpful new ones.
After reading one of my favorite blogs a while back, though I can't remember the specific post, I got to thinking about hunger pains. Yes, a rumbly tummy can be a body's way of telling its owner that it needs food (or a quick trip to the restroom, though that would just be inappropriate for me to allude to here). But does that rumble mean you need to eat immediately? Is hunger bad?
What does the rumble mean?
Does it have to be a hated occurrence dramatically equated to near-starvation and the stress of all things food related? (As it can be in my case....)
Or,
Can the rumble simply be a reminder of good things to come?
A reminder of what I have, which many do not.
A reminder of my choices to schedule each of those darn calories to one day look back and see my progress and successes.
A reminder that my body has been designed to use food as fuel.
A reminder of that delicious dinner I'm making.
A reminder of the benefits of sacrifice and discipline.
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| Playing cards. Hungry. March 2012. |
Perhaps I will begin to love the presense of hunger pains, rather than loathe their very existence.
Well,
We'll see about that.
It's a place to start, anyway. :)
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| Hungry and happy about it. March 2012. |
So tell me: What natural occurences do you use a reminder? What do you do with hunger pains?
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