Monday, August 2, 2010

Hungry?

Shed

I've been having some trouble lately with being inspired to exercise and eat right, simultaneously.  It is starting to become one or the other . . . but not both.  I either get into this routine of exercising really well, but overeating because I've exercised.  Or I will pack my lunches and have a hard time exercising consistently because I don't have to worry about excess calories being consumed.

I reached 200.4 lbs last week, but now I am up to 208.  How?  Because I ate the victory away.  I couldn't be happy with that loss to move forward in my goal of reaching 175 by January 1.  I was only 25 lbs away from my goal, but I had to throw it further from my reach. 

I read an article last night in Runner's Magazine from a new runner.  The author wrote about eating more because, "heck, I'm a runner."  Well, the author was running about a mile at first and then 2 miles, but eating as if 12 miles were run.  The author discussed this with a doctor who happened to be at a lacrosse game, and the doctor stated that despite the hunger generated by running, it is sometimes okay to be hungry.  The doctor had just run 12 miles that morning and didn't eat breakfast, and he was hungry--and he was okay with that.  What?  That goes against everything I read about eating right and refueling, and my muscles needing fuel to rebuild, strengthen and prepare for the next exercise activity. 

I eat like I run 12 miles everyday.  I know that I don't do 12 miles in a week.  I don't do anything extra in my fitness that necessitates more calories.  I feel like an athlete, but I am not an athlete who has burned thousands of calories.  I eat for every excuse, good or bad.

I've already finished Women, Food and God and I know why I am overeating (bills, stress, job, children, husband, house, bills, no money, bills; yep, that seems to be the majority of my issues), I just don't know how to seriously drop the hammer and stop myself.  How do I force myself to take back control when I know I shouldn't indulge.  I rationalize everything.  "Well, I can have that small, soy latte with 6 sugars with the cream cheese/chocolate chip muffin because I did 67 minutes on the Spin bike (I actually did exercise that much last night) and will exercise today!"  Haven't you read this before?  I know I've written it before. 

I have issues.  I am not sure if there is truly a rock bottom moment for me.  Or an event that is causing me to take this more seriously.  I read all these amazing weight loss blogs with all the dramatic before and after pics.  I want that.  But how bad?  Not bad enough, apparently.  My coworker has lost 17 lbs since starting her efforts, but she got the rude wake up call of being borderline diabetic.  Her husband has lost 27 lbs in a couple of months because he was diagnosed with high cholesterol and blood pressure.  He has been biking 10 miles daily and going for walks with her, while cutting back on food.  We went for a walk today.  She'd already exercised this morning.  I used to do that.  I will exercise tonight because it was in my schedule.  I will try to control my eating today because I prepacked my food. But I don't know how long I will keep this up. 

This is what I plan to do, moving forward from today.  Take all this with a grain of salt, please.
  • I will still workout or be active daily.  
  • I will still try to eat right.  
  • I will now start to allow myself to be a little "hungry".
  • This won't be an all or nothing because I know I am flawed.  
  • I will try to be happier all the while doing the above.
How do you get past the "hunger" (that isn't truly a hunger, but a need to satisfy something else)?

8 comments:

  1. I am so with you on all of this. What has to happen for me to hit rock bottom? Why do I make excuses?
    I get EVERYTHING you said. Thanks

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  2. I feel like I get overwhelmed too...maybe like I try too hard at eating or at exercising and stop paying attention to the other thing. There is a balance to it...we will find it! :)

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  3. Ditto, ditto! I can work diligently on yoga Or lifting weights, Or cardio, Or eating well, but I completely fail at putting all the pieces together! If I'm exercising, I'm overeating. If I'm running, I give up on lifting weights and stretching. I give myself way too much credit for what the good things are without paying attention to what I'm *not* doing. Thanks for saying it out loud.

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  4. hi rosa,

    i did a post on hunger recently. i talked about some stuff i read from the workbook: like the levels of hunger and the levels of fullness. because we are so use to overeating, many of us aren't in tune with our hunger cues.

    i eat until i'm comfortable full. in the past, i ate until it hurt. my goal is three meals a day at the same time, even when i'm not hungry. when we have a regular schedule we're better able to listen to our hunger cues. and i've learnt that it's okay to go to bed a little hungry.

    i'm almost certain some of those 8 pounds is water weight!

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  5. Hi Rosa! Your blog has really inspired me so I nominated you for an award on my blog:
    http://soskinnyontheinside.blogspot.com/2010/08/sweet-award.html

    Look forward to reading more from you!
    ~Tara

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  6. I don't know what the exact solution for you is, but I think that just being able to pin point some of the causes and being able to say all of this out loud is a great first step. Knowing the danger points can help you try to stay away from them or at least try to think of another solution. I know you can find the strength in yourself to do this for you!

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  7. It IS hard. You've probably read me say that I "don't" count calories because I become obsessed. Well, never say never, right? I started using the Lose It app on my iTouch basically just to track (and to be fair, I'm not doing it 100% *correctly*: I don't measure/weigh, but I do tend to overestimate my servings just in case) two months ago. In two months - yes, with more focus on regular workouts as well - I've lost as much as I had in the previous 10 months.

    Somehow, seeing it in black & white, knowing that I'm going to log everything I put in my mouth, is making me more aware of if I'm actually hungry or if I'm tired/bored/mad/sad. As well, I've found I'm more aware of when I'm full - I can stop at 2 pieces of pizza because I recognize I'm full instead of eating 4 pieces because "that's what I normally eat!" (Yes, 4: I know! O_O)

    Sending love.

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