Article: Hungry for More.

I wrote about this "hunger" that I felt because of my exercise.  I read this article, a simple retelling of a story about a new runner and the excess eating because of the "hunger" he felt from running and how he justified his excessive eating.  This article gave me permission to "not" eat more than necessary.  I always had this delusion concept that I could exercise a lot and eat the same or more because "heck, I am burning calories and building muscle."  What I forgot is that while I am burning calories and building muscle, I have excess fat that needs to burn most of all.  I have to create a deficit in my day.  Simple?  Sounds so.  But for someone who rationalizes and justifies every single thing that I do, it isn't so simple.  I "deserve" food sounds more simple to me. 

I've had to recognize that I can't eat like all those healthy lifestyle blogs with the lovely little snacks in between meals and fantastically composed meals with the right proportions of protein, carbs, and veggies.  I can certainly eat like that, but I don't have to double the quantity; or eat other foods while I am preparing that healthy snack or meal.

I am trying to eat high quality foods in low quantity portions.  I am allowing myself to feel a little bit of hunger at the end of each meal.  I am recognizing that the little twinge of hunger is not really hunger because it does go away when I focus on something else.  Water has become a friend.  And the bathroom has become a companion. 

The hard part of this new awareness is being constantly aware of food and feelings (both emotional and physical).  I am really looking forward to a time when food doesn't consume my thoughts.  I don't want to always be aware of my next meal and the portions.  I want to naturally stop when I am full.  I want to eat when my body is really hungry and not because I presently have to rely on a clock to tell me when it is "okay" to eat.  I want to be a little more spontaneous with eating and not have to rely on packaging just the right amount and specific foods.  And one day, I want to be able to be satisfied (mentally) with one cookie or a few bites of dessert.  Oh how I envy women (and men) who can take a couple of fork fulls of pastry and push away a plate containing (what is to me) a huge, remaining portion of crust or browned crumbles of loveliness (wasteful).  And I want to stop thinking that leaving food behind on my plate is wasteful.

I'll get there. 

Don't forget about the giveaway. 

Do you think about food constantly, or have you gotten to a place where you consume food and aren't consumed by it?