After a lengthy gap in posts, I am back to yammer on about the journey that starves, shapes and frankly irritates when it's 11:20 at night and you want something to nosh but know you can't eat until the next A.M.
The last few weeks have been very stressful (in truth the last few months have been) and as an all too human human, that means I can fall victim to stress eating. That undermining urge to graze on all manner of food stuffs that are unfortunate enough to cross one's path. For me it tends to be trips to Tim Horton's and Nutella on white toast too late at night. For others it can be anything and everything else, but what all stress eaters have in common is a need to feel anchored by the treat and maybe even a sense of "oh well, everything's going to hell right now, maybe I don't care about a little extra something on my frame."
The reality is that everyone can be, and at times is, a stress eater. I am by no means obese, or have an eating disorder, but can certainly acknowledge a backslide. The tough part for people who are severely overweight (I think) is that there is perhaps a more fatalistic view - that at that size, there is no getting out so why try? Yet there are countless stories of people who have emerged happier and healthier. One has to remember that no end result comes without a first step. Even if one spends five minutes walking or working out, it's five minutes more than yesterday! If you are ever questioning yourself, please know that you can do it, it just takes that first step.
I found that the best first step is a commitment to a new lifestyle. Day one a year and a half ago, I threw out everything in our home that contained preservatives or was processed. It's not just a question of changing a few things, but remaining in the same basic life. The more drastic the change, the more likely the success. I am back on my natural lifestyle with one exception: I still allow myself a little Nutella, but on homemade whole wheat bread and earlier in the evening!
Being active, halving portions, eating food made from scratch and not munching after 7 - 8 PM will put anyone on the right track. How far you want to go will depend on you! Happy eating and happy health!
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richard,
ReplyDeleteone way i curb the snacky feeling at night is eating celery,carrots,etc.. it helps you feel full and the crunch gets rid of the obsessive have to eat feeling..
later,
kat
I find that I can curb my cravings for sweets by drinking a coffee cup of chocolate soy milk. If I get the feeling to snack when I'm not supposed to, I'll eat a few spoonfuls of fat free whole fruit sorbet (raspberry, yum!). If not, I'll have a little less than half a cup of whole grain granola, sometimes soaked in soy milk, which makes for a nice filling snack.
ReplyDeleteAside from eating overall healthier food, I'm just starting to buckle down and keep track of my calorie intake.
Are you still on your routine? I went Vegan in 2005 - stuck with it for 2 years, then started consuming refined sugar, processed foods, fast food and dairy again in 2008. I played that awful game, the messed up tummy and skin shuffle, for about a year before giving up that nonsense and declaring my life back! I have been a vegetarian ever since. I still enjoy eating my eggs and fakon in the morning, so I'm not sure that I will go straight edged Vegan again; nevertheless, I want to cut out sugar, grease, preservatives, cut back on salt, and avoid otherwise premade foods. I 'cheat' with frozen food but it tends to be Amy's organic dairy free bean burritos... Yum
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