on being hungry

Today:
Breakfast: green smoothie (spinach, blueberries, strawberries, banana, flax and water)
Lunch: blended salad (romaine, baby carrots, pineapple, 1/2 banana)
Dinner: italian-ish stew

Exercise: 30 min Yourself!Fitness, 30 min

Fuhrmometer Reading: Kale

Today I've been thinking about hunger. One of the things you learn about first when discovering Eat to Live is the concept of toxic hunger; it makes sense to most people but you really don't realize the iron grip that hunger has over you until you've had relief from it. It's amazing to realize how much better life is when you're not dieing of hunger all the time or feeling headachy or tired or nautious from it.

Before I started ETLing I had such toxic hunger it wasn't funny. If I didn't eat sooner or later it would catch up with me and I'd get headaches or feel weak etc. I can remember a time where I was really hungry and hubby and I were out and about; it was going to be an hour or so until we were going to be home to eat and I was so hungry I got one of those horrible gum balls out of a vending machine to help curb the hunger. I remember hubby saying to me "you're so hungry you can't wait an hour for dinner?" and I really didn't think I could. The feeling of hunger felt unbearable at the time. Looking back, it makes me sad that I was such a slave to junk and it was effecting my body so much.

These days hunger is totally different. I still feel hungry but it's not uncomfortable or unbeararable. I don't get hungry headaches or feel any of those nasty effects of toxic hunger because I don't have to deal with it any more. I still have days where I feel like I am perpetually hungry now and then, but I don't have those "I MUST EAT NOW" moments. It really is so nice not to have to deal with the feelings of toxic hunger any more.

Another thing I love about eating a "diet" is the feeling of hunger. All too often when not being mindful about what I eat I end up eating just for the sake of eating or because I'm bored or whatever and miss out on the feeling of hunger. I felt like this over Thanksgiving - I would go to the fridge to grab some leftover something and think to myself that I'm not hungry, this isn't as satisfying when I'm not hungry. I really enjoy the feeling of being hungry and fulfilling the need. When you're not hungry, it's just not worth it.

It's great to be in touch with your body and know that you are giving it what it needs.