I'm reading The End of Overeating now, after reading about it on the other thread, and it has got me to thinking about something that I've noticed.
I used to think I was incapable of dieting because I had these incredibly strong cravings for food. I would get "super hungry" and need to eat, even if I had eaten a big meal recently. Sometimes, I would be at the end of a meal and still feel like I needed/wanted to eat more.
That was the feeling that I associated with hunger.
Real hunger-- well, I don't think I felt that very often.... how could I get hungry if I was constantly downing meals every few hours and nibbling in between?
So, now, sometimes I get a completely different feeling which I barely recognize as hunger-- I feel cranky and kind of spacey and, well, hungry.
That feeling is NOTHING like the way I feel when faced with a chocolate cake.
I have found that staying 100% on plan I don't grapple much with feeling B (crave hunger). I did at first, but now, several months in, not so much.
I do get the cranky headachey hunger feeling from time to time-- if dinner is ready late, or I'm at work and don't have time to eat a meal...
Oddly enough, I find I'm able to ignore that feeling. I just forge on. It's much EASIER for me to ignore it than it was for me to ignore the craving feeling.
I don't know whether there is any science behind this. I'm just wondering if others have the same feeling.
To tell you the truth, until this day I can’t figure out when I am really hungry and when I just want to eat. Because I feel like eating all the freaking time.
I know I’ve come very far in my journey, but it is a daily fight against this huge desire to eat.
I hope I can overcome it in the future because it is a struggle to me EVERY SINGLE DAY.
I've been working at this a year and still haven't figured it out. That's why I calorie count, I have a budget that if I'm wise should keep my from being hungry. I can now tell when I'm no longer hungry (and should stop eating), but I still haven't got hungry figured out.
For those of you who do not know what physical hunger is like, if you can (and it won't set off a binge or anything unhealthy) fast for 24 hours. I've done this in the past and I found it extremely useful--it helped me get in touch with my body directly--shut up my self-talk and got me to experience my body again.
Eat a light meal for supper...then have nothing except water until supper the next day. This is called a "Daniel" fast after the fast Daniel went on when in the court of King Nebakednezzar. (Sorry, can't spell that very well!). The supper you'd have to break your fast should be a hearty soup with bread or something else fairly easy on the tummy, but moderately filling. (As a religious discipline it is accompanied by prayer during the times you would have eaten.)
I find that I can "quell" true hunger with water--or sometimes a diet soft drink temporarily. (Something I do most often while I cook supper.) I don't like getting too hungry, though, because then I wolf my food and don't enjoy it as much as I should.
I started reading "Conquer Your Food Addiction" and found a lot of my eating was boredom and habit. So I decided to change my habits. No more sitting online all night, I go online when I get home sure- but like an hour at the most. I also cut a lot of online friendships because they wanted me to always be online for hours and talk and I was like I can't do this anymore- besides my weight it was also hurting my marriage- one of the people refuses to speak to me anymore- sad but true.
To conquer the boredom I started working out at home and I also have started crocheting and spending more time with my family- and it's finally starting to show
before when I knew I would have a busy day I would kind of freak out from the feeling of, "what if I get hungry??" I would often overeat or pack unhealthy snacks with me..
nowadays...I try to plan ahead..I keep little baggies of raw almonds in my purse or maybe an apple or something....if I am out and find myself hungry I can usually get by until I can get back home from what I have in my purse..and the freaky feeling I used to get "what if I get hungry" well, it doesn't freak me out anymore..even if I am hungry, it is OKAY..I can get through it.
OMG..beerab...the unending online thing...YEP! A HUGE contributor to my weight.
I was up online until 2 or 3 in the morning most nights..usually eating the vast majority of my online time...
I threw that habit WAY out the window...I feel so much better now..in the mornings I am excited to get up and go run...make it back home to make beautiful, homemade breakfasts for my family and get them out the door..
I am probably still online too much...but it is definitely in check now..and no more online friendships...if you wanna talk to me CALL me!
OMG!
btw...I also lost a friend when I cut the online stuff..and started focusing on my health...you know what? The time I spent on/with that person has been replaced...this time with people I want to be around..that edify the true ME and what I want to be about...getting away from that friendship has been one of the best things for me....when God takes something from one hand..he always puts something in the other I think---sometimes I just have to look to see that it really is already there
Last edited by Thighs Be Gone; 09-22-2009 at 02:53 PM.
hunger versus craving...
