Intuitive Eating

Aren't there days when you're just not hungry at all and then days when no matter what you consume, your stomach still has some 'extra' room? I guess everyone has their own 'hunger' clock. For example, my old college roomie was never hungry for breakfast, so she always skipped it and ran right off to class. Whereas for me, I can't start my day without 'something' in my stomach, even if it's just a glass of orange juice. I also find that my 'metabolic' fire flares up the most mid-afternoon. I wouldn't feel hungry at all at noon and then all of sudden. BAM! I need to grab something. Luckily, I crave for healthy foods, but I tend to favor carbs like bread and fruits. I used to survive on a salad for lunch, but I realized I need a balance between protein, carbs, and fats to hold me over for a longer period of time.

Then are days when I just can't sleep. Would you roll around in bed? Get up and watch TV? Or walk over to the fridge and have a snack? That was my "Sophie's Choice" last night. I couldn't sleep because my neighbor was being really loud :( I was so frustrated. The stress level caused me not to be able to fall asleep even though I was extremely tired. I automatically got up and went to the kitchen and brought back something to my room. But then I stopped. I listened to myself. Did I want to eat because I was bored and stressed or because I was truly hungry? My answer was...I just needed something to reduce my stress. Good answer. That means I wasn't really hungry, so why force something or I don't even need it? So, I relaxed my arms, my legs, and my heart and slowly drifted to dreamland (although I didn't wake up early). I was proud of myself. Normally, I would just munch away, but I listened to what my body really wanted and it was sleep, not food. Studies after studies have shown that stress and lack of sleep causes food craving and I've experienced this. So sometimes when I feel 'munchy' I ask myself, do I need to nap or eat? And usually, I'm just tired and needed to sleep a bit.

So start to listen to your body and not your brain sometimes. If you're tired, just take a quick nap. 15 minutes does wonders I tell you! If you're hungry, fine. Are you hungry enough to eat an apple? If your answer is yes, that's great. Your body needs fuel so have a healthy snack. But if you're answer is no, then you probably needed food to 'keep' yourself awake.

Intuitive thing and eating coexist. It's a difficult process that I'm slowly trying to get used to. But it's something that will create good physical and psychological health.

Cheers~