Ahhh. The excuse we’ve all used. “I don’t need to eat anymore because I’m not hungry and my body is saying stop”. Much like a photo, our hunger cues are faded and unreliable. They aren’t really revealing to us the truth.
Sure, eventually you get the hunger cues back, but that could be months, even years. We cannot depend on them to let us know how much to eat. That’s why we have meal plans.
Although we think we know how much we need to eat, Ed or Ana, or whomever, are really telling us what to eat. We shouldn’t listen to them.
Sometimes we get our hunger cues back, and they’re telling you the truth. You’re still eating enough nutrition and maintaining your proper weight. But then a major stressor comes into play. And your body goes out of whack.
You still think you’re getting proper hunger cues, but usually, you aren’t. Ed took advantage of your vulnerable state and secretly took control back. You may not even realize it, but if you’re eating a lot less than normal, Ed probably entered the game.
Don’t let him win. Challenge him. You are in control and you can’t let Ed boss you around.
Now, why did I chose this topic for today? I’ve been having a very hard couple of weeks due to stress in my life, and my hunger cues went on vacation. So what happened? I didn’t eat as much as I knew I should. But then I realized what was happening. I was only drinking water when I could’ve been having juice, milk, hot chocolate, etc. I didn’t have the foods I craved and wanted, so I didn’t eat as much. But after talking it out with one of my friends, I knew exactly what I had to do. Eat more.
So what did I do today? I ate more. Not a binge, but what I was supposed to eat. I didn’t feel like Ed was with me this whole time, but the subtle signs said he was. So I challenged him. When he told me I wasn’t hungry, I still ate. I made sure I drank more and drank things with nutrition. And you know what? I don’t feel perfect. And that’s expected. You probably won’t feel good about what you did. As long as you know it’s what you had to do (which it was) you are improving. I’m sure in the end I am happier and proud of myself for eating more.
If I can say no to Ed and fight him, so can you. You are braver than you belive, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think. (Wise words from Christopher Robin)
you, me and my veggie 