DAY 3... Feed Me

Yesterday was a struggle.

What is it about knowing you are restricting your calories that turns you into the hungriest person alive?  

So my not so secret plan of cutting down on carbs drastically and eating lean protein, veggies and fruit has a flaw.  By mid afternoon I turn into a mean, cranky, unmotivated mess. 

Yesterday I had one egg, 2 pieces of low fat/sodium turkey bacon and an orange in the morning, lunch was avocado, veggies and 1 hard boiled egg, afternoon was a piece of fruit.  So by 4pm I WAS STARVING, literally starving.  Or so my brain kept telling me.

With some reflection about the day I discovered that yesterday was an unusually stressful day.  From being financially cut off from the hand that feeds us in the morning, to my son whacking me in the head and knocking me out (yes literally) I would say that stress was a major factor in yesterday.  You see these are two things that normal Aly would not have taken with grace.. Normally I would turn to food for comfort.  I did not, so I guess that is a win, but I almost ate my arm at 4pm.  

At 4 I decided that dinner would have to have include carbs, and I would start making it right then and there.. With some reflection back to my first post I had to remind myself to listen to my body...and my body wanted carbs.  So in an attempt to protect my non suspecting arm from getting gnawed on..  we had pasta for dinner.   Here is what I did to keep it healthy and nutrients filled: I made good Italian whole wheat pasta, homemade tomato and veggie pasta sauce with chicken breast chunks and OMG it tasted SO good.   For dessert I had a pre-portioned bag of praeventia cookies and an orange.  

I know you are thinking.. dessert? Cookies?? What the what? Well, here it is, I knew I had a friends house to go to that evening and wanted to be full of goodness before I went so I could pick at the veggies and not feel like the fatty pigging out at the first sight of sugar..  I did well, I had to try the mushroom caps but had enough to taste and not the whole plate, loaded up on veggies sans dip, and 1 tiny piece of bread with spinach dip.   Now the die hards will criticize my choice for having some of these items.. but for me it was a big thing to be able to only have one, not restricting myself as in the past when I have done this it has only made me gorge later when I am feeling weak.  So my theory (actually I probably stole it from someone else in one of the numerous books I have read) is if I am OK with a little - not a lot that I will stop the insanity in my brain and not want to gorge later.  I will let you know how that works out.

When I returned home (after waking the kids to play in the snow), I logged every morsel of food that entered my body.. and the good news..  I still stayed with-in my 1400 daily maximum.  So what the H-E double hockey sticks was I beating myself up for?

Lesson of yesterday: Planning out the day works well.  Eating carbs earlier in the day is probably a better plan. Resorting to gnawing on ones arm is not a good choice, and allowing myself to be normal-ish will most likely help me in the long run live a normal happy life in a hot body.

Today I changed my breakfast to include 2 eggs, turkey bacon, tons of veggies all fried (without fat) and so far.. I am feeling tons better. Of course I haven't had a call saying sorry no more money or a concussion today either..

Quitting eating at habitual times is just as hard if not harder than smoking. 
Good news is I quit smoking 2 years ago and I am still standing, so I now know I can do this...  Good bye old habits... bring on the new.